Black Lotus Academy of Martial Arts and Fitness has been revived after closing in the summer of 2020.
The expenses of Black Lotus’s former Kitchener Street home far outweighed what the business was making, owner Nic Langman said. That, on top of COVID-19 closures, was what sunk the business.
“The bills didn’t stop just because I was forced to not work,” Langman told OrilliaMatters. “Some people qualified for government help, but I basically fell through the cracks.”
Langman, 39, says the business was missed by the community over the past two years.
“As much as martial arts is fitness, for a lot of people, it’s their therapy,” he said. “It’s the good habit that they have as opposed to the bad habit they might have if it weren’t for kickboxing or martial arts.”
Langman believes the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in some people feeling insecure about themselves.
“It was really tough for my students,” he said. “Children suffered over the last two years with their mental and physical health. It’s been really difficult for a lot of people.”
With the business coming back into the community, Langman has the goal of helping people shed the effects of the pandemic.
“I could have gone back to being a carpenter,” he said, “but what you get from helping people is much more valuable than just a paycheque.”
Rising from the ashes hasn’t been easy for Langman, who is still in debt from folding the business the first time.
“I’ve borrowed more money to start this one in hopes that it will do well,” he said.
The last academy was 11,000 square feet and offered almost every martial art and extra-curricular for every age in a state-of-the-art fitness centre.
“That was me trying to build a vision and a dream that I had,” he explained. “I wanted our community to have the Mecca of martial arts and the facility to match it.”
This time around, Langman is narrowing his focus to only offering Muay Thai kickboxing and karate inside the new, 1,500-square-foot facility at 575 West St. S.
“We want to make sure it runs well, and we provide the best instruction and quality product,” he said.
Langman feels the Orillia community has been behind him on his journey and he appreciates the support.
“It’s been great,” he said. “A lot of people are congratulating me, booking a lot of trials, and it has been really encouraging.”
There is still lots of room for those who want to become a member of Black Lotus. The dojo will officially open Monday.
“When people think about kickboxing, they think they are going to come in and get beat up,” Langman said. “That is not the case. What we do is treated like a martial art where you get the physical benefits because it’s a great workout and the mental benefits such as discipline and self-control.”
To set up a free trial at Black Lotus, call 705-481-8198 or email [email protected].
