How Two Experienced Instructors Built NC Budo Into Gaston County's Karate Community
Starring
Sensei Jena Hare is a seasoned martial artist who co-founded NC Budo in 2016 with Sensei Michael Baez. She teaches Classical Okinawan Kempo Karate and co-leads programs emphasizing mental discipline, emotional stability, and physical conditioning.
Sensei Michael Baez is an experienced martial arts instructor who co-founded NC Budo in 2016 alongside Sensei Jena Hare in Belmont, North Carolina. He teaches Classical Okinawan Kempo Karate, focusing on developing mind, body, and spirit through traditional martial arts principles of mental discipline, emotional stability, and physical conditioning.
About the Gym
NC Budo is a boutique martial arts school serving Gaston County’s downtown communities, founded in 2016 by best friends Sensei Michael Baez and Sensei Jena Hare.
Drawing on decades of combined experience, they created a place where students of all ages can access the lifelong benefits of traditional karate training. Their curriculum is rooted in Classical Okinawan Kempo Karate, giving students a deeply grounded system to develop mind, body, and spirit in a close-knit, community-focused environment.
The school offers a mix of karate classes, competitive training, after-school programs, summer camps, and wellness classes, all built around three guiding principles: mental discipline, emotional stability, and physical conditioning. NC Budo emphasizes a boutique, community-focused approach that prioritizes personal attention and long-term relationships, helping everyone from after-school kids to competitive martial artists find a long-term home on the mats.
📍 101 S Main St, Belmont, NC 28012
📞 980-288-8750
Summary
This is the story of NC Budo, a boutique martial arts center in Belmont, North Carolina, and how co-founders Sensei Jena Hare and Sensei Michael Baez turned their martial arts expertise into a community-focused karate school. The episode features both instructors explaining their approach to Classical Okinawan Kempo Karate and how they've built programs serving students from after-school kids to competitive martial artists. The video highlights their philosophy of mental discipline, emotional stability, and physical conditioning as the foundation for lifelong martial arts practice.
We show NC Budo's flagship Belmont location and explores how the school balances traditional karate teachings with modern wellness programs. Sensei Jena and Sensei Michael share their vision for creating a boutique martial arts experience that serves Gaston County's downtown communities. The episode emphasizes how two experienced instructors made the transition from individual practice to building a lasting martial arts legacy for their community.
