Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Elrod. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Luke Elrod started our martial arts studio in the summer of 2015 to change how we view childhood development and education. Martial arts was a huge part of his upbringing, helping his ability to focus, speak publicly, and overcome ADHD symptoms as a child. During Luke’s adulthood, he decided to run his studio and opened 1UP Martial Arts! He dedicated the classes to being for every athletic level and as accessible to those who needed them as possible. Parts of the classes also focused on growing the students as people, not just athletes. As time passed, 3 of his students grew into adulthood and are now are 3 head instructors: Mr. Zach, Mr. Henry, and Mr. Felix. They all aspire to own studios, so Luke has transitioned from their martial arts instructor to their business mentor. He was teaching them the ins and outs of business while operating their home studio, 1UP. Luke isn’t alone in the charge; Deena is the acting manager currently and handles the daily operation and community outreach for 1UP. Hosting a trunk or treat for the Winter Park area with over 500 in attendance, Easter Egg hunts, holiday parties, and Bully-Proof seminars, too! All these events are free to attend and are meant to help give back and connect other local businesses in our community. Overall, the 1UP team is dedicated to being another much-needed resource for parents and kids alike! 1UP Martial Arts plans to expand in the next 2 years and is currently more active in Seminole and Orange counties public schools.
Please talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggle for the 1UP team was the 2020 pandemic. Seeing other businesses around us not reopen and all activity stopping was terrifying. We were fortunate due to our amazing families helping keep doors open, participating in online classes, and following guidelines. We also saw a huge change in the students after being online in school for so long, so we had to change and grow as a team to help better students who were now shy, lazy, and disconnected. Overall, we are glad for the adversity; it taught us so much and gave us so much to be thankful for.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
1UP Martial Arts is a Mixed Martial Arts school primarily servicing children ages 3-14 years old. We do have adult programs, but that is the primary age of our beginners. Our curriculum for ages 3-6 is built to grow with them; we teach them mini goals, coordination, and core skills needed in any part of development. For Ages 7 + we get more into advanced topics and start them with kickboxing basics. Overall, we criticize teaching practical self-defense as a very traditional art form. Our goal is that every student we interact with will understand the basics well enough to defend themselves when necessary and that we mentor them well enough to know when that time occurs correctly. We are known for our top-notch customer care; we pride ourselves on knowing every student’s name, having a plan for every student, and truly caring about the future of our students. We want to be the best decision you made for your child!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Luke was very active as a kid; he had severe ADHD and tried a bunch of sports until he got to martial arts and felt at home with it. Luke was never very artistic but loved movement; he went on to win multiple martial arts tournaments. He loved everything about kids’ pop culture in the 90s, from Batman to Ninja Turtles and Pokemon! That love still lives today. Hence, the name 1UP is the choice for our studio!
Pricing:
- Trial (3 Weeks + uniform) $20
- Classes 2 times a week ($62 per week)
- Summer Camp ($199 per week)
Contact Info:
- Website: 1UPmartialarts.com
- Instagram: @1UPmartialarts
- Facebook: Facebook.com/1UPmartialarts
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