Inside 10th Planet Long Beach: Rebuilding a BJJ Gym From the Ground Up
Starring
Chai Sirisute grew up immersed in martial arts, training in Muay Thai from a young age before expanding into Jiu-Jitsu. Chai’s passion for martial arts, teaching, and community-building shines through in his commitment to helping people better themselves on and off the mats.
About Fit & Fight Gym
10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu is a non-traditional system of Brazilian jiu-jitsu developed by Eddie Bravo. It is a no-gi based style so the fighters use rash guards as their main fighting wear. 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu fighters are known to employ unorthodox guard positions and a distinct focus on leg lock attacks.
📍1757 Pacific Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813
📞 562-716-2761
Summary
In this episode, Gymdesk CEO Alex Cuevas sits down with Chai Sirisute, the owner of 10th Planet Long Beach, to share the inspiring story of rebuilding his Jiu-Jitsu gym from scratch after it burned down in 2020. The episode highlights the resilience required to recover from loss, the importance of community support—including a successful GoFundMe initiated by fellow martial artists—and Chai's dedication to building a welcoming, growth-oriented environment for Jiu-Jitsu students.
They also discuss practical business lessons, such as the pitfalls of cash-only memberships and the benefits of using direct deposit and management software. Chai credits Gymdesk with helping bring in new students and improving membership retention through user-friendly marketing tools and member management features. The episode closes with advice for other gym owners: focus on culture, optimize your marketing efforts as early as possible, and always strive to create a positive impact on members.
