We had the good fortune of connecting with Sean (AKA Chegado) & Jessica (AKA Pavão) Moran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sean (AKA Chegado) & Jessica (AKA Pavão), can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
My husband Sean and I have been movers, martial artists, dancers, acrobats and performers since we were teens. Sean is a long time actor-martial artist – acrobat and I danced for much of my life. As individuals, we gravitated to the arts and fitness because they were fun, healthy, positive outlets for our creative energy and a means to connect with people around us.

As young adults, we both found and fell in love with Capoeira – an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines all the elements we loved and practiced. We met in class in 2001 and have been together as business and life partners since then. What we found in the Capoeira community was much more that a workout or a fitness practice, it was a strong diverse group spearheaded by our teacher, Mestre Boneco. For years, we worked in the community teaching free family classes, mentoring kids, working with at-risk youth bridging the black and brown divided, bringing people together through culture and fitness in schools, universities and through outreach programs.

Twenty-four years later we are very much still invested in teaching Capoeira and blessed to have sprouted a small business inspired by our art. Today, our gym, CounterBalance is home to a number of inter-connected modalities, it is a beautifully diverse and welcoming space with mindful but challenging programming. Throughout the pandemic we continued teaching online, in parks and in our space when possible, We helped our community stay both physically and emotionally healthy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My husband Sean and I have been movers, martial artists, dancers, acrobats and performers since we were teens. We both fell in love with Capoeira about 24 years ago and met while training with our teacher, Mestre Boneco of Capoeira Brasil LA. For many years we taught at our teacher’s cultural center in the mid city area, and at schools, universities, cultural events and in city programs all over LA. In 2005 we began our own youth and adult program in Northeast LA. This program blossomed, we were in 4 charter schools, ran a free community class, taught in the Summer Night Lights program, performed in countless events and so much more. One of our greatest programs was a long time free community class we taught at Highland Park Rec Center. So many were introduced to Capoeira throughout the years because of this and other community programs we spearheaded.

Both my husband and I worked very hard for years, holding various jobs at once, teaching for free or for very little, making our name in the community by doing the work and keeping our heads down. Sean continued acting and would work when the opportunity its arose. I worked in special events and as a personal assistant…we stayed very busy. Sean and I bring very different talents to the table and that has always been a plus. Me with my communication and organizational skill and him with his intellectual curiosity and creativity. Our teamwork and dedication has made our programming thoughtful and unique. We are most proud of the youth program we have built and the holistic & creative approach we have toward teaching,

In 2020 we had the opportunity to take over the space we were sharing with another trainer and became full time gym owners, CounterBalance was born. Despite the pandemic hitting soon after, we were able to survive and thrive because of our amazing community of students. Our students are more then clients, they are family.

In March of 2020, we signed an expensive 5 year lease then 2 weeks later the pandemic hit. It was crazy. But we were determined, we had just taken a huge step forward, we had to make it work.

We closed the gym, quickly pivoted to a robust Zoom schedule and a few months later did out door classes until we were able to get back into our space. We did classes with masks, limited numbers and weekly covid testing for over a year…we hustled but it was worth it. We are still paying back rent and loans we took to stay a float. But our community did stick with us. It was miraculous.

Today our gym is home to martial arts programs in Capoeira, Kajukenbo, Muay Thai and Filipino Martial Arts. We are also home to amazing fitness and recovery modality called TACFIT, Viking Ninja Steel Mace classes, a circuit training program called Body Balance and of course, personal training.

At CounterBalance we see fitness as both functional and artistic. Our mission is mindful movement with an emphasis on creative movement, mobility, health, and community.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The Broad MOCHA
Norton Simion
Getty
DTLA & NELA for amazing food
Bar hopping in the arts district
Gotta go to Crypto for a concert or sporting event
Hermosa – Manhattan or Malibu for the Ocean

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our teacher Mestre Boneco of Capoeira Brasil Los Angeles, our loyal, dedicated community of students & our incredibly supportive families.

Website: counterbalancegym.com

Instagram: @counterbalancegym ….also: @pavaozinha & @seananthonymoran

Image Credits
Outdoor photos: Feneco the Creator, Indoor photos: Artvizualz

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.