Kids & adults · Tuesdays and Thursdays
Striking and grappling taught together by ATT-certified coaches — the only school in the area with MMA-certified instructors. Beginners start here too.
No experience needed. Beginner classes every week.
What it is
MMA is where striking and grappling meet. You need to be able to punch and kick, to defend a takedown, and to know what to do once the fight is on the floor — and those are usually taught by different people in different buildings.
Here they are taught together, in one class, by coaches who hold certifications in both. All three Galvan brothers are certified to teach MMA, and they are the only MMA-certified instructors in the area.
Adult MMA runs Tuesday and Thursday at 7pm. Kids MMA runs the same evenings at 5pm, from age 6.
The brothers earned their MMA coaching certifications through American Top Team. To be precise about the relationship: Galvan’s Martial Arts is not an American Top Team affiliate. ATT closed its affiliate program some years ago. The certifications the brothers hold are theirs and remain valid — the affiliation does not.
Kickboxing runs one evening a week, and it is the most-searched class this school offers. Students who want more than that almost always add MMA, because the striking carries straight across and the grappling is the half they were missing.
Class times
Adults at 7pm, children at 5pm, Tuesday and Thursday.
| Day | Time | Class |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday | 5:00pm | Kids MMA |
| Tuesday | 7:00pm | Adult MMA |
| Thursday | 5:00pm | Kids MMA |
| Thursday | 7:00pm | Adult MMA |
Common questions
No. People arrive with no background at all, and plenty come across from the kickboxing class wanting more mat time. You learn striking and grappling from the beginning rather than being expected to already have one of them.
Training is controlled. You drill technique, work pads and roll with partners at a pace that matches your experience. Nobody is put into hard sparring on their first night, and the coaches are certified to teach this properly rather than just to run a hard session.
All three Galvan brothers are certified to teach MMA — Master Meme, Master Manny and Master Alex — and hold their certifications through American Top Team. The school is not an ATT affiliate; ATT closed its affiliate program, and the certifications remain.
Yes. Kids MMA runs Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm, alongside kids jiu-jitsu. The youngest age accepted is 6.
No. Most people training MMA here have no intention of competing. Training for fitness, self-defense or simply because it is interesting is the normal reason to be in the room.
Kickboxing is striking only, one evening a week. MMA covers the same striking plus grappling, twice a week. Students who want more than one session usually train both.
Find us
The front desk is open 5:00pm – 9:00pm, Monday to Friday.
Students train here from across the Rio Grande Valley — Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, Olmito and Port Isabel.
A free month of beginners classes, a tour and consultation, a private lesson, online access through GMA Coach, and a uniform.
