MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- When Andrew McGhee retired as a master sergeant with the 931st Force Support Squadron last year, he decided to continue to serve Reserve Citizen Airmen and Team McConnell, while also broadening his passion and dedication to martial arts.
McGhee, who has practiced martial arts for more than 30 years, and his spouse, Bonnie, opened Major Impact Athletics, a new facility located in the main entrance Base Exchange this past week. McGhee’s interest in martial arts began in Buffalo, New York, when he was 14 years old. The neighborhood McGhee resided in was prone to gang violence and recruitment. It didn’t take him long to realize he had a decision to make.
“I knew I didn’t want to join the gangs, but I knew I would still have to fight,” McGhee said.
This lead McGhee to the Buffalo Kung Fu Club, and the beginning of a lifelong passion for martial arts. This continued when he joined the U.S. Army after high school.
During his time in the Army, McGhee was able to expand upon his technique when he held the position of Sports Coordinator and Manager at the Read Team Fitness Center, as well as becoming a Combatives instructor.
After eight years of active duty service, McGhee served with the National Guard. In October 2015, he joined 931st Force Support Squadron as the Services NCOIC. It was during this time that he began offering his services at local gyms and martial arts centers in the Wichita Community. His clientele broadened to include service members, their families, members of the community and aspiring actors and child actors wanting to expand their range.
After retiring last year, McGhee realized he still wanted to continue having an active impact on Airmen’s training, that’s when he and his spouse, Bonnie, decided to pursue a location for Major Impact Athletics.
“I want to offer our armed forces better quality hand-to-hand combat training, “said McGhee. “Their family members can benefit from this too because it gives them confidence.”
The location offers a variety of martial arts courses and is open to anyone who has access to the base. The classes include Martial Arts Instruction, Police and Military Tactical Training, Group Fitness Classes, Sports Conditioning and Personal Training.
Jazmin Montes, Butler Community College student, has been a student of McGhee’s for the past year, enjoys how McGhee has helped her and other students build on their personal strengths.
“He’s really good at recognizing your strengths and developing them and pushing you further,” she said.
She claims McGhee’s instruction has also helped her outside the training, boosting her confidence and increasing her emotional resiliency.
“For me, it’s been a self-confidence thing because now I can do these things that I couldn’t do before,” she said. “I also have noticed that I tend to handle frustrating situations better than I did before.”
Montes results echo the mission that McGhee hopes to further extend to the Team McConnell community.
“Our motto here is making a difference in our community, one person at a time,” he said. “The only way to do that is to provide them quality training,”
For more information about McGhee or Major Impact Athletics, visit www.majorimpactathletics.com.