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vol . 5 , no. 50 : august 12-18, 2026 : losgatan.com
mosque decision upcoming p4 : cassy funding cut p6 : national night out p10 : yuri tanaka p12 Dinah Cotton / Los Gatan
MARTIAL ARTS STUDIO SAYS GOODBYE Local Brazilian jiu-jitsu academy closes, but its impact lives on
Small businesses, Town policies and community ties work together to keep downtown thriving
Camryn Whitfield, Contributor
“With great power comes great responsibility.” This iconic line, popularized by Spider-Man is widely known, and rings even more true for members of the Los Gatos Heroes Martial Arts Studio, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu school that equips students with their very own “superpowers.” And with every great hero comes the battles. Heroes Martial Arts, which opened its doors in 2024, has now closed. In a post shared via Instagram July 11, the Los Gatos location, headed by Sean Whitmore, announced classes would wrap up by the end of the month. Fortunately, there are still multiple locations throughout the South Bay, all of which got their start thanks to Alan “Gumby” Marques. After receiving his black belt in 2006, Marques founded the Heroes Martial Arts studio located in downtown San Jose. This location has been welcoming members since 2009. The school has gone on to teach thousands of students, one being Whitmore himself. He received his black belt from the studio. In 2020, Heroes Martial Arts expanded to a second location on the Eastside of San Jose, followed by another one in Campbell in 2023. Just a year later, Whitmore became head coach of an additional Heroes Martial Arts studio here in Los Gatos, after being offered the role by Marques. ➝ Heroes, 9
BEHIND THE BUSTLE OF LOS GATOS Chelsea Xie, Contributor
Warm sun beating down on clean sidewalks, the bustle of shoppers pushing in and out of doors, and the muffled live music drifting from inside a restaurant create the lively scenes that typify downtown Los Gatos. This historic walkable downtown sets Los Gatos apart from other cities in the Bay Area, blending a cozy small-town vibe with a busy mom-andpop business scene. However, this atmosphere does not just occur magically by itself. Keeping the downtown active and thriving requires constant effort from business owners and employees, Town staff and community members. At the core are the small businesses, whose storefronts line the streets. While some large chain stores like Lululemon and Starbucks have locations downtown, many businesses rely on the ➝ Downtown, 8
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KERSPLASH! Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Chief Jamie Field was dunked several times at Town Plaza Park last week for National Night Out, an event where first responders connect with local community members. Even Field’s own mother Janet Bryant, who was in town, sent her daughter into the tank. Mayor Rob Moore was also dunked. P10.
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