Terry Middleton's to celebrate 50th anniversary

Jul. 13—NEW ALBANY — Fifty years ago Terry Middleton took his passion for martial arts and business education and opened a karate school that he has been running in New Albany since.

Terry Middleton's Martial Arts School opened its doors in 1972, at the intersection of Vincennes and Spring streets. In those first years, Middleton said that it was like a club, where many men gathered to learn the contact sport of martial arts.

Through the years, the school gained more women and kids and Middleton developed his karate school curriculum. Now, the school sees people from ages 6 to 80, working on their belts, kickboxing or boxing.

As Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and other karate stars found fame, Middleton said their popularity drew in different people to his school. But Middleton also points out many benefits to partaking in martial arts.

Middleton said that karate allows people to gain confidence, stay healthy with constant physical activity, grow mentally and relieve stress, among other benefits.

"All those things help mold anybody, but certainly a young person," he said.

Keeping a karate school open for 50 years has been no easy feat, and Middleton said that he has seen a number of other schools pop up in the region for a few months but not stay for very long.

"They come and they go, but they don't last," he said.

Learning business and math basics in high school and majoring in business in college gave Middleton a background when he started his school, but mostly he was self-taught.

"This is something that you have to learn by mistakes, or vision, day-to-day operation. And if you don't have someone teaching you, then you have to learn it on your own," Middleton said.

While Middleton did not have a teacher or mentor to guide him in his business, there are things he learned by being around other people in the karate world.

Middleton earned his Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do in 1971, three years after starting karate, though he began teaching himself to box in 1963. He was exposed to boxing from his father, who was a boxer in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

In 2013, Middleton received his 10th degree Black Belt and was awarded "Lifetime Achievement" by the Martial Arts Alliance Association.

"Just because you want to, just because you have a Black Belt, just because you've taught people doesn't make you have the ability to run a school successfully and continually," he said.

One major thing Middleton pointed to helping his business succeed is having the financial means to keep it afloat during slow seasons and landlord-forced moves.

After the school was moved from its original location in 1985, it moved to a building at the corner of State and Market streets. The business lasted there for a decade before it had to move so a parking garage could fill the space.

"You could have the rug pulled out from under you," Middleton said, "That's an obstacle for a lot of people."

Luckily, Middleton was able to buy the building at 117 E Market St. where it has resided since 1995. After the building was purchased, a lot of money and time was spent renovating all four floors.

Along with having money, Middleton credited his hard work, single-mindedness and dedication to the success of his business.

Middleton has several other secrets to what he thinks keeps people coming to his studio year after year, but he said he wants to keep them to himself so as to not create his own competition.

In his career, Middleton has trained and worked with a number of notable fighters in his school. The walls of the school are covered in history, from photos of Middleton with legends in his office to newspaper clippings to movie posters.

He has carried his passion for karate history into writing, with his books "Heavyweight Boxing Champions" and "21 Martial Arts" that include descriptions of martial arts and legends. He also wrote "Boxing and Kickboxing Manual."

The books can be purchased from the studio, and all proceeds are donated to the New Albany-Floyd County Animal Shelter.

The school will celebrate its official anniversary on Aug. 14. On the business' 40th anniversary in 2012, Mayor Jeff Gahan declared Aug. 15 to be Terry Middleton Day.

"It is a milestone," he said, "We want our city to get credit."