Martial Arts Mats - Dogo Krav Maga Testimonial

By Brett Hart Created: April, 2018 - Modified: August, 2023

Fueled by his passion for martial arts, Gustavo Desperatti opened a gym of his own in June 2014 called Dogo Krav Maga, located in Concord, California where he taught private lessons. In just four short months, he expanded his gym from a 200 square foot area equipped with Greatmats 1.25 inch thick Jiu Jitsu Interlocking Mats he found on Craigslist to a 1,800 square foot space where he holds regularly scheduled classes.

With the expansion, Desperatti needed more mats and was so happy with his original purchase of used Greatmats that he returned directly to Greatmats the second time and purchased more of the same mats, despite being warned that the new mats might not fit flush with the used ones.
Fortunately, the new mats still worked well together with the old ones.

''The thickness is perfect for training in Krav Maga, Jui Jitsu, boxing, and kickboxing,'' Desperatti said, noting he has been an avid boxer since his teens and later practiced several forms of martial arts before becoming a certified instructor in Krav Maga.

Desperatti, who has been using the mats daily for approximately 3 years, says he steam cleans them multiple times per day and the mats have held up well.

''The thickness is still good, and they don't smell at all,'' he said. ''I do take pride in people walking into my school and saying it doesn't smell like most gyms with mats. Also, even though I steam clean them two times per day, the colors are still vibrant.''

In addition to the mats, Desperatti also uses 1/4 inch rolled rubber flooring from Greatmats in his punching bag room and front lobby area.

''I like that it is not slippery and easy to clean,'' he says of the rubber flooring.

As owner and head instructor at Dogo Krav Maga, Deperatti is passionate about teaching the practical ways of Krav Maga and completes quarterly instructor updates across the country to ensure he is able to pass along his knowledge and the latest Krav Maga techniques to his students.

''We now offer a total of 17 groups classes each week, which include three youth classes, four kickboxing classes, and the rest krav maga,'' he says. ''I also have several clients who take private lessons and offer special seminars with different topics throughout the year.''
Gustavo Desperatti
Dogo Krav Maga
Concord CA 94519