Chief Instructor George Guzman

Guzman, a Department of Sanitation supervisor and former Department of Corrections officer, has been studying martial art since 1973, instructing since 1988. He opened the New York City Mixed Martial Arts in Grasmere, Staten Island 20 years ago.

"We're focusing on cross-training fighters in Shotokan Karate, Judo, Jiu Jitsu and Western Boxing, among other things. We are trying to make something for every single person while they are here with us."

"We have different programs for different people here. What we try to do is sort our members here as those looking to be competitors, those looking for self-defense and those looking for something else. Then we can give them exactly what they say they need, all while showing them additional paths and possibilities along the way."

"We're one of the few local dojos with a fighting cage, we cater to those varying needs and programming requests with a diverse staff, all with knowledge in specific areas of martial arts."

"We're looking to train competitive fighters, and you can't truly do that without keeping it as real as possible. You don't get to the Olympics by holding back. Some classes are combat-driven, and others focus more on drills and techniques."

We try to surround ourselves with really good people, all of which are very talented, and let them run a program here. The training is different than most places, as it focuses on ranges of fighting, including punching, throwing, and grappling ranges, all while maintaining a full-contact regimen.