Meet Kyle Raemisch | Jiu Jitsu Professor & School Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyle Raemisch and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Years ago I was doing all the things you’re “supposed to do”. I was going to college to work towards some type of normal, steady job like a school teacher or something in the medical field. After getting a bachelor’s and master’s degree I spent a year as a high school math teacher. But, I knew in my heart that what I really wanted was to own my own martial arts school and teach jiu jitsu full time. At around age 28 I made the decision that I would rather pursue a life that was purposeful and enriching, than to pursue a life that’s safe and secure but left me unfulfilled.
So, with some money I had saved, some help from friends, and pure desire I started to work. I’ve now been open for 6 years and there’s so much I’ve learned about how to run a business, it’s unreal. When I first began I definitely understood jiu jitsu and how to teach it, but I had a long way to go to start understanding how to deal with accounting, marketing, sales, merchandise, and every other thing that goes with operating any business.
I’m still constantly learning, and I acknowledge that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone. But, for the right person who needs independence and challenge it’s a necessary way to live.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My first art is Jiu Jitsu which is a martial art based on movement, fluidity, balance, timing, and rhythm, amongst other things. Some have called Jiu Jitsu to be “the most dynamic way of meditating” which I definitely agree with. I’ve been training and developing for 14.5 years and during the first 10 years I trained as much or more as any professional fighter I ever met. For the few people who have ever trained and developed as much as I have, they always seemed to have a pro fight or something they were working specifically towards. For me, training to that level was something I could not stop myself from doing, simply because I loved it. I never had to “make” myself train, I would have to make myself stop. You could call it pure obsession.

As the years have continued I’ve started my own school, and with this my expression could continue. I like to maintain a clean environment that has very much an art studio vibe with the colored lights everywhere, a nature corner, a custom built cat fort for our mascot, an in-house movie theatre and at least one piece of wall art in every single room except the shower room. Beyond the visual my expressions now pour through my teachings to my students and influence future generations.

Additionally, while I was getting certified as a yoga instructor I ended up creating something I call Resistance Yoga, and that includes some unique blocks/props custom for the style that I had to create for this practice.

Was all this easy? Yes and no. No in a more direct way where every step was a constant challenge of one kind or another to be resolved and overcome. First there was the years and years of training for hours each day, waking up every morning completely exhausted and yet going back in for more. Not to mention the injuries you accumulate from any full contact sport. But, with each issue or setback you reflect on how to reposition yourself so that you can move forward, with sometimes a mental shift on what “forward” is.
Yes in the sense that it’s what I want to do with my life, and I have a reason to wake up in the morning.

For myself and Frequency Jiu Jitsu as a whole I would like people to know that our goal is to develop the most intelligent and precise techniques, develop our students for fluidity and balance, and develop our atmosphere to be inviting, encouraging, and inspiring. I believe with each passing year we are holding ourselves up well to this standard to truly stand out in Ft Worth and surrounding.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a friend visiting town and wanted me as a guide they would be mostly out of luck. I’ve been in Ft Worth for many years now, and realistically almost all of my time has literally been focused towards my various goals of getting my college degrees, getting a black belt in a time frame that only the top 2 percent achieve, becoming certified in yoga to better serve my students and my own knowledge, and of course starting and running my own businesses. While to some I may seem like a boring person, or even obsessed with jiu jitsu, I believe we all make choices and sacrifices of various kinds. I can guarantee you I will never be upset that I didn’t go to any bars or clubs because I was constantly developing myself.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My students are the most vital part of the whole school. That’s obvious in a financial sense, but it goes much deeper than that. I’ve had multiple situations happen where I needed the help of my students and they came through. For example, in the last year I’ve broken my leg, then 6 months later shattered my other heel bone. Without question I was able to find students to fill all of my teaching time slots until I was able to get back on the mats. Additionally, during the COVID lockdowns I had many loyal students who wanted to keep paying just to make sure they still had a school to come back to. That’s the kind of effort and loyalty I’ve been fortunate to find, and am grateful for that.

Website: frequencyjiujitsu.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frequencyjiujitsu