Jiu-Jitsu Studio Marks Decade With New Westhampton Facility and First Black Belt Class
After a delayed renovation, the Southampton-based gym opened its second location on Old Riverhead Road, coinciding with its tenth anniversary and the promotion of three founding students to black belt.
By Julia Wang ·
Hamptons Jiu-Jitsu opened its new Westhampton Beach location this past Saturday, combining a grand opening with its tenth-anniversary celebration. The event took place at the North Mall on Old Riverhead Road, a space the studio has occupied since an earlier soft opening earlier this year.
Owner Greg Melita stated that the grand opening was originally planned for the spring. Additional renovations and upgrades caused the delay, but he noted the extra time allowed the new facility to grow. The Saturday event featured a standing-room-only crowd, a food truck, and a performance by the local band The Southpawz. Three of the band's members are students of the school: father Sherman Kearns and his sons, Cristian and Nathan.
The school traces its roots to 2016, when it opened its first location on County Road 39 in Southampton. In 2022, the studio moved slightly east to Southampton Gym, where it continues to operate alongside the new Westhampton Beach site. Melita cut a ribbon with his wife, Elizabeth, and daughter, Summer, during the morning festivities.
A central focus of the day was the promotion of students to black belt. This marked the first time the studio awarded the rank to students who trained exclusively under its own banner from the start. Several of the new black belts have trained with Melita since the school's inception.
Among the promoted students were Virva Hinnemo, originally from Sweden, and Heike Sauerland, originally from Germany. They were part of the first group of women to begin training at the school. Kristen Falek also received her black belt. Falek started her training at Hamptons Jiu-Jitsu and has since opened North Fork Jiu-Jitsu in Cutchogue with her husband, Randy Nieves.
Melita said the new location provides more room for expansion. He stated the goal is to add more locations around the island and expand affiliations. The studio now operates two facilities in Suffolk County, serving the Southampton and Westhampton communities.
The black belt ceremonies included belt and stripe promotions for various students. The event concluded with the band's performance and the ribbon-cutting. The new Westhampton Beach location is now fully operational, joining the Southampton Gym site in offering classes and training.
