Walking through the front door of the 7,000 square foot Fight Academy at 61 Valley Street in the tony, Mercedes filled neighborhood of South Pasadena, California I was immediately struck by two things; the cool urban feel of the graffiti art on the walls and the hip hop tracks playing in the background. It was clear the Fight Academy was different from the standard Dojo or gym layout that many of us are familiar with. This was not the generic, white walled, mall location Karate Academy full of heavy bags. It is instead a large converted industrial warehouse with 20 foot ceilings and exposed beams. The cavernous space holds a regulation MMA cage, two boxing ring style practice areas, heavy bags, a massive mat area fills the center of the floor with the cardio equipment at the back.
