Local Business Champion: Way of the Sword
Meet owner/founder Michael Martin.
Starting Our Journey: The "Why" Behind Way of the Sword
Way of the Sword began in 2012, born from owner Mike Martin's deep-seated passion for fencing. Mike experienced firsthand how the discipline and character-building aspects of the sport profoundly impacted his own early development. He realized he wanted to share these transformative benefits with the Ridgefield community, offering a unique path to personal growth and self-mastery. For Mike, Way of the Sword isn't just about teaching fencing; it's about helping individuals cultivate the same level of discipline, focus, and resilience that a life guided by "the Way of the Sword" instills.
Our Most Popular Offering: What Our Customers Love
While we offer a comprehensive range of programs for various ages and skill levels, our Youth Fencing Programs (ages 5-18) consistently stand out as our most popular offering. This isn't just because of the sport's inherent excitement; it's due to the holistic development these programs provide.
Our youth fencers not only learn the technical and tactical skills of Olympic-style fencing (foil), but they also cultivate essential life skills. The disciplined environment fosters focus, strategic thinking, and quick decision-making. Beyond the blade, our students develop resilience, sportsmanship, and a strong sense of personal responsibility. We see firsthand how fencing builds confidence and character, preparing them not just for competitive success, but for success in all aspects of their lives. The engaging, supportive, and safe atmosphere we cultivate makes Way of the Sword a truly unique and enriching experience for young people in Ridgefield.
Rooted in Our Community: Supporting Local Businesses
We believe in the power of local connections, and that's why we make a conscious effort to support other businesses right here in our community. We currently partner with many local businesses for various products and services essential to our operations. These partnerships not only help us thrive but also strengthen the economic fabric of our town.
Here are some of the local businesses we proudly collaborate with and thank for their support:
- Donnelly Family Trust - Owner and landlord. In 2017, the Board of Trustees took a gamble on an unknown coach looking to bring an even more unknown sport to Ridgefield. Honestly, I think they thought I was selling picket fences, but when they learned how this sport can help kids they granted us an opportunity to move into 21 Governor St Ridgefield.
- Ridgefield Supply and Ace Hardware - Everything we needed to build out and maintain our 11,000 sq ft. facility was supplied by them
- Food glorious food - we run a lot of kids parties and events at WAY. All the catering is from town.
- Accounting - Freer CPA
- Legal - Hastings, Cohan & Walsh LLP
- RHS Tigers - We coach the team to victory while the students give back yearly with fundraisers, events, and volunteering.
"Reimagined" is a powerful word, and yes, we absolutely have! The landscape of small business is constantly evolving, and staying static just isn't an option for us. With the staggering increases in staffing, taxes, and utility bills we have struggled to keep up but we adapted and introduced new business lines in addition to fencing such as archery, chess, dance and youth parties. These secondary programs along with our members all work together to keep Way of the Sword sustainable. It’s an ongoing journey of adaptation and growth, ensuring we remain relevant, resilient, and continue to serve our customers and community in the best way possible.
Way of the Sword is located at 21 Governor Street in Ridgefield.
Visit Way of the Sword’s website https://wayofthesword.org
Follow along on social media
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HamletHub thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!