Today we’d like to introduce you to Alan Predolin.
Hi Alan, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born and raised in Vicenza, Italy. I’ve always been passionate about martial arts. I joined the Italian Army and then afterward the US Army. After that, I started to focus on turning my passion for martial arts into a business. In 2002 I moved to Los Angeles to continue my training. I opened my first location for 360 Krav Maga in 2003 in a ballet studio. Krav Maga is a martial art based in self-defense and uses techniques from multiple disciplines (boxing, kickboxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, etc.).
Since then, I have had multiple locations in LA, Long Beach, and Orange County. We currently have multiple affiliate locations in the US, Mexico, and Europe. After the pandemic, my wife and I moved our school to east Long Beach. After 20 years, my wife and I own and operate 360 Krav Maga. 50% of our students are adults, and 50% are kids and teens. We love being a part of and building the 360 community and look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has anyone had a smooth road? From coming to the US and not speaking English to all of the struggles that come with opening and owning a business for over 20 years, I’ve seen and dealt with a lot.
One of the biggest challenges we had was covid. Many schools and gyms did not survive, and we are very fortunate that we did. We were closed for 15 months. It was an extremely difficult time for me. Not knowing when and if we were going to reopen. Not teaching and connecting and training with students took a toll on me. When you do something consistently for 20 years and then it comes to a halt, it’s not an easy adjustment. Not to mention financially, having zero income coming in from my main source of income.
When we finally reopened (June 2021), we were in a different smaller location. None of our instructors returned. Some of our students did, but a lot less than we anticipated. We really had to rebuild from almost zero. It was hard navigating all of LA’s covid restrictions. Here we are, almost two years later. Our school is doing well and we have come a long way since then.
As you know, we’re big fans of 360 Krav Maga. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
360 Krav Maga is a martial arts school that specializes in self-defense and Krav Maga. We have been in business for 20 years in Long Beach, CA, and have had locations throughout LA and Orange County. We have affiliate martial art schools all over the world.
We teach kids (starting at five years old) through adults. Our instruction is top-notch. Not just what we teach (our curriculum is constantly evolving to always be the best and most relevant) but how we teach. We understand how to make people good
I am proud of the community we have built. Our school and students are welcoming. We train hard and challenge each other, but we all want to win. We help each other and look out for each other. We are supportive, have a ton of families that train together and are connected in a deeper way than just martial arts.
Our students are the lifeblood of our school, and we are so thankful for them.
Any big plans?
We plan to continue to grow our 360 Network- this is our affiliate program. We have schools, instructors, and students from around the world that are connected, learn, and grow together. We plan to offer more events for the Network, as well as events in other countries. We would like to open more 360 locations in the area.
Our goal is to expand our reach so we can help more students, more instructors, and more school owners.
Pricing:
- Memberships are $150-250 per month
Contact Info:
- Website: 360kravmaga.com
- Instagram: @360KravMagaHQ
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/360KravMagaLB
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@360actual
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/360-krav-maga-academy-long-beach-2
Image Credits
Kyle Lemburg
