Some people look at him and think that he’s the most arrogant person out there. I mean who does he think he is? A World Champion?

Why, yes he is -- the National Black Belt League (NBL) 2000 Heavyweight World Champion, to be exact. For those who think he’s full of himself, you are sadly mistaken and obviously have never met him or taken the time to talk to him. Since the first time I met Brian Plempel, he’s made a point to stop and talk with me every time he sees me. So, for those who have never met “The Champ,” let me introduce you. Brian Plempel, age 23, was born July 10, 1978 in Baltimore, Maryland, and has two loves in his life -- his wife, Kyle (who, by the way, is a martial artist too, so watch out! I hear she can take care of herself), and Karate.

Brian didn’t start studying the martial arts until age twelve, when he and his family moved to North Carolina in 1991. There he studied the art of Shotokan under Master Ray Rice and received his first black belt on August 20, 1994. After reaching that goal, he decided he wanted to get more into the sport aspect of martial arts, so he and his parents started looking at other studios. They had it narrowed down to three choices: Spartanburg Martial Arts (Spartanburg, SC), Marty Knight’s Karate Studio (Anderson, SC) and Earwood’s Karate Studio (Columbia, SC). You see, when Brian was younger, he was a formist who really didn’t like to fight (hard to believe, now that he’s the heavyweight World Champion; seems like a fish out of water!).

Brian chose Spartanburg Martial Arts because trainer Rick Lee is a well-respected teacher, the studio has a great reputation for turning out champions, and for one other reason many people are not aware of. Seems Rick Lee walked up to Brian one day after he had just lost and gave him a personal compliment, which meant a lot to Brian and ultimately helped him make his decision. In Brian’s words, “Choosing Spartanburg Martial Arts was the best choice I could have made.”

So, starting in 1995, Brian made the trip from North Carolina to Spartanburg, SC, to train with Rick five days a week (WOW, is that dedication or what!?). Brian says his philosophy is, “If you want to accomplish something, you have to work hard for it. Everything takes dedication and hard work.” He also believes, “To be a champion, you have to train like a champion,” which must have worked, because after competing at state and regional levels, he decided to try his hand in some national competitions. Losing initially, but eventually winning, he was picked up by the professional sport karate team SES in November of 1999. Once picked up by Team SES, Brian went from being a competitor of note you see at tournaments, to being a nationally-recognized Martial Artist. This intensified his focus and he started training even harder. He is currently part of Team Paul Mitchell as of July 2001.

Trained by two world-class coaches like Rick Lee and Richard Plowden, who just happen to be Brian’s most admired coaches in martial arts, Brian’s average training week consists of one and a half hours of early-morning training Monday through Friday, followed by a kickbox or blackbelt class in the afternoon and a sparring class every night. He even works out on Saturdays, saving Sunday for his rest day.

You might wonder why he Still trains so hard after beating six-year running World champion Damien Gilbert to become undisputed NBL World Heavyweight Champion, He accomplished the goal he'd worked toward since being in the junior division, right? So, why not take a break? The answer to that question is that of any true athlete: Once youreach one goal, it’s time to set another. Brian Plempel’s new goal is to win the Diamond Nationals and theWorld Amateur Karate Organization (WAKO) World Championship, (an international competition held in Europe every year). I have no doubt in my mind that he will accomplish both goals and move on to set new ones.

Brian currently teaches at one of Spartanburg Martial Arts studios. It’s important to him to train his students to be the best they can be and he works very hard to set a good example for them. He also tries to be at most of their competitions to give them support. And when they finish, whether they take first place, fifth place, or even last, Brian is right there to give them encouragement, while letting them know how they can improve. He wants his students to be better than he is and to push themselves to their limits. His advice to all martial artists both young and old: “The harder you work, the better you will do. Everything takes hard work and Dedication. Set personal goals and work hard to achieve them.”

After accomplishing so much, where does Brian Plempel see himself in twenty years? Still in martial arts, of course, and, he adds hopefully, “with a karate studio and professional team of my own.”

Besides karate, what does this tough guy do for fun? He enjoys spending time with his wife, Kyle, whom he met at Magic Johnson’s tournament in 1996 and later married on July 16, 2000, and thier Scottish Terrier, Jake. (That's right, I said Scottish Terrier; the big tough guy has a small dog... shocked me, too!) He and his other half also enjoy snow skiing, although he has to participate in moderation, being careful not to injure himself.

For those of you who have never met Brian Plempel, you can now consider yourself officially introduced. Next time you see him at a tournament, walk up and say hello. He doesn’t bite, and you might be surprised at how nice he really is. We often tend to mistake confidence for arrogance. So, if you’ve never met Brian, and think that way, you are mistaken. If you already know him, then you know he’s a really nice guy, but take a minute to talk to him again, even if it’s just to tease him about having a small dog (Sorry, Brian. Couldn’t resist). And to you Brian Plempel, thanks again for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with me. With all respect, OOOSH!!!!!!!!!!