Peaceful business for violent age

Before the Revolution, people could learn and practice martial arts at the culture clubs where the so-called “modern self-defence courses” were held.

Over the first five years after the Revolution, there was a genuine madness, with mushrooming martial arts halls or clubs that were opened in schools or high schools by the coaches.

Soon afterwards, when it became obvious that it was hard to make a fortune this way, most of them withdrew and only the dedicated ones remained. There are few equipment producers and they generally survive with money made from other businesses.

*One of the first private clubs of martial arts and defence techniques is Samurai Club, which has been functioning since 1980 within Bucharest-based Nicolae Balcescu culture club, where courses in modern self-defence were held.

“If one worked honestly and did not turn the students into criminals, they would let you do your job. The club used to be advertised on the radio every morning, during the “Where to spend your spare time in Bucharest” show,” Costin Mihaita, the club owner, recollects.

In February 1990, Samurai Club turned into a private martial arts firm that initially focussed on karate courses, but afterwards it started to sell equipment for defence systems, guides, basic learning materials, posters, books, videotapes.

Moreover, the owner and the two coaches provide theoretical and technical advice to the parents who want to know what kind of martial arts is the most suitable for their children.

They also provide counselling to those planning to start a private business in this field and management counselling in martial arts.

Samurai Club organises martial arts courses for groups of no more than 15-16 persons and charges 15 dollars/month, VAT not included. There are exclusive or private courses, which can be held in foreign languages.

The exclusive courses cost 3 dollars/hour and are held for groups including no more than 6 persons, while the private courses cost 8 dollars/hour and may be held at the club or at the client’s home.

*Felicia Gereb, owner and associate of Impression Impex SRL, is a former engineer who abandoned this field after the Revolution, travelled in the US, worked for three years in Switzerland in metallic constructions and, having acquired experience, started several businesses in Romania.

She bought a store from the former English teacher of her son after 1989 and, when she returned to Romania, the store was also selling equipment for martial arts, as people who were administering it had a child learning martial arts.

“As people were asking about kimonos and belts at the store, we decided to keep on selling these things. Then, we thought to boost sales and tried to find out the locations of karate halls and contacted the coaches, who told us how to make the karate suits and if these were well-tailored,” Gereb says.

Impression owner considers this is too small a business. “It is only a part of what I am doing, as no one can make a living only from this activity. I have two employees who tailor and sew the articles on two different sewing machines. Our market comprises the karate halls and the clients coming to the store in order to buy a suit for their children.”