Instructor honored by his colleagues

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Action Martial Arts Magazine at an Expo recently honored Tom Gallo, owner of TACTICS Martial Arts in Elmont on Jan. 22. Gallo was presented with a plaque citing his “support and dedication in the growth of a better martial arts community.

Gallo has owned the gym since September and has taken great pride in his involvement with both the youth and adults in the area.

“It’s cool, but I don’t do it for awards,” said Gallo. “It’s cool that your peers recognize you.”

Gallo is trained in multiple forms of martial arts but he is most accomplished in kyusho, where he is a third degree blackbelt. He teaches children, teenagers, and adults at his gym, with his oldest students nearing 60. Tournaments don’t really interest Gallo, he’s more interested in self defense lessons and teaching his students to defend themselves if necessary.

“I have a stake in the community and the kids,” said Gallo. “ I say ‘come and train and learn how to defend yourself.’”

In addition to the traditional martial arts that Gallo teaches, many of his students are becoming increasingly interested in mixed martial arts. To address the needs of his students, Gallo has begun to offer kickboxing, which is an integral part of MMA. Recently, the New York state senate passed a bill legalizing MMA in the state. The bill now goes to the assembly where it has been voted down the past seven years.

Gallo hopes that the bill is approved more exposure for MMA and the martial arts that he teaches can only be positive.

“I don’t see why they shouldn’t pass it, every other state has it,” Gallo said. “There’s nothing wrong with it, there are rules, it’s not like gladiators coming in a killing each other. It’s a sport, it’s the next step past boxing, I don’t see why they shouldn’t pass it.”

New York produces such a large number of athletes that compete in the sport, that legalizing it seems like the natural progression, Gallo said.

“There are so many MMA gyms, why not promote it and get the financial benefit from it,” Gallo said.

The sport of MMA, Gallo said, has evolved considerably since it first debuted in the early 1990s. At that time, when the sport was in its infancy there were far fewer rules and not as much oversight in terms of injuries and potential long term issues. That’s one of the reasons for the stall in movement of a legalization bill, Gallo said.

Over time, as the sport gained in popularity, especially on Long Island, more oversight and thought was put into safety concerns.