Street Fighter to Entrepreneur - RAW Fitness with Brian Giraldo (EP344)

·1 hr 21 min·5 clips

Brian Giraldo shows off his new MMA side at Raw Fitness, built to get troubled teenagers off the street.

The episode opens with Brian Giraldo giving a tour of Raw Fitness Lodi, highlighting the new mixed martial arts side with Fuji mats and a 16-foot boxing ring. He states the gym's vision is to help troubled teenagers channel energy positively. The hosts, back for episode 344, ask Brian about being a business owner. Brian explains he faced a decision after 10 years: sell the business or expand it to bring in partners and free up time for his children, whom he prioritizes over money. He reveals he never had a role model growing up, with only a stepfather who passed away, and now wants to be that person for others. Brian discusses the importance of discipline over motivation, especially for men, and creating a space where men can open up without judgment. He shares stories from his street-fighting past, including being stabbed at a house party in Hasbrouck Heights and later randomly encountering the assailant, and being jumped by Bloods gang members in Paterson, which made him quit street fighting. Brian talks about his boxing aspirations as a teen, being turned away from gyms due to cost, which now motivates him to help kids who can't afford training. A career-ending injury occurred when a 250-pound white belt tore both his hip labrums during jiu-jitsu, leading to four surgeries but pushing him into business. He breaks down the $80,000 investment in the new gym space, explaining calculated risks and breaking even after a year. Brian addresses misconceptions about business owners being rich, sharing an example where an employee thought the gym was making bank when it was actually $30,000 in debt. He shows a video of a 'street challenger' he sparred and humbled, who later became a student. Brian reflects on learning from people above him and constantly evolving. When asked about regrets, he says none because he learned from all mistakes, though he sometimes wishes he'd chosen black turf instead of blue. His biggest fear is whether working 15-hour days is worth sacrificing time with his kids, especially his daughter, who gave him a reason to live after a depressed period.

As heard by us

A practical gym tour opens into a candid story of redirecting fight energy into purpose.

Raw Fitness Lodi plays like a grounded gym visit shaped by Brian Giraldo's move away from street fights. As he walks through the high-intensity interval training space and the newly added mixed martial arts side, the Fuji equipment, 16-foot boxing ring, and Goku and Chun-Li…

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Why you'd press play

You want a raw gym tour that opens into a street-fight wake-up call.

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