The One-Two Punch of Significant Strikes

This gym and nonprofit connect northern Michigan with the benefits of combat fighting

By Ross Boissoneau | Sept. 7, 2024

For Chris Franks, it’s all about giving back—and punching back. Through his gym Significant Strikes and its sister nonprofit, Grand Traverse Community Enrichment, Franks is looking to help people learn to defend themselves, get in better shape, and gain self-confidence.

He believes fighting—aka combat sports—is for anyone who needs to increase their mental and physical strength and discipline. “It can lead you to where you need to go,” he says.

A Better Path

For Franks, the outlet helped lead him back into a productive role in society. “I was a misguided youth,” he says. He found himself on the wrong path, and eventually landed in jail. “I needed to hit reset, change my circle of friends, stay away from bad habits.”

To that end, he took up combat sports and jiu-jitsu after meeting a fellow inmate on the basketball court while in jail. “He was an athlete … who started fighting while incarcerated.”

He followed his friend’s career once he was released, and eventually took it up himself. “It sparked my interest. I took eight jiu-jitsu classes before my first fight.” That gave him the confidence he needed. Overconfidence, really. “I got my ass kicked. It was an eye-opening experience,” says Franks.

You need skills and experience to compete, he realized. “My opponent had both. I had neither.”

Which led him to seriously start to work. Franks began to find some success, winning multiple amateur titles and a Michigan Golden Gloves boxing title. But mixed martial arts (MMA) was not well organized at the time, with different rules in different states, and some states not even legalizing the sport. “It was the wild, wild west. There was no sanctioning body, no illegal moves or testing,” Franks says.

As his MMA career progressed, he began giving back to those younger than himself, people he could help learn the ins and outs of the sport. At the time, he was working out at a gym in Traverse City. When that gym closed, Franks and his partner, Allison Korson, decided the best course of action was to open their own.

A Newfound Love for the Gym

Thus was born Significant Strikes, which opened in fall of 2021. “Chris is the head boxing coach and assists our MMA coach with striking aspects, while I coach fundamental jiu-jitsu,” says Korson.

She also coaches high school wrestling and runs the administrative and accounting sides of the business. “Chris began with jiu-jitsu but found his passion for boxing, and I started with boxing and found my passion for wrestling and jiu-jitsu.”

The gym offers a number of different classes, from basic fundamentals to advanced classes, geared toward everyone at any age.

“Our members consist of blue-collar construction workers to white-collar bankers and everyone in between, with ages ranging from 13 to 60-plus,” says Korson. “Whether you’re looking to start your fitness journey or you’re hitting a plateau, learning how to fight will spark a newfound love for being at the gym, and make you sweat in the process.”

Do you have to be an experienced fighter to join up?

“We cater to competitors as well as hobbyists,” says Korson. “We have boxers, MMA fighters and jiu-jitsu competitors, but we also have a large majority of our members who don’t compete. Competitors have higher expectations, but the fighting gym at Significant Strikes is for everyone.”

The two note that they have also worked with specific professional groups, offering seminars specializing in self-defense and awareness in specific environments.

“We have worked with real estate professionals, active-duty officers, and even coffee shop workers to explain different scenarios and show options on how to stay safe and protect yourself,” Korson says.

A Fun Physical Outlet

Knowing how much they enjoyed combat sports and how much it helped them, Franks and Korson decided they wanted to give back and provide such opportunities to those who might benefit from it most. They started the nonprofit Grand Traverse Community Enrichment in 2022 to take martial arts and combat sports to at-risk youth throughout the region.

Franks says their classes are geared toward middle school students. They provide all the protective gear and “weapons,” such as pool noodles. “We teach people about keeping your composure,” says Franks.

“We travel to communities for free, and teach kids and community members the benefits of learning how to fight in a safe environment. Combat sports teaches kids anti-bullying techniques, as well as core values such as discipline, confidence, and respect,” Korson tells us. Perhaps best of all, “It gives them a physical outlet that is fun!”

Franks says the practice benefits the kids in the classroom as well. By expending energy and working out their aggression in a safe, controlled environment, they’re likely to be less disruptive in class. “After we leave, teachers have better results from the kids,” he says.

The two note that when Grand Traverse Community Enrichment first opened, the classes were only available online. That’s now changed. Franks says they have taught classes in Cadillac, Mancelona, and Suttons Bay. With the addition of a new community center, the two can not only travel for seminars, but also offer free programs to the youth in Traverse City year-round.

Since moving to their permanent facility at 2780 Cass Road in April, Grand Traverse Community Enrichment has partnered with the Grand Traverse Juvenile and Family Court system to provide training for at-risk youth. Korson notes that the organization now offers summer and after-school programs available to all youth throughout the region at no cost.

Learn more about the gym at significantstrikes.com and about Grand Traverse Community Enrichment at grandtraversecommunityenrichment.org.