What arts are
taught? Muay Thai,
Pekiti Tirsia Kali,
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
(Workshop BJJ), Judo,
StrongFirst Strength
Training and Conditioning
1. Tell us a
little about the background
and experience of your
instructor(s).
Simon and Steve have been
active in the US muay Thai
scene since the mid-1990s,
first as fighters, then as
coaches. All of our
instructors are active or
former fighters who have
come up through our academy.
We like to keep it in the
family.
2.
Tell us about the origins of
the gym. Simon
and Steve were training with
former WKA World Champion
Edge Brown (now in San
Francisco) when he got a
call to teach “kickboxing”
classes at an independent
New York gym. The program
grew in popularity as the
gym expanded (producing
fighters and a dedicated
following), and when it went
public (and corporate) in
2002, we decided to open a
dedicated muay thai academy.
3. Who are your best
fighters? Any champions?
We’ve been fortunate to have
a long line of dedicated
fighters, many of whom have
won titles. A few, and some
of their more significant
accolades: Emily Bearden:
2x WKA Professional World
Champion, 2003 Silver
Medalist at WKA World
Championships, IFMA US Team
2004, WKA US Champion
Rima Sidhu: 2003 Silver
Medalist at WKA World
Championships, WKA US
Champion Brandice Peltier:
USKA Champion, TBA Champion
Gianna Smith: 2017 Gold
Medalist IFMA PanAms, IFMA
US Team 2017, 2x USKA
Champion Julie Cohen:
2019 Silver Medalist (two
division) at WKA World
Championships
Alma
Vicencio: 2019 Gold Medalist
(two division) at WKA World
Championships, 2019 TBA Open
Champion, IFMA US Team 2019
Greg Rowe: 2011 Gold
Medalist at WKA World
Championships, 2013 TBA Open
Champion Gaius Ebratt:
2013 TBA Open Champion, 2x
TBA US Champion, 2x WKA
Regional Champion
Giovanny Mercado: 2014 IKF
Classic Champion, USKA
Champion Dillan Joucoo:
2019 TBA Open Champion,
USMTA Champion, 2016 WKA
Tournament Champion (two
division)
4.
What training methods do you
use to train your fighters?
We follow a fairly
traditional Thai-style
training system with our
students: drills, pad work,
clinch work, bag work,
technical sparring, and
occasional harder sparring.
Our primary focus is on
getting everyone’s technique
consistently sharper.
5. What makes
your gym unique?
Both the head trainers and
the rest of the coaching
staff stay current and
inspired by investing in
their continuing education:
training in Thailand,
attending workshops and
certifications. We also
bring over active Thai
trainers to work with our
students for several months
every year. With that sort
of instruction by
experienced and dedicated
professionals, our classes
educate and inspire students
from beginners through
experienced enthusiasts and
up to world champions. Five
Points Academy promotes an
supportive, team-oriented
environment that is
dedicated and serious... but
always fun!
