Mr Ferguson Interviews Ms Bradford, Black Belt, Mom and Program Director
Ben Ferguson [00:00:01] Hi there, and I’m Ferguson, and today I’m wondering, this is Bradford, how are you today?
Ms. Bradford [00:00:04] I’m good. How are you doing?
Ben Ferguson [00:00:05] I’m great. You want to move into your martial arts past?
Ms. Bradford [00:00:09] Yes. So I have a very long martial arts past. I actually started when I was seven years old. I started in taekwondo and I did that for about five and a half years. Um, then sport, other sports kind of got in my way. I was in middle school and so I wasn’t in any kind of karate or martial arts again until probably in my twenties, even though I thought about getting back into it quite a bit. I was in my mid twenties and a friend of mine knew an instructor who had opened up a karate school and asked me if I wanted to get back into it. And because I had been thinking about it for so long, I said, yes, I want to get back into it. So I got back into it. It’s been about 20 years now since I got back into it.
Ben Ferguson [00:00:57] OK, so what are you now?
Ms. Bradford [00:01:00] I am a sho-dan, a first degree black belt.
Ben Ferguson [00:01:04] OK, so let’s sort of move into your presence a little bit. So we already cover where, you know, martial arts. How is martial arts affecting your life?
Ms. Bradford [00:01:13] I would say it’s affected my life quite a bit over the years. Even from when I was a kid and I was in martial arts, I learned a lot of discipline, not just self discipline, but even respect and things for adults and other people around me. And then even as adult an adult, the same thing. There’s, um, not just the self-discipline and the respect, but just keeping in shape, trying to be healthy and, um, of course, helping others.
Ben Ferguson [00:01:43] Yeah, most certainly. What would you say your least thing are? Your least favorite thing is about martial arts.
Ms. Bradford [00:01:50] Oh goodness. Least favorite thing. Um. Wow. Uh, least favorite, least favorite, there’s got to be something I know, um, I would say I, I think that only being able to train with other people at certain times, like it would be cool if every martial art school had the ability to just have, like, open classes all day long. Somebody could just come in and and train. So that’s probably what I think the worst of it is, is, um, you know, there’s some times that you want to train, but there aren’t any classes going on. So you just have to practice on your. Yeah.
Ben Ferguson [00:02:30] Um, I get that a lot too. So what is your most favorite thing about martial arts since then.
Ms. Bradford [00:02:36] Oh goodness. You know, and that probably is the exact reflection of what my favorite thing is, its training with the other people. Yeah. So that’s something that, um, especially over the last twenty years, there is a good chunk of time, um, that I really didn’t have a karate school to go to. And so it was hard because I wanted to train and I wanted to do stuff. But there’s only so much you can do on your own or even one on one. Um, like with Sensei Bello, he’d work with me one on one on some stuff. But you get so much more, I think, out of the class setting and being able to train with other people. So that’s what I enjoy a lot.
Ben Ferguson [00:03:15] OK, so in between you getting into martial arts and then getting back into it, did you practice at all during that period?
Ms. Bradford [00:03:23] Actually, I did. So when I was a kid and I was in martial arts, I kept a notebook of everything that I learned. And every now and then I’d pull it out and I would, um, go through and practice some things. And something kind of really neat happened to me when I was a kid, too. When I was eight years old, I was on there was a TV show called I Challenge Greg, and it was a local news channel. And the sportscaster, he’d go and challenge adults and kids at whatever sport they were good at. And he challenged me on board breaking when I was eight years old. And what happened then is my freshman year in high school. So I had been out of martial arts for a few years. At that point, they aired it on TV. And so then like seeing that on TV again and all my friends in high school who didn’t know me back then, they were all bringing it up and it kind of even remotivated me a little bit. So I dug out all my notebooks and I started working on stuff again and again. Then just life got in the way. But yeah, even since I’ve been back into it the last 20 years, there have been other things like I, I had a kid during that time, so I didn’t train for a couple of years and I just try to practice things. But there are so many things that I do not even thinking about it. Like if I’m walking down a hallway quite often I end up just doing like a little palm strike or even kind of a little backhand or I do a little shuto knife and strike. So those are those are little things, even punching. You know, I might just be standing in my living room and I might just do some punches or some uppercuts or something. So those are just little things that I think never left, even during my downtime when I wasn’t training.
Ben Ferguson [00:05:06] So the whole thing with some of your high school friends, you didn’t know you? I, I have a lot of friends who don’t know me now. And when I would pull out my phone and a little bit, you’re like, I don’t know, you did that. So yeah. Yeah. Um, explain how for me was a family.
Ms. Bradford [00:05:25] Well, and I’ve only been part of the premier family now for a couple of months. But from what I’ve seen and actually I should step back a minute, I got to compete against a couple of people that are here at the North Pine Valley School like Miss Singleton. And I met them a couple of years ago when I was competing. And so even before I knew much about premier martial arts, they were just so welcoming to me coming back into the competition team or the competition scene. And they kind of brought me in and said, hey, we’ll work with you, we’ll practice with you even though you don’t have a school that you’re working out of. And they treated me like family before I even had anything to do with Premiere. So since I’ve been at Premier now the last couple of months, though, I can tell that everybody seems to be a big family. Everybody’s very supportive of each other, even though we have three different schools, everybody’s supportive across the school. So it’s really nice to see that and to have that and be a part of it.
Ben Ferguson [00:06:28] Yeah, like I always will see, uh, pictures and stuff of, like people who who go to premier martial arts. They’ll go out and do things other than martial arts, just like daily life and stuff. Um, so what made you want to come to premiere martial arts?
Ms. Bradford [00:06:46] Well, it was kind of a combination when Mr. Koon was going to be starting the school out south west. There was. Is not just a job opportunity, but also through Sensa Bello. Um, he he was born he’s been my instructor for the past 20 years. So even though he didn’t have a school, we were able to work on things one on one. And so it was just kind of like the perfect storm of everything, coming together with him, opening a school out southwest and there being a position for me, for a job and for since Sabelo coming on to be a instructor out there.
Ben Ferguson [00:07:23] OK, so what do you see yourself doing in the future of your martial arts?
Ms. Bradford [00:07:28] Pretty well, definitely for the next few years. I see. Continuing with the program director portion of the of the Southwest school doing some instructing or filling in as needed. And what would be totally awesome, I think it was Mr. King would like to open a school down in Florida. I’d be more than happy to be a program director or run things down there at a school down there for.
Ben Ferguson [00:07:55] OK, why do you want to do that?
Ms. Bradford [00:07:58] Well, I would love to be in Florida, my youngest graduates high school and about four years. And, um, even though she’s going to go off to college, her main goal is to not stick around Indiana at all. And my oldest is done and moved out and done with college and everything. And I would like to be where it’s warm all the time. But I definitely see being involved in martial arts and I really love the premier model in the premier family. And, you know, if we can make that happen down there, that’s like the best of both worlds.
Ben Ferguson [00:08:33] Yeah, yeah. I’ll tell you, I do not want any more snow. We’ve had too much snow this year. I agree. What are your what are some of your favorite things to do outside of karate?
Ms. Bradford [00:08:44] Well, I’m also a realtor. I’ve been a realtor for twenty three years, so I love showing people houses and doing that. I enjoy that and meeting new people. And then in the summer we have our boat up at Lake Erie and so pretty much on the weekends we spend a lot of time on the boat and in the water and just having fun. And I got the kids at home and my daughter play softball. So I enjoy going to her softball games and basketball games. And other than that, I love puzzles like I love logic, puzzles and math problem puzzles and and
Ben Ferguson [00:09:22] all those any
Ms. Bradford [00:09:22] kind of any kind of puzzle board, jigsaw puzzles, everything. So that’s what I enjoy too.
Ben Ferguson [00:09:29] OK, what are some of your favorite things about yourself? So what are some of what would you say are some of your best qualities about yourself?
Ms. Bradford [00:09:37] Uh, I think probably one of my biggest ones is that I love educating people. So even when I was when I think of the real estate thing, I like educating buyers and sellers on the process with martial arts. I enjoy teaching and educating people in that way. I even did substitute teaching for a little bit in schools. And I again, I just love teaching and helping people grow and become better at whatever it is they’re getting. As long as I know about it, obviously I can’t do something I don’t know.
Ben Ferguson [00:10:11] Yeah, OK. Yeah. Why do you like doing those things? Why do you think those are some of your favorite things about yourself?
Ms. Bradford [00:10:17] I don’t know. I think I just got that kind of nurturing quality from my mom that it’s just about that caring for others and and helping. But yeah, definitely. That’s my best quality.
Ben Ferguson [00:10:30] How do you describe yourself?
Ms. Bradford [00:10:32] Oh, gee, let’s see. It depends on who you ask. Some people would say I’m stubborn, but I agree. I, I think I am stubborn to some extent. And ironically, as much as I love educating people, I’m I have short patience with, like my children. It’s impatient with other people’s children, but not so much with, uh, with my own, um, and and I have some different pet peeves that just bugged me. Like when people people drive. But for the most part, you know, I’d say that, um, you know, I’m a little stubborn. I’ve got some of those things, but I’m overall I’m a very caring and loyal person.
Ben Ferguson [00:11:17] OK, why would you say that you have those qualities about yourself or not those qualities? Why would you say you would describe yourself like that?
Ms. Bradford [00:11:25] Uh, because that’s I’m kind of I guess I consider myself well well rounded in that regard. I’ve got some, um, good qualities that I think helped bring out the best in people and the best in me. And then but at the same time, I know there are things that I can work on to continually be growing and, um, continually learning and being a better person.
Ben Ferguson [00:11:53] OK, do you have any.
Ms. Bradford [00:11:54] Talents, hidden talents, let’s see, um, I don’t think so, I’m I don’t have anything that I am video games. I think a lot of people don’t expect a woman in her mid forties to be good at video games. But I love, love, love video games. And my stepson, when he was about 13 or 14, it really he he hated it because he would get a new video game and I would play it while he was sleeping because he would have to go to bed to go to school, and then I would beat the game out. And so I think I’m pretty good at video games. So I’d say if I’ve got a hidden talent, that’s probably it.
Ben Ferguson [00:12:30] OK, then. So what do you think your favorite video game is?
Ms. Bradford [00:12:33] Uh, fall out? I’m a fall out and. Yeah. So those are my. That’s my that’s my, uh, bias, I guess.
Ben Ferguson [00:12:43] OK, OK, if you are a superhero and you have one superpower, what would that superpower be?
Ms. Bradford [00:12:49] I would love the ability to stop time for everybody except myself.
Ben Ferguson [00:12:55] I would I would have that
Ms. Bradford [00:12:56] ability to do. Yeah, that would be nice, because if I could stop time and I could get where I wanted to commit it. Yes. Or Yeah. Stop time and leave that situation. Yeah. That’s what that is definitely what I would choose for a superpower.
Ben Ferguson [00:13:12] OK then what would you say your superhero name would be if you have that super power.
Ms. Bradford [00:13:16] Oh wow. That’s a tough one. Holy cow. I don’t know, it probably has something to do with time. Yeah, yeah, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say I’m not super creative, so I would need some help with, uh, a good superhero name, I think. Yeah.
Ben Ferguson [00:13:34] If I were if I had that, I would totally do something back to the future.
Ms. Bradford [00:13:39] That’s a cool show. I like good stories.
Ben Ferguson [00:13:41] OK, well that’s it for this interview. I hope you enjoyed. Thanks.
Premier Martial Arts has been in business for more than 20 years, and since our founding in 1998 we have helped thousands of students of all ages realize their full potential. Premier Martial Arts delivers a best-in-class martial arts experience that helps our students develop the personal skills that are necessary to build a successful life. Our mastery of teaching martial arts over the past two decades is evident in our structured and thorough curriculum, which is standardized across our 100+ locations across the United States, Canada and England.
Our curriculum focuses on character development far beyond the importance of self-defense. We teach our young students how to respect their elders, how to be accountable, how to focus and how to stay in shape in a fun and exciting atmosphere. We empower our adult students with the self-confidence to overcome anxieties and trauma, in an environment that fosters inclusion and social belonging.
Premier Martial Arts Fort Wayne founded in 2015 by 6th Degree Black Belt and Master Instructor Ron Kuhn. Master Kuhn had a distinguished management & engineering career working for such companies as Verizon, NIPSCO, Frontier Communications and Mediacom. In 2019 he made the decision to operate his Martial Arts School fulltime which has always been his lifelong dream. That one location has grown to three in the City of Fort Wayne.
Master Ron Kuhn is married to his wife Anita (retired Special Needs Teacher) of 27 years. They have three wonderful daughters, Jordan, Ally and Katie. Jordan is a nurse who lives in Indianapolis. Ally has a computer science and business background and works with her dad at Premier Martial Arts. Katie is Chemical Engineering graduate and works in the pharmaceutical industry in Indianapolis.
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