Mr Karate
National Champ teaches winners
By Isabelle Southcott
Why would a guy with five national Goju-ryo karate championships under his belt open a karate school in Powell River?
It's a long story, says Frank Clayton, smiling from behind his desk at the Canadian Martial Arts Academy in Powell River. I'm all ears. After all, Frank's reputation precedes him. I've already been to his cardio kick-boxing class and know how much fun he makes a tough workout seem.
Frank has owned three other martial arts studios. He and his wife moved to Powell River from Mission two-and-a-half years ago. "I was looking at going to Parksville, Qualicum or Comox when I sold my business in Mission but when we saw the waterfront we could buy in Powell River we came here."
The Claytons ended up doing the BC Ferries circle tour while investigating their options. Frank planned to ease into "semi-retirement," and Powell River seemed like the ideal place to do it.
It was a rainy day when the Claytons first arrived in Powell River. "My son didn't like it," says Frank "but I got a good feeling."
And so they moved here in February 2008.
Not long after, Frank was getting a massage from Dan Keane at Malaspina Massage. "Dan said, 'Powell River could use somebody like you.'"
Although Frank planned to retire, Dan had planted a seed. Frank tried two programs at Avid Fitness and started a cardio kick-boxing program with the ladies. Things just took off and soon he had more kids and more parents telling their friends about his programs than he could handle. Before long he outgrew the space at Avid.
"They were relentless in their pursuit!"
But Frank was having fun despite the fact he was no longer semi-retired. "I love what I do. I have a passion for it."
Jeanette Agius was doing cardio-kick boxing with Frank and her husband Dan said he had a space for lease. The programs moved and the Canadian Martial Arts Academy's Powell River school moved to Marine Avenue.
Frank runs programs for kids age 4 and up, plus traditional adult programs and cardio kickboxing for women. "And we have a waiting list!"
He does all the teaching, which goes to explain why he is so incredibly fit. "I teach 25 classes a week."
Frank loves sports. He played hockey, basketball, football and swam but gravitated to the martial arts.
Frank began boxing and judo at the age of nine. At the age of 13, while living in Hamilton, Ontario he was introduced to karate. "I was hooked."
He went from the YMCA to a professional martial arts studio where he achieved his blue belt. "That was during the early 70s when not many kids were practicing karate. Karate and karate tournaments were exciting for me. My friends wanted me to hang out with them and I said 'No, I'm going to karate today.'"
Frank was self motivated. "I did whatever it took to get to karate and karate tournaments.
In 1978, while still a teenager, Frank had his first opportunity as a brown belt to represent Canada in Montreal. "I got to fight as a teen member on Team Canada," he recalled. "It was my first taste of international competition."
At the age of 20, Frank got his black belt. He worked as a welder during the day but by night he taught Goju-ryu karate, sold martial arts supplies and drove a van to and from karate tournaments. Around then, he had an epiphany. "I realized that I didn't want to weld any more."
Two weeks after returning from a visit out west, Frank made up his mind to move to New Westminster where he opened up his first martial arts studio.
He was only 30 years old.
"We had some good times and we had some rough times," said Frank. But through it all, he kept going.
The secret? Self-discipline and motivation.
He was greatly influenced by his grade five teacher and clearly remembers what she said to him one day.
"I was not the most respected or motivated kid in school but she said: 'I believe Frank that you are going to be somebody important someday.'"
Frank believes in goals, commitment, respect for your peers, and the importance of good physical health and weaves these things into his programs. "I teach them respect and responsibility is the key to being successful. Anyone who works with kids needs to focus on character development."
People have to want to work with Frank Clayton and he doesn't accept just anyone. He interviews parents and children to learn what they expect from the program and then he outlines his expectations.
"I'm not a babysitter," he says bluntly. "My martial arts program is totally different than anyone else's. It's a personal development martial arts program. In it we talk about the law of reciprocity and what they need to succeed."
The proof as they say is in the pudding. In April, Frank took 13 kids from his Powell River program and six from Mission to Las Vegas to the "largest international competition in the western hemisphere." They won 41 medals.
His kids were prepared physically and mentally. He believed in them and they knew it but even more importantly, they believed in themselves.
They had learned the Frank Clayton way.
