History of IMA

Shihan Madani began classes at the Louisville, Colorado Recreation Center in 1991, with just a handful of students. During 1991-1992 the average class size grew to around 15. The International Martialarts Association (I.M.A.) was officially formed during 1992. Choices regarding the type of dojo I.M.A. would become and its symbol were made by Sensei Madani and the students, as a family. This sense of family has been a strong part of International Martialarts Association from the beginning. It was one of the motivating factors in adding classes for children during 1992. Mothers and sons, fathers and daughters have learned to make karate a family activity.
By 1993 class sizes had grown and Shihan Madani began looking for a larger home. The I.M.A. family moved to a store front in Pine Street Plaza, in Louisville, Colorado in January, 1994. New classes were added, old walls torn down and new walls were put up by the I.M.A. students and their families. Not long after the establishment of our first independent Dojo, the number of students had grown and it became necessary to add more classes and split groups into more manageable sizes.
In 1995, Shihan Madani announced that he was, again, looking for a larger home. I.M.A. moved to its current location in Louisville, CO on Main Street, in Febuary of 1996. The new facility has a 10,000 square foot main floor, including a 7000 square foot exercise space and a nursery for parents with small children. Our family traditions have continued as students young and old learn from each other. I.M.A. students range from 4 years through 65 years of age. International Martial Arts is unique in that 50% of the students are women and girls. There are numerous activities throughout the year, including: family picnics, national/international tournaments, summer/winter camps, guest instructors, youth sleep-overs, and more. Once again, we will be adding new classes and new activities. The International Martialarts Association looks forward to increasing its community outreach in Colorado, and becoming a strong, positive influence in the community and the surrounding areas.