June 2010

Name: Angela Bracco
Age: almost 28
Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Occupation: Architect/Designer/Fabricator
Years as Member: Just about 2 years.

Favorite Class: Honestly, I can't pick just one! I have so much to learn from everyone and enjoy the variety of instruction.

Inspiring Moment: I recently landed a front kick while my partner threw a roundhouse one evening in Arjan Simon's technical sparing class and that did feel pretty great! However, Muay Thai is such a complex sport I continually face new challenges. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned both inside and outside of the gym as a result of this sport.

I also would like to add that I am continuously inspired by the woman fighters at the gym. They show such discipline and tenacity. It was an honor to watch them this past weekend. Good Job Ladies!!

May 2010

Name: Kim Elphinstone
Age: 42
Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC
Occupation: Photographer

Favorite Class: Every lunchtime (12pm) class during the week. You get a lot of personal attention because it is a difficult time for many people to make. You can't get away with anything at the lunchtime class! The instructors see all. It's like getting a private. Oops. That was supposed to be a secret. Bonus if Arjan Simon gives a compliment!

Inspiring Moment: In my very first sparring class, I missed blocking a punch and it landed in the center of my face. Although dazed for what seemed like an eternity and probably only a few seconds--I didn't stop. At the end of class I realized I was left with two black eyes. I had overcome my unmistakable fear. I can only speak for myself, but I think we are all apprehensive about actually getting hit. I took it and kept moving. You can face life's difficulties and keep going. This attitude has helped me to make a recent career change. Muay Thai has been the hardest thing I've ever done. It doesn't come easily to me. The fact that I can come every day and get better makes me want to face all the challenges I encounter in life.

AApril 2010

Name: Zwehla Taylor
Age: 38
Hometown:Pittsburgh, PA
Occupation: Director of Corporate Purchasing at Scholastic, Inc.

Favorite Class: Arjan Steve's class. When I first started, I always begged for the bag and not to be partnered, Arjan Steve let me slide only a few times before "gently" kicking me into action! I definitely prefer the Mon 6 and 7 pm classes to get my week started off with a good kick, punch, knee, and elbow! Aside from the obvious, the "cool down" at the end of class is always a source of inspiration to me because we can see each other lined up working and pushing through it all down to the last "and time!"

Inspiring Moment: Making it through a 20 package of personal training sessions with Steve and Sergio - need I say more? I avoided throwing up with Sergio, I got toned up, and learned how to use the gym equipment to workout in between classes - all in 10 short weeks! The fact that I became strong enough to take back to back classes and workout is a testament to the value of the 20 pack. I have all the tools to keep working on my 6 pack!
My older brother hikes, climbs, runs, lifts, and has been extremely fit for over 20 years. During his visit from LA, I exacted a bit of revenge by bringing him to the gym to workout with Sergio. Nailed it - as planned, he was gassed by the end of the session! After all these years, I finally got props from my big brother. I've realized that if you really commit yourself to improvement, Muay Thai will make you stronger.

March 2010

Name: Tristan Manaloto
Age: 14
Hometown: NYC
Occupation: Student at Transfiguration School in Chinatown
Years as Member: I've been coming since I was 8 years old!

Favorite Class: I've only taken Muay Thai. Soon I hope to try some of the other martial arts classes. Muay Thai has helped build my self-confidence a lot. It helps me to create a routine. If you want something you have to work very hard for it. I've learned to be discipline. Even if I don't start off good at something right away, I recognize what I have to do to improve. This helps me with all my school work, chores, at home with my family, and with everything else.

Inspiring Moment: I admire the fighters and enjoy watching the sparring classes. There are a lot of great fighters out there! I've met a lot of nice people here even though there aren't a lot of kids my age. Steve and Simon are great role models and by example, they demonstrate to other members that I can be treated just like all the other adults in class.

February 2010

Name: Kathryn Grooms
Age: 39
Hometown: Gainesville, Florida
Occupation: Gestalt Psychotherapist, Social Worker;
Private Practice
Years as Member: I joined in 2006. About 4 years if not more.

Favorite Class: Mondays 5pm and 6pm (competitors)  Muay Thai taught by Arjan Steve. I always take both, so together they feel like one class with 5pm being the perfect warm up and the 6pm pushing the difficulty level so I'm good and tired by the end of both. These are also the only evening classes I am able to get to, so it's great to have the chance to see so many familiar, friendly faces.

Inspiring Moment: Before my last fight, on my last Saturday sparring class, Steve partnered me with Emily for what felt like forever, and actually was something like six 4-minute rounds (which I was unaware of), during which Emily kept a flurry coming at me and I worked non-stop and after I was absolutely spent. I knew if I could work that hard for that long, I could handle whatever my opponent brought into the ring. When class ended, I plopped down and said thank you to Arjan Steve and Coach Emily. Okay so thanks was the sentiment, which fortunately they both were able to interpret, my choice of words had a slightly grumpier, exhausted tone. 

January 2010

Name: Christopher Nagel
Age: 25
Hometown: Munich, Germany
Occupation: Student at Brooklyn Law School
Years as Member: Over 1 year

Favorite Class: I don't think it's any secret that I'm partial to the Kali classes. The footwork developed in Kali spreads to everything else. However, the intensity of Muay Thai builds stamina unlike any other sport I've every pursued. I'm enjoying Judo because it doesn't come as naturally to me as the others, and the coaches have helped me figure out how to not get my long limbs in the way. It's very clear how they all compliment one another.

Inspiring Moment:  Maq taught the very first Kali class I ever took. He ran me through some basic knife techniques and proceeded to overwhelm me by "running circles" (his term!) around me during a light sparring session. Fast forward one year to Maq and I sparring in Arjan's Simon class. At the end of a great session (for me) Maq said, "Your footwork was really good. You were running circles around me!" In one year I was transformed.
 
Other comments: I find that I come to class because it's fun and has become such an integral part of my life. It really is a family. Arjan Simon has called me out (just once) on my poor language choice (read: bad word) and that's when I knew--the instructors care about the person that you are, not just about the training lesson of the day.

December 2009

Name:  Angela Babel
Age: 28
Hometown: Paris, France
Occupation: Assistant Manager at The Kitano Hotel on Park Avenue, the only Japanese hotel in NY
Years as Member: It has only been a few months but feels like years. In a good way!

Favorite Class: Muay Thai with Arjan Steve, but I love everyone's classes. It's great to have so much variation. Kettlebells are fun and challenging too.

Inspiring Moment:  The first fight I'd ever been to was this past October in Flushing. I was overcome with motivation. The intensity, level of athleticism and technical skill of the live display of Muay Thai made me want to work towards getting myself into the ring someday. I think about watching those bouts often--and it encourages me to push myself further and continue to train harder than each and every day before.

Other comments: Since beginning my training, I have become more focused on and off the mat. I've found a new tranquility. I'm more calm and patient. My composure has improved dramatically--which is most needed while handling customers at work. Building lean muscle feels great too! I've witnessed my body change quickly in just a few short months. One more thing: It's encouraging to have so many women training with this much spirit and power under one roof. I'm in awe of Coach Emily and Coach Rima's dedication to the sport. I hope they know how many women like me they inspire.

November 2009

Name:  Dwayne Neville Kenneth Richards
Age:  25
Hometown: Georgetown, Guyana
Occupation:  FDNY Firefighter, Bike Messenger
Years as Member:  9 Months

Favorite Class: I was a fiend for Gavin Gointahell Van Vlack's "odd object playground," But my schedule hasn't allowed me to play, nonetheless, Pascal is great about the combinations, Jose and Gaius are heavy on technique, Eddie focuses on the nuances of fighting, Emily is a front kick queen, Kru Emyr makes lunch time more delicious with his noon class, Arjan Simon makes me rise up into my roundhouses, and Arjan Steve taught me to keep my hands up so as not to get beat up by girls in sparring class (shout out to Jennifer Pearsall). I would also like to give a nod to Bill Chiu's occasional Kettlebell class and the yoga instructors Lya and Lisa for making my hipflexors more flexibe.

Inspiring Moment:  My enlightenment moment is a toss between recognizing Sergio's double
hook combination that starts at the body and somehow ended up in my face, and landing a solitary front kick in the middle of Pascal Jean-Michel's Pummeling. Tip of the hat to everyone who has gone East to train.

October 2009

Name:  Monica Liu
Age:  28
Hometown:New York
Occupation: Ad Operations Analyst & Aerial and Fire Performer
Years as Member: 2 1/2 years

Favorite Class: Kali and Muay Thai are both great!

Inspiring Moment:  It's an ongoing process of gradual improvement. There's always more to work on. I've been doing Kali a lot longer, so I'm still working on getting to the point where I'm as comfortable in Muay Thai as I am in Kali. It's always good to learn something new and it's inspiring to work with people that are better than me and who challenge me.

September 2009

Name:  Bill Chiu
Age:  30
Hometown:  Chinatown, NY
Occupation:  Sales/Fitness Trainer
Years as Member:  Almost 3
Favorite Class:  Kettlebells
Inspiring Moment:  All of them. I arrived at Five Points very young and with a lot to learn. I had just gone from weighing 220 lbs to 170 lbs and still had a long way to go. Training with Arjan Steve and Arjan Simon in Muay Thai has changed me. Coach Gavin drove me to learn how to condition my body with Kettlebells. Summer 2008 I went to Nationals and completed the Kettlebell certification program. This weekend I'll be fighting at 135lbs! (Thanks Pascal for the extra coaching/training.)

Other comments: I'm enjoying assistant teaching and look forward to teaching my own classes. I want to inspire others to make huge life changes similar to mine. Pass on the knowledge and the bananas.

August 2009

Name: Jeff Mashie
Age: N/A
Hometown: Syracuse, NY
Occupation: Fashion Designer & Costume Designer
Years as Member: 2

Favorite aspect of Five Points:  My favorite thing about Five Points is my Independent Trainer Rob Morea. I also enjoy hanging out with my Five Points pals, Emily and Passa--who can kick your a$$!

Other comments: Go see my most recent design work on Broadway, the hit musical "Next to Normal" at the Booth Theater.

July 2009

Name:Jake Janey
Age: 33
Hometown: Mankato, Minnesota
Occupation: Senior Research Chemist at Merck
Years as Member: 4 (or more!)

Favorite Class:  Sparring (Fight Team), Wednesday at 7pm and Saturday at 9am

Most Inspiring Moment:  After a few months of sparring and repeatedly developing a bloody nose, I finally figured out how to not block the jab with my face. Everything started to click, I started to relax more, think less, and simply react. I always have a lot of fun in class and try to learn something new each time. I try to think about how I did and take away the positives while also trying to improve upon the things I don't feel that I did quite as well. There really is nothing better than an intense bout of sparring and practice to take my mind off of my research and reset for another day. Five Points is a big part of my routine and besides getting myself into some semblance of shape, it's brought good balance to my daily life.

June 2009

Name: Luz Gandulla
Age: Do I have to?
Hometown: Trenton, NJ
Occupation: Art Buyer and Print Producer
Years as Member: 2 1/2 years on and off. It's complicated!

Favorite Class:  They're all painful! I learn so much from everyone's classes. I plead the fifth.

Most Inspiring Moment:  After watching a few stand-out fights last Mayhem, and admiring the skills of the fighters (especially the women), I was inspired to make the decision to compete. Since then it has been non-stop training. Going to Nationals will be my own personal test. We'll see what happens!

May 2009

Name: George Flynn
Age: 60 (feels like 25)
Hometown: Unionville, CT
Occupation: Musician
Years as Member: 2+

Favorite Class:  Judo or Kali. It's a toss up!

Most Inspiring Moment: In constant awe of Coach Gavin going through bodyweight exercises like he weighs 140lbs!

April 2009

Name:Jennifer Pearsall
Age: 28
Hometown: Long Island
Occupation: 1st Grade Teacher
Years as Member:1

Favorite Class:  Don't make me choose! I have learned so much from everyone. Steve has helped me to find a mental and physical tenacity that I never knew I could have. Emily has been a model of discipline, skill, and strategy; Rima has encouraged strength. Simon (he'll be surprised to hear) has taught me to have patience with myself and others, and Emyr has shown me the humor, control, and intelligence that is so necessary.

Most Inspiring Moment: For me it was not one moment, but a shift that happened. I used to be afraid of everything - in the gym and everywhere else, too. I was afraid to come to class, to ask questions, to wrap my hands, to hold pads, to work with strangers. I was too nervous to share opinions at work, to reach for higher goals, or to cause a stir in any way. But training, and learning something new, makes you realize how capable you are. I am so much more confident and straightforward than I used to be.