Chris Santillo

Chris and Holly Santillo are passionate about the martial arts, music, parenting, and education. Chris is the founder and Head Instructor of Potomac Kempo in Alexandria, Virginia, and Integrity Martial Arts in Dungarvan, County Waterford, Ireland; he brings over twenty-five years of teaching experience and holds Black Belts in multiple martial arts, including a 6th-degree Black Belt in Kempo.

Holly has been the founding conductor of several choirs, including the Mount Vernon Children's Choir, Harmony Children's Choir, and the women's a cappella group, Canto, as well as being a Senior Instructor of Potomac Kempo and Integrity Martial Arts. Together, they've crafted a unique and powerful parenting approach rooted in martial arts principles, detailed in their book, "Resilience Parenting: Raising Resilient Children in an Era of Detachment and Dependence."

For three years, they adventured around the world and through thirty-two countries with their three young children, which they have chronicled in "Five Backpacks Family: the Road Less Traveled." With no home and five backpacks, they styled themselves as modern-day nomads. Their travel blog is the story of the journey, the fantastic things they saw, an inquiry into the nature of travel and the concept of home, and reflections on where and why the road less traveled ended.

Now settled in Ireland, Chris and Holly continue to share their experiences through their books, martial arts teachings, and song. Their commitment to fostering resilience and cultural understanding shines through in all they do.