Greg Betlach – 1st degree black belt in National Karate
 
Inspiration can come in many ways, for 25 yr. old Greg Betlach it came in the way of a well known 1984 movie known as “The Karate Kid”.  Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Greg started karate in 1988 (October 14th to be exact).  Karate classes were a birthday gift from his mother who recognized his new found initiative; and, her impending need to save the living room furniture from wayward karate techniques being performed in the back of the living room.

After 6-1/2 years of training, Greg received his black belt on March 15th, 1995 in National Karate (a Tae Kwon Do based system).  He’s actively competed throughout his entire martial arts career, being named NCKA (North America Karate Association) top youth competitor for four consecutive years 1994-1997; and, was named one of the top 5 NASKA youth competitors in 1995 and 1996.

At the ripe of old age of 14, Greg took a break from karate to pursue other athletic passions including varsity level Football and Track.  He was a three-year letter winner in Football at Eden Prairie High School.  He started his junior year at cornerback on a team that won the State Championship; and, was ranked in the top 10 in the nation.  His senior year he started as a running back and was honored as an All-Conference, All-Metro and All-State while rushing for 1,100 yards and scoring eleven (11) touchdowns in only seven (7) games.  A broken foot cut his noteworthy season short.  Greg was also a four (4) year letter winner in track where he competed in the 100 meter dash, 4 x 100 meter relay, long jump, triple and high jump.  You can say competition and winning is in his blood.  He was named All-Conference for two (2) years; honored as the senior track team captain; and, was the Senior Class Activity Award Winner distinguishing him as the top letterman in high school.  As if this wasn’t enough, he was a Golden Eagle Award finalist for being the top male student athlete.

After a stellar high school career, Mr. Betlach attended the University of Minnesota where he played two (2) years of Division 1A college football and was a Scholar Athlete award winner.  He’s backed up notable NFL Running Backs including Marion Barber III, Laurence Maroney and Thomas Tapeh.  He graduated from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business, with a Degree in Finance and a minor in Marketing attaining an impressive 3.65 GPA.  Today, Greg Betlach is a personal financial advisor for Ameriprise Financial in the Minneapolis area where he has worked for the last two (2) years.

The culmination of a college athletic career left Greg seeking an outlet for his competitive nature.   As a result, Greg turned his attention back to the martial arts where he could test himself against others and be able to measure his skills and proficiency with direct and immediate results.  Additionally, it was always something he enjoyed doing and provided a pleasurable means of staying physically fit.  He actively volunteers at the National Karate schools on Fridays and Saturdays where he can be found reminding his students ‘Success comes when opportunity and preparation meet’; and, ‘if you try as hard as you can good things will happen’.  “Everyone makes mistakes at some point, but it’s how you handle those mistakes that will determine the outcome.  I like working with people and teach/instructing and sharing with them.  It’s exciting to see people achieve their goals and knowing that you had a small role in their accomplishments” Greg stated.

 

When asked what makes him a good athlete and martial artists, Greg replied simply “…Hard work pays off.  I know that I am not the most talented person out there and I do not have the most skills as some, but the one thing that I can control is how hard I work and how much I prepare.”   It’s a philosophy that transcends his athletic and work endeavors, yielding “good results”.  When all’s said and done, Greg says “…at least if it doesn’t, I can say that I tried my best.”  He describes himself as a hard worker, one that is never satisfied and always looking for more “…but I like to have fun along the way, some might say joking around a little too much; but, I think that everything we do should have some element of fun because the two most important things that we should strive for are happiness and enjoying what we’re doing.”  When not in the dojo you may just find Greg snowboarding or playing golf, although he admits he’s pretty bad at both which can be a little frustrating at times.  As any of us who are avid golfers can understand, frustration comes too easily so we can let him off the hook (no pun intended).

For the last five (5) years he’s been a top competitor on the NASKA circuit ranking #3 Light Heavy Weight in 2004; #1 Light Heavy Weight 2005; #1 Light Heavy Weight 2006; #4 Light Heavy Weight 2007 and #3 Heavy Weight 2007; and, is currently ranked #1 Light Heavy Weight for 2008.  He’s been a top superfight competitor in his last five (5) finals appearances; and, was the Compete National Grand Champion in 2008.  Recognizing his outstanding abilities, the professional karate team John Paul Mitchell picked him up in 2005 where he continues to be a valuable asset today.  In 2008, Maslinc ratings ranked him the #1 heavy weight fighter in the 18-29 age group.  He’s trained in a variety of styles including jiu-jitsu and grappling; and, is a big fan of the UFC having never missed an event.  “I really enjoy the fact that in martial arts you get the opportunity to face off against someone, and someone will come out a winner” Greg asserts.

I asked Mr. Betlach, what legacy do you want to leave behind; and, to this he replied:  “From a martial arts perspective, I’d like to be remembered as tough fighter that did not have all the talent but for some reason was just so darn hard to fight, not giving up an inch unless it was earned.  From a life perspective, I want to be looked at as a good family member, friend and teammate.  Someone who no matter what the case happens to be, was always dependable and there for you when you needed.”

Mr. Miyagi would have been proud.