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Q & A Tracy’s Karate owner Tim Golby has made his business a way of life |
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If it hadn’t been for Tracy’s Karate Studio, owner Tim Golby might now be a priest. Golby grew up in Northwest Illinois, and after graduating college in nearby Davenport, Iowa, he moved to St. Louis to enter Kenrick Seminary. It was during this time, in 1969, that Golby took an interest in the martial arts and began studying at Tracy’s in Kirkwood. Golby later became an instructor and eventually left the seminary, taking over the Kirkwood studio in 1972. He never looked back. Since August, 1990, Golby has also operated a Tracy’s studio in Chesterfield, and after more than thirty years he has established a reputation as one of the premier martial artists and instructors in the St. Louis area. In 2001, Golby was awarded the rank of Kudan (ninth degree black belt), and the right to be called Grand Master. NETWORK spoke with Golby at the Kirkwood Studio. NETWORK: Who have been some of your influences as a martial artist? Golby: I was lucky to be able to study under some of the country’s best fighters, including Al Tracy (founder of Tracy’s Karate), Joe Lewis, Rodney Hard and Tim McGuire.When you say Joe Lewis to people, they think of the boxer, but the other Joe Lewis developed his own martial arts system after working with Bruce Lee. Lewis awarded me my first-degree black belt. N:Was it Bruce Lee and other martial arts movies that started the karate craze in America? Golby: Yes, but I think the first really big influence was in 1973 with the television show “Kung Fu” with David Carradine. America was just coming out of a war that had made a lot of people rebellious and disillusioned, and I think people were looking for something positive, and perhaps a little spiritual. We rode that popularity for a while, but by 1978 interest was waning, and about a third of all the martial arts schools in St. Louis didn’t make it. That made those that did survive stronger, though. The next big thing that happened was the “Karate Kid”movie in 1984. We didn’t realize it, but up until that time all the martial arts movies were rated R, mostly for violence. Because of “Karate Kid”we began to see a much younger group of students entering the studio, which broadened the prospect base. That was a very positive thing for us, and our image. By around 1990 the next social phenomenon was the increased number of women that were interested in studying martial arts. In the ’70s there were a relatively few women entering law and medical schools, and less women in top management jobs, but all that was changing by the ’90s. Because of this we have had women come through our system and become very good fighters and some of our best instructors. Our enrollment is now 40 to 45 percent women. N: What distinguishes Tracy’s from all the other martial arts schools out there? Golby: The most important thing about our approach is the private lessons. This is something that not a lot of other schools offer. We’re able to take every student and make them special by giving them individual attention and instruction. It’s this one-on-one approach that really brings students along and gives them the fine tuning of their technique. A new student will have 5 or 6 lessons privately to give them a solid grounding in the basics. Then we schedule a standing private lesson once a week, and a group class once a week. The group class is also important because they get to experience the energy and excitement of the group, plus it gets their heart and their lungs going as we work through exercises. It’s in the group classes where they get to practice the skills they learn in private lessons. The third component, which we also think is very important, is sparring classes. This is where students get a chance to actually apply what they learn – it’s like the difference between hitting tennis balls against a backboard versus playing a live opponent. It teaches them timing, distance and most of all, control. The private lessons, though, are crucial. Every student has a different learning style, and some move ahead faster than others. We don’t leave anyone behind. That’s our philosophy. Every kid experiences some level of success. N: After more than 30 years, you must be seeing some second-generation students by now. Golby: Yes, we have quite a few, and that is one of the most satisfying things about my long career. It tells us that the parents thought their experience here was important enough to share with their children. In fact, my own son more or less grew up here – he took his first steps in this room. Now he works here full-time, and is one of my best instructors. That’s very gratifying to me. Some of the teachers here have been here since the ’70s, which is also somewhat unique. We have three master instructors that have attained above fifth-level black belts, and another instructor who is the area’s top brown belt. We also have an instructor who is a world champion, and several others who have placed second or third in the world. Because of the teaching staff here we consistently turn out some of the top fighters in the country. N: I get the sense that this is much more than just a business to you. Golby: It has really been a great way of life for me for more than 30 years now. The eastern concept of teacher as sensei means that the teacher is also a mentor, and interested in improving every aspect of the student. We set a very high standard. It is a long, progressive series of lessons that tightens down on skills and techniques over time, focusing on gaining greater control, both physically and mentally. Martial arts is good exercise, but it’s also like a weight lifting course for the mind. What keeps students coming back year after year is the way it makes them feel. They feel safer, stronger, more in control, more flexible and balanced. I am very lucky to have helped so many achieve these goals over the years. |
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