The Rose Family
For nearly 40 years, the Rose family has been teaching martial arts in southeastern Michigan. It started in 1968 when a young man named Ronald Rose strolled into a Karate school near his parents’ home in Detroit, Michigan. He wanted to learn how to defend himself.
After just a few classes, Ron Rose fell in love with the martial arts. Maybe it was camaraderie in the studio or the mystique of the art; maybe it was the self discipline exhibited by his role model instructors. Within just a couple years, Rose was a 17 year-old brown belt who taught afternoon after-school programs four days a week. In the evenings, he would train. He fell in love with teaching, too. He found reward in having a positive impact on the lives of others. For Rose, martial arts had become not just a hobby, but also a way of life.
In the mid-1970s, Ron Rose met and fell in love with a lady named Christine. They married and, shortly thereafter, Christine, too, began practicing martial arts. In 1977, the Roses decided to open their own martial arts school in Wayne, Michigan. They called it the Wayne Karate Studio, even though the martial art they were practicing was Taekwondo. During the 1980s, as Taekwondo became a more commonly-known term, the Roses changed the name of the school to KICKS Taekwondo.
The Rose family began to grow. Over the span of 15 years, four boys were born: Paul, Eric, Marc, and Michael. Growing up at KICKS, the entire family trained together, enjoying one another during good times and supporting each other through the challenges. The entire family enjoyed the benefits of an active, fulfilling martial arts lifestyle.
In 1991, Ron Rose formed the Korean Taekwondo Association of America (“KTAA”). The Association sought to spread the benefits of martial arts throughout the United States and the world. Over the span of several decades, the Roses taught and trained alongside thousands of teachers and athletes in 40+ states and in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Today, the KTAA includes KICKS Taekwondo, the Michigan Academy of Taekwondo, several satellite programs in Michigan, Arizona, and North Carolina. Grandmaster Ron Rose is the President of the Korean Taekwondo Association of America.
The Rose family has dedicated themselves to the martial arts and sharing the benefits with people of all ages — children, teens, and adults. The entire family have competed and succeeded in local-, state-, national-, and international-level tournaments. They consider it a blessing to bring positivity to peoples’ lives. The Roses believe that the healthy, disciplined lifestyle yields great reward.
Paul’s Journey
Seventh grade was a tough year. At least, it was for me. At twelve years old my mother and stepfather moved us forty-five miles to a new town, and switched me from a private school to a public one. I felt like my world was turned upside down. My new school had no uniforms, less structure, more unruly students, and no disciplinarian nuns to keep kids in check. If I grew up in the public school I’m sure I would have had no trouble, but because I was uprooted and transplanted I had to begin the painful process of fitting in.
For the first time in my life, I experienced bullies. Even kids from my neighborhood who I thought were friends bullied me. They said hurtful things. They pushed me around. They excluded me from activities. I had no idea how to handle it and I was confused, isolated and depressed. My confidence plummeted. I think the worst part was I felt so out-of-place and excluded I would eat my lunch in the band room with the band teacher. It was humiliating.
Three years later I was fifteen and I moved in with my father who owns a martial arts school. I was always doing martial arts, but this move allowed me the opportunity to train more frequently. I trained diligently and made significant improvements in a short amount of time. As I trained, something great happened: I had always been respectful to others, but I began to see respect reciprocated in and out of the martial arts school. It was a turning point in my life.
I started to compete, and competition fueled my passion for martial arts. I fought at the local, state, national, and international levels, and built a reputation as a successful competitor. I also made great friends, many of whom I am still close with. Martial arts taught me that hard work brings results, that if you respect yourself others will too and that if you are confident in the pursuit of your dreams anything is possible. Martial arts allowed me to reclaim my dignity.
Through my training I transformed and triumphed. I entered the “real world” of adulthood a well-rounded young man, something I could not have done without martial arts. It gave me an immense appreciation for what martial arts training can do in people’s lives. That’s why I have dedicated my life and career to helping others make their own transformation and find their personal triumphs through training at the MAT.
Our Philosophy
Our uniqueness is found in our narrow focus: We focus our curriculum on self-defense, fitness, and, most importantly, character development. Through the martial arts, we teach children how to be kind, respectful, confident disciplined, and tough — ultimately so that they can grow to become successful, happy adults who can handle life’s challenges.
Our belief is that if our teachers are well-trained, respectable role models, the lessons — taught through martial arts — will resonate in and through the students. Our teachers are hand-picked by Master Rose and other high-ranking instructors, and all instructors regularly participate in leadership training sessions. Our staff members and instructors are welcoming, helpful, and dedicated to the success and continuous growth of the students, which makes for an environment that is fun and easy to learn in.
Teenagers and adults join our program for a variety of reasons: Stress relief, to build confidence and self-esteem, to get into or stay in shape, and to make friends.
Our programs are based on the following principles:
We treat everybody with respect and courtesy.
Our students’ safety and well-being is our top priority.
We correct students from a place of positivity and encouragement.
