(WFSB) – Martial arts are a popular after-school activity. However, the I-Team found that there is little oversight in Connecticut over how the studios are run. The I-Team found that most martial arts studios are not licensed by the state.
A martial arts health club license first requires a state inspection to ensure the studio has an AED and all membership contracts comply with state law. Contracts must include information about the buyer’s right of withdrawal, the prices of all available memberships, and a list of equipment and services. The license costs $350 and must be renewed every year.
The I-Team first began looking into the licensing system following our investigation into Impact Martial Arts (IMA).
IMA’s owner, Orest Markiv, is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old student and faces sexual assault charges. The I-Team’s investigation found that IMA did not have a state license, even though it operated openly on Main Street in Cromwell and shared a parking lot with police.
The I-Team then began investigating how many other martial arts gyms in the state may be operating without a license. Using Google Maps and the Find Martial Arts Gyms Near Rocky Hill feature, we came up with a list of 100 gyms. The I-Team then used the state’s online license search to find out how many gyms had a valid martial arts gym license. 87 of the 100 gyms on our list were unlicensed.
Over the course of two days, the I-Team visited 20 studios that appeared to be unlicensed to check if they were still open and operating. 17 of the 20 studios appeared to still be in business. When we couldn’t reach anyone in person, we called. The four studio owners who spoke with the I-Team said they knew nothing about the state licensing system. The remaining owners did not return our calls.
As it turns out, the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) was investigating something similar. Pamela Brown is the DCP’s chief of investigations.
“DCP is aware of unlicensed martial arts clubs and what we have done to combat this problem is to send letters to the unlicensed clubs informing them of the licensing requirement and the application process,” Brown said.
Brown says that after the IMA investigation, investigators also searched the Internet for martial arts studios. DCP has since sent 92 warning letters to studios across the state.
“We have found that most martial arts gym owners are not intentionally circumventing the law, but are simply unaware of the licensing requirement. Covid has had a significant impact on the gym industry, with many clubs being sold and bought, and the new owners are unaware that the old license does not automatically transfer to them,” Brown said.
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