Overlooking the final details being applied to his new martial arts school, The Pit owner and chief instructor John Hackleman stepped back and took a deep breath.

The location in Arroyo Grande, which marks the headquarters for The Pit franchise, has come a long way from the 600 square foot backyard where it started decades ago.

Today, The Pit’s martial arts style of Hawaiian Kempo, which was developed by Hackleman, is adopted by many schools and gyms around the nation. The style that evolved from the teachings of his childhood instructor Walter Godin: Kajukenbo (a mixture of karate, judo, jujutsu, kenpo, and boxing) which originated in 1947.

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