ABOUT THE MAIN INSTRUCTORS
MASTER ZACHARATOS AND JAMIE BENAZIZ-ZACHARATOS
Together they have created a wonderful extended martial arts family with their students, many that have stayed together for decades, where students from all different backgrounds and ages are brought together by a common interest, and enriching their lives in the process.
Martial arts is more than a sport, it’s a way of life!
MASTER ZACHARATOS
Master Zacharatos, Chief instructor of ” Zacharatos Karate & Kickboxing/MMA and Soccer”, has been teaching karate, kickboxing, and boxing, and training fighters, for over 25 years. As an instructor, he has found the right balance between discipline and having fun. He is also known for giving his students nicknames that seem to stay with them for life!
Master Zacharatos is a Seventh Degree Blackbelt in American Tang Soo Do style karate, and a former professional kickboxer, who was rated top ten in the world during his entire professional fighting career from 1977-1982. He earned the nickname “Z-Bomb” for being known for his knockout straight right punch.
His pro kickboxing titles include: the WKA North American light heavyweight kickboxing championship title 1979, and the PKA middleweight California State Championship kickboxing title 1980. You can see this fight and other videos on their Zacharatos YouTube Channel. Additionally, he is currently a professional kickboxing and MMA referee and judge for the California State Athletic Commission, and a USA Boxing Coach. He is also a former semi professional “All Star” soccer player and is a licensed Soccer coach. He speaks French and English.
Born in Beligum, he began training in Boxing when he was a child after moving to the US, and began training in karate when he was a teenager, one of his instructors was Chuck Norris. After he received his first blackbelt at the age of 20, he began training and then competing in kickboxing (known then as full contact karate).
While he was fighting professionally, Master Zacharatos began teaching karate. He also was a semi-pro “All Star” soccer player. As a young adult, he was deciding whether to pursue Soccer or Kickboxing professionally, and chose Kickboxing. Later he went back to soccer, by teaching soccer workshops to kids and adults, and coached a soccer team to first place when the team hired him to be their coach. As a licensed soccer coach, he teaches students how to work together as a team. Many times he goes to his students soccer matches to show his support!
Before going into business with his wife Jamie, and opening their first studio together, Master Zacharatos was chief instructor at Sherman Oaks Karate for about 15 years, that is where is met his wife Jamie who was a student there at the time.
In addition to competing as a professional kickboxer, for many years Master Zacharatos also competed in karate tournaments, in both individual fighting and in team fighting competitions. For 5 consecutive years in the 1980’s, he was a member of the “Sherman Oaks Raiders” five man blackbelt team. Their team remained undefeated for more than a decade at the world known Ed Parker’s International Karate Championships. During the 5 years Master Zacharatos was on the team, they beat the favored to win “Budwiser” team that included the well known Billy Blanks.
He has done some stunt work in martial arts movies, bodyguarding and security work, and appeared in martial arts magazines and magazine covers.
Most meaningful achievement, being a dad.
JAMIE BENAZIZ-ZACHARATOS
Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos, is a 3rd degree blackbelt, assistant instructor, weapons instructor, and business administrator of Zacharatos Karate & Kickboxing/MMA and Soccer, with over 20 year teaching experience.
She also works as a free lance artist, businesswoman, and is partner in her family real estate investment company. She has a daughter (Nico) with her husband, Master Zacharatos. Jamie’s karate nickname given years ago is G.I. Jane! It’s actually the only nickname not given out by Master Zacharatos, but by good a friend and former kickboxing student, Dr. Mason Devon.
Both Master Zacharatos and Jamie get so much satisfaction of seeing how martial arts improves their students lives by building confidence, and maintaining long term relationships, where the children of their students also become students years later!
Unlike her husband, Master Zacharatos, whose entire life revolves around karate, Boxing and Kickboxing, Jamie started her martial arts training later in life at 30, demonstrating how one can benefit and achieve their martial arts goals at any time in their lives, even if they have another unrelated career.
Jamie designed all of their previous Karate/Kickboxing studios, as well as negotiated the leases. She designed the “Zacharatos” logo (based on a photo she took of Master Zacharatos), and websites, and also wrote/produced/directed the “Zacharatos” Karate and Soccer television commercials which can also be viewed on this website, instagram, and on their YouTube channel. She introduced the Zacharatos YouTube Channel on February 1, 2015. Her weapons class highlight video 2019 is on the ZacharatosYouTube Channel, as well as other videos. This video features mother and daughter blackbelts Nico and Jamie!
The unique combination of the fine art and the martial arts in her life, where as a freelance artist for more than 25 years, with her many sports themed art, she brought art to a new audience–students appreciated the art depicting the sport they trained in. For more on her art, you can check out her art website at: https://www.designsbyjamie.com and art instagram: @explosivecontrolart
By working in sports, business, and in the arts, she has found a balance physically, mentally, and creatively, in the karate studio and art studio with the martial arts and the fine arts.
Together they have created a wonderful extended martial arts family with their students, many that have stayed together for decades, where students from all different backgrounds and ages are brought together by a common interest, and enriching their lives in the process.
Most meaningful achievement, being a mom
Holiday Card by Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos 2011
ABOUT US COMPANY HISTORY
CELEBRATING OVER 20 YEARS IN BUSINESS !
A small family business, not a corporate chain
How it all started . . .
“Zacharatos Karate & Kickboxing/MMA and Soccer” A family owned business. It was originally started (as “Zacharatos Karate”) in 1992, by (now) husband and wife team Mr. and Mrs. Zacharatos. As you will see, they are fighters in every sense of the word.
After Master Zacharatos was working at Sherman Oaks karate for many years as Chief instructor, they decided to start their own studio, but continued to maintain a great relationship with the Owner of Sherman Oaks karate and his family.
Not by choice, Master Zacharatos and Jamie BenAiziz-Zacharatos have had to prove themselves as champions in business as well. Since they started their company, they have been challenged time and time again, but always manage to land on their feet no matter what is thrown at them.
For starters, their first location in Woodland Hills California, custom designed by Jamie, was filled with her sports themed artwork, and Master Zacharatos trophies and mementos. But, all was completely lost when the shopping center their studio was located in burned down, and after being located there for only 9 months. Although devastated by that loss, (and compounded by the fact that Jamie was scheduled for surgery to repair a broken nose sustained while sparring only weeks before), within a few weeks after the fire, they opened their second location in Tarzana California. This location was also eventually lost due to the Northridge earthquake, after being located there for only 10 months!
Not being the kind to give up, they opened their third location (also in Tarzana), and were there for about five years. But that location was lost too when a new landlord took over the building and nearly doubled their rent. (soon after, that new landlord ultimately lost the building, Karma!)
They survived all these losses by being strong, and believing that everything usually has a way of working out for the best, even if it is not apparent right away. It took time to rebuild their business every time they had to relocate, but with a loyal following and hard work, they came back bigger and better each time. Given that all their locations were like second homes, and after all the losses they sustained, it was time to make a change.
They moved their business to their hometown of Calabasas, to the Calabasas Tennis & Swim center in 1999, and after a rough start, business is booming better than ever! And they’ve been there ever since.
When faced with challenges and adversity, you can either fight harder or give up and quit. It’s in those hard times you find out what you are made of. If you choose to fight for what you believe in, it makes you stronger, and makes you better prepared to deal with difficulties you may face in the future, and quitting was not in their nature.
In spite of all the hardships over the years, it has been very rewarding for them to see the positive impact that the Martial Arts and Kickboxing has had on their students, and to look back at the now adult students who have become good friends, many who began training with them as children, and later brought in their own children to train with them!
Then when they had their own daughter Nico, she also achieved her blackbelt. A martial arts family, bringing the never quit no excuses attitude to all aspects of their lives.
By being a family business and not a corporate chain, you’ll have consistent instructors, check out our posts and spotlight on students (including Nico Zacharatos) to see fun stories and pics of students that have been with them for over 20 years!
