Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Giorgio.
Christopher, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Our business was started back in 2013 my wife Rebekah had been encouraging me to use the talents the God had blessed me with in being able to be a martial artist and to be able to teach it. I was also at the point in my professional career in the electrical design world where I was starting to loose valuable time with my family due to the required hours that the job needed. I was also at the point of wanting to be my own boss as well and I was tired of being asked for my opinion and it not being valued as important. So Rebekah and I talked about what it would take to have our own martial arts company and we did some research and decided that it was the right decision for us to make to become small business owner of our own martial arts school. We tried to establish our program in the Tampa area which is where we lived, but since the martial arts school that I grew up in was there and because there appeared to be a school on almost every corner we decided that we should look to move our business to another location. Our sister-in-law suggested that we make a trip up to visit them in Cumming GA and see if there might be an interest up there for a program that we were planning.
So In March of 2013 we did a marketing trip up here in Alpharetta to see if what we were planning on for our program would be something that would be desired in this area. We hit around 40 private schools and daycares and all but about three of them said that our program was something that they would definitely be interested in having at their school, so by the end of the week we had decided that the Alpharetta/Johns Creek area was where we were being called to live and work in. We returned back to Tampa and I put in my resignation at the company that I was working for and on June 23, 2013 we moved to open our martial arts program here and we have not looked back since!
Has it been a smooth road?
Our journey thus far I would say has been relatively smooth. In the very beginning we had some struggles with marketing our program to some schools, there was one in particular that loved what we were proposing and wanted to have us in their school but we would have to change our business name. We said “sorry we cannot do that, our name describes who we are and what we want our clients and customers to know about us and to know that we hold ourselves and our business to a higher level of expectations and we want them to know that up front and know also that we are a company that people can trust and can expect a high level of instruction from.” The director of that particular school said she understood, but felt that it would be a possible problem so we decided that was not a school that we needed to be a part of.
Other than that one instance we have had positive steady growth year after year and we continue to gain more and more private schools and daycares.
We have also been able to open some evening and weekend classes now because of our success in the afterschool programs that we teach in.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Family Christian Karate story. Tell us more about the business.
Family Christian Karate LLC is a faith based Martial Arts Company, however, we do not push our faith during our classes. We are simply Christians who teach karate and we want a higher standard to be expected from us in all dealings with our company. Our Martial Arts program both the evening classes and our aftercare/preschool/private school program are designed to provide students with skills to defend themselves, as well as learn on how to avoid physical and verbal confrontations and to only use martial arts as a last resort in the event it is needed.
Our program also gives students, both adults and children, an opportunity to gain more coordination and discipline. It reinforces family values that are being taught at home that help students become strong, respectful, and independent individuals.
Something that sets our program apart from many programs is that adults can train with their children in the same class they do not have to go to separate class times or days. We feel that the adults learn just as much from the children as the children learn from the adults.
Something that we are proud of is the information that we teach is not just for show (i.e… for tournaments etc.) but it can be used in a situation where “stranger danger” or self-defense is required.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I feel like our industry will continue to rise in student counts and desire to want to learn martial arts. With the large interest in people watching the UFC and Bellator, to wanting to learn what they are seeing in those matches as well as what they see in the movies. I also feel that people are also extremely interested in learning how to actually defend themselves or their children or friends.
Pricing:
- Eveining Classes: One class a week(4 classes a month) $55.00
- Evening Classes: Two classes a week(8 classes a month) $70.00
- Our aftercare/daycare/private school program is an 8 week program(where students are allowed to progress in rank) $80.00
Contact Info:
- Website: www.familychristiankaratellc.com
- Phone: (770) 896-8522
- Email: familychristiankaratellc@yahoo.com
- Facebook: Family Christian Karate, LLC
- Yelp: Family Christian Karate, LLC
Image Credit:
Bridges Over Troubled Waters, INC
