OUR PHILOSOPHY
BEYOND THE RING
We don't just train fighters; we build a resilient community through the discipline of boxing and Muay Thai. Our mission is to empower every individual to find their strength both inside and outside the ropes.
Meet the Coaches
HEAD COACH
JOHN BEDNAR
With over 25 years of experience, Coach Bednar began his martial arts journey as a teenager in 1998. He earned his black belt in Taekwondo in high school under former Olympic Coach Grand Master Mayes in Spring Lake, NC, competing in local, state, and national tournaments - including gold medals at the Pan American games. In college, he trained in both Muay Thai and boxing while competing in amateur boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai events under the IKF across the East Coast. After moving to Clayton in 2011, he trained and fought at The Kai Thai Academy of Martial Arts in Wilson, NC under Kru Bishop Holmes including IKF National events. Over the past 12 years with Kru Holmes, Coach Bednar has fought in numerous Muay Thai bouts before transitioning into coaching and cornering fighters. He is a USA Boxing certified coach and Safe Sport certified. With a continued passion for fitness and mental and physical toughness, he shifted his personal training to running and has completed several half marathons, marathons, and ultra distances. Now living in the Wendell area, he is excited to bring competitive Boxing and Muay Thai to First in Flight.
assistanT coach
ALAN MOORE
With over 10 years of experience of Boxing and Muay Thai Experience, Coach Moore has a rich fitness background in both combat sports and fitness. He has competed in several International KickBoxing Federation events and was formerly a certified CrossFit instructor. He is USA Boxing and Safe Sport Certified.
KIDS COACH
MARTIN CORDOVA
We have great kids coaches including Martin Cordova! He has been doing Muay Thai for over 2 years and in that short time has competed and won several IKF PKB Muay Thai events.
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USA BOXING CERTIFIED
Our facility and coaching staff are fully certified by USA Boxing (ID 592204), ensuring that every session adheres to the highest national standards of technical instruction and competitive excellence.
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COMBAT READY SAFETY
Your safety is our priority. We implement rigorous training protocols, high-quality gear requirements, and supervised sparring to foster a secure environment for all skill levels.
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PRO PERFORMANCE
With decades of collective experience in the ring and in coaching corners, our team delivers elite metabolic conditioning and combat-specific strength training for results that show.