John Graden rocked the martial arts business with his 1-2-3 combo of his book, Black Belt Management, creating the industries’ first professional association NAPMA, and then upgrading that to theMartial Arts Teachers’ Association (MATA). MA Success editor John Corcoran first called him a “visionary” in 1995. Martial Arts Worldmagazine dubbed him, The Teacher of Teachers.
Mr. Graden’s leadership was recognized in many mainstream media outlets including a cover story on the Wall Street Journal, documentaries on A&E Network, and as a guest on the Dr. Oz Show.
Mr. Graden is Not a Paper Tiger
For those of you who think he is all about the business, his WAKO World Championships with the USA Team and legacy as a Joe Lewis protege might change your mind. In fact, Black Belt magazine did a cover story on Mr. Graden and his brother Jim’s relationship with the late legend. The story was called, “Passing the Torch” and it was Joe Lewis saying that when he leaves he was passing the torch to the Graden’s.
Mr. Graden has authored most of the best selling books on how to run a successful martial arts school in addition to many other subjects.
John Graden’s Career Timeline
2015 – Author, Who Killed Walt Bone?
2014 – Author, Near-Death Experiences of Suicide Survivors
2013 – Author, Near-Death Experiences of Doctors and Scientists
2010 – Founder, Empower Boxing
2008 – Author, The Impostor Syndrome
2004 – Founder, Martial Arts Teachers’ Association
2003 – Author, The Truth About the Martial Arts Business
1998 – Author, How to Open and Operate a Successful Martial Arts School
1996 – Founder, The American Council on Martial Arts (ACMA)
1995 – Founder – Martial Arts Professional Magazine
1993 – Founder – National Association of Professional Martial Artists
1987 – Host and Producer of the USA Karate TV show in Tampa Bay, FL
1986 – Opened USA Karate 1985 – Fighter, Coach, and Official for many World Champion WAKO USA Teams