Gym Owner Statistics: The State of Gyms, Member Trends, and Usage Data
Just an hour or so from Buffalo lies a gym that’s doing far more than rolling and drilling: Takeover Jiu-Jitsu. Walk through its doors, and you’ll see open mats, strength gear, bright windows, and a welcoming energy. But its real strength comes from its deeper purpose – transforming lives, restoring cultural connection, and making Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) accessible to those who often get excluded.
From Grief to Giving Back: The Genesis of Takeover
The story of Takeover begins in heartbreak. In 2017, the founder lost a brother-like friend to gun violence. It was a pivotal moment that plunged him into deep grief. During that time, his wife, a teacher of Bomba (a traditional Puerto Rican dance and drumming form), was already running classes in a tiny, 200 sq ft apartment studio.
As she connected with families in the Puerto Rican community, a recurring concern surfaced: kids in their midst were being bullied. Sensing an opportunity to help, she suggested he teach jiu-jitsu in that small space. It was a way to give him purpose, and a way to support a community that was already struggling after Hurricane Maria displaced many Puerto Ricans to Buffalo.
What began as after-work classes in a tiny space soon became something bigger. Word spread. Parents, neighbors, and children came. The mission evolved: to offer not just martial arts, but belonging, leadership, and cultural pride.
Building a Gym That’s Also a Cultural Home
Now housed in a sprawling 10,000 sq ft facility, Takeover is more than a gym; it’s symbiotic with a Puerto Rican cultural center under the same roof. The two parts – BJJ and cultural programming complement each other, feeding the same mission of empowerment.
What’s remarkable is how intentional they’ve been: the kids’ program began as an equity initiative, aimed at providing free or heavily subsidized jiu-jitsu to Black and brown youth who otherwise couldn’t afford it. The adult membership side helps sustain this mission. Instead of chasing scale and expansion, Takeover is rooted in serving the local community deeply.
When you visit, you’ll find a space that flexes: wide training mats in front, and behind, walls that convert into classrooms. During summers, the entire facility transforms into a day camp for K–6 children. Students study literacy, math, Puerto Rican history, nonviolent communication, and in the afternoon, do jiu-jitsu and drum/ dance in the Bomba tradition. At peak, 60–70 kids fill the space each morning.
A Youth-Centric Approach That Changes Lives
1. Free play + structure = better behavior & growth
One of the most unique features in their youth classes is how they allocate time. Instead of strict drills from the get-go, classes begin with free play. This includes soccer, punching bags, blocks, or whatever kids choose. Once energy is expressed, class transitions into order and technique training. This balance gives kids autonomy, respects their needs, and helps them want to engage when it’s time to learn. Behavior improves; buy-in increases.
This approach came out of necessity: many students arrive with educational, emotional, or behavioral challenges. Rather than punish, Takeover meets kids where they are and works with them.
2. Relationships as the starting point
Before drills begin, they sit in a “circle” (a Native American-inspired practice): check-ins about feelings, announcements, celebrations, losses – “any news to share?” This bonding time is intentional. The founder, drawing on his educational background, believes that climate and culture in any organization come from relationships first. When people feel known, they show up differently.
3. Technology + autonomy for adults
Adults aren’t micromanaged either. After warm-ups, pairs get three minutes of guard/passing rounds. The coaches may suggest techniques, but students are encouraged to bring their own ideas (Instagram moves, drills they’ve seen) and “find their flow.” To support this exploration, Takeover offers a video library – every technique taught in class is recorded and available for review. Students can watch, rewind, and internalize at their own pace.
Who’s Rising Up Inside Takeover
One of the most beautiful parts of Takeover’s story is how leadership is grown from within.
- Coach Nani: About 3.5 years into training, she’s now a purple belt, leads the kids’ classes, serves on the cultural board, and is launching a women’s self-defense curriculum. Beyond mats, she studies political science and aspires to be an attorney. She leads not because she was imported, but because she was nurtured.
- Sarah: Her first trial class triggered a panic attack. She cried, froze, and thought she’d never return. Today, she’s a confident blue belt, sparring with men and women, inspiring new female students to step in. Her transformation embodies what Takeover aims to do: turn fear into agency.
Other students have even traveled to Puerto Rico for the first time in decades. Some had never stepped foot in their ancestral homeland since Hurricane Maria displaced them. Takeover organized these trips, helping reconnect identity, culture, and community.
The Puerto Rican Impact: Culture & Identity Under the Mats
As much as Takeover is about jiu-jitsu technique, its heart is cultural reclamation. The Buffalo Puerto Rican population is growing rapidly, and many families feel disconnected from their heritage after migration or tragedy. Takeover offers a hub.
The Bomba programming isn’t just showy dance. It’s an expression of centuries of resistance, identity, and Black Puerto Rican roots (originating in places like Loíza). One of their coaches, Coach Nani, practices both jiu-jitsu and Bomba, and even sits on the board of the cultural center. Monthly Bombasos (community gatherings) bring drummers, dancers, singers, food, and social connection. It’s not an add-on, it’s woven into the gym’s DNA.
For many youth, Bomba becomes their first step toward cultural pride. For parents and families, the gym becomes a place where identity isn’t sidelined = it’s affirmed.
Operational Tools That Enable Mission
Even mission-heavy gyms need solid systems, and Takeover is no exception. That’s where tools like Gymdesk come in.
- Affordability + usability: Takeover needed software that wouldn’t break the budget, especially since revenue is invested back into community programming. Gymdesk’s pricing and interface were accessible from day one.
- Automation & retention workflows: Automated class reminders, sequence messaging, and post-trial Google review links help streamline registration and boost visibility.
- Strong support: Whenever a problem arose, the team was responsive. A one-on-one session with Shannon (a Gymdesk support rep) helped optimize underused tools. That kind of service meant Takeover could focus on mission, not fire-fight tech issues.
In short: the gym’s core strengths wouldn’t scale without dependable ops behind the scenes.
Why Takeover’s Model Stands Out
A few things make Takeover different from most BJJ gyms:
- Mission-first structure: It wasn’t built purely as a profit business; its roots are in service, healing, and community uplift.
- Cultural integration: Most gyms don’t embed heritage programming. Takeover doesn’t treat it as an afterthought – it’s equal pedigree.
- Youth-first leadership: Coaching, administration, and curriculum development are nurtured from its own student base.
- Teaching with empathy: Whether it’s free play, relational check-ins, or giving adults autonomy, the model respects the human behind the athlete.
- Sustainable symbiosis: Adult membership supports kids’ programs; cultural events bring additional engagement and identity.
Looking Forward: A Bright Path Ahead
Looking to the future, Takeover’s vision is clear: invest in youth leadership, broaden access to BJJ for kids of color and young women, and keep blending culture and martial arts as tools for service. As the founder says, “We’re building from within. We’re not looking to import greatness.”
The gym’s hope is that in a generation, BJJ is not just something kids do after school, but that those kids become the coaches, the cultural stewards, the leaders in their communities.
From humble beginnings in a 200 sq ft apartment to a sprawling facility filled with mats, drums, laughter, and learning – Takeover Jiu-Jitsu shows us that a gym can be more than technique and rolling. It can be a home for identity, a launchpad for leadership, and a safe space for kids and families who need it most.
If you’re a parent, a martial arts professional, or someone who believes in community-driven impact – Takeover’s story is proof that what happens off the mats can matter even more than what happens on them
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