Looking for a fight? You’ll be in the right place at Sityodtong Muay Thai Academy on Broadway, where the elite meet to beat — their opponents, that is.

By Ted Bodenrader

Sityodtong. In Thailand, it translates to “student of the master.” In Somerville, it means the ultimate haven for combat of the hand-to-hand variety.

Nestled in on a stuffy street corner at 100 Broadway, Sityodtong Muay Thai Academy is more than just a martial artist’s dream. This two-storied boxing extravaganza soaks in fanatics of both fitness and fighting alike, a place where fists and feet melodize against an array of leathered punching bags dangling from its rafters.

Mark DellaGrotte is not only the owner of this lucrative operation, he is also a former professional kickboxer and world-renowned trainer of some of the most celebrated practitioners of the sport. In fact, his ring prowess recently extended beyond this modest Somerville backdrop and into the glitz of Hollywood. The Broadway facility was featured in the 2012 hit Here Comes the Boom, a film in which DellaGrotte landed a co-starring role alongside actor Kevin James, whom he continues to train on a casual basis.

However, movie credentials aside, it’s the unique wisdom and experience of this 40-year-old Woburn resident that separates Sityodtong Muay Thai Academy from your everyday boxing gym or martial arts dojo.

“I’ve always kept martial arts embedded deep within the culture and the teachings,” says DellaGrotte. “The core values of martial arts – discipline, courage, honor, commitment, respect – nowadays they are becoming lost. We try to uphold the tradition and authenticity of what martial arts are supposed to be all about.”

“This place has such a unique flavor to it,” explains Rick Anderson, the gym’s manager. “Mark has such an extensive background in mixed fighting and brings tremendous energy and wisdom to the gym. He’s travelled all around the world, studying from some of the true masters of the art, and has taken away so much knowledge and know-how from all these different fighting styles that he’s learned. Everything he’s learned from these experiences, he’s passing it down to his students.”

To trace back to its conception, you’d have to revisit 1996, when the building, owned by DellaGrotte’s parents, was first known as “Multi-Culture Martial Arts Academy.” At the time, DellaGrotte was living in the building’s basement quarters as a callow 22-year-old, his startup comprised of a few mats and a single heavy bag. By late 1997, it had transformed into Sityodtong Academy, attracting martial arts fanatics from Somerville and beyond.

“I still have the same sign, the same building, the same phone number – everything,” says DellaGrotte. “I never had any financial backing, never had a partner. I just stuck with the same principles that sprouted longevity and success.”

Today, the students continue to pile into DellaGrotte’s facility six days per week for a taste of fistic fever, men and women of all ages, shapes, and sizes, some with professional aspirations, others to simply inject some daily fitness and discipline into their routines.

Sityodtong offers a diverse range of hour-long classes that include Muay Thai, an ancient form of kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the ever-popular Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), and finally, traditional boxing. Classes vary in skill levels of beginner to advanced, and, for the feeble of heart, do not requiring participants to partake in contact fighting against live opponents in any of the facility’s prize rings or fighting cages. The gym also offers private one-on-one training sessions from a stable of certified instructors, providing more personalized, hands-on mentoring.

“Every day in here carries such a great, positive vibe,” adds Anderson. “You never know who’s going to walk through those doors; every day brings a new surprise. You’ll see everyday people arrive in business suits, and an hour later, around eight o’clock, all the world-class fighters roll in, many of them champions of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Some people come in just to train and learn the different styles. Other people find it a fun way to stay in shape. And many others come in to fight and blow off steam.”

Although one such regular, popular UFC flyweight Tateki Matsuda, often dazzles the gym’s bystanders, the student body largely consists of working class men and women – businessmen, blue-collared laborers, even housewives. Although roughly 25 percent of the students are female, Anderson explains that it is not uncommon to see members in their mid-60’s strapping on the fighting gear.

“We have such a wide variety of students coming from all over the map,” he says. “Some of the fighters come in from an affiliate school in Rome, Italy. We have some from Bangor, Maine, others up from Connecticut. And many others come from all over the world – Thailand, the Philippines – you name it.”

At age 9, Dyllan Davis may be the youngest student at Sityodtong, but hardly the most green. Known as “Demolition” in these circles, the youngster is considered one of the elite jiu-jitsu tournament competitors in New England for his age group and has capped numerous local and national sponsors in the process. Along with mother Jen, Dyllan travels an hour south from Haverhill, Mass. to soak in DellaGrotte’s weekly teachings, hoping that a rewarding long-term future awaits him.

“We come to (Sityodtong) to help plan for what’s down the road,” says Jen. “The plan is to aim for a college wrestling scholarship in a few years, then pursue a career in professional fighting.”

At Sityodtong, Dyllan has rubbed elbows, literally, with some of the most established fistfighters in the region.

“Mark is awesome, he treats Dyllan like anyone else,” Jen says. “He sees him as the next generation coming up with the sport. And Dyllan loves coming here too. Where else can you train side by side with professional fighters? There’s no place quite like it.”