Sports feature

Local MMA fighter takes on new career as gym owner

Mixed martial artist opens The Hit Pit on Long Beach Road

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Mixed martial arts fighter  Brittany Gianino recently opened The Hit Pit on Long Beach Road in Island Park.
Mixed martial arts fighter Brittany Gianino recently opened The Hit Pit on Long Beach Road in Island Park.
Photos courtesy Brittany Gianino

Local mixed martial arts fighter Brittany Gianino is charting a new course on her fitness journey.

Gianino launched a new studio on Long Beach Road in Island Park last fall in hopes of passing along skills she has gained inside and outside the cage. The Farmingdale native and former Long Beach resident is embracing adjustment into the business side of training with her new venture called The Hit Pit that offers fitness and MMA programs designed for all ages and skill levels.

“Overall the change has been so unbelievably positive,” said Gianino, who earned a fourth-degree black belt in the Hawaiian martial art, Kajukenbo, and competed on a national level in karate for 12 years before launching into kickboxing at age 19. “Training my personal clients, or working for other dojo's and fitness studio's teaching classes, verse now being the sole proprietor has shown me all the variables and moving parts, so much goes into a gym to make it succeed.”

Gianino, who recently moved from Long Beach to Island Park, is balancing her new entrepreneur life while still tackling a fighting career. She has several fights planned for 2018 and trains with professional word champion boxer Amanda Serrano and MMA fighter Jillian DeCoursey.

“When I have a fight, instead of just teaching, I’m teaching and training with my team,” said Gianino of tying her two careers together. “I have great sparring partners.”

Gianino, who was first drawn to combat sports while fighting with her two brothers growing up, received an early test running a business when two pipes burst during an early January blizzard forcing the gym to close for a week to repair damages. Hit Pit members chipped in the aftermath of the storm to help the doors reopen as soon as possible.

“The moment my students and members heard what happened they rushed to help me as quickly as possible,” said Gianino, who earned a fourth-degree black belt in the Hawaiian martial art, Kajukenbo. “Local business owners and gym owners reached out giving me advice on how to go forward financially and how to deal with the damage.”

The community spirit of Hit Pit also took shape when Gianino decided to have the gym take part in the Women’s March in Manhattan on Jan. 20. She said the goal was to show that the fighting spirit of her gym extends to rallying for the rights of women and minority groups.

“I wanted to make a solid stand that our gym, our martial arts institute, will not stand for any form of discrimination,” she said. “Right now there are too many bullies in office and we fight bullies.”

Gianino has aimed the gym at providing programs for all ages and skill levels including offering special kids classes for ages 12 and under. She also wants to offer a fitness experience that goes well beyond just traditional karate that dominates many MMA studios.

“I am learning the challenges as time progresses,” she said. “Overall the change has been so unbelievably positive.”