Today we’d like to introduce you to Marcus Kowal.
Hi Marcus, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2013, Systems Training Center opened its doors. The goal was to create a high-level martial arts gym where everyone was welcome, regardless of color, religion, or biases. A safe and empowering place, a home away from home. Since then, Systems has produced the first MMA fighter who fought in the UFC and several others. The gym is known for its local talent, but that’s not what makes it special; it is the environment you’re in when you train there. It’s a community where everyone is focusing on their own journey and where mistakes are accepted and understood to be part of process.
The Systems family was heartbroken when founders Marcus and Mishel’s firstborn son, Liam, was hit by a drunk driver and killed. Liam donated his organs so that other people could live, and because of their tragic loss, Marcus and Mishel founded www.LiamsLife.org to fight drunk driving and to lower the legal BAC from 0.08 to 0.05, which has proven to save over 20% of the fatalities that we currently see. No country has as many lives lost to drunk driving per year as the U.S. – over 10,000, which is the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every single week!
Because of this, Systems Training Center developed an amazing kids’ program, which will help create the next generation of empathetic but courageous leaders. Upstanders who will make good decisions and help others do the same.
Before the Pandemic, Systems had 4 locations and is now looking to start expanding again to help continue making the world a better place.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Few small businesses can claim to have been faced with so many challenges as Systems have. But how the community rallied around when the founders were brought to their knees and that we are still standing in an industry that was shut down for 15 months during the pandemic, in the most competitive area of the world for martial arts and fitness, SoCal, really speaks for itself.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are known for teaching realistic martial arts at a very high level (almost all of our coaches are competitors themselves, so they don’t just talk the talk but walk the walk. Our vision was always to teach high-level martial arts, teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing/Muay Thai, boxing, strength and conditioning, and self-defense to both kids and adults. We are known for the high level of classes that we offer but mostly for our friendly and welcoming environment, as most of our 4.9 rating on Google suggests.
I’m most proud of the community that we have created and the people who are part of it. What sets us apart is exactly that: Our welcoming, safe, and empowering community. Where high-quality martial arts meets a place where everyone is welcome! And within that community, the individual stories. The over 5,000 lbs. of weight that our members have lost. The change in people’s confidence, connections with others, and personal growth is the true essence and pride of Systems Training Center.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I have so many favorite childhood memories that it is really hard to pick one. An overall memory is growing up in my beautiful native country of Sweden, where I always played a lot of sports and had great friends whom I am still friends with today. That’s what I want for the children of Systems Training Center. I know many of them don’t get that in today’s society, so we want to be able to offer some of that and the very important life skills I inherited along the way.
Pricing:
- Around 160-199 per month
- Systems offers both personal training at the gym as well as at home personal training, starting off at $85
- Corporate events and speaking engagements for Marcus Kowal – $2,000 (20% goes to the nonprofit)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.SystemsTrainingCenter.com and www.LiamsLife.org
- Instagram: @yourkravmaga
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=systems%20training%20center
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Systemstrainingcenter and https://www.youtube.com/@yourkravmaga
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/systems-training-center-hawthorne-2
