We recently connected with Terrell Bowden and have shared our conversation below.
Terrell, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
I learned Kung Fu via my Sifu (Instructor) Sam Hing Fai Chan. I owe all of my ability to him, though I took taekwondo and karate under various Senseis (Instructors) it wasn’t until I got into Kung Fu that I really started to grow and make progress. I wanted to learn to defend myself after the murder of my mentor, I wanted to be prepared, and also if I’m being honest I needed a positive outlet. I needed to do something because his death was something I couldn’t control. My mentor introduced me to the movie that eventually became the style I practice. In a way doing this is continuing to keep his memory and legacy alive! My Sifu has a very similar demeanor to my mentor, so from day 1 I knew he was the one I was supposed to train under!
Only thing I could do to speed up my skills is more practice, eating better, and stretching more. Other than that there’s many things I just couldn’t learn until experience came. It is one of the best teachers you can have.
The most essential skill is listening, and second to that is patience. Patience is a skill because you have to learn it and apply it to yourself as you learn something knew! Most want to be perfect from the beginning and then quit when they realize it takes time to learn. This proves that having patience is a skill and it takes patience to listen to the instruction being given so you can learn, know and understand what you’re supposed to be doing.
Money was the only obstacle, maybe a car broke down, lost a job, or financial situation became extremely strained. So due to that, when I got into teaching Martial Arts I wanted to make it more affordable for those who may have difficulty with their finances.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I wanted to learn to defend myself after the murder of my mentor, I wanted to be prepared, and also if I’m being honest I needed a positive outlet. I needed to do something because his death was something I couldn’t control. My mentor introduced me to the movie that eventually became the style I practice. In a way doing this is continuing to keep his memory and legacy alive! My Sifu has a very similar demeanor to my mentor, so from day 1 I knew he was the one I was supposed to train under!
I grew from Self Defense to a genuine love of the art of Chinese Martial Arts and its culture! I started to embody it more, so much so that even my Sifu said that I have good Kung Fu! He’s not one to dish out a lot of compliments, not that he’s not a nice person, just culturally the Chinese Teachers give correction. The compliment is normally the lack of correction, so for him to say that meant a lot. My Sifu sits on the board of International Kung Fu affairs so for him to give any compliment after all the people he’s seen is no light weight thing.
I eventually started to help a friend open up a school and I would be the Instructor while he’s out of town and it became that he was never in town. So the few students we had they knew me and a bond grew and more and more I wanted to teach not out of desire for money but to strengthen the bonds, be a mentor, be a friend, and provide an outlet and avenue for children and adults to do something different!
I’ve had struggles with money , I know what it’s like, especially during this age of inflation so I never wanted our classes to be so expensive that only the elite could practice it. If you can’t afford my classes on a per month basis then you need to focus on your finances, but whether an adult with children or fresh out of college entering the work force my prices is at a range that allows people with less money to train. I’m open and honest and transparent. That marks my business management style and instructing style. With so few genuine people, I don’t want people to feel like I’m selling them anything. I’m offering you another form of fitness, a way to defend yourself, an opportunity for competition and travel, and a means by which you can see the greatness within yourself if you apply yourself. I can’t sell that, I’m offering myself as a teacher to you, I don’t sell myself, I offer myself and I’m at your disposal to improve your quality of life through Kung Fu like it has improved mine!
In 6 years of business we have amassed 20 medals, trained a 3 time state champion, and worked with the community in matters of giveaways and standing for justice. Hosted countless seminars to empower the youth, and empower women to be able to defend themselves, not to mention the people we train personally at our Academy. Lion Martial Arts Academy is a beacon of light in the Martial Arts World, offering a great blend of traditional training and modern methodologies to get the best out of you and the Kung fu that we do. A big question people have is, Is Kung Fu relevant during a time of MMA? I say yes! It’s even more relevant because everyone else fights the same, so it’s easier to prepare for everyone else, but difficult to prepare for Kung Fu because most people don’t do it. The angles and ideas and principles are different which allows us to do things others aren’t prepared for.
We took on the moniker of Lion because the Lion is one of the most intelligent animals, and social animals and that’s how we pride ourselves. We are an intelligent bunch, intelligence trumps speed and physicality. The level of intelligence has to be greater than your opponent’s physical gifts so that you can overcome them. Also lions being social is indicative of LMAA because LMAA is a family, so we offer an environment to be social in a good atmosphere that doesn’t stand for toxicity. We don’t throw people away, but we also don’t allow people to stay toxic in our environment, because we must keep it clean and protect it and have it be a safe space for all!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
We survived Covid! That’s a story of resilience. Honestly, there’s been so many times I wanted to quit. I tore my Achilles and was out for months at a time when the cycle of business was on a downswing anyway. There was a time I said “I’d have more money if I didn’t have The Academy.” To teach people Martial Arts to be creative with their bodies, teach it a controlled expression, and to pour so much of my love into it and feeling like others don’t do the same hurt. I love hard and feel deeply so when I feel others don’t feel like I feel in Kung Fu sometimes it hurts. My hours aren’t a 9-5. They’re basically 24/7. I was really low and depressed, people come and go, people I’d be willing to do anything for, would just disappear. Hearing words from The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan about how we never own anything and aren’t willing to fight for and struggle to keep anything. Having an idea and needing the patience and work ethic to see it through to the end is what was needed and those words helped me hold on. I lost a space after the Achilles tear, found a new space and within a year the owner of that space passed away. I had to move and find a temporary space and all the while what’s going through my head is I have to keep it open for my students! Not for me, not for money, for them! I had to change my mindset, these people who found bonds people who enjoy the classes people who feel like it has impacted them and improved their lives! My business is the cultivation of people, I just happen to do it via Kung Fu. If I were to charge, what would you pay to have your life completely transformed? Everything! No price is fair so I do it out of love and I have to remember that. I picked the right thing, to be a fighter and open up a business that I have to fight for! Now I’m working through the extermination of DEI as well!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Likes, views, comments, shares, and buying products. A lot of people get discouraged because we don’t know people are watching and people only watch and not really support, even in a minimalistic way. If you see it and like it, then like it. Comment on how you like it, share it to others. If you can’t buy then share it to people who can. I get shocked by people saying “I see you all the time!” And I’m like “I can’t tell” because I don’t get likes from you, no comments, and especially not any money. Through YouTube if you like and comment and share YouTube will pay us, that’s a way to support without giving monetarily, just paying attention allows YouTube to pay us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lionmaacademy.com
- Instagram: @lionmaacademy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lionmaacademy
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lionmartialartsacademy4014?si=cYYChWGETXgGWDWs
