Dave and Bene, former members of the Madrid Vandals, founded the Black Panther gym in Carabanchel in 2019, a mixed martial arts center attracting beginners to professionals. The place emphasizes unity beyond ideological differences, banning political symbology. Its roots trace back to Madrid's 1990s rap scene and street fights.
The Black Panther gym, located in Madrid's Carabanchel neighborhood, has become a reference for mixed martial arts since its opening in November 2019. Founded by Dave and Bene, born in 1981 and 1982 respectively, both are partners and head MMA coaches. They manage the center, which offers weight training, jiu jitsu, muay thai, and more, attracting children, amateurs, and professional fighters like Edye Ruiz La Sombra, holder of seven world belts. They frequently travel with their athletes across Spain and abroad.
The founders' origins are tied to the Madrid Vandals, a rap group that ruled Madrid's streets in the late 1990s. Emerging from groups like the MTR from Torrejón and the FMC from the Carmen neighborhood, they united to attend rap concerts with custom t-shirts and hoodies. Many members practiced martial arts: Chicano boxed, Du did judo and vale tudo, Goyo kickboxing and boxing, Beaka jiu jitsu, Santi was Spanish boxing champion, and Aju practiced Wing Chun. They trained at places like Mabuni gym in Puente de Vallecas or Gimnasio Barceló.
The rap scene was violent, with rivalries against groups like Comando Chinilla—where an MV member stabbed another, justifying it with 'because I don't feel like sweating'—and Color Power, an anti-Nazi collective from Fuenlabrada. Fights happened in clubs like Macumba, Kingston, Soul Kitchen, Bash, or Champagnat in Malasaña. Nazis were archenemies; recalling incidents like when Goyo hit Isra el Loco, brother of el Mallorquín, convicted of a 1993 murder in Costa Polvoranca.
Despite this, Black Panther welcomes ex-Nazis and people from diverse backgrounds. 'The only thing we demand is no symbology or political thinking when they come. Here everyone thinks differently and we're like a family,' explains Bene. Bene also belongs to the rap group Gente Jodida, adding street credibility. The atmosphere is welcoming, with plans for a high-performance center to separate professional training from general use, keeping the focus on the drive to excel, as their motto states: 'If there's no hunger, there's no fight'.