Martingilio Martial Arts, a martial arts school with a 20-year history in Madison, has moved to a new location in Verona's Prairie Oaks Retail and Office Center on North Edge Trail.
Owner Chris Martineziglio has been teaching martial arts in the area for over 30 years, having earned his purple belt in the early 90s and continuing on his teaching path since, to the point where he is today awarded the rare title of “Shihan,” which means “teacher of teachers.”
Student Tejaswini Manivannan (right) helps Chris Martinizio teach a Modern Arnis class at his Verona dojo.
Since opening his school 20 years ago, Martin Giglio has taught students across the United States, and has also worked with people from India, Germany, France, New Zealand and Canada.
Business challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased competition prompted Martin Giglio to relocate from the Madison campus last September. Seconds after walking through the doors at 1035 N. Edge Trl., Martin Giglio knew he had found his school's future home.
Not a typical dojo
At the back of Martinsiglio's new Verona dojo, neatly arranged along four wooden bookshelves are hundreds of books, each a testament to his years of study of martial arts.
From various kung fu systems to Chinese and Japanese martial arts, Martin Giglio's library contains information on nearly every martial arts style in a particular culture.
“We have a strong emphasis on history, and (students)“It's important to understand where these things came from, why they came from there and what the context was,” he told reporters. “Once we understand the context, we can provide better guidance.”
Martin Giglio explained that his dojo's style is specific to the region and that he only teaches self-defense techniques based on ancient teaching methods. He currently teaches kids' karate, modern arnis, tai chi and ryukyu ken.
Although the martial arts are outwardly different forms, they are essentially all the same, Martin Giglio said.
“They're not really separate,” he explained, “It's like music, you can play heavy metal or classical, and you might prefer one or the other. But once you're a musician, you're pretty open. There's a lot in common.”
Martin Giglio cross-trains all of his students in different art forms, ultimately allowing them to look at the same subject matter from different angles, which also allows him to tailor learning for students of all ages and abilities.
While it takes most people an average of three to five years to earn their black belt, Martin Giglio said this honor is just the beginning of their studies at his dojo. By offering his students the opportunity to lead classes under his tutelage, he aims to empower them and encourage their continued growth in the martial art.
“It's an investment, and we're creating a culture in this space of friendship, respect and trust among the people here,” he said.
Empowering multiple generations
Some of Martin Giglio's students have been attending martial arts school since they were in diapers.
For example, Ángel Gonzalez, now 19, has been training at Martin Giglio Martial Arts for essentially 17 years, starting attending classes with his older brother and sister when he was still just starting to crawl.
“I'm raising a generation of kids here,” Martineziglio said.
Student Tejaswini Manivannan, just 17 years old, has dedicated more than 5,000 hours to martial arts instruction. She began attending classes around August 2015.
Manivannan is the youngest person Martin Giglio has ever promoted to third-degree black belt, and trains an average of four to five days a week.
“In 2021, we had to move all of our students to Zoom,” Martin Giglio said, “and she was available the entire time I was on Zoom. I was on from noon until about 9 p.m., and all of the adults here have respected her guidance down to the last detail.”
Despite having thousands of hours of experience teaching martial arts, Manivannan recalls being scared when he first led a class. Once fearful of being in front of people, Manivannan now feels confident teaching students while Martineziglio is away for brief periods, such as press conferences.
“Seeing people and the effort and time they put in motivates me to do my best,” Manivannan said. “Mr. Chris told me that even teachers make mistakes, which was really helpful. Teaching makes me better and helps me understand the material better.”
Martin Giglio provides one-on-one instruction to every student in every class, in a space that fosters hard work and responsibility. Though he plans to still be teaching in 10 years, he's already thinking about the next generation of students who will carry on his legacy.
Over the years, Chris Martingilio has asked students for many gifts, including Star Wars memorabilia.
“The important thing is to keep this going, not retire and cash out,” he said. “I want other people to benefit from this library and the resources. I want to give it to those who need it.”
When asked what the best part of teaching martial arts for 30 years was, Martinzilio looked through his collection of memorabilia, then pulled out a handwritten card from Olympic gold medalist Karen Kraft, in which she thanked Martinzilio for the impact he had on her daughter.
“The relationships we've built are far more important than any ranking I've achieved,” he said. “The time I've spent on the court with these people is far more important than any knowledge I have.”
