By Nicole June

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – A Clarksville martial arts instructor and entrepreneur will be featured on the cover of an internationally distributed martial arts magazine.

Blake Harris, owner of the award-winning Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy, recently spoke to MA Success Magazine about his journey to becoming not only a 5th degree black belt in karate, but a successful businessman as well.

His 11-page interview will be published online and in the October issue of the magazine, available now.

Harris began building his business while still enrolled as a junior at Austin Peay State University in 2010. Over the past six years Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy has become an important facet of the Clarksville athletic community.

“If you have a passion for something and really enjoy what you do and care more about the students than the money part of it, everything will work out,” Harris said. “It’s an article not just about me and the school, but about Clarksville as well.”

Harris has built his life around the martial arts. He began learning at the age of seven and credits his success to the support of his family, friends, students, and their parents.

“Martial arts is a lifelong thing. You can do it for the rest of your life and not learn everything. It’s more of a lifestyle to me than it is just a job or a hobby. It’s just a way of life for me now,” he said.

“It’s neat to look back and see how far I’ve come. Not just as a martial artists, but as a person as well.”

Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy offers a variety of classes for kids, teens, and adults. Classes start at age four and official rankings can be earned in Kami Bushi Do, Aikido, Judo, Jujitsu, and Karate (Shotokan).

Harris said many parents enroll their children in the school more for the positive atmosphere than the martial arts themselves.

“I like to teach the students more than just how to punch or kick, but to also teach them respect, discipline, and focus. These are things they’ll use the rest of their lives as part of character development. We use the martial arts as an avenue to reinforce those life lessons,” he said.

The magazine cover has been a huge milestone for Harris, but he insists there is more to come.

“I look forward to having other opportunities in the future,” he said. “I just hope to be able to give back to Clarksville. This is just the beginning of my journey.”

For more information about Harris Holt Martial Arts Academy, visit their website or Facebook page.