Business Connection: Learn Fitness For The Body and Mind at Keefe's Martial Arts

There seems to be a plethora of martial arts and boxing gyms in Stoneham. There are small, but crucial differences in styles. John Keefe, a fifth-degree Kempo instructor, teaches a blended that is geared towards fitness as much as it is self-defense.

Keefe started his school at Rosey Plaza on Main Street in Stoneham in 1987. He was teaching in Melrose and moved to Montvale Place.

“At the time, martials was very popular due to Bruce Lee movies and Kung Fu movies,” Keefe said. “My older brother was training and seeing him work out and I got started when I was 13. I had to convince my mother because back then it was considered a brutal sport.”

SP: What kind of styles are taught here?

JK: For the kids class, I teach the basic Karate, particularly Shotokan Karate and Sport Karate. That’s kind of like a game of tag. Teaches them control, timing and it’s really good exercise. It’s one point per contact. Kids don’t really need to learn self-defense as much. Thankfully, 7-year-old kids aren’t being attacked as they’re walking down the street in the middle of the night or something like that. The adult class focuses on fitness as well as self-defense. They’re not looking to earn belts like kids are.

SP: Why is it important to study marital arts?

JK: Martial Arts are one of the only solo sports out there, so it teaches kids self confidence and boosts self esteem to know that they achieved a goal on their own. Team sports are great, but getting something on their own is a great feeling. You’re rewarded for your own merits.

SP: That’s really important.

JK: It is. Also, a lot of people like structure. It’s a set schedule. If you’re going to the gym, you can always say, ‘well, I’ll go a bit later’ or ‘I’ll go tomorrow.’

SP: I’m guilty of that…

JK: We all are, but when you have a class, you have a set time and a discipline to show up. Then the class its self is structured and it gives people a focus.

SP: What is the difference between Martial Arts and sports?

JK: Martial Arts is a big umbrella. Judo, Tae Kwon Doe, those are sports. Karate, Kung Fu styles and art forms, then there’s self-defense like Ju Jitsu and Kempo. So for myself, I’ve been doing this since I was 13, which is 30 plus years. So it’s hard for me to call it a sport or an art form because it is a blend of many different styles. But this isn’t really a sport school. It’s not my path I focus on.

SP: What age is this catered to?

JK: A lot of parents want to get their kids doing karate at 4 or 5 years old. In my opinion, that’s too young. The best age I’d say 7 to 12 go on to get a black belt if they are committed. They know they want to do it. The adults are focused on fitness more than anything else and so there’s a wide age group there.