Practical Karate: Your One-Stop Shop for Striking and Grappling

practical self-defense classes

Practical Karate – Your One-Stop Shop for Striking and Grappling

San Diego has a rich martial arts culture. From karate dojos to jiu-jitsu academies, boxing gyms to wrestling clubs, the city offers nearly every style of striking and grappling imaginable. But while many schools specialize in just one discipline, students often find themselves bouncing between different gyms to get a complete martial arts education.

That’s where Practical Karate sets itself apart. Located right here in San Diego, Practical Karate is a true one-stop shop for martial arts training, combining the precision of striking with the control of grappling under one roof. Students don’t have to choose between Karate, boxing, or jiu-jitsu—they get the best of all worlds in a unified system designed for both self-defense and personal growth.

At the heart of Practical Karate’s success are its instructors: Frank McCarroll, Royce Allas, and Gabriel Miglioli, each bringing extensive experience in striking and grappling. Together, they create a training environment that is practical, family-friendly, and comprehensive.

Why Both Striking and Grappling Matter

A complete martial artist needs to be comfortable in every range of combat. Striking teaches how to defend with punches and kicks at long range. Grappling covers clinches, throws, and ground control. Many schools in San Diego teach one or the other, but rarely both at the same level.

Practical Karate’s philosophy is simple: real-world self-defense requires both. Fights don’t follow rules, and they can shift from standing to the ground in seconds. By training in a system that blends striking and grappling, students develop the confidence to adapt to any situation.

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Meet the Instructors

  • Frank McCarroll – The Karate & Judo Foundation
    Head instructor Frank McCarroll brings decades of experience in Karate, and grappling along with a professional background in education. His teaching style strikes a balance between the discipline and tradition of Okinawan Karate and its practical self-defense applications. Under his guidance, students develop strong fundamentals in movement, balance, and striking, while also learning how to apply these skills outside the dojo.

    McCarroll’s emphasis on character development, respect, and perseverance makes his classes ideal for children, teens, and adults alike. He sets the tone for Practical Karate as both a martial arts school and a place where students can grow personally and physically. As a Judo black belt, Jiu-Jitsu brown belt and former high school wrestler, he has a wide range of knowledge in both striking and grappling, blending the two into his instruction.

  • Ferdie Allas – 9 Time US Karate Champion & BJJ Black Belt
    Ferdie Allas of San Diego brings a unique blend of experience to teaching karate, making it highly practical for self-defense. A nine-time U.S. karate champion, Allas combines the precision and discipline of traditional Karate with the toughness of high school wrestling and the technical depth of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, in which he holds a black belt. This fusion of striking and grappling allows his students to develop well-rounded skills for real-world situations. By drawing from multiple combat sports, Allas ensures that his students not only learn effective techniques but also gain confidence, adaptability, and the practical ability to protect themselves.
  • Royce Allas – Bridging Karate, Muay Thai and Wrestling
    Royce Allas adds another dimension to the dojo with his ability to seamlessly blend striking and wrestling techniques. He is a two-time US Junior Karate champion, winner of the 2018 USKD Muay Thai tournament and former high school wrestler. Due to his experience competing in Karate, Muay Thai and wrestling Royce has helped professional fighters like kickboxing world champion Tiffany “Time Bomb” van Soest and former UFC title contendor Wilson Reis prepare for fights.

    Whether it’s defending against takedowns while striking, working in the clinch, or striking effectively on the ground, Royce ensures students are adaptable and well-rounded. His teaching helps bridge the gap between Karate’s powerful strikes and the control of grappling.

  • Gabriel Miglioli – Grappling Expertise
    Completing the team is Gabriel Miglioli, who brings advanced grappling knowledge through his background as a professional mixed martial artist. Gabriel teaches students how to feel confident when fights go to the ground and how not to go to the ground and get up from the ground, a skill he put to use in his professional fights against former UFC Champion Rafael dos Anjos and former UFC title contender Al Iaquinta.

    For students with striking backgrounds, Gabriel’s instruction makes them comfortable on the mat. For grapplers, he refines their technique and connects their skills with Practical Karate’s broader system. His expertise ensures that every student develops the ability to handle themselves in close-quarters combat.

A Unified Training System

What makes Practical Karate unique isn’t just the expertise of its instructors—it’s how their skills come together to form a complete martial arts program. Instead of separating striking and grappling classes, they are integrated, allowing students to learn how to transition fluidly between ranges.

Imagine starting an encounter with karate strikes, using boxing combinations to close distance, countering a clinch with a judo throw, and finishing with wrestling control or a jiu-jitsu submission. At Practical Karate, this is not theory—it’s practice. Students don’t just train techniques in isolation; they learn how to apply them as one seamless system.

Martial Arts for Families and Adults

Practical Karate is more than a dojo—it’s a community. Families love the safe, supportive environment where kids learn respect, discipline, and self-confidence while also developing real self-defense skills.

Adults benefit too. Whether the goal is fitness, stress relief, competition, or practical self-defense, the classes challenge both body and mind. Many parents join their kids on the mat, discovering that martial arts is a journey the whole family can share.

Push Hands

Why Choose Practical Karate in San Diego?

San Diego has no shortage of martial arts schools. But what makes Practical Karate stand out is its complete approach. Instead of choosing between Karate, boxing, jiu-jitsu, or wrestling, students at Practical Karate train in all of them under one roof, guided by expert instructors who understand how to blend them into one effective system.

With Frank McCarroll’s karate foundation, Royce Allas’s striking-to-grappling transitions, and Gabriel Miglioli’s world-class grappling instruction, Practical Karate delivers the best of both worlds: the tradition and discipline of martial arts, and the practicality of modern self-defense.

For anyone looking for martial arts in San Diego, whether a parent searching for a safe and effective program for their child, an adult wanting to get in shape, or someone seeking confidence in self-defense—Practical Karate is the answer.

Take the First Step

If you’re ready to experience martial arts that truly prepare you for every situation, come see why Practical Karate is San Diego’s one-stop shop for striking and grappling. Whether you’re a complete beginner or an experienced martial artist, our doors are open.

📍 Location: Practical Karate – 4170 Morena Blvd., San Diego, CA 92117
📞 Phone: (858) 291-8362
🌐 Website: www.practicalkarate.com
✉️ Email: info@practicalkarate.com

Class Schedule Highlights:

  • Little Ninjas Karate (3-6 years old) Mon-Fri 3:45-4:25 pm, Sat 9:15-9:55 am
  • Kids Karate (6-10 years old) Mon-Fri 4:30-5:30 pm, Sat 10-11 am

Teen & Adult Striking

  • Practical Karate Mon-Fri 5:30-6:30 pm, Sat 11am-Noon
  • Sparring Saturday 12-1 pm
  • MMA Mon-Thurs 6:30-7:30 pm

Grappling

  • Judo Mon 6:30-7:30 pm, Wed 5:30-6:30 pm, Sat 11am-Noon
  • Wrestling Saturday 10-11 am
  • Family Classes: Saturday 11am-Noon

Come try your first class and see why Practical Karate is trusted by families and martial artists across San Diego.