New Great Neck martial arts studio to be headed by Olympian, professional fighter

Janelle Clausen
A+ Martial Arts will soon be opening a studio in Great Neck. (Photo courtesy of A+ Martial Arts)
A+ Martial Arts will soon be opening a studio in Great Neck. (Photo courtesy of A+ Martial Arts)

For anyone who’s ever wanted to get an Olympic edge, a new martial arts studio might be able to give you that – literally.

A+ Martial Arts, located at 148 Middle Neck Road in Great Neck, is slated to open in a few days, with U.S. karate team Olympian Ashley Davis and Adham Sabry, a former member of the Egyptian national team, serving as both owners and senseis.

Davis, 23, and Sabry, 25, said that while there are few dojos in the area, there are virtually none featuring a member of the U.S. Olympic karate team or a professional working fighter.

“Nobody is offering that in all New York,” Sabry said, adding that many of their students in past programs have gone on to national championships.

Together they’re hoping to build character and skill in prospective North Shore students, whether they’re learning karate or another martial art.

Davis said they picked the location because there are not many martial arts studios in the area, but an abundance of both families and nearby traffic.

“A lot of kids around the North Shore are looking for something that has an edge and this school provides that edge,” Davis said in an interview. “It will help the kids have that edge in life – something that will make them different.”

In addition to teaching children, which will be their starting point, Davis said they intend to host other classes in areas like kickboxing and self-defense.

“We will start our ages from as young as 3 years old – our little dragons program – and then on from there,” Davis said. “You could be 100 years old and we can do martial arts.”

But all of the courses, Davis said, would be about respect, discipline and building the whole self.

“I think anybody needs to know some form of self-defense,” Davis said. “It’s not just about self-defense – even though it’s so important – it’s about training your spirit: your mind, your body, your soul.”

Sabry and Davis met when Davis’ coach had departed for Europe at a time when she was preparing for the Pan American Karate Championship in 2017. After she secured gold, the two would continue training together and soon have their students training together.

Davis and Sabry then decided to build on the momentum.

“We both have such a passion for this sport and for martial arts, so we went into business together,” Davis said, “and here we are.”

And for Davis, who began karate when she was 4 years old, it fulfills a dream she’s always had.

“I’ve always had goals, I’ve always wanted to have my own karate school, and now my dream is coming true,” Davis said. “And eventually I want to become the U.S. National Olympic Team coach.”

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