JoAnn Wabisca – Taking Over the World

JoAnn Wabisca has lived a life many of us can only imagine. Born of French and indigenous parents in British Columbia, she began her career working in the film industry as an actress and makeup artist for several Canadian television shows before moving to Los Angeles. She founded her own makeup artistry company and traveled all over the globe to work on the sets of large productions including Major League (1989) and Shoot to Kill (1989) and worked with such Hollywood greats as Ava Gardner and Sydney Poitier.
When she grew tired of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, she decided to start a contemporary fashion company named Cheyano Designs to honor her native roots. In 1991, she started producing and designing garments which would be sold in stores all over the world. She was even given a mention by Forbes as an up-and-coming designer, as well as appearing in publications such as the New York Times.
But in 1994, when JoAnne was 35 years old, she found her true passion. Savate or Boxe Francaise is a French form of street-fighting which traces its history back to the 17th century and is described as the “ballet of kickboxing.” The movements are graceful and seem choreographed like a dance with sophisticated footwork, albeit dangerous.
In 2003 JoAnn won the US National Championship for Savate and in 2004 went on to win the World-Vice Championship. In 2006 she won the National Championship competition for Savate again and became one of the first women in the US to be granted the coveted “Silver Glove” rank (which is equivalent to a black belt in East Asian martial arts). Shortly after, she was named President of the American Federation of Boxe Francaise Savate – a title which she currently holds again, twenty years later.
JoAnn and her husband, Dr. Edward Monaghan, founded Combative Arts Academy in West Hollywood in 1997. Their deep passion for fitness and wellness led them to open a second center in Valencia in 2007 and expanded to meet the demands of their growing clientele in 2014.
The Ekata Training Center on Smyth Drive is based on the Sanskrit word for “oneness” and approaches clients with a holistic-based healing program. They offer martial arts training, meditation, as well as a state licensed childcare program, camps and classes for kids. The center combines a blend of traditional eastern philosophy and western technology to better promote brain health, balance, mindfulness, and nutrition.
JoAnn is so excited to share her next project – a dream come true, where she will be taking a group of teenage competitors from Ekata as their head coach to participate in the World Youth Championship of Boxe Francaise Savate in Europe in the summer of 2023.
JoAnn is a certified instructor of Boxe Francaise Savate, Muay Thai and Jeet Kune Do, and is also certified as sports performance trainer, in breath-work, massage, meditation, and martial arts training. As well as her achievements for Savate, she has won “Figure” competitions for fitness/bodybuilding in 2004 and 2005 respectively. JoAnn Wabisca has lived the life of a world known makeup artist, a famous couture fashion designer, and a champion of Savate. Through her years of experience weaving through complex industries to make a name for herself, JoAnn has lived a life few of us can imagine. She has been hailed as a trailblazer, achieving her goals and being an inspiration for everyone.
For more information on Ekata Training Center visit www.ekata.net. 

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