Four years ago, the then 21-year-old took over his family's struggling dojo, KMA Champion Martial Arts Wollongong. 

However, the 25-year-old began his martial arts journey aged five. 

“I was a little bit crazy,” he laughed. “I think Mum was trying to find something to settle me down. I’m not sure it worked. 

“It was in this little dingy hall in the ghetto of Macquarie Fields studying taekwondo. I can’t even remember the name, but I loved it.”

Skrapis soon discovered one of the styles of martial arts that would define much of his young life; XMA, or Extreme Martial Arts.

This style encompasses tricks, acrobatics, both with and without weapons and is often set to music to entertain a crowd. 

Bruises and bumps from mistimed tricks were common, but helped him find his own style.

In 2004, at the age of 13 he obtained his first adult black belt in taekwondo. 

Skrapis would go on to obtain a black belt in hapkido while still at school and study other styles, including boxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In 2013, the martial arts school his mother had founded was in danger of closing.

Skrapis, who had been running the XMA, taekwondo and children’s hapkido classes, asked to take on the business. 

“We had only about 20 students, but I really loved taking the kids’ classes and I didn’t want them to have to find another school,” he said. 

In 2013, KMA Wollongong moved from its original home to its current headquarters in Coniston.

“I love how even the smallest thing can make a massive difference in one of the kids’ lives,” he said.

“It can be just showing them how to finish of a kick properly, and you get a huge grin in return.”

He later earnt a fourth dan black belt in taekwondo, and the school now teaches more than 120 adults and children each week.

On April 22, KMA Wollongong opened a second campus dedicated to kids’ and women’s fitness and self-defence. The campus is based at Warrawong.