The Story of Reizen MMA
Born from adversity. Built through belief, loyalty, and people who refused to quit. A place where everyone—from every walk of life and every level of experience—can learn Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and MMA.
Our Mission
Everyone deserves a place to learn, grow, fight, and become better. A place where you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not to belong. Reizen MMA exists to be that place—for anyone willing to rise.
The Name
REIZEN is a play on the words Rise and Risen. Because sometimes you don't choose the circumstances that force you to rise. You simply decide that you will.
How We Got Here
NOV 2025
Where It Started
Founder Seng Sithisakd was coaching at another MMA gym in Chicago when circumstances abruptly changed. Fighter Jorge Castillo made the decision to follow—no facility, no mats, no guaranteed place to train.
DEC 2025
The Search
They searched high and low for somewhere to continue training. Opportunity after opportunity fell through. Brett Brendel and One Touch Fight Team became a sister gym, inspiring Seng to keep moving forward.
MAY 2026
The Decision
Seng and Jorge decided if they couldn't find a home, they would build one. Jesse Taylor—confidant and longtime ally—stepped in and believed in the vision. Against the odds, Reizen MMA came to life.
Against the Odds
Coaches, staff, fighters, and friends came together. What started with two people looking for somewhere to train became a tribe, a team, and a home. Built not because everything went perfectly—but because it didn't.
Built by the Loyal
01.
Jorge Castillo
The first fighter who followed when there was nowhere to go. No facility, no mats—just loyalty and the refusal to quit.
02.
Evy Luong
One of Seng's original students. When everything changed, she didn't walk away—she stayed, believed, and went above and beyond to help make Reizen possible.
03.
Jesse Taylor
Confidant and longtime ally who believed in the vision and stepped into the fight to help build Reizen from the ground up.
04.
Brett Brendel
Brett and One Touch Fight Team became a sister gym. Their support and belief helped inspire the founders to keep building when things could have gone the other way.