Donation protected
The aim of this fundraiser is to give Brian Molina a community birthday gift by way of supporting his small business, Empire Martial Arts, as it faces the wrath of COVID-19. Your financial support will help us maintain basic operating costs, such as rent and utilities, and cover member fees for those who are unable to pay as the doors are closed. In addition, this will support critical upgrades that will take the business to the next level. As we come out on the other side of this crisis even stronger, Brian will transition from from a sole proprietor to an insured LLC.
Right before coronavirus closed the doors, the gym acquired an additional space upstairs. This doubled our rent costs at an incredibly inconvenient time. Your financial support would help carry us through to the spatial expansion the gym needs in order to best serve current members and clients, and welcome new ones. This would also include things like furnishing the space, clean drinking water access, and wifi.
Here's some backstory and more about why Empire is more than just a business and gym to it's community...
A few years ago, Brian saw potential for a BJJ Club at his University, but regulations don’t allow for that type of rough-housin’ on campus! So, he bought a single gym mat on Craigslist, found space in the attic of a barn at the community in lived in, and hosted the club from there.
He was later connected to more of the local MMA community in the Kalamzoo Area, and started to train with a group of folks who wanted to create more accessible space to fulfill their dreams through the sport they love. Financial struggles took out the first iteration, but Brian's involvement allowed him to leverage his passion and resources for resurgence, restructuring the gym in a way that was more sustainable, but maintained financial accessibility. This allowed for the community to grow, with most of the OGs sticking around.
Long time Empire members and coaches (Brian Molina, Mike Thompson, Daryl Thompson, Juwan Smith, and Ivory Stewart)
Since then, he named it Empire - a nod to his commitment to empirical data and science in creating a strong foundation, built to last. Empire has grown in so many ways. We’ve slowly upgraded the space from dingy, to not too shabby at all!
Before & after...
It has become more than a gym, providing so many things for many different people. It’s a supportive team of fighters who love, push, train and corner each other in and out of the ring. It’s a space where women and queer folks come together in community every week to celebrate each other (and laugh A LOT) while we build confidence through self defense. It has offered fully sponsored seminars to marginalized folks in our community, who faced a higher statistical risk of violence. It has provided corporate and organizational seminars for various entities in the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas.
Bri and Brian teach how to escape a choke against the wall.
Seminar participant, Luca, practices distance management and verbal/non-verbal self-defense tactics that can be used to prevent physical contact.
Empire student, Jordan, brings home medals after a successful grappling tournament coached by Brian.
Stryker staff participate in a corporate-hosted self defense seminar, a collaboration with karate instructor Miles Bennett and Empire Martial Arts.
Sponsored self-defense seminar participants.
Fighter, Mike Thompson, takes a 'W' at the DeltaPlex, cornered by Empire and Team Stealth.
Sunday "Choke Church" member, Bri McCan, flips the script and shows Brian what she's got!
Student, Kaitlin Martin, earns her gi (martial arts uniform) after successful completion of 36 lessons from the curriculum.
It has taken a whole village to take Empire from the barn attic to its storefront on King Hwy, but I think we all acknowledge that Brian’s tenacious commitment to the vision has made it all a reality. He has done so on a schedule that full-time doesn’t even begin to describe, as he works a day job, pursues his PhD, and meets all of the other demands of life. He does all of this with a positive attitude, and infectious smiles and laughter. He continues to see Empire as a community first and business second, putting the collective goals of every member at Empire at the forefront. I’ve watched him make many sacrifices for this special place, that has empowered so many people.
If you’re able, please donate what you can to help keep this dream alive and growing through this crisis. You can even pay in advance for some sessions when this pandemic comes to an end! We are so grateful in advance for any support.
Right before coronavirus closed the doors, the gym acquired an additional space upstairs. This doubled our rent costs at an incredibly inconvenient time. Your financial support would help carry us through to the spatial expansion the gym needs in order to best serve current members and clients, and welcome new ones. This would also include things like furnishing the space, clean drinking water access, and wifi.
Here's some backstory and more about why Empire is more than just a business and gym to it's community...
A few years ago, Brian saw potential for a BJJ Club at his University, but regulations don’t allow for that type of rough-housin’ on campus! So, he bought a single gym mat on Craigslist, found space in the attic of a barn at the community in lived in, and hosted the club from there.
He was later connected to more of the local MMA community in the Kalamzoo Area, and started to train with a group of folks who wanted to create more accessible space to fulfill their dreams through the sport they love. Financial struggles took out the first iteration, but Brian's involvement allowed him to leverage his passion and resources for resurgence, restructuring the gym in a way that was more sustainable, but maintained financial accessibility. This allowed for the community to grow, with most of the OGs sticking around.
Long time Empire members and coaches (Brian Molina, Mike Thompson, Daryl Thompson, Juwan Smith, and Ivory Stewart) Since then, he named it Empire - a nod to his commitment to empirical data and science in creating a strong foundation, built to last. Empire has grown in so many ways. We’ve slowly upgraded the space from dingy, to not too shabby at all!
Before & after...
It has become more than a gym, providing so many things for many different people. It’s a supportive team of fighters who love, push, train and corner each other in and out of the ring. It’s a space where women and queer folks come together in community every week to celebrate each other (and laugh A LOT) while we build confidence through self defense. It has offered fully sponsored seminars to marginalized folks in our community, who faced a higher statistical risk of violence. It has provided corporate and organizational seminars for various entities in the Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids areas.
Bri and Brian teach how to escape a choke against the wall.Seminar participant, Luca, practices distance management and verbal/non-verbal self-defense tactics that can be used to prevent physical contact.Empire student, Jordan, brings home medals after a successful grappling tournament coached by Brian.Stryker staff participate in a corporate-hosted self defense seminar, a collaboration with karate instructor Miles Bennett and Empire Martial Arts. Sponsored self-defense seminar participants.Fighter, Mike Thompson, takes a 'W' at the DeltaPlex, cornered by Empire and Team Stealth.Sunday "Choke Church" member, Bri McCan, flips the script and shows Brian what she's got!Student, Kaitlin Martin, earns her gi (martial arts uniform) after successful completion of 36 lessons from the curriculum.It has taken a whole village to take Empire from the barn attic to its storefront on King Hwy, but I think we all acknowledge that Brian’s tenacious commitment to the vision has made it all a reality. He has done so on a schedule that full-time doesn’t even begin to describe, as he works a day job, pursues his PhD, and meets all of the other demands of life. He does all of this with a positive attitude, and infectious smiles and laughter. He continues to see Empire as a community first and business second, putting the collective goals of every member at Empire at the forefront. I’ve watched him make many sacrifices for this special place, that has empowered so many people.
If you’re able, please donate what you can to help keep this dream alive and growing through this crisis. You can even pay in advance for some sessions when this pandemic comes to an end! We are so grateful in advance for any support.
Organizer
Bri Fonville
Organizer
Kalamazoo, MI