Meet the Team

Meet the team

The Pinnacle in Galway MMA & BJJ. We are a Beginner friendly MMA, BJJ & Fitness Gym based in Galway City. We teach complete beginners to professional fighters, Whether your new to martial arts or a black belt in a certain style, we can help you develope into a more complete martial artist. What will you learn here?... You will learn all the essential aspects of unarmed combat. Striking-Clinching-Wrestling & Submission Locks. ( MMA ) Or sharpen your striking even further by taking part in our Kickboxing classes catering for both total beginners and intermediates. If Striking is'nt for you? "Try our Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes." BJJ is a traditional grappling art that teaches you how to control & Submit a person without striking a single blow. Childrens MMA & BJJ Classes:We call our kids classes "KUNG FU KIDS". The children at our classes learn bags of practical martial arts skills whilst having loads of fun in the process. They will gain fitness, balance, coordination, self-belief & self-restraint.

Head Coach:

BEN "son of life" DAVIS

Ben has been coaching Mixed Martial Arts for 9 years; in 2013, he created Shaolin MMA Galway. Since its creation Shaolin MMA Galway has trained students to winning Multiple Irish MMA championships and four International European Brazilian Jiu Jitsu champions. Ben himself won the advanced blue belt division, making it five medals for Shaolin MMA thus far.

Ben has a background in Amateur Boxing. He is a former Irish Sanshou Champion, International European No-Gi Jiu Jitsu Champion & CFC Pro Irish MMA Champion, a BJJ Brown Belt under Hugo Borim ESJJ Ireland. He is one of Europes best pro bantamweight fighters & has fought some of the best MMA fighters in the world & is still gunning for a World title today.

Womens MMA Coach

INDRA DAVIS

Indra Davis is our Woman’s MMA Coach. She is wife to Coach Ben Davis.
She has won virtually every domestic medal at both white belt, blue belt and purple belt in Jiu Jitsu. She won the Cork MMA Open & in her 1st mma outing defeating a talented fighter in Emma Mcglyne via 2nd Rnd TKO. She recently wont the GAMMA irish title at bantamweight and followed this success up with the Profession MMA debut on Clan wars in Belfast in 2021, Her classes are always fun & she is all about empowering & uniting women.
Indra is a Youth Worker also for Foróige, whom we at Shaolin do a lot of work with the at risk youth from Galway. She has helped forge a great group of female warriors we call the Shaolin Sisterhood.

BJJ Coach

Michel Durinho

Michel is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt, under Eduardo Santoro. Born in Brazil, Michel has been living and teaching BJJ in Galway for the past 5 years.

Representing ESJJ, one of the biggest and most successful teams in BJJ, he brings over 20 years competition and coaching experience to the Academy.

An incredibly motivational coach, Michel has the skills and knowledge to help you build a strong foundation in BJJ, as well as helping you develop personally with a fighters mindset. Whether you are complete beginner, or a high level competitor looking to develop your game, Michel's patience, detailed knowledge and insight can help you succeed.

Michel is also coach for various MMA fighters and is available to help 1-2-1 with professional fight preparation.

Beginners BJJ Coach

Luiz Fernandes

Kaylem Ruane