Villari's Martial Arts School adding new after school pick-up program

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

Villari’s Martial Arts is now offering parents and kids a new after school program for the upcoming school year.

Their new after school pick-up program provides local karate kids to go straight to the Villari’s dojo after their classes. The program would run from the end of school until 6 p.m. Villari’s will be servicing Tomoka Elementary, Pine Trail Elementary, Pathways Elementary, as well as Calvary Christian Academy, Riverbend Academy and Hinson Middle School.

“Our reputation is pretty strong and now that we’re offering this service as well I think we’ll do really well with it,” said David Grabner, chief instructor at Villari’s Martial Arts.

Grabner said their program is the best alternative daycare, and the school has done a lot of work in preparation for its launch. They’ve added a new room in their dojo—creating a space for the kids to watch movies, do homework and other activities while they wait for their parents after they finish their karate class.

The martial arts school has also added a new full security surveillance system.

“People need to know if they’re going to leave their child someplace for however many hours that’s necessary—they want to know it’s safe,” Grabner said. “That their child is safe.”

Grabner also said it’s important for kids to have mentors and people to guide them in life. When he was a kid, his karate instructor Ben Castillo was his. Grabner described himself as a kid who “could’ve gone either way” between the good and bad. Thanks to Castillo’s guidance, he overcame his challenges.

Years ago, Grabner called Castillo and told him if he could do to another child what Castillo did for him, that’s how he would thank him.

“If I can do it on a level of a community, that’s how I gauge success,” Grabner said. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Their karate classes will help to instill character development in the children from an early age, Grabner said. His hope is that through the afterschool program, Villari’s will continue to positively impact Ormond Beach through martial arts as it has for almost the last 10 years.

“Children love karate,” Grabner said. “Children love martial arts. So we use that as a tool to teach character development.”