Ekata, a non traditional fitness center that offers martial arts training, acupuncture, massage and nutritional coaching, will hold a Summer Kickoff Celebration on Saturday and Sunday.

Ekata Training Center and Urban Retreat will welcome the community to their new, expanded location for a Summer Kickoff Celebration at 27831 Smyth Drive on Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Ekata, a martial arts studio that also incorporates western sports training, nutritional coaching acupuncture and massage, has recently moved from Cinema Drive to a 11,000-square-foot facility on Smyth Dr.

On Saturday and Sunday, there will be a number of classes, program demonstrations, food samples, prizes and giveaways and on Saturday only, live shows featuring Spiderman, with photo opportunities to follow.

The first 300 attendees will receive a free Spiderman t-shirt.

All proceeds from the sales of photos with Spiderman will go to the WiSH Education Foundation, which supports William S. Hart Union High School District.

The event itself is free, and special summer memberships will be available for purchase, at $99 for two months.

“We see this as really a win-win weekend for the community,” said JoAnn Wabisca, who founded Ekata with her husband, Ed Monaghan. “It’s something fun for families with kids who go crazy for Spider-Man, and it’s also a chance for us to introduce ourselves to those in the community who might not be aware of all Ekata offers.”

The free classes and training demonstrations will cover a variety of exercise styles and techniques, including hip-hop dance, Boxe Francaise Savate, Muay Thai kickboxing and fencing.

For the full schedule of classes, shows and events, click here.

About Ekata

Ekata was founded in 2006 but its roots run back to 1992. Ed Monaghan started a health club in West Hollywood, which combined martial arts and fitness. After 15 years of research and development, Santa Clarita residents Monaghan and JoAnn Wabisca brought their concept to Valencia.

As a professor at UCLA, Monaghan spent many years researching the effects of mindfulness, martial arts, and movement on adults and children. In doing so, he and Wabisca met masters of all cultural and philosophical backgrounds.

Monaghan and Wabisca believe that most Western martial arts programs ignore the philosophical traditions of the East. This area of training, which the Japanese refer to as “Budo” and the Chinese call “Wu Shi Dao,” is emphasized at Ekata.

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