Title: Commonwealth by Atty. General Fisher v. Tiger Schulmann's Karate Centers, et al. (Dissenting Opinion)
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 57 MAP 2001
State: Pennsylvania
Issuer: Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Date: December 20, 2002

[J-72-2002] IN THE SUPREME COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA MIDDLE DISTRICT COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA, ACTING BY ATTORNEY GENERAL D. MICHAEL FISHER, Appellant v. TIGER SCHULMANN'S KARATE CENTERS A/K/A UNITED AMERICAN KARATE AND PHILLY KARATE, INC. D/B/A TIGER SCHULMANN'S KARATE CENTERS AND QUAKERTOWN KARATE, INC. D/B/A TIGER SCHULMANN'S KARATE AND FITNESS CENTER AND WILLOW GROVE KARATE, INC. D/B/A TIGER SCHULMANN'S KARATE AND FITNESS CENTER AND TIGER SCHULMANN'S KARATE AMD FITNESS CENTER AND DANIEL SCHULMANN, Appellees : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : No. 57 MAP 2001 Appeal from the Order of the Commonwealth Court entered April 6, 2001 at No. 5 MD 1997. 771 A.2d 107 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2001) ARGUED: April 8, 2002 DISSENTING OPINION MR. JUSTICE NIGRO DECIDED: December 19, 2002 As I disagree with the majority that a martial arts facility is not a health club for purposes of the Health Club Act, I must respectfully dissent. The Act defines a health club as: A person, firm, corporation, organization, club or association engaged in the sale of memberships in a health spa, racquet club, figure salon, weight reduction center or other physical culture service enterprise offering facilities for the preservation, maintenance, encouragement or development of physical fitness or physical well-being. 73 P.S. §2162 (emphasis added). This definition plainly includes martial arts centers, which clearly are, at least in my view, "physical culture service enterprise[s] offering facilities for the preservation, maintenance, encouragement or development of physical fitness or well-being." While the majority essentially finds that karate does not preserve, maintain, encourage, or develop physical fitness or well-being, such a position completely conflicts with my understanding of what karate entails. The art of karate, as even Appellees noted in their advertisements, is a physical activity that builds and tones muscle and increases cardiovascular fitness. That said, I have trouble reaching the conclusion that Appellees are not, at a minimum, physical culture service enterprises engaged in encouraging physical well-being. Thus, unlike the majority, I agree with the Commonwealth that martial arts centers, such as Appellees, squarely fit within the Health Club Act's definition of a health club and therefore, that Appellees are required to comply with the Health Club Act. [J-72-2002][M.O. Zappala, J.] - 2