ROCHESTER — Taekwondo and tango would possibly look like opposites, however they each require fancy footwork, as does being a small enterprise proprietor.
It may not be that stunning, then, that martial artist and dancer Fred Gommels has been in a position to make use of his agility to construct the Martial Artwork Health Middle, Inc. and the Blue Moon Ballroom into profitable companies.
Born and raised in Rochester, Gommels’ love of the martial arts started when he was round 10. Then, in 1973, on the age of 16, Gommels began learning karate and aiki-jujitsu with Dr. Haruo Okazaki. Two years later, he started learning conventional taekwondo, known as kongsoodo, with Grasp Pak Jong Gained.
Gommels has additionally educated in hapkido, judo, tai chi, and weaponry. He additionally studied the Korean language for 2 hours a day for a decade beginning within the late Nineteen Nineties. Finally, he turned a Korean language translator and hosted martial arts tour teams to South Korea. He’s visited South Korea seven instances for martial arts coaching and tradition.
“Starting at age 13, I dreamed of proudly owning and working a martial arts faculty,” Gommels stated.
His goals got here true in 1986, when he opened the Karate Studio of Rochester at 104 East Middle St. Three years later, having attracted 50 college students, the enterprise moved to 322 Broadway Ave. S. After rising to 100 college students, Gommels modified the studio’s title to Martial Arts Health Middle in 1994 and moved to its present location at 2849 Broadway Ave. S.
“Subsequent yr will probably be my Fiftieth-year anniversary within the martial arts,” Gommels stated. “I’ve at all times been intrigued by the martial artwork spirit, self-discipline, respect, peace of thoughts and the attractive but highly effective actions inherent in every fashion,” he added.
Gommels teaches taekwondo and hapkido and rents house to different instructors who educate tai chi, karate, weaponry, aikido, Filipino arts, and kendo.
“We prepare males, girls, and youth,” Gommels stated. At instances, Martial Arts Health Middle has had as many as 350 lively college students, although Gommels says the good recession decreased that quantity by half.
Joe Ahlquist / Put up Bulletin
In 2002, Gommels and his spouse Myrna heard the native band 2 O’Clock Soar play at an area restaurant, they usually noticed a pair dancing easily to a sluggish music.
“We have been impressed to start out dance classes,” he stated. Gommels and his spouse began taking dance classes on the Fred Astaire Dance Studio that yr. Since then, they’ve labored with a number of high trainers in a wide range of dance kinds. The couple notably enjoys dancing nightclub two-step.
Argentine tango is one among Gommels’ favourite dance kinds.
“My tango companion, Gretel Quinones, and I’ve educated with a few of the world’s high tango masters,” he stated. “We additionally educate tango as soon as a month within the Twin Cities.”
In 2003, Gommels’ tango and taekwondo worlds collided. Two of his martial arts instructors inspired him to place in a wooden flooring on the Martial Arts Health Middle. “To pay for it,” he stated, “we hosted public dance occasions twice a month on a Saturday evening for 3 years. We had each DJ’d and dwell music (occasions).” It was typically an odd sight to see ballroom dancers swing dancing in entrance of a wall festooned with throwing stars and nunchuks. Finally, the dance occasions on the martial arts studio have been drawing 50 to 100 individuals.
“We saved getting requested if we’d considered buying a spot devoted to bop,” says Gommels. “We have been then impressed to go searching, and ultimately open the Blue Moon Ballroom.”
Gommels opened the Blue Moon Ballroom in October 2006. It’s positioned at 2030 U.S. Freeway 14 E., on the frontage street. Full with excessive ceilings and a stage, the ability presents dance classes and social dance occasions. “Marriage ceremony receptions and different non-public occasions are the primary supply of enterprise,” Gommels stated.
Although Gommels says that the martial arts and dancing would possibly share “some connections within the correct execution of the actions,” he says they require completely different mindsets. He sees each as actions that “problem the thoughts, physique, and spirit for general holistic well being and longevity of life.”
Gommels says that his experiences proudly owning two small companies is akin to being an artist. “Each create one thing from nothing, take care of rejection, regulate to challenges, and superb tune their method to succeed,” he stated.
Whereas Gommels enjoys setting his personal schedule and finds offering providers the neighborhood desires to be rewarding, he’s confronted troublesome instances.
“The nice recession was scary and unsure,” he stated. “The pandemic was very traumatic.”
Although assist from household and mates is crucial, typically Gommels finds his critics to be his greatest lecturers. “In working any enterprise there are some robust classes to study,” he stated. “And hopefully you solely must study every lesson as soon as.”
“Cash has by no means been the first issue for working both of those two companies. If it was, I’d have modified professions way back,” he stated. “For me, ardour for our providers supplied and for serving to individuals with private progress are the motivating elements which have enabled this future of 35 years with the Martial Arts Health Middle and of 16 years with the Blue Moon Ballroom.”