CKO Kickboxing Health Fitness Franchise Continues Rapid Growth with New San Diego Gym Opening on June 1

SAN DIEGO, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CKO Kickboxing, one of the fastest-growing health fitness franchises, will open its first cardio kickboxing gym in California on June 1 at 7094 Miramar Road, Suites 115 and 116 in San Diego, to provide high-quality cross training in a friendly, comfortable home-like setting in the Mira Mesa area.

Grand Opening festivities are in the works for Saturday, June 2 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to CKO Kickboxing of San Diego owners Trisha Virga and Joe Virga.

"You can work up a sweat and burn calories without worrying about getting a black eye or breaking a bone with cardio kickboxing," Virga said of the cardio kickboxing gym that will serve residents of San Diego, Mira Mesa, Scripps Ranch and UTC. He and his wife, Trisha, who is certified in pre-natal training, will be the head trainers of CKO Kickboxing in San Diego. "We specialize in making everyday people reach their fitness goals and their full fitness potential through kickboxing."

The Virgas also own and operate a CKO Kickboxing franchise in Brooklyn, N.Y., but have relocated permanently to San Diego.

"We went on vacation to San Diego last December. I said to my wife, 'I want to live here. I would like for my kids to grow up in a place like this,'" he said.

"We're real excited about offering cardio boxing classes in San Diego. We were looking for a location a year ago in Los Angeles and I wasn't feeling it. Then we came to San Diego. I found a real estate broker. We negotiated the lease in an hour. It was unheard of. It usually takes months," he said.

CKO Kickboxing, whose franchisees include many former military members, is offering a 10 percent discount to current and former service personnel as well as police and fire personnel. Students and teachers also receive a 10 percent discount.

To make the gym stand out from competitors, members can work out by themselves at any time the club is open. Most kickboxing gyms are open only for classes or for private instruction, but not for drop-in workouts.

"People lead busy lives. We want to work around their schedules, not the other way around," he said. "We always strive to make CKO like your home, not like a gym."

"My goal is to put together a unique gym, a functional training gym, not just a gym with dumbbells," he added.

Virga, a former trader on the New York Stock Exchange, started going to CKO Kickboxing in 2006 to relieve stress.

"Working out at CKO Kickboxing was the one thing that I looked forward to every day," he said. "I got laid off in 2008, and it turned out to be the best thing because I started the first franchise."

Virga thinks CKO Kickboxing is so unique that people will demand more locations.

"My goal is to open multiple locations in San Diego. I'm putting down roots with my family here and we want to grow," he said.

CKO Kickboxing is open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. - 3 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.

"CKO Kickboxing is now truly a nationwide sports fitness franchise with gyms from coast to coast," said Joe Andreula, Founder of CKO Kickboxing, one of America's fastest-growing franchises according to industry standard Entrepreneur Magazine, which included the kickboxing gym franchise in its Franchise 500 list of best franchises. The magazine also rated CKO Kickboxing, as the 48th top new franchise in 2011.

"CKO Kickboxing is emerging as one of the leading fitness franchise opportunities in the country," he said.

CKO Kickboxing continues to grow because new franchise owners receive ongoing training on how to run a business and the coaching on the latest trends in health and fitness.

"We treat our franchisee owners like they are family, because they are," Andreula said. "They aren't numbers or faceless profit centers. They are people who we want to help succeed. That's why so many people, including former military members, want to take advantage of our fitness franchise opportunity."

"Fitness kickboxing is a fast-growing health trend. People who have tried to lose weight with yoga, pilates and spin classes are now getting in shape by joining kickboxing gyms, he said. Kickboxing is the perfect way to cross train," he said.

For more information about franchising, go to http://www.ckokickboxing.com.

For information about CKO Kickboxing San Diego, call 858-695-8427, [email protected] or go to http://www.ckokickboxing.com/san-diego.html.

SOURCE CKO Kickboxing