Brian Mayer said he has worked every gym job and position and
has been in the business since he was 17-years-old. So it is no
wonder that he jumped at the opportunity to assist in opening a
mixed martial arts studio in Gilroy.
”
It started from the ground up,
”
Mayer said.
”
It’s a dream come true.
”
Mayer, who ended up in the right place at the right time in what
was nothing more than a chance encounter, was put in touch with
Gilroy Health and Fitness owner Joe Gigantino, just three weeks
after moving to the area. It appears to be a perfect MMA match as
the duo worked closely to develop the training facility.
GIRLOY
Brian Mayer said he has worked every gym job and position and has been in the business since he was 17-years-old. So it is no wonder that he jumped at the opportunity to assist in opening a mixed martial arts studio in Gilroy.
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“It started from the ground up,” Mayer said. “It’s a dream come true.”
Mayer, who ended up in the right place at the right time in what was nothing more than a chance encounter, was put in touch with Gilroy Health and Fitness owner Joe Gigantino, just three weeks after moving to the area. It appears to be a perfect MMA match as the duo worked closely to develop the training facility.
“It was just two guys with a plan,” club general manager Raymond Butler said. “We had the space and Brian had a plan.”
What materialized is more than 6,000 square feet inside Gilroy Health and Fitness dedicated to the town’s newest MMA haven, Gilroy Mixed Martial Arts and Training Center and School, which celebrated its grand opening in flashy fashion Saturday.
Gigantino said he wants to make the workout experience a one-stop-shop for the community. With the addition of Gilroy MMA, the gym now offers nearly every workout experience from CrossFit to Zumba to spinning.
“(MMA) is very popular and people are learning an alternative way to exercise,” Gigantino added.
The MMA studio comes equipped with punching bags that line the walls in the back half of the room. About three quarters of the floor is covered with a giant wrestling mat and the walls are decorated with exquisite art work done by artists Louis Rivas and James Martinez. The main attraction in the front part of the room is the brand new sparring cage.
The grand opening included barbecue and music blaring in the parking lot. The free event also featured professional fighters Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia, Donald “Cowboy” Cerroni, and “New York Badass” Phil Baroni, who treated attendees with their top-notch MMA skills in live demonstrations.
Gigantino also ran a fundraiser for Relay for Life, which also occurred in Gilroy over the weekend. Anyone who bought any services from the gym, ranging from personal training to an MMA gym membership, 10 percent of all earnings went to the cancer-funding organization. Gigantino even went the extra mile and donated 100 percent of the profit from the autographed posters signed by the professional fighters and from the raffle that was held during the event to Relay for Life.
Classes are available in various techniques and fighting styles, such as Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, boxing, children’s MMA and MMA conditioning.
Mayer has been at Health and Fitness for just a few months and said he appreciates that Gigantino gave him chance to make the MMA school a reality inside Gilroy Health and Fitness.
The new facility runs classes seven days a week. Mayer can be contacted regarding membership at 612-9946 or at: br***@gi*******.com
— Story by Cat Pierotti
