A martial arts studio is stepping into the vacancy left behind by a national beauty franchise in Rockville. Kicks Karate has signed on to take over the space previously occupied by Amazing Lash Studio at 5554 Norbeck Road, inside the Rock Creek Valley Shopping Center.
The news of the lease signing was first reported by The MoCo Show, which noted that no opening date has yet been announced for the new location. The shopping center itself sits alongside a Safeway grocery store and a CVS Pharmacy, according to a Redfin listing describing the plaza's commercial layout.
Kicks Karate was founded in 1994 and now runs martial arts schools throughout the I-270 corridor, with locations in Bethesda, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Clarksburg, Urbana and Frederick. The studio serves more than 2,000 students across programs that range from children as young as 3 through adults, grouping participants by age and experience while also offering adult kickboxing classes that blend fitness with martial arts technique.
A Founder With Deep Roots in Regional Martial Arts
Kicks Karate founder John Bussard began training in martial arts in 1979 and holds an 8th-degree black belt. He trained under Grandmaster Ki Whang Kim, a Korean martial arts pioneer who opened one of suburban Maryland's first karate studios in Silver Spring in 1964, according to the Kim Studio College Park history page. Kim went on to serve as chairman of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Taekwondo team, cementing his role in the region's martial arts lineage.
Bussard competed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, capturing 18 grand championships along the way. He holds a degree in kinesiological sciences from the University of Maryland and completed Harvard Business School's Program for Leadership Development in 2016. The Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame's 2026 ceremony took place Aug. 14 and 15, according to Martial Arts Professional.
Kicks Karate's programs are designed to develop self-defense, self-confidence, self-discipline, fitness, mental focus and emotional awareness. The brand has shown resilience before: during 2020 pandemic restrictions, the studio adapted by running Zoom and outdoor sessions after temporarily closing in March of that year, eventually reopening 10 of its 14 regional studios by October, according to Connection Newspapers. Enrollment stood at roughly 60 percent of pre-pandemic levels when in-person classes resumed that summer.
A Franchise Shakeup Behind the Vacated Lash Studio
Amazing Lash Studio's departure comes amid broader corporate changes at the brand's parent company. Denver-based WellBiz Brands Inc., which also oversees Drybar and Elements Massage, was acquired by private equity firm Transom Capital Group in January, as reported by FranchiseWire. WellBiz had previously owned the brand since acquiring it in September 2018.
Even amid the ownership change, WellBiz Brands reported signing 56 new franchise agreements across its platform in the first quarter of 2026, reaching more than 700 global locations, per a release distributed through PR Newswire. The agreements spanned the platform, illustrating how national franchise momentum can coexist with individual storefront closures like the one in Rockville.
Part of a Larger Pattern in Rockville Retail
The Norbeck Road location isn't Kicks Karate's only footprint in the area. The studio also operates in Gaithersburg.
The lease swap adds to a string of retail shifts across Rockville this month, including a planned relocation for the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on East Gude Drive. Norbeck Road itself was the site of a deadly crash earlier this year, according to a report on the collision.
