The Legacy Martial Arts Business Podcast

Leadership isn't measured when times are easy—it's defined by how you serve your community when it matters most. In this episode of the Legacy Martial Arts Business Podcast, Nick sits down with Muzammal Nawaz, President of WAKO Kickboxing and owner of Bay Area Athletic Club, to discuss the evolution of kickboxing in Canada and what it takes to build a strong, sustainable martial arts organization....

Is the martial arts industry heading into its next major evolution? In this episode of the Legacy Martial Arts Business Podcast , Nick Castiglia sits down with Dan Uyemura , CEO of PushPress, to discuss what academy owners can learn from the explosive growth of the CrossFit industry—and why many of the same opportunities and challenges are now emerging in martial arts and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. From...

What separates thriving martial arts schools from those that constantly struggle to grow? In this episode of the Legacy Martial Arts Business Podcast , we sit down with Chris Mierzwiak —Bellator and Strikeforce veteran, martial arts academy owner, Wodify Partnerships Specialist, and father of two—to discuss how school owners can use data to make smarter business decisions, improve retention, and c...

In this conversation, Nick Castiglia interviews Dan Moroney, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and owner of Bravado BJJ. They discuss Dan's journey in Jiu-Jitsu, including his early days in Montreal, the founding of Grappling Arts Academy, and the eventual opening of Bravado BJJ. They also touch on Dan's affiliation with Royler Gracie and the importance of mentorship in Jiu-Jitsu. Dan Moroney sha...

In this conversation, Nick Castiglia and Jesse Topp discuss Jesse's journey in martial arts and how it saved his life. They also delve into the importance of running a martial arts school as a business and the steps to securing financing and investing in real estate. Jesse shares valuable insights on building a team, establishing a network, and finding the right professionals to work with. Jesse T...

Dana Dickeson shares his journey in martial arts, from his childhood fascination with action movies to his introduction to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) as a police officer. He recounts his experiences in MMA and the challenges of running a BJJ school in a small area. Dana eventually opens his own gym, Absolute BJJ, and discusses the growth of BJJ in his region. He also mentions his affiliation with F...

Brent Fryia shares his origin story of becoming a gym owner and MMA fighter. He started as a wrestler and had a successful career in university wrestling. After teaching for a while, he saw an ad for an MMA class and joined, eventually turning pro and moving to Asia to compete. When he returned, he found out that the gym he trained at had a falling out, so he decided to open his own gym. Initially...

Summary   Milena Hrebacka, founder of New Breed Design, discusses the importance of branding and marketing for martial arts schools. She emphasizes the need for a strong brand that reflects the gym's values and resonates with its target demographic. Milena highlights the impact of a well-designed logo and consistent branding across all touchpoints, including social media, signage, merchandise, and...

Summary Brendan Rice, CEO of Wodify, discusses the benefits of using Wodify for gym owners and how the software has expanded from serving CrossFit gyms to martial arts schools. He emphasizes the importance of engagement and how tracking attendance and providing additional resources can significantly improve retention rates. Rice also highlights the value of gamification in driving behavior and inc...

Summary Matt Kwan, a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt, shares his journey from being a chef to opening his own Jiu Jitsu school. He talks about his passion for teaching and his desire to make a living off of Jiu Jitsu. Matt emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself and taking risks to pursue one's dreams. He also discusses the challenges he faced in finding a suitable location for his school...

Summary: Matthew Becker, practicing attorney and owner of Gym Lawyers, provides legal consulting for gym owners. He emphasizes the importance of keeping gym owners and their members safe through proper business practices. Matthew discusses the difference between legal consulting and representation, and how he helps gym owners with education, contract drafting, and legal paperwork. He also highligh...

In this episode, Nick Castiglia interviews Megan Hodgen from Diamond MMA and Fitness. Megan shares her inspirational journey of starting her gym at a young age and overcoming challenges. The conversation covers topics such as the initial offerings of Diamond MMA, moving to a new location, success in personal fitness training, maximizing space and overlapping programs, challenges in the early days,...

Summary Steve Poulin shares the story of how he started the Submission Academy and grew it into a successful martial arts gym. He discusses the challenges he faced, the decisions he made, and the importance of defining success on your own terms. Steve also talks about the transition from a hobby to a business, the importance of building a strong team, and the value of prioritizing time and happine...

Summary In this episode, Omar Kadi shares his journey from working in sales to becoming a successful martial arts school owner. He talks about his background growing up in New York and his experience working in various industries. Omar discusses the challenges he faced, including losing his job and supporting his family during difficult times. He also shares how he discovered Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a...

In this podcast episode, Nick Castiglia interviews Brendan Kalijundic, a successful gym owner and one of the first clients of Legacy Martial Arts Consulting. Brendan shares his journey of starting his first gym and the humble beginnings of Cal Samara. He discusses the changes and improvements he made to his school, including rebranding, increasing prices, and implementing systems. Brendan emphasiz...