Novi Family Self Defense Center Celebrates 20 Years

A little more than 20 years ago, Ed “Mr. Z” Szelap noticed there was a lack of martial art schools that truly cared about teaching children, instead of developing champions; so he decided to start his own.

In 1992, he opened the Family Self Defense Center (FSDC) in Novi and began teaching his first students.

“I took all the things I thought didn’t work well from my instructors, and I decided to put together a program that was more family-friendly,” Szelap said.

Twenty years later, FSDC is stronger than ever in Novi with more than 100 students and dozens of national awards to boast. But the focus of the center remains the same: family.

“My focus has always been on the children and what it can do for them as they grow, and hopefully bring in their family members to build the program,” Szelap said.

Szelap, a sixth degree black belt and Renshi Level Master, now runs the center full-time with his wife, Chris, a fifth degree black belt. The two decided to celebrate the center’s 20th anniversary Sunday the best way they knew how: by inviting all their past and present students for a family get-together at the .  

The Civic Center is the home to FSDC, where the instructors teach Isshinryu Karate and Samurai Sport Sword on Mondays and Tuesdays – thanks to a partnership with the Novi Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department. The instructors also offer private lessons.

Students range from 5-50 years old, and most of them live in Novi.

Devon DeCaire, 13, has her first degree junior black belt after spending six years at the center.

“I started doing this as a sport, but I made more and more friends, and we really became a second family,” she said.

The students begin their lessons together each week before splitting up by belt rank into groups, which are taught by young senseis.

Ed Szelap says that having more advanced students teach the lower ranked ones helps them build confidence. 

“They always say, ‘Karate will teach you to be a leader, it will teach you to be outgoing,’ but it doesn’t. You have to have things designed within the program to bring that out in people. So putting people into a leadership roll develops that,” he said.

The dojo continues to prove its strength by claiming national and local titles. FSDC has been named on of the Top Five Isshinryu Karate Schools in the Country five times, including in 2011.

“We’re not about win, win, win. The kids just go and have a great time and they win because they’re really good students and they’re comfortable,” Chris Szelap said.

The Szelaps said they couldn’t run the center without the help of all the supportive parents, who are also part of the FSDC family.

Chris Huang has two sons in the dojo: Mitchel, 13, and Joshua, 8.

“We have delightful instructors. They have a magnetic attraction to kids; they love them and respect them,” he said. “It’s not about winning, it’s about family.”