Macaroni KID Fort Myers - Fort Myers Beach had the pleasure of an interview with Gold Lion Karate's very own sensei: Carlos Arce. Read about Sensei Carlos and then check out Gold Lion Karate for yourself and your kids!
When did you start boxing? Why?
There’s two parts to how I started boxing. The first phase was watching Oscar De La hoya become Olympic champion and earn an Olympic gold medal at the Barcelona games in 1992. I saw him take the podium and be celebrated as an Olympic hero.
That image of him holding his gold medal, being glorified by the crowd, ignited my dream of someday becoming just like him. Seeing how loved he was by everyone after winning the games, and having everything at his fingertips, made me want to pursue my dream even more. I had no clue on how I was going to go about it, but I said to myself that I would go to the Olympic games and win a gold medal.
What follows next is unexplainable. I started boxing and karate almost simultaneously. I was getting beat up every day in sixth grade. My weight was heavy and my low self-esteem made me a very easy target for bullies. My biggest bully in 6th grade was Bobby. I had the unfortunate luck to have him for three periods in my class schedule, and boy did he enjoy beating me up.
I was walking with so much fear back then. Not only at school, but at home. My mother had just married a year prior, and my step father was not the kindest man to me. I was scared of coming home, just as I was scared of going to school.
I had an epiphany of how my life was going to be if I didn't stand up to Bobby. Someone else down the line was going to take his place, and I was going to get beat up for the rest of my life. I prayed God send me an angel, and by chance luck I met my Sensei and male figure Gerry Blanck. Mr. Blanck was a former kickboxing champion and fourth degree black belt. He taught me how to use my fists and, within two weeks, I stood up to Bobby. To this day, I can feel the lightning shock between my knuckles and Bobby’s rib cage. It felt wonderful.
I realized then how much fun he had at hurting me. A very scary thought came to mind: power is intoxicating. I just crossed a line between good and evil. I thank the good Lord for having good mentors outside of home, for only God knows what would have happened to me. Bobby never put his hands on me again. The next day, he sat next to me and wanted to be my best friend.
It was the first of many strange experiences in my life. I became very confident in myself and very athletic. My Sensei saw how fast my hands were and he said “you could be like De La Hoya!” I kept pursuing my dream until I retired and I am very glad I did. I learned discipline, commitment, fearlessness, and to give my best in everything I do in life. I pass these lessons on to my students, trying to give them a positive influence and the belief in themselves.
What are your career goals?
My career goals are to empower every child and adult to fulfill their full potential, both emotionally and physically. I want to give them the strength and courage they need to face any challenge, from dealing with bullies to overcoming life's obstacles.
What are your life goals?
My aspirations in life include establishing a thriving karate school, cultivating a harmonious and content home life and marriage, continuously gaining wisdom and striving to excel in my business, marriage, fatherhood, and role as a Sensei. I aspire to be a commendable mentor and a steadfast male figure and partner, never wavering in my determination. Witnessing all my students blossom into their fullest potential within my dojo, and throughout their personal journeys, is a source of immense fulfillment for me.
Who is your biggest hero?
This is a very tough question. I have been blessed to have many heroes. Heroes that I have looked up to, and heroes who have been a part of my life. The very first hero I had was my mother Digna Rios Shaver, for without her I would not be here right now. Mother is a very kind, good-hearted woman, with a lot of faith and commitment to all she does. I got a lot of my work ethic from her.
My second hero is my uncle Amilcar Lopez. He was my mother’s uncle, and he taught me to be true to myself and have commitment in my word. Uncle Amilcar was a professor during his life and had two daughters. He treated me like a son, for he always wanted one. Lucky for my mother, there was a man that could teach me good values from a very early stage in my life. Lucky for me too. He taught me lessons via actions. He taught me the history of the Roman Empire and watched cowboy movies with me. One of our favorites being, “The Good, The Bad and the Ugly,” along with any other cowboy movie with Clint Eastwood, and John Wayne. Him and I are enamored with the old ways of keeping your word, and have commitment to ourselves and goals no matter how hard and challenging they may be.
My third hero is my nana. Her real name is Maya Lopez Martinez. Nana is my uncle Amilcar’s wife and my mothers aunt. She took me in like her baby boy while my mother worked as a nurse in the hospital.I was blessed to have her kindness and unconditional love growing up.
My fourth hero was Felix Trinidad. Trinidad was a boxing champion from Cupe Alto, Puerto Rico. He came into my vision at the most cataclysmic moment of my life. I was watching a boxing fight on tv one Saturday night and saw a man get knocked down on the seat of his pants. That man got up, and completely decimated his opponent. That man was Felix “Tito” Trinidad. Seeing Trinidad get up and fight back gave me the biggest jolt of confidence, and I said to myself “if he can get up from the floor, fight back, and knock out his opponent in such a vicious fashion, so can I!” Felix Trinidad was the biggest inspiration of my life at throwing a punch back at bullies. I knew at that moment that man was going to be a star. Sure enough, Felix Trinidad took Oscar De La Hoya’s undefeated streak and became a multi world champion. He taught me to never give up!
Lastly, Paul Morantz and Chaz Morantz. Paul was a highly successful Jewish lawyer and Chaz was a highly accomplished karate brown belt. They both showed me the importance of being generous with your heart, time, and money.
All these people have been instrumental in my life, and I am forever grateful to them for their guidance and support. It is because of them that I am the person I am today.
Where do you practice? Do you still participate in boxing matches?
I am still a passionate boxer, and I still practice at the Police Athletic League in North Ft. Myers under Coach Jose’s tutelage. Even though I haven’t participated in any boxing matches since 2019, I still go to the boxing gym to stay in shape and to keep up with my skills. Boxing has been a part of my life since I was a child, and I will always be grateful to Coach Jose for being such an important part of it.
How do you manage owning a business, boxing, and your personal life?
Growing up, I was an overachiever who strived to reach my goals, no matter how difficult. I had dreams of becoming an Olympic champion and winning a gold medal. Even though I didn't reach that goal, I learned a lot about myself in the process.
In recent years, I have been diagnosed with ADHD, which is why I decided to create Gold Lion Karate. I want to provide children and adults with an opportunity to learn about themselves, regardless of any neurological challenges they may have. I understand the difficulties of growing up as a neurologically atypical child and feeling rejected by society. This is why my goal, as the Sensei, is to help everyone in my school by teaching them the skills they need to be self-aware and socially connected.
I want to share a story from my summer camp with you that really demonstrated how challenging it can be for children, even in the simplest of tasks. There was a boy who was smashing a blocker on the floor and making loud noises, which was bothering his teammates. When I asked him why he was doing it, he replied that he didn't know. I then asked him what he really wanted to do, and his response was that he wanted to play with the other children. He had never asked them, so I told him to do so. He was very timid and barely audible when he asked if he could join them. After a few weeks of encouraging and repeating this process, he was able to confidently ask to join the group.
This story is just one of the many examples of why I started Gold Lion Karate. My goal is to help children and adults discover who they are and become more self-aware. I want to provide them with a safe and welcoming environment to learn the social skills they need to connect with others. I believe that with the right support and guidance, we can help these children reach their full potential.
What were some of your biggest challenges/obstacles?
Life is something that we can never predict or plan for. We can make a plan, but life often gets in the way. I learned this lesson the hard way.
I spent three years of my life getting mentored, hiring lawyers, looking at 13 locations before finally finding the one I have now, investing every dollar I had, reconnecting with my Sensei's, coming up with our logo and having it trademarked, connecting my units to comply with county code, building one of my units from scratch because no one used it since the commercial building was built, being stuck in the permit process four months until finally passing 14 inspections in order to get my business tax receipt and open for business.
Everything seemed to be going according to plan until the third worst hurricane in American history, Hurricane Ian, hit right after I opened up. I had a dream and a vision and hurricane Ian was not part of it. But life had other plans for me.
This experience has taught me to be prepared for the unexpected and to not take anything for granted. Life is a rollercoaster and it can always throw something new at us. We must be willing to adapt and overcome whatever obstacles life throws at us.
What about your biggest accomplishments?
Saving my school. It was more than that. I saved my self-identity. After boxing, I had my own special place in this world, that of a Sensei. I had faith in myself, and went for it wholeheartedly when I retired from boxing. It is a job I enjoy and makes me happy. I find joy in helping kids that are not understood and helping them build healthy behaviors that will improve their quality of life.
I have built a sanctuary and a safe place for all kids to learn and play. Giving them flexibility of character and allowing them to be themselves. Giving them positive reinforcement so they can raise their self esteem and have a healthy outlook on themselves. I remember all the people who said I was going to go broke and close my school. But my faith in God and myself were much more powerful than anyone else’s words. I spoke to God in the process and He helped me stay open.
I was fully invested in being in my school and finding ways to make the income necessary to pay rent and all the bills. I worked my butt off, day and night, to keep this place open. I spoke to God and He provided the breaks I needed. I recited Psalm 23 the psalm of David, to get through the darkest of valleys.
Had my karate school not been the path God chose for me, I would have had to close already. I am still here and so much better than last year. That means I was meant to be here and stay. Through my trials I have become a much stronger and wiser man. Everything I went through was so that I could be a solid mentor to neurologically typical and atypical children.
I thank the good Lord for helping me become the man I am today and allowing me to save my school and my self-identity. I am proud of what I have accomplished and grateful to have been given the opportunity to help others.
What is your advice to kids about achieving their goals?
#1: Have commitment in life. This means that we must be fully invested in whatever dream, goal, or task we are pursuing. We should put our heart and soul into everything we do and soon enough, we will see the results. Results may not come immediately, but if we continue to put in the effort, life and God will reward us. This commitment applies to ourselves, our friendships, and our relationships. If we are truly committed, we will be able to achieve great things. So let us have faith and keep putting in the effort.
#2: Never quit. As someone who has been involved in boxing for over 25 years, I can tell you firsthand how important it is to stay committed and never give up. Even when things get tough, and it looks like all hope is lost, you must never give in. I can speak from personal experience when I say that if I had quit in one of my matches, I would never have persevered through the tough times I faced last year. Thankfully, I didn't give up and I am here to share my story with you today.
In life, there will be many obstacles that you must overcome. It will be a long and arduous journey, but the reward at the end makes it all worth it. Too often people give up too quickly when things get hard. This is a dangerous habit to form, as it will carry over into all areas of your life. If you want to succeed, you must stay committed and never give up.
My own success is proof of this. I fought hard to overcome the devastating effects of Hurricane Ian, and I'm proud to say that I have been running my business for over a year now. I'm a living testament to the power of never giving up, no matter what challenges life throws at you.
If you stay dedicated and put in the work, you will eventually reach your promise land. Don't give in to doubts and fears, but instead stay brave and keep fighting. I promise you, you won't regret it.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
We all want success in life, but often we find ourselves worrying and wondering if we'll make it. That's natural. But if you take the right steps and have faith, you can be sure that you're on the right path.
One of the biggest rewards of believing in yourself and having faith is the freedom it gives you. When you decide to become your own boss, you no longer have to answer to anyone else. You have the freedom to make your own choices and to decide how to spend your time. You can make sure you spend plenty of quality time with your family and pursue the activities that make you happy.
Believing in yourself and having faith doesn't guarantee success, but it does give you the courage and determination to keep going, even when times get tough.
So I encourage you to believe in yourself and have faith. Take the steps you need to take to make your dreams come true, and trust that God will be with you every step of the way. You can do this
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