Our Story

Coach Mario Marin is a veteran martial arts instructor and boxing coach with more than 40 years of experience in combat sports and martial arts training. His lifelong journey in boxing and martial arts began in the late 1980s, studying multiple disciplines including Boxing, Muay Thai, Savate, Jun Fan Kickboxing, Escrima, and Wing Chun at the original New York Martial Arts Academy. Over the decades he continued expanding his training across the United States and internationally, including time spent training and competing in Thailand.

Mario is also a United States Marine Corps veteran, and the discipline, resilience, and leadership developed during his military service remain core elements of his coaching philosophy. After his service, he continued his martial arts development with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and boxing, training with respected coaches and fighters in New York and beyond.

Throughout his career, Mario has maintained a deep connection to boxing, studying the craft under experienced boxing coaches and eventually bringing that knowledge into his own coaching work at the historic Gleason’s Gym. His coaching focuses on authentic boxing fundamentals—footwork, timing, defensive awareness, and efficient punching mechanics—combined with the conditioning and discipline required of serious fighters.

Mario has trained and mentored hundreds of students over the years, from beginners to active competitors. He has also cornered professional fighters in both boxing and Muay Thai, guiding athletes through training camps and competitive bouts. His approach blends traditional fight training with modern coaching methods, emphasizing technical mastery, intelligent conditioning, and mental resilience.

In addition to coaching fighters, Mario has been an owner and operator of multiple martial arts gyms, most notably Red Planet MMA in Brooklyn. Through these gyms he helped create communities where people from many different backgrounds could train and grow through martial arts.

Mario has also been active in community outreach through combat sports. During his time running Red Planet MMA, he helped open the gym to underserved and underrepresented communities by supporting programs such as trans boxing and inclusive fight training initiatives. One example included helping create a donation-based fight training program that provided space for queer and trans athletes to train in a welcoming environment.

His work and philosophy were also highlighted in discussions about inclusive fight culture and New York’s martial arts scene, where he described martial arts gyms as diverse communities where people from different backgrounds come together through training.

Across four decades of training, coaching, and mentorship, Coach Mario Marin has dedicated his life to combat sports—not just as competition, but as a discipline that builds character, resilience, and confidence. Whether training beginners, athletes, or professionals, his mission remains the same: to pass on the knowledge, discipline, and spirit of boxing and martial arts to the next generation.