TEACHING IS A LIFETIME ENDEAVOR FOR MALANDRA
By Kevin T. Czerwinski
Mike Malandra's is the classic tale of the kid who got picked on one too many times.
He was attending the Suffern Middle School nearly 30 years ago and was a frequent target of a school bus bully. Tired of getting roughed up for no other reason than the fact that he was an easy mark, Malandra decided to take action. He began training with his father, Don, who was and still is a martial arts instructor.
Well, the ending to that story is easy enough to figure out. Malandra became proficient in the martial arts, to a point where he gained enough confidence to stand up to the bullies. It didn't end there, though. Malandra embraced the lifestyle and attitude associated with the training and today runs one of the Village's most successful businesses, Malandra's Martial Arts Center on Lafayette Avenue.
"My dad was an instructor but he never pushed me into it and I never showed an interest," Malandra, 42, said. "The kid that picked on me was shooting rubber bands at me one day in class and hit me in the ear with one. I decided to do something about it so I got up and confronted him and from that day on he never bullied me again.
"I tell my students all the time that if you have issues with bullies, show that you are confident and have confidence in your skills. If they see you challenging them, they'll find someone else to pick on. Show you're confidence and they'll usually just walk away."
Malandra has been in his Lafayette Avenue location for nearly 10 years. He started out teaching at the YMCA and then moved to the Christ Church of Ramapo near the Suffern Police Station, where he stayed for a dozen years. In addition to teaching martial arts, he does security and has been a bodyguard. He is also a landscape photographer.
His father is on his staff along with brothers Mike and Eric Stewart. Jason Melendez is also an instructor. The group teaches children - his students start as early as four years old - and adults - he's had 50-year-olds test for black belts - of all ages as well doing corporate work, teaching self-defense techniques to women.
"My favorite part of teaching is to be able to take an individual, whether it's a child or an adult, and make a change in their life," Malandra said. "Then when they come back and say thank you it means something. People will tell me thank you for giving their son or daughter the confidence to achieve something. Those words are golden because I'm able to have a positive influence on someone's life.
"If you think about it, it's a way of life. If you play baseball or softball, once you're out of school you're done with it except to play for fun on the weekends or something. But martial arts remains involved in every facet of your life. It keeps you in shape, teaches you how to be a problem solver, how to work with others, lots of things."
Malandra doesn't know how long he'll continue to run his business. He says his wife, Susan, tells him that he's "too stupid to stop". He says he may be there 10 years, 15 years, he doesn't really know. What he is sure of is that regardless of whether he actually owns and operates the studio he'll always be teaching, always giving instruction, always looking to have a positive impact on someone's life.
Free two-hour parking is available on the street in the Village while the Parking Authority's lots are free for three hours. The Chestnut Avenue lot and the Orange Avenue lots are the closest to Malandra.