We recently connected with Olu Jabari and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Olu thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

What I believe it tkes to be successful includes forst of all God. Nothing in the world can be accomplished without believing in a higher source of power. An Energy that move you to limits that are unthought of as just a person. Secondly, putting God in your evryday planning, thoughts, converations, ideas, and prior to making a move toward your business, asking for persmission to move forward with your plans. Thirdly, from a worldly perspective, talking to those who have done this successfully, while still be who you are , and not trying to deliver services and programs as someone does. Finally, support from the closest people next to you aftr God. this meaning your spouse, family, friends, and learning how to partner and collaborate with those who think not like you, but far beyond what you can imagine your business could serve and provide a needed service not just in your own community but abroad as well.

Olu , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Olu Jabari, I am an African living in America. I was raised in the City of Detrout Michigan, with my siblings and mother. While my father was in our lives, my mother was the one we looked to all things. As we grew up in the Great City of Detroit Michigan, our lives were amazing! Meaming as children, we were blessed with the needs God provided for us through our parents and family. While it is tru, we did not have much, we had each other.

I never understood what poverty and or poor was because it was never a family discussion. However, what I do remember as a child is being happy with all we had. Happy for Food, Happy for my siblings, Happy for school, Happy to visit my Grand Parents, and just Happy for what seemed like fun all the time

As we grew as children and into our teenage years, we attended a Community Center, called the Inner City Sub Center in Detroit Michigan. This place was totally awesome! My mother let us sign up and there was nothing better than attending the Center everyday! The staff were caring, and understood more things than I could imagine. This being, Poverty and living in a city area where being labeled was a huge thing. We were labeled as being poor, but none of us understood this because we were kids, just living a dream of taking it day by day while having fun.

The Inner City Sub Center became or place to be, we learned that we were not the only children on the block that was labeled as being poor and living in poverty. The staff here were more than caring, they were family. One day the Center had an after-school program, we all attended the program, there was dancing, drama, singing, african drumming, story telling, basketball, spelling contest and my favorite became martial arts. We all watched the program, and atthe end of the program, the Executive Director (Paul Taylor) came out and said” and now let me introduce you to our closing performance, the Alkebu-an Martial Arts Program”. They were lead under the Direction Marvis Cofield, who at that time to me, looked like a Giant Black God! His focus was on the crowd, his spirit was tremendously high, his energy demanded your attention, and his words kept you captivated.

Mr. Cofield introduced his team, and the next thing I knew, Black men were flying through the air, breaking 2 inch and 3 inch pine, and to top it off, Brick breaking right in front of my very eyes! I was consumed and wanted to see more, and felt like this is going to be one of my hero’s, right here and right now.

The following week, my mother let us sign us for Martail Arts at the Inner City Sub Center, and we were every so excited to be a part of the program. As time passed, we Moved and stop attending the center for a while, but did reconnect. I was working a Pizza Hut on E. Warren near Cadiuex in Detroit, and in walked Mr. Cofield with about 20-30 kids! We talked and he mentioned that he was going to putting together some programs, and would love to have me be a part of the team!

That was exciting news! I quit my job and joined Mr. Cofield and since that time, God has not allowed me to look back, and now some 35-40 years later we are still connected. I currently operate one ofthe top Martial Arts Schools in Michigan, Training well over 15, 000 people, winnning more than 3000 trophies, and promoting more than 20 Black Belts, holding more than 50 local champioships, 30 National championships, and have had the opportunity to train youth and families that have competed on the World stage of Martial Arts multiple times with’in the last 5 years.

On another level, we just don’t provide kicks and punching, our business is family unification. our motto is ” A family that’s kicking it together, stays together”. we reach out to our families monthly, we provide after school educational assistance when needed, our parents have keys to our school (because we believe they are the key to our success), our school provides space for organizations and groups to hold meetings, workshops, and special trainings throughout the year. Our participants are allowed to have their children Birthday parties and celebrations right where they train. We transform our school into a formal place yearly for promotions, Annual Celebrations, and Fundraising, all done through our great parents and their volunteer time. Finally, we travel throughout the world with our youth, lately we;ve traveled to Portugal, Spain, Cuba, London, Canada while developing mutual friendhips everywhere we go. Jabari’s Martial Arts Academy,” is the place to be, when you want to be some place”.

What sets Jabari’s Martial Arts Academy apart from others is our attention to the entire family, while paying dues to maintin and operate our facility is of most important, providing a needed service through God is more necessasry than money. We believe that we are our best competitors, (meaning, we challenge ourselves to do better than yesterday) after every practice. In addition, we challenge our parents to get involved at no cost to them, with the understanding that our parents are their childrens best example after God. again, (“A Family That’s Kicking it Together, Stay’s Together”).

One thing I am most proud of is the support of God and my Wife Sofearia Jabari, she stepped up to the plate and learned this business, while supporting all of my crazy theories of how we can make a positive impact on youth and families! Sofearia often time thought I was doing to much, but said if this is what you believe, then so can I, and we are one, so lets do it..

In closing, one of the things I want followers to know is, Martial Arts continues to be “A Way of Life”, meaning the greatest Martial Artist is he or she that wears that uniform through spirit daily. At your job in that nice 3 piece suit and Rockport Shoes, and women who dress tremendouy beautiful and being an example for young ladies, that have and will continue in the Martial Arts excelling just as men do.

Together we work as one, as Martial Arts is in everything we do. The way we dress, talk, walk, listen, look, learn, ask questions, our work, raise our families, explore what others cannot imagine accomplishing though the Arts, and yes putting God first in all we do, is what make a great Mother and father in raising our young, while providing a service that is second to none, and something that money cannot buy, that being Love expressed for our families and communities we provide services for.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Interesting enough, I met my business partner (Which is my wife Sofearia Jabari) at the Alkebu-lan Center, where I was working in Detroit. She came in one day inquiring about programs for young children, I had the honor of talking to her, giving her a guilded tour through the center and explaining our programs to this wonderful woman. A couple years later we were married! Some 37 years later we are one and as happy as we grow together!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn, was that I needed to listen to others a often as possible, and just because my name is on the Building does not mean you know everything. The back story is that, I’ve always had to learn and do all things regarding my business by myseld, only because I BELIEVED that my way was the right way.

Well I found out that this was not the case, and does not have to be the case. During a parent meeting, I (we), invited parents to a meeting to discuss programs, and how they could get involved. I came with a list of Idea’s that I thought was great. As the meeting went forward I laid out my plan, (while not being Inclusive of my parents, who help make this business operate). During the meeting, no one said anything, and many of them seem to just look as if they’re feeling and thoughts could not be heard or even mattered at this point. My wife jumped in and saved the day!

So, now that we’ve heard from Mr. Jabari, tell us what you would like to see happen here at JMAA. The next hour I just listened and took notes, my wife understood more than I thought about dealing with the public and our parents. I had to unlearn that a title on a sheet of paper means nothing, if you don’t include the people that are more important.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://justkickthem.com
• Facebook: Jabari’s Martial Arts Academy
• Other: Reach out to us at 33 629 8524 or 586 530 9881

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