K.O. Martial Arts owner, Kelly Outram, says “air and sunlight make a world of difference” and there is plenty of both at his new dojo at 108 Golf Course Rd. in Minden.
A dojo is a hall or place for immersive and experiential learning – traditionally in the field of martial arts.
The business used to operate in rented space in the basement of the Stedmans Mall building in downtown Haliburton.
However, Outram decided to take the plunge and buy the former Happy Daze Automotive and his new dojo opened June 1.
“We hit the ground running with the first week because we’ve got a bunch of students from Haliburton, and most of them have transferred over,” Outram said in an interview last week. He added, “being in the new space is phenomenal; aesthetically the environment is much nicer.”
Outram said when he originally had the opportunity to take over the property, he knew it was going to take a great deal of work to convert a former garage into a dojo. Once the former owners cleaned things up, he put the work belt on.
They basically gutted the building – which features a wood frame and steel roof. They removed walls and pulled out old insulation, spray foaming instead. They patched leaks. He used boards from trees his business milled on the interior.
“I just put the boards all the way over the arch, similar to a tongue and groove. I guess It was what I envisioned when I was first asked if I wanted to buy this place. So, I’m really pleased.”
Outram started K.O. Martial Arts in 2019, got sidetracked by the pandemic, and opened in Haliburton in 2022.
His studio offers combat sports such as jiu jitsu and kickboxing for adults and kids and then qigong, tai chi and meditation. He also
does personal training.
He said they have been slowly building over the years to now becoming established. “We have been bringing some students along to be quite skilled at this point, which I’m really thrilled about. The people that have been around the whole time are really good.”
He stresses the combat aspect is safe. “We’re not trying to learn to kill each other; it’s for safety and fitness. You are learning how to defend yourself against someone who’s trying to beat you up. That’s where confidence comes from; if you know you can handle yourself against someone who’s trying to hurt you, you’re not scared of other humans as much as you would be otherwise.”
He describes qigong as stretching and deep breathing. He’s been doing it for years to help his body recover from tree work and martial arts. He said people who do yoga would understand the benefits of helping muscles and joints to soften and relax. He noted tai chi is more complex and requires more coordination.
He runs two classes for kids on Mondays, one for five-and-six-year-olds. He’d like more young students as it is a safe place for them to learn about the do’s and don’ts of rough play. He said some kids need to learn to dial it back so they don’t hurt anybody. Others need to learn that it is okay to step up and defend themselves.
Outram said as far back as 2015, he began thinking about opening his own dojo space and not being dependent on the whims of the rental market. But it was also a soul dream, too, with the new space “very me.”
See more at haliburtonmartialarts.co
