John Hurney, co-owner of The Resistance Fitness Center at 3283 Bernal Ave. in Pleasanton, never intended to open a gym. When pandemic restrictions were at their most severe, he led socially distanced outdoor training sessions. He was determined not to let COVID-19 interrupt his passion for martial arts or the comradery of his fight team. However, when opportunity knocked, he dared to bet on himself and his partners during the pandemic.
“It’s a martial arts gym first, but we try to do a little bit of everything. We have Muay Thai, Jui-jitsu, Sambo, and MMA were looking to add a boxing program, we have another program called strike fit,” details Hurney. ”We have the puzzle piece program which is for young adults and kids with autism and are on the spectrum. We have a lot of different things going on here.”
Hurney, is a six-time Muay Thai champion. Holding belts in weight classes ranging from light heavyweight to super heavyweight. Humble and approachable, Hurney is the perpetual give you the shirt off his back guy. So, when the idea of The Resistance was pitched to him, he grabbed the bull by its horns.
“When we got the keys to the place, we/I had 25-30 people committed already and that was just from the park,” said Hurney. “We have grown organically… We are literally adding a member every single day.”
With so many other gyms closing and people needing a place to train, what better way to bring it all together than opening his own gym. Hurney is a fixture on the MMA scene and has trained with some of the best fighters on the planet. So, it has been only natural that people have flocked to be a part of what he and others have started.
“At the end of the day, we want to be a community gym. A gym that’s welcome for anyone,” says Hurney. “It grew by word of mouth… all the members that we’ve added since about November/December have all been someone that knows someone, that knows someone, that says hey this is a great place to train.”
When you step out onto the floor area the first thing you notice is the chill atmosphere and the smell of sweat. The walls are adorned with the 19 belts of The Resistance instructors: Hurney, Eddie Abasolo, Brandon Olson, Aaron Luellen, and Lucas Martino all have their hardware on display. Everyone is there to work, and everyone is there to help each other grow. The Resistance Fitness Center has proven to be COVID-19 resistant, allowing Hurney to thrive.
