The Palisades Fire destroyed MAX Impact, but a new martial arts studio called LUDUS will reopen the community’s training life on Aug. 15.
A Palisades Fire gym comeback is taking shape at Palisades Village, where a martial arts studio destroyed in the blaze is set to reopen under a new name and with a familiar face helping drive it forward. LUDUS, a private Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing gym, is scheduled to open Aug. 15 as part of an effort to rebuild a community that lost both its training space and many of its daily routines in the fire.
Justin Caruso, who lost his Palisades home in the January 2025 fire, has joined instructors James Gavsie and Freddy Cerrato to launch the project. Caruso is the son of businessman Rick Caruso and first came to train at MAX Impact after noticing the Palisades gym within walking distance of his home. He said he quickly grew attached to the people and the discipline. After the fire, he said one of the first moments that felt normal again came when members of the training group gathered in Venice at a temporary spot and threw down mats to train.
That return to the mat became the seed for LUDUS. Caruso said the experience made clear that the martial arts community was worth restoring, not just for athletes but for neighbors who had already lost so much. The new gym is being built as both a continuation of the old one and a fresh gathering place for the Westside, where the fire wiped out homes and commercial spaces alike. Caruso said the goal is to give residents a place to come together again while the neighborhood rebuilds.
Gavsie, known in the area as “Mr. G,” will serve as lead instructor. He is a sixth-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with more than 30 years of experience. Cerrato, a first-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, brings more than two decades of experience across jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, boxing, judo and Kali. Before the fire, MAX Impact drew a wide mix of people from the Palisades, including students, doctors, lawyers and police officers, and Caruso said that blend of backgrounds made the gym special.
“The Palisades Fire destroyed MAX Impact, but a new martial arts studio called LUDUS will reopen the community’s training life on Aug. 15.”
The new operation is placing a strong emphasis on children, especially those whose routines were disrupted when schools, parks and local businesses disappeared in the fire. LUDUS will offer after-school Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes for children ages three to seven and eight to 12. Caruso said much of the Palisades remains burned out and that there are still few places for children to go after school, making community spaces more important than ever.
The gym will also include a women’s self-defense program led by Anna Kemper, a black belt instructor, active jiu-jitsu competitor and former professional athlete. The space itself will feature about 1,000 square feet of mats, white oak finishes, floor-to-ceiling glass, built-in seating for parents and multiple heavy bags for kickboxing. Before construction, the interior was gutted, tested and cleaned to make sure smoke damage was removed.
For Caruso, the project is tied to his own effort to rebuild a life in the Palisades after losing his home. He lived in the neighborhood for seven years before the fire, and after the loss, he and his pregnant wife spent about six months in Newport Beach. He said the uncertainty made it difficult to know when they would be able to return. Caruso now works day-to-day with his family at Caruso and has also been involved in bringing Palisades Village back.
LUDUS is designed to restore more than a workout space. It aims to revive a local business that served the area for 20 years and to give residents a place where discipline, routine and community can return. For American readers, the story shows how neighborhoods recover one institution at a time after disaster — and why small local businesses often become the backbone of that comeback.
Frequently asked questions
What is LUDUS?
LUDUS is a private Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing gym set to open Aug. 15 at Palisades Village.
Who is behind the new gym?
Justin Caruso has teamed up with instructors James Gavsie and Freddy Cerrato to launch it.
Why is the gym significant to the neighborhood?
It replaces MAX Impact, a longtime Palisades Martial Arts studio destroyed in the fire, and aims to restore a community gathering place.
What classes will LUDUS offer?
The gym will offer after-school Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu classes for children ages three to seven and eight to 12, along with women’s self-defense training.
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