Global Martial Arts Academy is a family business. Ron Yeates opened his first school, Southam Wado-Ryu Karate, in 1972 and has had a school on and off ever since. Ron and his son, Daniel, started the current school in 2005 while Ron was still teaching karate at the Hamilton-Burlington-Flamborough YMCA's. They opened the Academy in Binbrook and quickly outgrew that space, moving in 2009 to their current location.
In 2012, Daniel graduated from Brock University. At the same time, he took over as the President of the company and head instructor of the Academy. Ron is the senior instructor and still teaches 11-13 classes a week.
Ron was a Hamilton Police Officer for 31 years, working a number of different assignments. Having tested his martial art theories in real-life situations, street fights, bar fights, family fights and multiple weapon attacks, Ron has refined his teaching curriculum to include reality-based training so his students are prepared for street-level situations.
GMA is a school that thrives on respect, courtesy and discipline, first and foremost. Whether you join as a member of the fitness class or one of our many martial art disciplines, you are a part of the GMA family. This is true of our instructors, our students and the parents who have allowed us to be a part of their child's development.
We invite you to check our schedule and drop by the academy to watch a class. We encourage you to talk to the parents of our students. Find out why they chose us and see for yourself the encouragement we offer our students and the confidence that comes from a positive environment. Speak to our instructors or staff to answer any questions that you might have.
