An Austin-based Krav Maga gym was destroyed in a fireWednesday morning, forcing it to suspend classes indefinitely as its owner works to rebuild
“There’s nothing really usable left,” Jeff Isacksen, owner and head instructor at Krav Maga ATX, told the American-Statesman. “Running a small business, especially in South Central Austin, is hard. This is a big setback.”
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Isacksen said officials with the Austin Fire Department told him the blaze likely began Wednesday morning at the gym near Ben White Boulevard
The department has not confirmed the cause of the fire, but Isacksen said firefighters told him it was likely electrical. No injuries were reported
The fire destroyed the gym’s mats and training pads, which Isacksen said are among the business’s largest expenses
While the primary training room remained standing, it was coated in ash and water, and extensive smoke and heat damage left it unusable
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The second training room sustained the heaviest damage
“That room is unrecognizable,” Isacksen said. “It looks like the apocalypse in there, completely destroyed.”
Isacksen shared the news in a Facebook post Wednesday morning, telling members he had some “really, really not great news.” He said classes would be suspended indefinitely while the business determines its next steps but pledged to reopen as soon as possible
<a href="https://healthylife7.com/my-view-building-a-coordinated-support-system-for-dentist-well/” title=”My View: Building a coordinated support system for dentist well”>Support quickly poured in from members and the broader martial arts community. Friends and fellow instructors have already offered mat space and loaner equipment to help keep the gym operating once logistics are sorted out
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“We’re figuring it out here and there, but like priority has to be like right now we’ve got to get the administrative stuff started and see what those timelines are like,” Isacksen said. “But, ultimately, the whole reason we’re here is so that people have a safe place to train. That’s what we’re going to do as soon as we can.”
The American-Statesman has contacted the Austin Fire Department for an update on the investigation
