The story that started in a small north central Wisconsin community.

the story

Brian Lorence started in Taekwon-do in a small north-central Wisconsin town in eighth grade. This was long coming after reading the book, “From Chuck Norris to the Karate Kid” in second grade. He took that first class and was absolutely hooked, hooked so much that he later dropped high school sports so he could train five to six days a week. Later that first year, his instructor also started teaching the Inayan System of Eskrima, and Brian was in the first class for that program.

As a teenager, he was offered a role to assist teaching kids classes, and by the time he was 18 and had his black belt he was an instructor to both children and adults. His first year of college saw him travel to Vermont where he started a martial arts club. After returning to the Midwest he eventually married and moved to the Milwaukee area. There he was offered the chance to start teaching in a spare room in a church where the pastor wanted a martial arts program for the children of that tough neighborhood.

Many children and adults came through the doors, but after about two years he and his wife moved to Waukesha, closing down and starting from square one in this then part-time venture. After two short-term locations they found a long-term solution where they finally chose to go full-time.

Now Lorence Martial Arts is running a variety of programs. They not only have separate classes for different age groups but are expanding with other programs including Conquest, a new and unique approach to working with children with Autism and similar diagnoses. And their effects are felt outside the four walls of the studio - their The Way of the Hands and Feet Projects take them throughout the community working with organizations that are committed to helping those with various needs.

But their history isn’t just about them. Every student is part of this story, part of this martial arts family. Come and find out what is special and unique about being part of this family… and add to this history, your history.

what makes us different