How to Start a Lucrative Jiu Jitsu School with No Money

Matthew Richard Paulino’s martial arts journey began with a small spark—one that would grow into a mission much bigger than himself.

Born in Brooklyn, raised in Las Vegas, and spending nearly two decades in LA, Matthew’s life revolved around performance and movement:

“Martial arts been in my life since I was like, 8 years old, and then got involved in jiu jitsu in 93 and never looked back.”

Like so many drawn to the mystery of martial arts, it started as curiosity and became an obsession after witnessing the first UFC events on television.

“My ultimate goal was to work in the film industry, but also be a really good martial artist,” he recalls.

What began in local garages and neighborhood dojos soon expanded: “I taught for many academies for probably about 10 years. Six or seven. Maybe even up to 11 different academies from the 90s up until Pandemic.”

Through years of teaching, Matthew refined his understanding of not only the arts themselves, but the powerful influence an instructor could have on students.

Taking the Leap: Building a Home for Jiu Jitsu

It wasn’t always clear that Matthew would own his own gym. The transition from martial arts teacher to business owner was a leap filled with both faith and spontaneity. As he tells it: “I kind of Forrest Gumped my way into this place. I finally had an opportunity to make it happen and just went for it, you know? And by the grace of God, here we are.”

A chance conversation and an entrepreneurial push led to a crucial break: “Simple. Bike ride with my daughter’s friend’s dad. It is a place down here. Coveted hit. I got Eidl loan money… Ended up getting it.” Suddenly, the “far-off” dream of running a school became reality, and as Matthew describes, “There was a pull a trigger and go, let’s see what happens. And then here I am already technically three years later, but September 1st, we’ll be doing our or year December 1st, three year anniversary.”

The name Triple Seven Jiu Jitsu itself is deeply personal: “Seven Seven. Seven. Seven, seven, seven. The triune number for God. God’s number. Right. The three sevens make a triangle, which is the symbol for Jiu Jitsu.” It’s an identity that weaves together both spiritual meaning and Matthew’s unique journey growing up.

Building a Community: Struggles and Successes

Launching Triple Seven wasn’t without its challenges. From the outset, Matthew realized that running a martial arts gym—especially during and after a global pandemic—meant reinventing old ideas, pivoting toward new opportunities, and supporting a growing community. “Helping people has been a big one. That’s opened my eyes a lot. Like, when you’re teaching for other academies, it’s good, but it’s not the same as when it’s yours and you have to figure it all out.”

The sense of “family” soon became a pillar of Triple Seven. The gym’s youth programs were a highlight: “We work on all the other things too. Leadership and friendship and honor and respect and discipline. But we have fun. And what amazes me about these kids is that some of them are coming here almost three years… when they’re here, as you saw today, they’re present, they’re active, they listen, they work well together, they help each other out. There’s teamwork.”

But it wasn’t just the kids who grew. For Matthew, the challenges of business ownership spurred his own growth, too: “The transformation for myself has been from martial arts guy to business owner and learning about business and running business. Success is a series of failures. Yeah, just. You just don’t stop. You pivot and you adapt and you adjust.”

Transformation: Lives Changed, Lessons Learned

For Matthew, the heart of Triple Seven is transformation—both for its members and for himself. He’s witnessed children grow into leaders, adults reclaim their health, and lives reshaped by the lessons of consistent training and community.

“It’s the kid that comes in here and doesn’t look at you… like a month later, he’s running the warm ups. Line up, bow in, go, go, go. Right? Or some that are not coordinated, that can’t even do a level change… For some clients, getting into a grappling stance… is a huge accomplishment.”

Transformations weren’t limited to skill. “We have guys in here that are in their 50s… Coach Jeff, his goal is to lose 28 pounds before he gets promoted. That’s really cool. He’s in here with coach Mike, lifting weights, doing his cardio… Janet, that was here, she had shoulder surgery. Not from here, but she had shoulder surgery. She was out for three months. She came back. She’s 60.”

Matthew has even received messages from students and parents years after they passed through his classes—affirmations that the impact of the gym goes far beyond the walls: “One of the dads texted me… Sent me a picture of his son, who just turned 15 and got a green belt. He said, after all, 11 years later, hey, man, thank you for being there and being part of his journey… Now he’s this. He’s just got his driver’s license, too, and he’s a green belt at 15, 15 and a half, whatever it is. And I’m like, wow, that’s huge, man.”

Lessons for the Future: Advice from Experience

With three years as a gym owner, Matthew offers hindsight for others with similar ambitions. The business is more than teaching martial arts: “I’ve learned that good is better than perfect. Don’t let. What do you say? Don’t let perfection be the enemy of good… But at the same time, it’s not as easy as people think it is. Like, just throw down some mats and advertise on Facebook and everything will be taken care of… It’s so much more than coming here teaching moves.”

He stresses preparation, adaptability, and the importance of vision: “The only thing that’s for certain when you lack vision and direction, that you can count on your team or… team members, right. Is chaos, confusion and carnage. That’s guaranteed.”

Ultimately, Triple Seven Jiu Jitsu stands as a testament to what’s possible when passion meets perseverance—a place where martial arts changes lives, and a tight-knit team, led by a coach, grows together: “Be true to yourself, be a genuine person and provide a good service to your community through martial art, through training, through physical fitness. I think that’s a big one.”