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Mason Franks, Taekwondo instructor, describes running his Angola martial arts school
Summary
Mason Franks, a Taekwondo instructor and school owner in Angola, said he has practiced martial arts for about 14–15 years, taught Taekwondo roughly eight years, and has run his own school for three years. He described how communication skills, community partnerships and a program to train student instructors support his work.
Mason Franks, a taekwondo instructor and owner of a local martial-arts school in Angola, said he has practiced martial arts for about 14 to 15 years, has taught Taekwondo for roughly eight years and has run his own school for three years after purchasing it from a previous owner.
Franks made the comments during an interview on the podcast "Success Stories in Siougan County," recorded at Henry Park. He described his school as a community-focused program that serves children and works with other local businesses.
"It's a very personal business. It's very face to face ... you have to have great communication skills to be able to, clearly clarify what you're doing and provide it in the best way that you can," Mason Franks said. He said those communication skills help him manage classes and build relationships with students' parents and community partners.
Franks said he stepped into ownership when an instructor who previously owned the school decided to sell it. "I purchased it from him, and I've been running it ever since," he said. He described the transition as supported by the former owner, who has continued to act as a mentor and occasional adviser.
Franks said class sizes typically run from about 15 to 30 children per evening class. He also described an in-school program that trains students to become assistant instructors: "We actually have a program within our school ... specifically designed to train students how to teach Taekwondo classes." That, he said, creates a pathway for older students to gain teaching experience.
On education, Franks said he studied at Purdue University Fort Wayne, switching majors from criminal justice to business management and graduating with a bachelor's degree in business management in December. He said the degree helped him with behind-the-scenes tasks such as accounting and marketing that martial-arts training does not teach.
When asked for advice for listeners interested in Taekwondo, Franks recommended trying a local class and getting parental support for enrollment. "If they were interested in taking Taekwondo, I would say that they just would go to wherever their local martial arts school is and ... try a class," he said.
The interview was hosted by Curtis of the podcast series; the recording concluded with Franks saying he was "just happy to be here."
