Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emma Coker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Emma, appreciate you joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
I’m the co-founder and CEO of St Pete Fight Team Inc. We are a nonprofit martial arts school and competition team with a mission to fight for inclusivity through the lifestyle of karate.
I started St Pete Fight Team (SPFT) as a nonprofit organization as a result of my experience in martial arts. Monthly tuition, uniforms, sparring gear, extra training if you want to be the best, plus the fees to compete and prove you’re the best…stack up quickly. The cost alone can be reason enough for kids not to try karate. Growing up in Gulfport, FL as a latchkey kid, I didn’t have access to after school sports or extra curricular activities. I was raised by mom and my sister. With my mom often working 2 or more jobs just to make ends meet there wasn’t time or money for things like that. I found karate as an adult, through my husband. I started by watching my husband teach karate. Not only his passion, but the excitement of the students moved me out my seat and on to the mat. After experiencing the same excitement I was hooked. I achieved my black belt and helped teach. After years of teaching and seeing the families that have access to this art and sport, I realized I hadn’t seen a family like mine. Not many single parents, especially with multiple children. Then I looked at the broader audience of the competitions we would being our students to compete. I see so many cities, states, and countries being represented. Though I wasn’t seeing the our city, St Pete, represented. Yes our school is in St Pete and we represent St Pete but St Pete is so much more diverse than the families we were reaching. That’s when I noticed the lack in St Pete. Families need access to martial arts! Karate is lifestyle, a community, an art and a sport. Through training karate one gains physical strength, mental fortitude, a sense of self, well-being, an understanding of perseverance, self-discipline and confidence. You can become a leader in your community. There was no leader in this spot in our community. So I decided to step up and fight for the underserved, the underrepresented, the families trying their best to survive and needing a community.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Emma Coker. I’m 37 years old and I was born in St Pete and raised in Gulfport and St Pete. I’m married with 2 beautiful children, 1 beautiful bonus daughter, and a slew of pets. In 2020, my husband, Germano and I founded St Pete Fight Team Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit martial arts school and competition team, home to St Pete’s Best Summer Camp and After School programs, and the Pink Pony Fight Club! Our mission is to fight for inclusivity in St Petersburg through the lifestyle of karate. At St Pete Fight Team, we fight for family. We are dedicated to creating a space where everyone feels a sense of belonging and support. Family is at the heart of everything we do. We fight for antiracism. We are committed to championing diversity, equity, and inclusion, striving to break down barriers and foster an environment of understanding and unity. We fight for respect. We believe respect for oneself and others is the foundation for confidence, discipline, and meaningful life outcomes. We teach and model respect. St Pete Fight Team offers karate classes for almost all ages (4 years and up!), a ladies and femme-identifying self-defense class (drop-in/pay what you can), & summer camp and after school programs for elementary school-aged children. As a nonprofit, we offer paid memberships and scholarships to families in need. This year we have been able to award 14 full time summer camp scholarships with the help of United Way of Suncoast. Also, we’ve added 5 new full year scholarships to our evening martial arts programs after winning the 100 Good Guys – St Pete pitch night. If you need karate in your life or our looking for a community of goal-oriented, healthy-minded peers then come join us!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The Covid-19 pandemic! After years of teaching karate, in my own school and at someone else’s school we got hit with a very strange and uncertain time. We were done with for-profit business and working for someone else. The pandemic gave me time to research and file the paperwork to start the nonprofit. During the pandemic my husband and I offered classes from our living room via Zoom, then moved it to the park, then we found our current facility in December 2020 and had our first class, masked and 6ft apart in January 2021. We evolved through the pandemic and I am happy to say we came out more resilient with a closer connection to our community.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
My co-founder and business partner is my husband, Germano Coker. We’ve been married 13 years. He is my sensei, too. We have been teaching a training many years together. When we opened St Pete Fight Team Germano was still working a day job as an electrical estimator and then teaching at night. My full time job was (and still is) running SPFT. In 2022, weeks hosted our first SPFT summer camp which led to Germano coming to work full time at the dojo. We work side-by-side everyday. I’m lucky and blessed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stpetefightteam.org
- Instagram: @emmzillacoker @stpetefightteam @stpetersburgsbest
- Facebook: @emmzilla298 @stpetefightteam @stpetersburgsbest
- Youtube: St Pete Fight Team
Image Credits
WTSP Channel 10