Empower ATA Martial Arts opens opportunities on Lancaster

ATA Martial Arts Keizer launched their second location on October 7th, bringing opportunities to build discipline, character and confidence to the neighborhoods surrounding Lancaster Drive. With the new location comes a rebrand to Empower ATA Martial Arts, highlighting the instructors’ focus on equipping students to live into their full potential.

Carson Clews, CEO of Empower ATA Martial Arts, began his martial arts journey at age 11 at a school in South Salem, moving into an instructor role at age 14. It was at this school in South Salem where he connected with Reuben Gould, who now manages the Keizer location. Gould will head up the new Lancaster location.

Eight years ago, Clews bought the Keizer martial arts school and has developed it into a thriving community—250 students, six instructors and one program director. He said the Lancaster location offers plenty of square footage to sustain a similar size community. He hopes to build the new school up to 120 students fairly quickly and continue expanding from there.

The new school opens a unique opportunity to develop and empower Clew’s current staff. “We have some awesome instructors in training, and if I’m the one teaching, then they’re not teaching,” Clews said. At the new location, instructors like Gould can continue growing as teachers and leaders. Stepping into more senior leadership positions also allows them to better provide for their families with sustainable employment.

However, Clews was careful not to open a new location unless he was sure it would add value to the community. Part of his rationale for the Lancaster location was to meet a growing demand at his Keizer location. Previously, students from the Lancaster area funneled into schools in South Salem or Keizer. The Lancaster location brings opportunity to them.

Gould, who has been managing the Keizer location since 2021, grew up in the Lancaster area, uniquely positioning him to lead the community there. “I want to give back to the community that I grew up in,” Gould said.

With the addition of a new school, the business rebranded to Empower ATA Martial Arts. Clews said the name gives people an idea of what his schools hope to accomplish. “I want to see something that makes the student’s heart feel alive,” Clews said. “I want to empower them to be who they want to be, and part of that is in helping them conquer the obstacles.”

For Clews, teaching martial arts is synonymous with teaching life skills. “The physical skill of learning martial arts naturally transforms into the mental skill of success habits,” Clews said. He offered an example: it takes discipline to hold a deep stance on the mat even when you’re exhausted. It also takes discipline to obey your parents when you’re exhausted. When students learn they are capable of doing hard things, they flip the negative narrative into one of empowerment.