Kung Fu Kids® Opens Franchise Territories Nationwide as Two Homegrown Coaches Launch Bay Area Schools in November

Founder-led children’s development brand with more than 20 years of history and 10,000 students is now recruiting franchise owners across the U.S.

SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, November 4, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Kung Fu Kids^®, the children’s martial arts and development program that has served more than 10,000 students since 2003, is launching its franchise opportunity nationwide. The national push comes as the brand’s first two franchisees, both of whom grew up on the Kung Fu Kids mat, open their doors in the San Francisco Bay Area this November: 21-year-old Kyle Chang in Newark on November 3, and 20-year-old Archies Kulkarni in Cambrian Park, San Jose, on November 14.

Both new schools sit close to Kung Fu Kids’ corporate-owned locations in the South Bay and East Bay, where the model has been refined for more than two decades. But the brand is clear that its next generation of owners will not need to share Kyle and Archies’ martial arts backgrounds. Kung Fu Kids is built as a child development business that uses martial arts as the vehicle, run on an executive ownership model where owners lead the business and a trained team delivers the classes.

Kung Fu Kids was founded by David and Liz Chang, known to their coaches as Sifu Chang and Sifu Liz. It began in a garage with a single student and grew into a network of company-owned schools across the Bay Area, including the original Coleman location and schools in Palo Alto, Berryessa, Pleasanton, and on Capitol Expressway in San Jose. Sifu Chang brought the authenticity, technical expertise and passion for kung fu, while Sifu Liz brought the structure, operational discipline and family-focused vision that turned a traditional martial arts school into a systems-driven child development concept.

Over time, the mission became less about competition and belts, and more about who children become: confident, focused, respectful and resilient young people. That philosophy, captured in the brand’s promise “We turn children into successful adults,” is what Kung Fu Kids is now taking nationwide.

“Parents don’t come to us because they want a future martial arts champion. They come because they want a child who is more confident, more focused and kinder to the people around them. We’ve spent more than 20 years building the programs, the training and the systems that make that happen, and we’re ready to share it with families in every corner of the country,” said David Chang.

The first franchise location in Mountain View has been operating successfully for the last 12 months and now Kung Fu Kids’ latest two franchisees to launch are a living example of what the brand is designed to do. Kyle Chang first stepped onto the mat at just three years old and earned his black belt at 12. He joined the brand’s Leadership Program, became a paid part-time instructor at 14 and later helped welcome new families through one-on-one evaluations. After graduating from UC Irvine in business economics in a little over two years, he built his own digital marketing agency. While running marketing for Kung Fu Kids, he spotted a gap in the map between the Berryessa and Pleasanton schools and decided to fill it himself.

“When I looked at where our families were coming from, Newark just stood out,” said Kyle. “I knew parents here would love what we do. So I thought, why don’t I open it myself?”

Archies Kulkarni’s parents first brought her to Kung Fu Kids at seven, hoping martial arts would build her confidence and discipline. She went on to earn her second-degree black belt and began coaching at 16. While studying communications and legal studies at San Jose State University, she accelerated her four-year degree to finish in two and a half years, choosing to open her own Kung Fu Kids location rather than go straight to law school.

“I thought, why not make my love for Kung Fu Kids something even bigger?” said Archies. “Getting to build something that’s good for families and loving what you do every day is so rare.”

“Kyle and Archies are exactly what Kung Fu Kids exists to do. They walked in as little kids and they are now leaders and business owners opening schools in their own communities. That makes us incredibly proud. But we want every potential franchisee to hear this clearly: you do not need a martial arts background to own a Kung Fu Kids. Our curriculum can be taught and our systems can be learned. What we look for are leaders who love their community and want to build something meaningful for children and families,” said Liz Chang.

Kung Fu Kids is designed for executive ownership. Owners are not expected to teach classes or have martial arts experience. Instead, they focus on community relationships, team leadership, marketing oversight and financial performance, while a Head Coach and a small team of two to four instructors deliver the daily class experience. The brand recruits instructors for character, energy and a love of working with children, then trains them in the Kung Fu Kids method, so owners are not competing for a limited pool of black belts.

The opportunity is a strong fit for operators, former corporate professionals, educators, coaches, parents and community-minded entrepreneurs, as well as multi-unit investors looking to grow a portfolio of schools over time. The business model is built on recurring monthly memberships, with additional revenue from birthday parties, Parents’ Night Out events, camps, seasonal programs, special events and retail. Schools typically occupy 2,000 to 3,000 square feet in family-friendly retail or flex spaces near neighborhoods, schools and grocery-anchored centers, with a straightforward buildout.

To support its national expansion, Kung Fu Kids has partnered with BrandONE, a franchise development consultancy that works with franchisors to sustainably grow enterprise value. Entrepreneurs interested in bringing Kung Fu Kids to their community can learn more about available territories by contacting David Chang.

David Chang
Kung Fu Kids Franchise
+1 408-314-5011
sifu@kungfukidsfranchise.com
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