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Sam Lionelli has always been passionate about helping people. That passion is evident in the way he runs his business, Combat Syndicate. At its core, Combat Syndicate is a martial arts and weightlifting facility. However, the training taking place on the mat has deeper implications than the physical capabilities being taught.
Jiu-Jitsu is defined as “an art of weaponless fighting employing holds, throws and paralyzing blows to subdue or disable an opponent.” Its literal translation is “gentle art.” Lionelli became interested in Jiu-Jitsu in 2019, when he heard about local black belt James Morgan. Lionelli was adamant that Morgan train him in this art, even though Morgan wasn’t training anyone at the time. Eventually, due to Lionelli’s persistence, Morgan acquiesced and began training him. With Lionelli’s enthusiasm for the art, others began to join in on their training sessions.
The turning point was when a friend reached out to Lionelli. Her son was being bullied in school. She thought Jiu-Jitsu training might help him. Morgan and Lionelli agreed to let the boy join their sessions. The difference they saw in him over the course of a few months was remarkable. Lionelli says they saw “a massive change in this kid’s confidence. People stopped messing with him and not because he went in there trying to fight people. I think they could feel the confidence from him. He wasn’t an easy target anymore.”
After this, Lionelli felt a pull to give more kids in Ponca City access to this kind of training. With Morgan onboard to train students, Lionelli opened Combat Syndicate in January of 2020. Their initial location was in the 200 block of East Grand Avenue. Things were off with a bang and the kids’ classes were a big hit until COVID-19 shut them down for a stint. After opening back up, they slowly began to regrow their classes. When their year lease was up, they knew they needed more space so they moved east down Grand to a bigger location. After a year and a half at that location, it once again became apparent that they had outgrown their space. In August of 2022, Lionelli purchased the building where they are currently located at 305 S. Pine St.
Today Combat Syndicate has classes Monday-Friday for kids and adults. They offer training in Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, MMA and Muay Thai from instructors James Morgan and Richard Fieger. Morgan teaches the Jiu-Jitsu, MMA and Muay Thai classes. Fieger specializes in the kids’ classes and teaches a cardio kickboxing class for gym members Monday, Wednesday and Friday at noon. Lionelli and his team believe in teaching martial arts with an emphasis on self-defense. He is passionate in his belief that everyone should be able to defend themselves.
This year Lionelli has put a big emphasis on reaching more kids in our community. Combat Syndicate has been partnering with Grand Mental Health, Oklahoma Juvenile Services and even the EPIC Charter Schools to get kids into training. For several years, they’ve also partnered with the high school. Combat Syndicate has gone in and taught self-defense to groups like the cheerleaders and the women’s basketball team.
Lionelli has taken it a step further this year and agreed to be a PIE Partner for the high school during the academic year through the Chamber’s PIE Partner program. This program pairs benevolent business owners with local schools and encourages them to partner on projects throughout the year that will enhance the educational experience of our students. Combat Syndicate has also taken on an intern this year through Po-Hi’s internship program.
When training, Lionelli and his team’s focus goes beyond teaching the specific martial arts and delves into reinforcing positive character traits in their young students. They teach their students that at Combat Syndicate, they are family and encourage them to look after each other at school. They challenge kids to do good deeds in their community, as well as carry their weight in their own homes. Lionelli is adamant that the gym be a place of support for students. He says it “gives them a place to be celebrated. Here, they get a couple of hours where people are cheering them on and they’re learning cool stuff.” Sam stresses that these kids aren’t being taught how to fight. They are being taught the art of self-defense and gaining confidence with every move learned and belt earned.
A newer part of Combat Syndicate is the gym that Lionelli opened earlier this year. The gym is in the spacious upstairs of the building and features state-of-the-art equipment from Arsenal Strength. Arsenal prides themselves on creating the highest-quality products that inspire customers to work toward their dreams and goals. The gym is stocked with every type of machine and weight the user could possibly want, though Lionelli says he is still open to suggestions and adding additional items that matter to the members. Members can access the gym 24/7 with a key fob, making it a great workout spot for busy professionals with irregular schedules. Soon, the gym will feature a back entrance making it more readily accessible to members.
To enhance training and gym experiences, Combat Syndicate also sells 1st Phorm products and supplements. 1st Phorm is a premier brand in the supplement industry and is committed to helping their customers better their bodies and lead healthier lives. Lionelli explains that Combat Syndicate carries these products because he loves and uses them, and also because he appreciates that the company gives back through programs like 30 For the Kids.
For more information, follow Combat Syndicate on Facebook or give them a call at (580) 363-7562. You can also visit their website at www.combatsyndicate.org for class schedules and information about gym membership. Combat Syndicate offers free one-week trial memberships to interested parties who want to test out classes or the gym before making a financial commitment. Deals are available to members who take classes and also join the gym. Reach out to Lionelli today for more info!
Picture Captions
These pics are from Sam:
5401 – Richard Fieger (Lionelli’s brother/Instructor at CS), James Morgan (Instructor/black belt), Sam Lionelli (Combat Syndicate owner)
7015 – Sam and his brother with Arsenal Strength employee getting gym equipment set up
7016 – Parent/Child class hosted in June
7017 – Jiu-Jitsu Class
The DSC pics were taken by me and are pictures of the gym, including an encouragement board at the gym with work out ideas, a mural Sam had painted to honor a friend he lost, and some people working out.
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