Meet Santhi Castle | Owner & Master Instructor of Encinitas Karate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Santhi Castle and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Santhi, what role has risk played in your life or career?
There is something to be said for the amount of risk one must take when they decide to open their own business. I believe that risk taking begins when we decide that we want a change not only in our careers, but in our daily lives as well. If we don’t take a risk and push for personal/professional success, there’s a chance that we can remain stagnant in our lives, leading to a lot of regret.

As a business owner, I have taken many risks and made hard decisions that have allowed me to push myself towards larger achievements in life. At the age of 10, I made a risky decision to join martial arts training in a place where female practitioners are treated harshly and unfair. At the time, being in a male dominated sport and training almost exclusively with misogynistic cisgender men, made life difficult. At times, it made me question whether or not the risks I took had been worth it. However, I refused to let it affect me, and instead let it push me to work harder and stronger, which paid off in the end. The biggest risk by far, had been moving from Malaysia to the U.S.A, to start my dream business, owning a Karate Studio.

To this day, people are still oblivious and unaware of just what it takes, to be a woman who solely owns and operates, a Martial Art studio. Far and few between are always surprised to see a 5’5″, 128 lb women, sitting in the Master’s Chair. More times than not, many people have asked to meet the “Master” of the studio, and to their surprise, their faces drop when I gesture to myself. Some will say “thank you” and walk out, and I respect their choice. However, many will come in and talk to me with respect, because they know that I am the right person to help their child or themselves, succeed and grow.

While, I find growing my karate studio is bit slower than most male owned places, I believe it has to do with people’s preconceived ideas that a male owned studio, is a successful one. I constantly risk my reputation to make sure that it is known, that I am just as good as any male dominated studio, might I say, even better. When I had to close down my studio during the 2020 covid pandemic, it felt like I was moving backwards and all my risks i’ve endured had been for nothing. To be honest, I had lost 40% of my students and almost lost my business entirely. But after following all protocols, waiting for decisions to be made by government and even going virtual, it felt like I had to restart and rebuild my business all over again.

After moving to a beautiful, bigger, new space and regrowing the business back up, the risks have always outweighed the worries. We have an abundance of new students, and we’re always accepting more. We’ve got wonderful instructors and staff, one of which is my own son, 28, who I’ve been teaching since he was 3 years old.

What should our readers know about your business?
What sets Encinitas Karate apart from the other competitors, is our vision to build a community by helping people get in shape, be safe, and at the same time instill the life skills and character of a true martial artist. Upholding important values like courtesy, patience, respect, self-control, and integrity. We will also help you achieve self-discipline, high self-esteem, a positive outlook, a spirit of constant improvement, and an attitude that refuses to give up. These values and life skills will lead to remarkable improvements in academics, careers, and relationships, literally making a better community one black belt at a time. We are the most proud of our students, current and previously, who have made tremendous strides in their lives. The biggest lesson we’ve learned along the way is that you are the only one who stands in the way of making your dreams come true. All the power is in your hands, you’ve just go to take risks and believe in yourself. The rest will follow.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d recommend anything in Downtown San Diego! I love going to the beautiful Coronado Island or enjoying a delicious meal in Little Italy. There’s so much fun to be had in the Gaslamp as well!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My father was instrumental in my success in terms of encouraging me to take bigger risks and not giving up.

Website: www.encinitaskarate.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/encinitaskarate

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncinitasKarate

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/encinitas-karate-encinitas-3

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@encinitaskarate1