Hometown MMA gym offering free summer memberships to MPS students

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- One hometown gym is opening its doors to local high school students this summer.

"We coach fighters, we teach people self-defense," Pura Vida BJJ & MMA Co-Owner Jake Klipp said.

Klipp and his friend Zak Ottow have owned Pura Vida BJJ & MMA Gym in Milwaukee since 2010.

"It's what I eat, sleep and breathe," said Ottow. "I had 35 fights [as a professional mixed martial artist]. I had eight fights in the UFC from 2016 to 2019. Now, I'm just taking that experience and my knowledge and passing it down by coaching."

The duo teaches mixed martial arts (MMA) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) at the gym.

"Milwaukee is actually this crazy little hotbed for MMA," Klipp said.

For the pair, professional fighters are not the only people in the spotlight on their mat. Every summer, high school students from Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) can learn and train at Pura Vida, a gym quickly becoming one of the top MMA training facilities in the country, for free.

"We give them access to a gym they maybe wouldn't have access to otherwise," Klipp said. "Knowing that a lot of these kids don't have anything to do in the summer, we just thought it was a great marriage of, 'Hey, the kids can come on in, we've got the space for it, we're already running the classes.'"

They offer a scholarship allowing MPS students to join during June, July and August, letting them participate in any of their classes.

"With childhood obesity on the rise and mental health issues, I think moving your body and getting some fitness, and learning some new skills can be a very positive thing," Ottow said. "A lot of it is games in high school sports. [Students] come here, and they actually learn a real skill set."

The scholarships total over $400 in membership fees, and there is no cap on the number of students that can apply.

"They're so bright-eyed and excited when they walk in. They get to see the UFC posters on the wall. We've got some UFC fighters that they get to meet and train with," Klipp said.

To participate, students need written parent approval. To schedule a visit, and learn more about the summer scholarship at Pura Vida, visit their website.