Today we’d like to introduce you to RJ LoPresti.
RJ, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have been training in martial arts since I was a little kid, and I feel that it is as a child that my story as a martial arts business owner begins.
When I was a child, I had trouble focusing in school, I was diagnosed with ADHD and I had more energy than I knew what to do with. I wouldn’t say that I was a shy child, but I would get anxious any time I had to be in front of a group of people. Through training in martial arts I was able to learn to control my energy and channel it in a productive manner, and I was able to become confident enough to no longer be so nervous in front of crowds. Experiencing all of this as a youth, I had a first-hand experience as to the power of a good martial arts education. I always loved training HapKiDo (the martial art I train in), and when I was a young teenager, I began assisting the instructors at the school I attended. I quickly fell in love with teaching and dove into educating myself to become the best instructor I could be. At the age of 16, I decided that teaching martial arts was what I wanted to do with my life, so I designed the rest of my life around this idea. I went to college to get a degree in business to help me with the career path, and after graduating, I moved to Georgia to begin opening HapKiDo schools.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like any business owner, of course I have many challenges that need to be overcome. Some are small day to day difficulties, and others may be larger obstacles that take a lot of time and energy to overcome. The way I look at problems though is best summed up by a book that I highly recommend called “The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday. Every obstacle just provides a chance for me to improve either myself or how I operate my businesses. If I am not running into obstacles regularly then I know I am not pushing hard enough and need to take things to the next level.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Choe’s HapKiDo?
Choe’s HapKiDo is the type of Martial Art that I teach. We have a group of schools lead by our teacher Grandmaster JiMong Choe. We currently have 8 locations located in Maryland, Virginia and Georgia, with plans to continue to grow. I have personally be with Choe’s HapKiDo since 2001, however Choe’s HapKiDo has been teaching in America since 1978. This year we are celebrating the 45th anniversary of Grandmaster Choe teaching HapKiDo in America!
HapKiDo is a traditional Korean Martial Art that is a comprehensive style of self-defense. HapKiDo teaches its students not only punching and kicking techniques but also joint locking, throwing and grappling techniques. Students learn how to defend themselves against a variety of dangerous situations. Equally important to the self-defense training, they learn how to develop their character and personality in a way that will aid them in every aspect of their lives. From healthy habits of exercising to learning focus and self-discipline, HapKiDo is truly designed to develop the whole person.
I often ask my students what they feel is the most effective self-defense technique. Typically the students will reply with the name of their favorite punch or kick, to which I say I disagree. I feel the most effective self-defense technique is respect. With respect for yourself and others, you will be able to avoid almost all situations that could be dangerous. How often do we find ourselves in physical fights? In this day and age, most adults will never find themselves in a fistfight, and if you are often getting in fights it may be time to evaluate some choices you make in life. So although we may not get to use our favorite punch on people every day outside of training, we have the opportunity to use respect every single day. Respect then must be coupled with the confidence that if a situation should get physical, you are able to effectively defend yourself. This combination is one of my many favorite aspects of what HapKiDo offers.
What makes you happy?
What makes me happy is being able to provide an opportunity for people to make a positive impact in their own lives and the lives of those around them. I am beyond grateful that I am able to dedicate my life to working with like-minded people from every walk of life with the collective purpose of making the world better through our personal development.
My personal Mission Statement is: “Provide an opportunity for people to make a profoundly positive change in the way they think, act and treat each other, to as many people as possible, with compounding results.” Any way I can work towards this mission makes me happy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karatega.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/choeshapkido/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/choeshapkidomartialarts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/choeshapkido
- Other: http://www.facebook.com/MrKarateGA
