National Karate MMA

What National Karate MMA does

National Karate MMA is a privately held, brick-and-mortar martial arts school operating two physical academies in the Charleston, South Carolina metropolitan area — the Summerville location at 827 Travelers Blvd and the West Ashley location at 1119 Wappoo Drive Suite K (operated under the West Ashley Samurais brand). The company delivers in-person martial arts instruction built around a proprietary curriculum called "American Free Style," which synthesizes hard-style Japanese Karate, Tae Kwon Do kicking dynamics, Boxing striking, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappling, Muay Thai, and Israeli Combat techniques into a reality-based self-defense system. Programs are age-tiered: Lil Ninjas (ages 4-5), Mighty Dragons (ages 6-7), American Karate Kids (ages 8-12), and Adult Karate and MMA classes for adults.

The business monetizes through three primary revenue streams: recurring monthly memberships for children's and adult martial arts classes, the Samurais After School and Summer Camp programs (which add a school-pickup transportation service via the "Samurai bus" fleet, homework help, and seasonal day camps running 7am-6pm), and one-time birthday party packages priced at $149 for up to 15 guests and $199 for up to 25 guests. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, relying on the company website, online registration through the Kicksite platform, phone inquiries, and word-of-mouth referrals evidenced by named parent testimonials. Customer segments are exclusively individual families and adult consumers in the Summerville-Charleston metro, with no enterprise or institutional accounts. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed; only birthday party rates are listed.

Operationally, the company is small and founder-led, with lead instructors Coach Brian Plempel (6th degree black belt) and Coach Andrew Maness (5th degree black belt) accounting for the majority of brand credibility and student-facing instruction. The company has no disclosed funding history, no app or consumer-facing platform, no AI capabilities, and no patents or trademarks on file. The business is entirely location-dependent and reliant on the continued involvement of its senior instructors.

Name

National Karate MMA

Legal name

National Karate MMA

Website

https://nationalkaratemma.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

National Karate MMA operates two brick-and-mortar martial arts academies in Summerville and West Ashley (Charleston), SC, offering proprietary "American Free Style" classes for children ages 4-12, adult karate and MMA, after-school transport, summer camp, and birthday parties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Instruction

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Training (HSADADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Traditional Martial Arts Schools (Karate, Taekwondo, Kung Fu, etc.) (HSADADAA), Kids & Youth Martial Arts Programs (HSADADAG), Combat Sports Gyms & Dojos (MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, Martial Arts) (MPAKAJAG)

Keywords

• Martial arts training
• Kids karate classes
• Mixed martial arts
• After school programs
• Summer camp

Headquarters

HQ city

Summerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Martial Arts Classes and Memberships: Recurring membership fees for ongoing martial arts training programs for children and adults. Programs include Lil Ninjas (ages 4-5), Mighty Dragons (ages 6-7), American Karate Kids (ages 8-12), and Adult American Free Style/MMA classes.
2. After School and Summer Camp Programs: Daycare-style programs offering after-school pickup, supervision, homework help, martial arts training, and recreational activities. Summer camp runs Monday through Friday from 7am to 6pm.
3. Birthday Parties: Action-packed birthday party packages including karate games, a 15-minute karate lesson, board breaking, and structured activities. Parties run 1.5 hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

National Karate MMA operates two brick-and-mortar martial arts schools in Summerville and West Ashley (Charleston), SC, teaching American Free Style — a proprietary blended curriculum combining Japanese Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Israeli Combat — to children and adults. Beyond core classes, the school runs a Samurais After School program with school-pickup transportation, a Samurais Summer Camp, and Birthday Party event packages.

Product overview

National Karate MMA is a reality-based martial arts school operating two locations in the Charleston, SC area (Summerville and West Ashley). The company offers a unified Martial Arts program built around American Free Style — a blended curriculum combining Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Japanese Karate, and Israeli Combat — across age-specific sub-products: Lil Ninjas (ages 4–5), Mighty Dragons (ages 6–7), American Karate Kids (ages 8–12), and Adult Karate & MMA classes. Beyond martial arts instruction, the business operates two ancillary service lines: the Samurais After School and Summer Camp programs (child care with school pickup via Samurai buses, homework support, martial arts training, and field trip activities), and Birthday Parties (themed event packages). Together these offerings span martial arts education, child care enrichment, and event hospitality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• National Karate West Ashley: Second location in Charleston, SC (West Ashley area) operating as part of National Karate MMA network

Products and services

• American Free Style Karate Core martial arts curriculum blending Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Japanese Karate, and Israeli Combat into a reality-based, adaptive self-defense system for students of all ages and skill levels.
• Lil Ninjas (Ages 4–5) Age-specific martial arts program for 4- and 5-year-olds teaching discipline, stranger danger, bully awareness, balance, coordination, self-control, and focus through games and structured activities ('edutainment').
• Mighty Dragons (Ages 6–7) Martial arts program for 6- and 7-year-olds designed to build motor skills, self-discipline, confidence, positive peer interaction, and structured skill progression.
• American Karate Kids (Ages 8–12) Structured martial arts program for children ages 8–12 covering striking and grappling fundamentals, with emphasis on self-defense, discipline, confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and leadership.
• American Free Style Karate — Adults Adult program covering the full American Free Style curriculum — hard-style Japanese Karate, Taekwondo kicking, Boxing punching, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu grappling — tailored for adult fitness, self-defense, and skill development.
• Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) — Adults Adult-focused MMA program fusing stand-up striking, clinch work, and ground fighting, preparing participants for real-world self-defense or cage competition.
• Samurais After School Program After-school child care and enrichment program serving Summerville-area schools. Students are picked up via 'Samurai buses' and brought to the martial arts school for homework help, snacks, martial arts training, and structured play. Open on teacher workdays, half days, and select holidays at no additional cost.
• Samurais Summer Camp Full-day summer camp operating 7am–6pm Monday through Friday from the Monday after the last day of school until the Friday before school resumes. Includes daily martial arts training, field trips (water park, movies, bowling, Edisto Beach, SC Aquarium, Edisto Island Serpentarium, and more), playtime, nerf gun wars, and cookouts.
• Birthday Parties Action-packed 1.5-hour karate-themed birthday party packages including martial arts games (Dodge Ball, Ninja Jump, Shipwreck, Ninja Assault Course), a 15-minute karate lesson with board-breaking demonstrations, and party hosting. $149 for up to 15 guests, $199 for up to 25 guests, and $10 per additional guest.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• 9Round Fitness: Kickboxing-themed fitness franchise offering 30-minute circuit workouts on a recurring membership basis. Comparable as a recurring-membership, multi-location martial-arts-adjacent fitness concept targeting adult consumers.
• Goldfish Swim School: Multi-location franchise offering recurring youth instructional classes (swimming) with parent-facing marketing and after-school positioning. Comparable as a franchise-model children's instructional services business competing for the same parent-discretionary-spend wallet in local markets.
• Krav Maga Worldwide: Reality-based self-defense training organization with affiliated schools. Comparable in emphasizing practical, multi-technique self-defense curricula over traditional single-style martial arts training.

Direct peers

• Karate America: Traditional karate franchise providing children's and adult programs through independently owned locations. Comparable as a multi-location karate school operating on memberships with age-specific curricula.
• Gracie Barra: Largest global Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu franchise with hundreds of locations. Comparable as a multi-location martial arts instruction business with structured curricula, age-based programs, and recurring memberships.
• Tiger Schulmann's Martial Arts: Multi-location karate and kickboxing franchise serving children and adults with structured memberships. Directly comparable as a recurring-membership martial arts school with youth and adult programming and similar go-to-market model.
• Premier Martial Arts: Growing martial arts franchise combining karate, kickboxing, and jiu-jitsu for kids and adults. Closely comparable in offering blended multi-discipline curricula and age-segmented youth programs at multiple franchise locations.

Broad incumbents

• UFC Gym: National MMA- and fitness-branded gym franchise offering classes, personal training, and youth programs. Comparable as a broad multi-location brand delivering MMA, kickboxing, and youth martial arts in a membership model.
• ATA Martial Arts: Largest martial arts franchise in the U.S., offering karate and multi-discipline programs for children and adults through a national network. Comparable as a multi-location martial arts instruction business with a proprietary curriculum and structured age-based programs.

Others

• After-School All-Stars / Local Childcare Plus Martial Arts: After-school and enrichment programs for K-12 students that increasingly partner with martial-arts or sports providers. Comparable as an adjacent provider in the after-school enrichment space where National Karate MMA also competes for working-parent wallet share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-karate-mma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Karate MMA