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.
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