Erron Wright, Jr. knows what it means to keep something in the family. He opened a karate studio in Neosho last January, and as a black belt since 16, he knows what he’s doing.
“We’re a third generation dojo,” Wright, Jr. said, because his father, Erron Wright, Sr., as well as Wright, Jr.’s two kids (Jackson and Clary Wright), are all a part of Goo’s Dojo.
Classes are held on Mondays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. He has also started a studio in Joplin recently, with another in Webb City to open in September. The studios in Joplin and Webb City will be open different days.
While Wright, Jr. is the sensei/instructor, Wright, Sr. is the supreme grand master of the dojos and was inducted into the Martial Arts Living Legends of World Black Belt, a company that promotes the study of martial arts.
But the family connections in Goo’s Dojo don’t end there. Wright, Jr.’s wife, Melissa Wright, helps with instructing beginner students; and Wright, Jr.’s mother, Betty Wright, is the owner and president of the Goo’s Dojos.
The dojo shares space with Team Fit Studios at 1721 La Questa Drive.
Wright, Jr. says some benefits of learning karate are self-dependence, flexibility, coordination, endurance, body awareness, speed and balance. All of these work together to build self-confidence.
“Self-confidence is something I’ve noticed a lot, and also discipline,” Wright, Jr. said, “by these guys practicing and seeing themselves get more flexible and faster and everything.”
He also starts to notice a bit more of a “swagger” in their step after they have been attending a while.
“And they’re not cocky kids,” Wright, Jr. said. “I tell them we’re not doing this fight; it’s (just) going to make you better able to defend yourself.”
He stresses to the students that the moves they learn are not meant to be used in an aggressive manner, and if they violate that rule, they can be dismissed from the training.
The classes are offered, he said, for ages 4 to 104. Anybody can join, but younger children won’t do anything too dangerous. Older children can engage in sparring with protective gear.
“For the younger kids, we do the flag karate,” Wright, Jr. said. “It’s similar to flag football; the kids just love it.”
And those kids said they love the other parts of class, too.
“It’s fun,” said Adam Murphy, who has been taking karate for about three months. “(More people) should join it, it would be good.”
