In this segment of our Client Features series, we help showcase the business of our team’s client, as he works to grow his local presence.
Centennial Advisers recently leased out 5518 E Britton Drive, a retail space located in the Los Altos pocket of Long Beach, to Power of One Martial Arts.
An unpleasant experience will persuade an individual to do whatever it takes to prevent it from recurring. Though not ideal, these unpleasant experiences can often lead to positive outcomes, such as redefining our perceptions and even shaping our ambitions.
Such was the case with Erick Salazar, owner and head instructor at Power of One Martial Arts. When he was nine years old, Erick and his younger sister were victims of school bullying. Unable to defend themselves, this prompted his family to take action. Rather than advising her children to fight back for retribution, Erick’s mother decided the best thing for her kids to learn was how to ensure their own safety. At the age of nine, Erick found himself learning karate, a discipline that would not only teach him self-defense, but also life skills and a new mindset that would guide his future.
Erick’s devotion to his craft was born immediately, nurtured by his instructor who saw potential in him. The next ten years became more than just a learning experience for Erick. It became an integral time that would influence his adult life. Right around the time he was awarded his brown belt at 18-years-old, his train of thought expanded from that of a student, to that of a potential instructor.
Erick was humbled to learn that his instructor’s expectations for him surpassed being just a student. There was an entrepreneurial flare within him that was tapped into that helped groom a future business owner, and instructor.
“With a brown belt, my instructor asked me if I would be interested in teaching,” Erick said. “I answered ‘yes I would.’ He then proceeded to point to the class and responded, ‘great go teach that class.’ His motto was ‘there is no time like the present’ and from then on, I found that teaching came easy to me. To this day, I continue to learn and improve on my teaching skills.”
Though he is now head instructor, Erick will tell you that he is still also a student.
“I’ve been a student for over twenty-seven years, my instructor has always instilled in me that you are always a student no matter what rank or how old you are,” Erick said.
This is something that distinguishes Power of One Los Altos from other self-defense institutions – there is always room to learn and improve. Erick experienced this firsthand after being awarded his first-degree black belt or First Dan.
Shortly after earning his black belt, instructors Colin and Tara Van Deusen took Erick under their wings. They guided and pushed him to learn more about the business side of martial arts. This proved to be a challenging new mission, as Erick strove to master this while simultaneously working to advance through the black belt ranks. The Van Deusens taught Erick that nothing is impossible if you set a goal to accomplish it.
Taking everything he had learned thus far – from the hardships he experienced at school to the knowledge, skills, and confidence that resulted, Erick vowed to share what he learned with others.
At Power of One Los Altos, Erick and his team provide students with the tools necessary to live in a dignified and respectful manner. This includes, but is not limited to: goal-completion, discipline, fitness, mental strength, invaluable social skills, and above all, positive reinforcement, and self-defense.
“For 10 years we were teaching on PCH and Ximeno [Long Beach Traffic Circle], and we moved over to this location a little over 5 months ago,” Erick said. “But before I found this place, we were teaching out of a dance studio, and it was really small.”
Prior to leasing their space from Centennial Advisers, Power of One Los Altos was operating from a dance studio. While they made it work, it wasn’t ideal for their students. Their new dojo now adequately accommodates its growing student body.
“I remember that when we first started, we had about 10-15 students,” Erick said. “Now we have a little over 200 students. We’ve grown quite a bit and even though we struggled during the pandemic, we’ve been able to strategize how we run our classes, and the relationships we create with students and their families really helped us pull through.”
To say the least, everyone is happy to be back and training at the new space. It is conveniently located in a bustling retail center incentivizing families to stick around. Parents can run errands or have dinner while their child is training. Better yet, with a spacious spectating area in the dojo, families can stay and watch the class.
But who says you have to be young to take karate? Erick added that his student body ranges from as early as 4 years old to the oldest pupil in the bunch at 68-years-old. It’s truly never too late to start your training.
The instructors at Power of One Los Altos are always improving themselves. They are dedicated to the betterment of their students and themselves, and it shows through careful planning.
“The instructors here are always trying to improve themselves as students on the mat or off the mat,” Erick said. “We have staff meetings every Monday and do our best to talk about how we can improve the quality of our teaching for our students.”
Find out more about Power of One can offer by checking out their website po1longbeach.com or finding them on Instagram @po1losaltos. They have multiple locations including Upland, Carson, and two studios in Long Beach. Erick is based out of the Los Altos location in Long Beach.
Centennial Advisers
We were given the opportunity to fill the vacant space where the dojo is currently located. Our listing agent Douglas Shea was made aware of Erick’s motivation to lease out the space when he received interest over email.
Our mantra as a client-centric service is to provide our clients with the “Nordstrom Experience” in that clients are number one. Part of what built the trust between Douglas and Erick was the immediacy in communication.
“What really made me trust Centennial to find us a location was really just the communication,” Erick said. “I would make a phone call or email and would always get a quick response. If I ever wanted to meet, they would set up an appointment on the spot. My questions were always answered and that made me feel comfortable.”