2nd Dan

MS NICOLETTE SAPPHIRE ZACHARATOS (a.k.a. Ninja Nico as a junior, Second dan)
and as an adult, a.k.a. Nico Sapphire

Daughter of Master Zacharatos (7th Dan) & Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos (3rd Dan)

Nico received her junior blackbelt at only 8 1/2 years old on July 30, 2010, then was awarded her 2nd degree blackbelt on December 11, 2011. She started training at 4 1/2. the discipline, focus and confidence gained by starting martial arts at a young age, led her on a great path to be a high achiever in many goals as she grew up.

Since she was 5 years old, she also started to train with a tennis coach, studied Piano, French & Dance.  She never quit what she started, she was on the varsity tennis team in HS and still plays regularly, she is now an extremely accomplished musician and performer in piano and electric guitar, and is minoring in French in College, and continued to train in dance for 13 years. She also loves surfing.  She loved summer camp when she was younger and participating in all events, and was a favorite of both the campers the staff when she worked as a CILT at camp.

She graduated both Middle school and High school with honors, and was part of the Historic HS Class of 2020 during the pandemic, graduating high school with 4.2 GPA, and was awarded the Golden State Seal Merit Diploma and Presidential award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, and the World Language award.

Nico Graduated College with Magna Cum Laude Honors, She started college during the pandemic, (majoring in Communications and minor in French), and was recognized for her leadership skills and building a community, by becoming the first Freshman to advance to the executive team as director of Public Relations and Co-Social Media Director for “Her Campus” magazine, and Director of Marketing for the French Club, all during the pandemic! She eventually became Vice President of the magazine.

Nico discovered her passion and talent in college, in Podcasting and as a radio host. She has her own podcast “Sapphire Sessions®” (on Spotify) and Radio show on Campus “Nico & Anthony live” (On MixCloud) and in 2024 is on a new show on iHeart Radio “Studio 640” on KFI 640 AM Radio. (Can be listened to on the iHeart radio App or on Spotify (links to the “Studio 640” episodes she’s on are on the “latest news” blog on this website) Her university, “Cal Lutheran”, continued to help connect her with career opportunites at iHeart radio, including an appearance on the Tim Conway show on iHeart!
It shows that if you don’t give up hope, especially during challenging times, like the pandemic, wonderful things can happen, and your dreams can come true!

How well she adapted and thrived in spite of challenges of the pandemic, are all due to life skills that she started learning at a young age with her involvement in extracurricular activities, mostly in sports and music.  We’re sure these life skills will continue to serve her well with her career in communications in the future.

We made sure she had a good balance with lots of down time too, It’s amazing what one can achieve just by being consistent over time and not quitting. Half of accomplishing goals is just showing up to practice.
We tell our students, and our daughter, you don’t have to be “the” best, just always do “your” best. (We practice what we preach)

See Nico’s tennis highlight video and Nico’s Piano performance highlights Terrace Beverly Hills and Weapons class highlight and her music instagram @__itsnicooZacharatos YouTube Channel 
More recent links: @nico.sapphire & @SapphireSessionsPodcast & @Studio640_
Sapphire Sessions on Spotify & Nico & Anthony Live on MixCloud
TikTok @nicoSapphire Links to the Studio640 episodes she’s on are on the “latest news” blog


Nico’s Blackbelt training story-
On December 14, 2011, Nico, along with 3 other junior blackbelts, were awarded their 2nd degree blackbelts. As the test date got closer, the training got more intense, and Nico trained with us every day for the last two months before the test.
For their 2nd degree blackbelt tests, in addition to demonstrating complex blackbelt katas, they demonstrated their new weapons skills with the nunchucks, bow staff and escrima sticks taught by our own Mr. Giancarlo. (currently the weapons class is being taught by Jamie BenAziz-Zacharatos)
By chance, they had to train in the freezing cold and rain (under a tent) where our weapons class is held. Braving the harsh elements is not a normal part of our blackbelt training, but the weather was extreme during their last several two hour long practices in the weeks before their test, it sort of added to the mystic of it all! They never complained, and really stepped up and improved so much during the last few months. Making it a memorable and transformative time, and that learned discipline carried over into other areas of her life as she got older.

2nd degree Blackbelt awards group shot with Nico 2011
2nd degree Blackbelt training Katas 2011
Advanced karate class Katas Dean Mattes and Nico Zacharatos in Black
“Fab Four” 2nd degree blackbelt group weapons class with Ninja Nico 2011
(Left to right: Mattias, Dean, Jupin, Nico
Nico 1st degree Blackbelt award 2010
Wepaons class bo staff Nico (2nd dan) Jamie (3rd dan) 2019
Nico Zacharatos 2nd Dan Varsity Tennis 2017
Nico Zacharatos 2nd Dan Piano performance Beverly Hills 2021
Nico Zacharatos 2nd Dan Surfer Girl 2021
Nico College Graduation, with “Magna Cum Laude” Honors 2024
Nico on Electric Guitar in Sapphire Sessions Studios 2024
Sapphire Sessions Podcast hosted by Nico Sapphire
Nico Sapphire on “Studio 640” at iHeart Radio KFI 640 AM Radio 2024