Link’s Martial Arts, Mayville
Link’s Martial Arts jump-kicks forward with a fresh façade
Link’s Martial Arts, part of Mayville’s community and historic district since its opening in 1993, has long been a fixture of the community with its family-oriented atmosphere and optimistic can-do messaging.
Offering classes for adults and children aged four and up, Link’s teaches multiple disciplines, including Jiu Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do, among others. Owner Dan Link leverages his knowledge and experience as a former police officer, and several classes include specific components focused on self-defense.
It’s a family-run business: Link’s wife, Tammylin, and daughter, Dannylin, are both instructors and collaborators. As the business continued to thrive and grow, Link wanted to acknowledge that growth with a thoughtful redesign that would preserve and pay tribute to the historic roots of the Julius Andrae General Store building, the 1860 structure where the dojo was housed. He turned to the Main Street Makeover Contest (part of the Wisconsin Main Street Program) to manifest that dream. Link’s Martial Arts was eligible due to its location within one of Wisconsin’s 34 Main Street communities.
The Link’s redesign proposal was ultimately one of three finalists in the contest that received up to $10,000 in grant funds to bring their proposal to life.
As outside, so within: Holistic design guided by martial arts principles
With the help of WEDC and Retailworks Inc., a Milwaukee-based firm specializing in design and retail branding, the Links set out to revamp the studio inside and out so it would reflect the principles being taught and enhance them through modernization while maintaining a connection to the building’s heritage within Mayville’s downtown.
The Julius Andrae building is one of several registered historic sites in Mayville’s Main Street Historic District and is located right next to the old State Bank building. The three-story building had begun to show signs of age, and the third-floor windows were boarded up more than a decade ago. The redesign paid respect to the original building design by using brickwork techniques including tuckpointing, a masonry restoration and repair process that addresses mortar issues, as well as aesthetic enhancement techniques. The third-floor windows were replaced with new ones designed to hold displays that draw the eye to the new studio; signage and decals further highlighted the business for passersby.
Inside the building, the dojo features improved lighting and design elements that welcome students and their families to the studio. As the business looks to the future to attract the next generation of learners, they also enhanced their social media and web presence as part of their overall project: physical and digital storefronts considered as pieces of the whole.
Look to the future, preserve the past
Link’s Martial Arts proves that seemingly contradictory goals may not be so contradictory after all. As a family-owned business established more than 30 years ago, Link’s knows the value of tradition and history. However, Dan Link also saw the value in modernization to continue building the studio’s customer base for the next generation of students. Guided by the disciplines and principles of martial arts, Link worked with the extended team to create a building that reflected the foundation that he teaches his students every day.
At the ribbon-cutting in June 2024, Link said, “We are very thankful to have worked with the WEDC team on this project. We are extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to be part of the Main Street Makeover. The grant has afforded us the opportunity to upgrade our historic building to a professional appearance that we can all be proud of. It was a great experience.”
Downtowns benefit from revitalization efforts that preserve the integrity of historic districts while supporting the autonomy of businesses to make changes that will revolutionize their businesses. A happy medium leads to a happy, busy downtown.
