Ted Guerrero of Red Dragon Championship Martial Arts in Pacific Beach says what he’s training is a “way of life” as much as it is a sport or a discipline.
“I look at this more as a life-skills academy than a martial arts facility,” said Guerrero of his new space at 1603 Garnet Ave. where Radio Shack once was. “It’s not just kicking and punching. There’s so much more that goes into it.”
Red Dragon teaches all ages and both genders.
“When you join up with us, you do programs,” said Guerrero. “We don’t do memberships. It’s not like a gym.”
Who finds martial arts appealing?
“All kinds of people, any walk of life,” answered Guerrero. “People do martial arts for their own reasons. Some come for fitness. Some want self-defense. I have an older gentleman who does it just because he wants to keep his body and mind active.”
How Radio Shack morphed into Red Dragon is an interesting tale.
“I moved here six years ago from Sacramento and was doing martial arts at PB Rec Center,” said Guerrero. “But I’d always had my eyes on this spot. It came up on the market out of nowhere and I said, ‘This would be a great spot for a full-blown academy. We’re still in the build-out phase.”
“There’s no one perfect studio for everybody,” said Guerrero of martial arts. “But there is a perfect studio or academy for everyone no matter your age or what you’re looking for in life. Martial arts is awesome. It is a way of life.”
Guerrero talked about his programs.
“We break our classes down by age starting at 18 months,” he said. “We use martial arts as the vehicle to help them learn important life skills so people become more outgoing, more confident, more respectful, more disciplined, more focused.”
Red Dragon’s branding is inspirational. Lots of enticements to “be the best,” “hustle” and “never quit.”
“Martial arts makes you feel like you can,” said Guerrero explaining the sport’s allure. “You say, ‘I can’t throw people.’ But when you start doing those things, it makes it more likely in your life that you’ll go, ‘You know what, I can go for that job opportunity.’ ”
Red Dragon currently has a get-to-know-you promotional offer.
“We’ve been doing a free self-defense class on Wednesdays,” said Guerrero. “We’ll be doing that all the way through the rest of this month. Every time we teach something different. There’s no obligation and it’s totally free. I’ll probably do that every six months or so.”
Concluded Guerrero of martial arts, “There’s no better feeling then feeling safe. No one should feel unsafe in their own neighborhood. That’s one of the reasons why I teach martial arts.” Red Dragon Championship Martial Arts Where: 1603 Garnet Ave. Info:?martialartspacificbeach.com, 858-263-4212.
