E23: Mastering Combat Arts and Quality Craftsmanship

Thomas Kern's dual career as owner of Kern Painting and Juko Kai Martial Arts Center exemplifies how passion and perseverance can build lasting businesses with genuine impact. His journey began at just 14 years old with a four-inch brush, learning the meticulous craft of painting from his stepfather: "no tarps, no drips" was the philosophy that shaped his approach to a trade that would sustain him for 44 years.

The martial arts side of his life represents an equally profound commitment. For 17 years, his Juko Kai center has offered a distinctly practical approach to traditional martial arts. Unlike schools focused on competitions and trophies, Thomas teaches what his 85-year-old mentor - a former US Marine and Marshal - calls a "combat art." His classes blend traditional forms with street-ready self-defense techniques, weapons training, and breathing practices that create both capable fighters and disciplined students. Perhaps most remarkably, Thomas found that martial arts training virtually eliminated his own dyslexia while channeling his ADHD energy positively - a personal transformation that informs his teaching approach.

Through economic hardships, including nearly losing his home during the 2008 financial crisis, Thomas has embodied the martial artist's mentality of finding alternative paths around obstacles. "I really don't like and care for the word no," he explains. "If you're going to tell me no, I'm going to find a way to go around." This adaptability, combined with old-school integrity learned from World War II-generation grandfathers, has become his business signature: quality work, kept promises, and genuine expertise freely shared. Whether you're interested in transformative martial arts training or need expert painting services, Thomas proves that businesses built on passion and principle can stand the test of time.

Ready to experience the quality and integrity that define both Kern Painting and Juko Kai Martial Arts Center? Contact Thomas directly at 970-444-5003 or visit his websites to discover how his 44 years of expertise can benefit your home or personal development journey.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of a martialarts center that really paints
the fence?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
Thomas Kern, with Kern Paintingand Jukokai Martial Arts Center.
Thomas, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Good, good, good to see you.

Speaker 2 (00:33):
We're excited to learn all about you and both
businesses.
Tell us about them.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
Well, jukokai Martial Arts Center is about 17 years
old.
It's um from the internationaljukokai international, which is
my teacher.
He's um 85 right now.
He started at six years old injudo, went to okinawa, was a us
marine, us marshal, came back usmarshal.

(01:00):
So we've got all the policemantraining, you know, self-defense
training, practical streettraining, plus.
Then you have the art too,which is traditional.
So we do not break boards, wedo not get trophies.
This is I want to put people outfrom Jukokai that are practical

(01:24):
, they're aware, they'reself-confident, you know.
And then when I have kids, whenI teach kids, we learn
discipline.
You know something that's kindof rare these days.
So that's my focus.
I'm looking to teach people toyou know use for the rest of

(01:45):
their life, use some.
You know applications for therest of their life.
So it's very much what myteacher calls a combat art.
Of course I don't teach that alot until you're very high level
and you want to do that, but Iwill keep telling you the
applications.
Ok, we do this and this is whatit does and this is what you

(02:06):
can use it for.
So that's Jukokai and thencurrent painting.
It's 44 years.
It started at the age of 14.
I had a four-inch brush and itwas my stepdad, he was high and
I was low and it was oil paintand we do not drip.
There are no tarps, so you knowhow to clean up really really

(02:27):
quickly and fast, and so thathas sustained me for 44 years.
So I don't paint anymorebecause it's pretty hard on you
after 44 years.
So what I do now is I do theinspections and the estimates
and the customer relations and Ido a lot of networking.
But that seems to work outreally well too now.

(02:51):
So I've kind of made thattransition and I've even forced
myself not to pick up apaintbrush or a paint sprayer.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
How did you get into each business?

Speaker 3 (03:03):
Well, the painting was because of my stepdad.
He was a teacher, englishteacher, in a small town in
minnesota, and so we would we,you know paint during the
summers and, um, then I couldtravel all over with it.
So, um, like I said, four inchbrush, so, and you clean the
brushes with gasoline and andthat's really how I started

(03:25):
painting.
And then Jukokai, oh, when Iwas 17 years old, I was trying
to do karate and trying to findsomething, and I went through
Taekwondo a little bit and Iwent through capoeira a little
bit, but Jukokai sustained meand I got severe ADHD and ADHD

(03:47):
and a little dyslexia.
And doing the katas in Jukakaiit's a sequence of form, it's a
form and sequence, thosesequences, my dyslexia is pretty
much gone and my ADHD wasstimulated the whole time.
So my teacher has 15 differentarts I know about six and that's

(04:09):
this traditional karate jointlocks, tons of weapons, samurai
sword, knives, you know staff,you know staff.
And then I teach Tai Chi, whichis like Tai Chi, because that's
tight.
Tai Chi is the Japanese version, where Tai Chi is the Chinese

(04:31):
version, and then everything'sbased in breathing.
So that's really, reallyamazing, because we all you're
learning how to breathe, to moveinstead of moving, and then
your breath catches up.

Speaker 2 (04:45):
So what are some myths or misconceptions in the
martial arts industry?

Speaker 3 (04:54):
Beating each other up .
You know that's a big one.
People think that it's a placeto go and punch each other,
which is unfortunate.
I think it's very unfortunate.
I think Misconceptions I don'tyou know, since I'm focused on

(05:19):
the combat all the time too Ithink some misconceptions are,
as you, just it's like anothersport, you drop your kids off or
it's just a sport, so it's notplay or serious.
I think that's a misconception alot of the times.
Also, it's because the combatdifferent.
Combat sport it's not.
I mean, I teach people to hitas hard as they can.

(05:40):
You know I'm not teachingpeople to tap or touch, or you
know you landed a punch, sothat's a point.
So I think that's themisconception between Jigokai
and other martial arts.
I think that also themisconception in general about
martial arts is that it's goingto take a really long time to be

(06:05):
successful, and that's notreally true.
I mean, these are pretty simpletechniques and you practice a
little bit and you can be prettysuccessful and it's very, it
can be very athletic.
I had a graded basketballplayer train with me and that's
a person who has a ranking inthe nation.

(06:27):
That means because he's graded,he's got his own ranking in
among the whole United States ofbasketball players.
And he trained with me and he'slike is this harder than
lifting weights?
And I said, yeah, well, Iapplied.
I knew what you could do, so Imade sure that this would be
physically hard for you.

(06:48):
I know how to do that.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
This would be physically hard for you.
I know how to do that Growingthe martial arts aspect of your
businesses who are your targetcustomers and how do you attract
them?

Speaker 3 (07:06):
now it is a difficult world with martial arts because
Fort Collins, for example, wehave lots of CrossFits and we
have lots of different martialarts and usually it's the flavor
of the month or year.
So you know, Bruce Lee did areally wonderful job of bringing
karate over to the UnitedStates.
But then right now jujitsu isreally big, so I am continually

(07:30):
working on it.
I have a lot of elementaryschool students.
I get parents and adults thatare interested but think that
it'll take a lot of time andthat's more difficult.
And then I do self-defense,just free self-defense
demonstrations, so that helpspeople too.

(07:52):
Right now I'm in the talks withthe community colleges and see
if we can start a class there.
So I'd love to do that.
I love to teach, so it's apassion.

Speaker 2 (08:03):
You may have just answered this question, but
outside of work, what do you dofor fun?

Speaker 3 (08:08):
Well, I've got a 90-pound dog sitting right over
here, so we do a lot of walking.
I love to bicycle, work in thegarden, we have chickens, so you
know, taking care of thosethings.
I have a 17-year-old daughter,so that takes a bit of time.
So, yeah, I just gave my golfclubs away because I was like

(08:32):
I'm not playing them, I'm notusing them, so you know what,
and I'd rather go out in thebackyard, um, cause I live on a
third of an acre and go train,so I'm like that's fine.
So, um, you know, uh, we loveto.
I also love to go up to themountains.
You know, go go hiking stufflike that, um, pretty much

(08:53):
anything mountains.
You know, go go hiking stufflike that, pretty much anything
outdoors.
You know, if I can be outdoors,that's the best thing.
That's the best thing aboutColorado, right?
So it's pretty amazing.
Amazing weather, amazing place,it's just beautiful.

Speaker 2 (09:08):
So let's switch gears .
Can you describe a hardship ora life challenge that you
overcame and how it made youstronger?
What comes to mind?
Ooh, hardship.

Speaker 3 (09:23):
Well, I think the biggest one was we were living
in Michigan in 2007 and 2008,and we had to fight to keep our
house.
That was a big hardship.
Our 401ks were gone.
My wife, we had tried to workwith the bank.
They kept rejecting therefinancing.
So my wife went to, she went tothe local press, you know, and

(09:48):
used the local press, and thenthey contacted the press and
then they contacted the treasurydepartment.
Um, how did I do that?
A lot of breathing, a lot ofpersistence.
You know not, I'm one of thosepeople who I really don't like
and care for the word no.
If you're going to tell me no,I'm going to find a way to go

(10:10):
around.
Okay, well, that didn't work,so let's try something else.
So you know that's, and I thinkthat's being just adaptable.
Martial arts is a funny thing.
People are like, oh, it's onlyone way.
And I said what about lookingat it from the other side?
So my first teacher was verygood about he's a physics

(10:30):
professor originally and he saidwhat about the other direction?
Did you look at it from bothsides?
Could we apply this a differentway?
I think that's really helped.
When someone says no, you can'tdo that or that doesn't work.
I'm like okay, that's fine, youcan be there.
I'm gonna go somewhere elsewhere someone will say no, um,

(10:51):
that works really well withcustomer service.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
When you have to call and you can't get the answer
right away from the right person, you call again and you'll find
that person thomas, please tellour listeners one thing that
they should remember about youon the current painting side and
on the Jukokai martial artscenter side.

Speaker 3 (11:15):
Well, I think they're both.
I can say it very easilyCurrent painting, it's the
quality and the integrity.
And it's the same thing withJukokai.
I say to them, as I walk outthe door with current painting,
I say, look, if there'ssomething you find, let me know,
we'll come back and fix it.
It's paint, it's probablyfixable.

(11:38):
I don't mind doing that.
And I was raised by World WarII grandfathers, so you know,
contracts used to be a handshakeand then you did what you say
you were going to do.
And I really work on that allthe time.
If I told you something, I'mgonna do it.
So and that's the same thingwith martial arts.

(11:59):
I mean, my teacher vetted mefor, I think, about 10 years
before I actually got to trainwith him.
So he was, you know, deputysheriff, us, us Marshall.
He watched me really closelybefore.
So that integrity piece is huge, you know.

Speaker 2 (12:26):
How can our listeners learn more about Kern Painting
and Jukko Kai?

Speaker 3 (12:31):
I have websites current painting, uh, current
painting LLC.
And, and Jukko Kai is a littleweird.
It's Jukko, it's Jukkocom.
I have to look it up becausethere was difficult to.
You can't write out Jukko Kaimartial arts center on a website
, um.
But if you looked it up, jukkoKai, you'd find me, because I'm

(12:52):
pretty prevalent throughout theweb and call me, ask questions,
you know 970-444-5003 or text me.
I love to tell people aboutmartial arts.
44 years of house painting.
I've run into every situation.
I know the products reallyreally well.

(13:15):
I know what to apply.
People call me and go what do Ido with this metal stand?
How do I paint it?
How do I prime it?
What product do I use?
It's just, I have a lot ofknowledge base.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
Well, thomas, I really appreciate you being on
the show and we wish you andyour businesses the best moving
forward.
Thank you, so much Thank, andwe wish you and your businesses
the best moving forward.

Speaker 3 (13:35):
Thank you so much.
Thank you for contacting me andtaking this time.

Speaker 1 (13:40):
Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor
Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.