Mr. Abler

My name is Tom Abler. I have had the good fortune of being allowed to help out at the Fond du Lac location. I am not even sure how long I have done this, around thirteen years or so. In that time I have been lucky enough to work beside some wonderful people. Their commitment to the students is truly amazing.

I guess there are two big things that I enjoy the most about helping out. First, is seeing the growth in the students as they progress through the program. To see them come to understand the values that will help them become successful is so rewarding. Second, and most important to me personally, is being able to do this with my son Bennett. To have an activity like this to share with Ben has easily been the most rewarding part of this experience. To see him grow in this program has far exceeded any expectations I had when we first joined.

I don't have any stories that I can tell in this space. Let’s just say I do enjoy messing with Mr. Schaalma, and if I can mess with his concentration when he is leading class and make him laugh, well that is all the better. It is all in fun and hopefully everyone sees that having fun that is important too. If it is not fun, what is the point?

Ms. Bigalk

I was asked to join the Martial Arts America Instructing team in 2022. I found it interesting that they would want a single person with no children like me to be part of a Family-Oriented team, yet, that was exactly why they wanted me! I was looking for something to be active and the gym was just not my scene. I started looking into options in the area and Martial Arts America was not very far from my home. I started with the two-week trial and felt a major sense of accomplishment achieving my white belt while overcoming my own nerves of being the only adult in my class initially. It is said that the white belt is the most difficult to earn. You must start somewhere and finding the courage to even begin a new adventure can be challenging. Long story short, I am on the brink of testing for my brown-black belt and will be on my way to testing for my black belt shortly after.

Martial Arts America has become another family to me. Watching my own skillsets advance, along with fellow students around me, has been very rewarding. We all grow together and having that level of support from the Instructing team, fellow students, and even their family members make it worth every drop of sweat and achievement. I look forward to learning and overcoming my own obstacles, while helping other students do the same.

Mr. Deacy

I have been an instructor for about 23 years. My current rank is 5th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and a 5th Degree Black Belt in Okinawan Kobudo (Weapons). I have started my journey toward my 6th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do. I was first introduced to Martial Arts America when my late wife Denise and I enrolled our two children Beth and Ryan when they around 7 or 8 years old. I had no plans or desire to join. I thought, I was too old, I had bad knees and I just did not see me doing this. For 6 months or so, Denise and I watched our children participate and during those six months, the instructors would encourage parent to come on the floor to assist. We assisted so often; we even received a Martial Arts America Coaching Team T-Shirt. Denise and I decided to join because we were kind of already doing the class with Beth and Ryan.

That was the start of it and it such a joy going to class as a family and working together toward our black belts. The journey to Black Belt as a family is one of my favorite memories. Practicing together, being able to demonstrate as a family in an event called Extravaganzas. Beth and Ryan both earned their 1st Degree Black Belts and then decided to try other activities. Now, both kids are in their 30s and they often talk about it. Denise trained with up to our 2nd Degree test when she decided to take time off. However, she encouraged me to continue to earn my belt.

A couple of years later, I lost Denise to cancer, which was a difficult time in my life, however being part of Martial Arts America during her illness and afterwards provided me an outlet, allowed me to embrace the family of Martial Arts America. Martial Arts America was the stabilizing aspect of my life.

I couple of years later, I was lucky enough to find another love, Anne and her two children Nicholas and Andrew as they became part of my family. This is where I was able to introduce Nicholas to Martial Arts America. It was a lot of fun introducing Nicholas to Tae Kwon Do and Martial Arts America. I was so neat watching him learn and grow in the martial arts. He was an incredibly talented teenager and we able to train up to earning his 2nd Degree Black Belt.

After Nicholas earned his 2nd Degree Black Belt, Anne decided to join Martial Arts of America. That was one of the coolest things ever. I have genuinely enjoyed training, practicing, and going to class with Anne over the last several years. She has such amazing talent and technique; I love working with her. Going to class every week with Anne is such a part of our lives now, it feels weird when we cannot go. I love training with her. I am so proud of her as she continues her journey to 3rd Degree Black Belt. I will do everything and anything to assist her in achieving her goal.

There are so many values/life skills to glean from the Martial Arts training and especially Martial Arts America. MAA teaches us that we all have the ability to choose how we react to a situation. We have the choice to have a negative reaction or a positive reaction. We have the choice to have a good attitude or a bad attitude. MAA teaches us to choose the good, the positive things of life.

Perseverance is another life skill that is taught in the school. We are taught we cannot give up on our goals, it takes a lot of work to achieve those goals. The journey to Black Belt is not an easy, it takes a lot of perseverance to earn a black belt, going to class, practicing at home, taking instructor feedback to get better. We can take this life skill into our personal life. As we know, life is not easy, there are a lot of things that happen to us and our family that challenges our perseverance. The life skills that Martial Arts America teaches and emphasizes in class are vital finding the beauty in our lives.

I am so proud to be part of this outstanding family of Martial Artists, instructors, and amazing people who I call friends and family. I look forward to many additional years with wonderful team.

Mr. DeMaster

I’ve been doing Martial Arts with MAA for over 25 years and am currently a 5th Degree Black Belt. While most people think that because I am married to Mrs. DeMaster it was a foregone conclusion that I would be involved in Martial Arts as well, but that is far from the truth. I legitimately had no intention whatsoever of becoming involved with karate or instructing so many years ago and my wife never pushed me (other than to say it was fun) at any time. My story is similar to so many other adults and instructors you may have heard before – I saw my son and wife taking part and “as long as I’m here, I might as well give it a try.” The rest as they say is…history.

There are so few things that any of us are able to do as a family and I am so proud to be part of an organization that encourages family values, quality life skills and principles that encourage the growth of leaders in the future. Over my time here, I feel like I’ve seen it all: my family members getting black belts, so many friends (and their kids) getting black belts and positive life change in people as they go through the process. The perseverance required to achieve a black belt is real – anyone who has made it to that finish line would agree with me.

It’s been my pleasure to instruct at Martial Arts America for over 20 years and I can’t say enough about the students I’ve worked with as well as the other instructors that I’ve worked side-by-side with during that time. While I don’t teach as much as I used to, you will be hard pressed to pull me away from Black Belt Testing team ever! My favorite part of instructing is seeing the change people go thru from around Red or Brown belt to Black Belt Testing. It is incredible to see people give their best as they try to achieve their goal – my hope is always to challenge them the best I can and then absolutely praise them for conquering the Black Belt Mountain! Believe me when I say, anyone can do it if they push themselves to accomplish their goal. It’s impossible to imagine my life without MAA at this point – I’m a lifer!

Mr Grahl

Mr. Grahl It’s my 10th year at Martial Arts America as a student, and 8th year as an assistant instructor. My current rank is 3rd Degree Black Belt.

Story began when my son Mason, was invited for friends’ night back in 2013. After taking his first class, he was excited to join. Since I was driving him to class anyway, it seemed like it would be fun to take class with him. Together, he and I earned our black belts. We enjoyed taking class together and especially sparring against each other! The desire to try new things drew him away from karate after that but he will carry what he learned throughout his life. He still says “Yes Sir” to me

I continued taking class and eventually was invited to attend Instructor University which prepared me for the role of assistant instructing. The instructor training classes offered to us once per cycle are more than I imagined they would be. One might think that training to be a martial arts instructor would be full of extreme physical contact and endurance. However, the motivational talks, physical instruction, and fun time spent with all the other instructors has taught me things you do not learn in other schools. MAA has given me the confidence to tackle things I used to be uncomfortable doing. I like the workout and end class with the feeling of having accomplished something worthwhile, and always with the thought, “I’m glad I came.” Teaching and speaking in front of a group of people was once out of my comfort zone, but as years go by and always with the help of other instructors I have learned to feel more at ease with this job and my day job as well. I have learned to relax and not worry about making a mistake.

I am active with a lot of energy, and prefer to be moving and doing something physical rather than just sitting still. Just love getting in horse stance and doing punches in front of class. My goal is to show the students how to demonstrate to their highest level, “Like A Black Belt.” Reaching the age on the upper end of our “over 20” age group, I’m motivated to take class for the exercise, coordination, memory, and self-confidence.

Mr. Hendryx

I love being part of MAA because everyone is welcome. There is no mold you have to fit into and no ability you have to have. People are truly respected and appreciated for who they are as individuals. There is never a fear of being compared to others. We are simply encouraged to “do our very best.”

Teaching others to do their very best has been extremely rewarding. Seeing the joy on their faces when they finally learn that hard move they were struggling with, get praised for working hard, earn new belts, and earn trophies is what keeps me wanting to come back. It has become more about seeing the growth in others than doing karate for myself. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy learning new material and continuing my personal journey with my wife, but there is something special about impacting the lives of others.

Two of the most impactful karate tenants that I have worked on while studying martial arts at MAA have been focus and self-control. Having control over my actions, reactions, and words have positively impacted my life and how I respond to others. In addition, MAA has provided a way to “escape” reality if only for an hour a couple of times a week. It is an opportunity for me to stop thinking about anything other than what we are doing in class that night.

Since 2007, my wife and I have taken karate together. We have pushed each other to do our very best and have reached multiple degree of blackbelts. For the majority of our time at MAA we have been teachers and leaders within the organization. We also enjoy working with the brown/black candidates and black belts candidates as they prepare to test for these belts. Seeing their growth from brown belt to brown/black belt and then to black belt is one of the highlights of being an instructor at MAA. Martial Arts America has been a godsend to us.

Mrs. Kedzierski

Serving in the role of MAA Instructor for the past four years is important to my life, as I continue to learn and grow in the skills of martial arts. Being an instructor provides me an opportunity to support the mission of the karate school by sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over the years and encouraging new and younger students to gain confidence and reach their full potential.

It also gives me the opportunity to push myself out of my own comfort zone all the while being supported by the instructing team. I have been involved in MAA since 2011 with my husband and daughter. We have spent the last 10 years building relationships with the instructors and other MAA families, which has provided us a sense of extended family and support.

As a 4th degree black belt student and instructor, it is important for me to extend to other students and families support and guidance for their path to encompass the values of MAA into their lives. The most important MAA value for me is the value of perseverance because it keeps me striving for excellence and never giving up.

The most rewarding part of my time instructing has been when I connect with a student that I initially think I won’t be able to get to follow any instruction at all and they end up working their hardest to do their best.

Mr. Kennedy


Hi, my name is Michael Kennedy. Strangely enough some of the students call me Mr. Kennedy. It’s still very weird for me to be called mister, after all I’m barely 8 years removed from High School. I joined Martial Arts of America just over a year ago alongside my wife. She and I both agreed that we needed an activity for us to do together. I suggested Salsa dancing to work on some super awesome dance moves but it was actually Martial Arts that was more of an attraction as we saw the potential for our soon to be 4 year old son to join us.

If I’m really being transparent, the main reason I joined Martial Arts of America was to gain self confidence. As a kid one of the main principles my father instilled in me, was that a man should be a good husband to his wife. It was my job to encourage the best out of my wife and for her to know that one day if I’m not living on this earth she could be confident and independent.

Furthermore, I made the decision to teach because when I was a kid in high school, I had a guy grab me by the collars of my shirt to try and instill fear in me. He was bigger and stronger than me so in that moment I felt defense-less but I always had friends that had my back. In that moment I thought what if my friends weren’t here? MAA gives me confidence to know I have the ability to defend myself. I share this because one of the most valuable experiences I’ve learned at Martial Arts of America is to believe in yourself. Never underestimate how far you may come if you commit to getting better. There’s no expectation to break through boards with your head in less than a week. At Martial Arts America, they are committed to meeting you where you are and pushing you to a confidence you never thought you would have. I want that for my wife, I want that for my kids and I want that for other people. I want them to feel the confidence that Martial Arts of America has helped me feel. This is why I became an instructor.

Mr. Lange

I have the privilege teaching the basic class, where most students begin to learn Karate. There is nothing more exciting to see than youth and adult student progress from a "no belt" to a black belt. I get to work with them from the beginning and watch them grow in their karate skills, but also life skills. It is a great feeling to see them earn their Black Belts and know what they have all accomplished.

I have been teaching 3 years and am currently a 2nd degree Black Belt working toward earning a 3rd degree.

Some of my favorite things about Martial Arts America is that It is not just a place to learn Karate, but is a family. Your karate friends become your Karate family and you also have the opportunity to do Karate along side your own family members. I also enjoy learning all the aspects of Karate, from the kicks, punches, forms and more! I think its pretty cool that You can join at any age. I always wanted to try to do Karate when I was young, but didn’t start until I was in my mid 40’s. Martial Arts America teaches you so many life lessons that apply to all ages, while also having fun learning Karate.

My Son Jack and I started Karate at Martial Arts America together. It has been nothing but the best experience to be able to learn Karate together. This was something we both can participate together. My Son is now working toward his 2nd degree as I work toward my 3rd degree. The lifeskill that I believe is one of the most important values that is taught at MAA is…. To never give up! If you continue to work on something over and over you will get better and come closer & closer to achieving your goals in karate and in life. You just can not give up!

Mrs. Lipke

Hi, my name is Mrs. Lipke. I have been assisting with classes for about 1 year. I help with the Intermediate Class and with the Basic Class in Fond du Lac. I also help with the Brown/Black and Black Belt prep classes on Saturday for all 3 MAA locations.

My oldest son, Gavin, joined when we moved to Fond du Lac in 2014. He is currently a 2nd Degree Black Belt. My youngest son, Riley, and I joined in 2019. Riley is a 1st Degree Black Belt, and I am a 2nd Degree Black Belt. My husband, Mark, is going to be be testing for his brown-black belt fall of 2023.

My greatest accomplishment as a teacher at MAA is seeing everyone grow and become more confident both in martial arts and in life.

Mrs. Munson

I start off every Wednesday evening with the Flying Dragons in Fond du Lac. Their enthusiasm and zest for learning the martial arts is one of the most rewarding parts of teaching. Nothing is better after a long day outside of MAA than coming to work with the Flying Dragons!

Being a teacher is something that comes to me naturally. As a parent, it's the role I play most often. Our family joined the karate school as students for an outlet for energy and an opportunity to apply that energy to focus, perseverance, and self control, as well as building up self-confidence. I would say we have definitely gained that, but most importantly we have gained a community of friends that share those values.

Mrs. Reynolds

I'm Mrs. Reynolds. I'm a 2nd degree black belt and teach at the Fond du Lac school. Being an instructor is important to me because I have seen what a difference MAA has made in my life and my whole family's. The Martial Arts America team is like extended family to me.

I enjoy helping children and adults learn all of the things that I have learned at MAA over the last 15 years. My husband and all five of our children have been students (two of them still are). Our oldest three have received their first degree black belts. Our middle daughter will be testing for her 2nd degree black belt in fall of 2023. And our youngest is working towards her junior black belt in the intermediate class.

I have been teaching for over 12 years!!! I enjoy teaching all different ages. I also look forward to taking class for myself. It is great for exercise, strengthening your body and releasing stress. But, I also love that we teach things that build and strengthen character like self control, confidence and perseverance. We encourage students to try their best to have a positive attitude, make good choices and strive to do their best at whatever they are doing. These are great life skills that benefit everyone.

Mr. Schouton

I have been teaching for about 20 years. My current rank is 4th degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and 5th degree in Okinawan weapons. I started with Martial Arts America by enrolling my son who had some difficulties early on in life.. I witnessed such a change in him over the years of taking martial arts from not being able to focus for more than a few seconds to being able to take a whole class with great focus. Two of my three sons did martial arts as well as myself. It was really neat being able to take class together with my boys!

My greatest joy when I teach is seeing students come in as a beginners, showing shyness, little confidence, and then seeing their confidence grow to become a much more confident person!

I love the positive atmosphere here at Martial Arts America. It has helped me through many stressful days of work and life. Many times after a stressful day I walk in and another Instructor will say “ looks like you need to hit some bags”. He is right! Just walking into the building is such a stress reliever. One of the neatest things about being an instructor is being out and about the community and having people come up to me and remembering me as an instructor when they were a student. Of course, when some are married and have kids that makes you feel you are getting older.

Mrs. Simonson

23 years ago I started my martial arts journey and the time has flown by. I am currently a 5th degree black belt with a 1st degree in Okinawan Weapons.

I started karate because my parents wanted to find a fun and constructive outlet for all my brother and I's energy! Since my brother loved the Power Rangers, MAA seemed like a great fit to teach the cool karate moves but also the respect and confidence that you need to go with them. I was supposed to go and try gymnastics but sitting in a chair and watching all the cool moves that Mr. Schaalma was teaching looked like way more fun - and I have never looked back.

I have been teaching for over 8 years and my family is always laughing when I say I get to go to my fun job. I had the privilege of working with all three classes: Flying Dragons, Basic, and Intermediate - and I love my job. Each class and each student is unique and different. It is amazing to see the growth of each student from the first time they step out onto the floor to earning their white belt, to seeing the giant smiles as they reach their goal of earning their Black Belt.

I have been so lucky to grow up in the MAA family - I can honestly say I don't know where I would be without all the great instructors and fellow students who helped me on my journey. Learning is a life long activity and MAA is a great place for both the body and mind to continue to do that.

Mr. Weddle

Life before MAA seems forever ago. I started assisting as a blue/red belt and am currently a 3rd degree black belt. I love watching students gain confidence from Week number one through week number 9, and from white belt to black belt. It's exciting to see what we are teaching click in a student’s head and watch them excel and grow as a student and a person.

I love that Martial Arts America is based on Respect for others and for themselves. What an amazing thing for people to understand, that their best is good enough. That their physical ability doesn't define them, and their willingness to try and persevere when things get tough is a trait that will serve them in all aspects of life.

Being a student is exercise for my body and my mind. It is an outlet for stressful days, being able to channel frustrations and personal challenges into a Karate form or a Punching bag. It has been awesome to develop relationships with other students, especially those that I test for my Black Belt with.

I have 3 children who are black belts at Martial Arts America as well. My oldest actually out-ranks me, a fact that is not lost on him. I appreciate the structure Martial Arts America has given my kids. The reminders in every class to better themselves and to believe in themselves is priceless. Having relocated to Fond du Lac from out of state, MAA is where we found our tribe. Many of our closest friends are also students or MAA parents.