Patty Graham came to Carlsbad Kickboxing Club in 2020 when she was looking for a place to train her one-on-one clients while still being able to be versatile with her kickboxing experience. And to her, it couldn’t have been a more perfect fit.

What she loves about the gym is that it is not only a perfect combination of her passion, but it is also the community. “Everyone has been so welcoming and supportive since day one,” she says. “All the way from our owners, to staff to members and I knew I got really lucky when I got to be part of that.”

Originally from the Inland Empire, the 10-year certified personal trainer has lived in the Carlsbad/Oceanside area since 2012. Her list of certifications is expansive, including: Corrective Exercise; Women’s Exercise Specialist; ACE Functional Training; NASM Fitness Nutrition Certification; Precision Nutrition L1; GGS Pre/Post Natal Certified; TRX Training Certified and more.

But beyond Patty’s certifications, it is clear to anyone who has interacted with her that training is her passion. “I decided to become a trainer after years in the gym just knowing inside, it is what I wanted to do … Fitness has had just such a strong pull for me.”

When Patty goes to a gym, or even just sees others working out, or even is just talking about working out, she gets excited and motivated. That is how she knew it was the perfect career for her.

What she loves most about her job, though, are the people, and seeing what someone really can accomplish. “I love goal setting, plans of action helping them become a stronger, fitter version of themselves, sure, but there is more that goes into training outside of picking up and putting down weights,” she says. “I am so honored to get to be a part of that.”

Her goals for training are to continue to see people in person. “We had such a good response from our Spring Glute Camp, I cannot wait to bring it around again for the fall,” she says. “You never know how many other good things can happen until then.”

As for her future? “The future holds what you are willing to put into it,” she says. So, for now, “the possibilities are endless.”

Survival just doesn’t mean living. And strength isn’t about simply having physical strength, but having mental strength and strength of character as well. It means having the vision of your goals and having the commitment to go get them. “If you aren’t serious about your goals and what you want to achieve, you will lose momentum and those goals be worthless if you don’t have true commitment.”  

Those thoughts are according to Carlsbad Kickboxing Clubs program director. CKC prepares to go back to its roots and invest in its competition program. Starting Monday, the gym will invest in those who hope to carry on the fighting torch, and host a series of tryouts for its level three competitive training program. Those members who are interested in embarking on the journey will have to show commitment and strength and above all, be ready to become a fighting machine.

While not all have to do competitive fights, any fighters who make the level three program must show up, be committed, and should think of their training as more than a workout or sport, but instead, as a lifestyle.
“The fighters in the program should arrive with intensity, endurance and have a purpose,” says Montano.
CKC is also investing in helping achieve that lifestyle adding meal prep, services such as massage, cupping, a coach for strength conditioning and more.

“We are taking it to the next level,” explains Montano. “Never let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do because the sky’s the limit … we look forward to what’s in store for our future fighters.”

Some athletes are able to return to full activity after minimally invasive surgeries while others may require physical therapy and months to recover. For Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s Joey Siplyak, the latter is true.

Joey busted his knee doing bag work nearly a year ago, and after knee surgery, he took a year off from training muay thai at CKC. During his time off from the gym, he did train a bit in boxing, but he still has a way to go to get back into ready shape.

Joey learned firsthand that the mental and physical setback is no joke, and a full comeback requires preparation, positivity, dedication and planning. He is now ready to put in the work. When you have passion for a sport, it is easier to focus on the training needed, and Joey definitely has that passion.

“When I prepare for a fight, it is very easy for me to put everything else on the side and focus on training,” he once said. “I just know I want to be a Muay Thai world champion, and I am willing to put the work in to get there without a second thought…Muay Thai is my life and I want to work every day to be the best fighter I can be.”

What helps is that he is back in the gym he is meant to be in. “This is my home. Like family, I needed my family and needed that regular regimen,” he explains. “It helps to have that consistency with people expecting to see you and expecting you to train…having that accountability really helps.”

But he still has a way to go. “I just have to get back into shape, get that cardio up, but I am here for it and ready to put in the work.”

We look forward to what is ahead for Siplyak in the new year and we know that skies are the limit for the young fighter once he puts his mind to it.

Fighting alongside Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s David Delapaz, Arthur Johnson makes his big return to the ring this weekend in Myrtle Beach, SC, during the 9th Annual IKF East Coast Fall Muay Thai Kickboxing Classic. His division, B-Class OPEN Belt Award, takes place this Sunday.

Arthur grew up in Chicago and started training in muay thai during his senior year of high school after he was done playing football. “I needed another outlet to keep me in shape.”

As it turns out, he just happened to love the sport. “Honestly I think I’m addicted to the never-ending process of learning and mastering different techniques and helping other people on their journey.”
While he has only been training for about seven years, his passion and determination exhibited in the ring would have you believe he has been training since childhood.

Arthur left the sport for about a year and four months when he found out he was having his son but he knew that wasn’t the end of his journey. “I knew I never was leaving for good but I had other things to focus. I wanted to make sure my son was born, and doing well, so that I could fully dive back into the sport.”

And the time off served him well—at least mentally. “Training almost every day for 7 years will take a toll on anyone,” he explained. “My body was there in the best shape but towards the end my mind wasn’t.” During the time off, he was able to find himself and now, the war, he says, is with getting his body not just back to where it was, but better.

“I am training hard, but know when to give my body a rest will get me a farther distance in the long run,” he says. “I want to dominate everyone I step in front of from here on out. The only thing that can stop that is me.”

As for coming back to his home, CKC? He says it is more than just a gym. “I love that Carlsbad Kickboxing Club loves me,” he says. “Everyone there wants nothing but the best for me and vice versa.”

Charles Curley was recruited by CKC about a year ago when his employer shut down. We caught up with Chuck to learn more about his background, and why he enjoys coaching at Carlsbad Kickboxing Club.

The Pensacola, Florida-native, who many know as CKC’s boxing coach, has lived all over from Florida to Oahu, Hawaii to Imperial Beach, CA. He moved to Carlsbad in 2007 with his wife Cindy and two children—Skylar, 11, and Chase, 8 (who are both heavily into traditional Japanese karate) and also train in muay thai at CKC.

He played baseball as a kid for about seven years and grew up surfing and skateboarding as well. While surfing was a fun pastime, skateboarding was a major focus from about 10-15 years old—even ending up being a sponsored amateur skateboarder for halfpipe. But during high school, he lost interest in skateboarding played varsity football and track. Another passion of his is snowboarding. While a late starter (at 20 years old), he ended up competing in the United States Amateur Snowboard Association in halfpipe for 6 years.

On the professional front, Chuck attended San Diego State University and graduated with a degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in athletic training and has worked as an athletic trainer and as a chiropractic assistant doing passive therapies. He got into training muay thai when the gym he attended had it. He he trained in boxing and kickboxing and the gym sold to another corporation the fighting classes were discontinued and the facility still allowed people to train, but on their own without an instructor. 

“I would go in and train and a few of the previous students would come in and follow a program that I would put together,” he says. That is where his coaching began. He then attended a Martial Arts gym that specialized in kickboxing and boxing and after a few years of training there, he was invited to start teaching classes. “That’s when I really started to come into my own as far as an instructor. I was thriving with the help of the other trainers at coming up with classes that were high intensity, informative, challenging, and a little bit fun.”

The thing he says he enjoys most about coaching at Carlsbad Kickboxing Club is the interaction with the members. “I love that they come to class ready to learn and train hard,” he says. “If I can instruct them in a way that when class is over they feel that they learned something, got a great workout, and had fun, then I feel ‘mission accomplished.’ There’s an energy that’s indescribable whether you have 10 or 40 members working to their max ability and enjoying every second of it.”

As for CKC specifically, the thing he likes best is that the owners, instructors, and the entire staff feel like one big family. “There’s a level of respect that a lot of other fight gyms don’t have. No big egos here, regardless of experience. Just everybody doing their part to make this place the absolute best it can be.”

The common definition for any front desk gym attendant is that they oversee operations, including gym front desk management and facilities usage by patrons. Educational requirements and pay vary by location and facility type and the main part of the role is interacting with patrons at the front desk and on the phone, sharing information on the gym and membership rates with new visitors and answering questions and manages check-in and check-out procedures for existing members and guests. Gym receptionist skills and people skills alike are important most for this role.

If you were visiting a regular gym, and wanted regular service, the above might sound like the ad for the job. But at Carlsbad Kickboxing Club, where the environment and the people who work there are like family, having the right person in place in that role part of the gym’s success story, and, one could argue, is as important to the gym’s success as its trainers.

You might know Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s Phoenix Vaughan-Voski as your first hello when you walk in the door. Originally from East Coast, the friendly 20 year old has lived everywhere from North Carolina to Miami and settled in California in his sophomore year of high school. He graduated just before Covid last year and began training at CKC in December. He officially joined the front desk team in April.

Customer service isn’t a new role for Vaughan-Voski. He has worked in food service including a pizza place in Philly and worked at a vegan place in Encinitas. What he likes most about customer service, and CKC in particular, is talking to people all day long. “What is most interesting about working here are the different types of people that come in to do the same thing,” he says. “Everyone knows each other here and there is a sense of familiarity.”
That familiarity is important to Vaughan-Voski. When he was in food service, there were new people each day, and people don’t treat you as well, he says. “My biggest problem in food service was the environment.”

It is that comfort that makes it possible for Vaughan-Voski to go from working at the front desk all day, then staying to train for two hours before heading home. “It is better here than other work environments,” he says. “These are all my friends here and coworkers.”

When asking why he thought the environment was so different, he says it begins at the top. “At my last job, it felt like high school in how it was managed, The owners treat us as more than employees.”

For example, he says that anytime they are talking future concepts, they involved their team and listen to their input. “They involve us in new designs and decisions and always want our feedback and opinions,” he says. “We are all chill and open with each other.”

And there are no surprises, he explains. “I feel like a lot of times, bosses or managers just throw stuff at you instead of involving you in the process. Rolando wants us to know changes coming in advance, which helps keep us tight…It is a really cool way to operate.”

If you are interested in joining the CKC family, visit Carlsbad Kickboxing Club to learn more.

The Indian state of Tripura is one of the many places around the world where muay thai has become a popular sport. Due in part to many of the young men there who began to take interest in the sport, the state has achieved recognition. One such man is due some thanks for the accolades.

Chandrakanta Debbarma, brought the state many medals including the gold at the National Championship held in Mussoorie in 2015, at Gujarat in 2016, the silver medal in Meghalaya in 2017 and the gold at the North East Youth Festival held in Sikkim in 2019, among others.

When talking about his journey recently, it was mentioned that Chandrakanta’s stamina is “a thing of legends” and it is rumored that he runs about 19 miles per day.

While stamina isn’t the only reasoning for his wins, having endurance is a key factor in many fighters’ success. According to Chandrakanta, “the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in the ring.”

Carlsbad Kickboxing Club supports that motto with monthly endurance runs and according to CKC’s own Patty Graham, CPT, stamina and endurance are crucial for a fighter’s success in the ring.

According to Graham, who coaches the power boxing classes at CKC and specializes in resistance training and body recomposition, having stamina and endurance allows a fighter to utilize their skills and have the energy to carry through an entire fight.

“Having better endurance allows a fighter to throw, punch, kick and also dodge the opponents moves,” she says. “It’s also a feel good as stamina aids in mental acuity, which is a huge factor in being a great fighter.”

We also asked Graham for some tips to improve this important component of training.

“It is key to include cardio as well as resistance training,” she says. “Running is a standard. To switch up training, I like to include sprints and tempo runs. Circuit style and HIIT training are great for resistance training for fighters to challenge stamina.”

She adds that fighting requires fast twitch muscle recruitment.

“Resistance training with explosive, power movements will help foster the recruitment and encourage better movement in the ring.”

If you would like more information on improving your stamina and endurance, training with Ms. Patty Graham, or improving your fighting game in general, contact Carlsbad Kickboxing Club.

What a difference one year makes.

Last March, the coronavirus pandemic prompted closures of retail centers including fitness clubs and gyms across the nation in an attempt to flatten the curve of the COVID-19 virus.

During the critical time, safety was top priority for nearly every business, its staff and members—especially for Carlsbad Kickboxing Club.

The gym, decided to close their doors to comply with what seemed to be the right move at the time.

Knowing there were grim times ahead, many of its 300 or so members froze their monthly payments as they hunkered at home and, in some cases, lost their jobs.

Closing the doors or not, Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s rent was still due.

While CKC owner worked out a deal to receive a few months forbearance from his two landlords, he acknowledged at the time that that there was a chance he would not be able to remain open through September without paying customers.

He tried his best to stay afloat, even connecting members to online classes for those who wanted to practice their muay thai moves at home. He even loaned out gym equipment free of charge, including bags, mitts and gloves, to the members who continue to support the gym.

All of those moves, along with applications for small business loan grants, allowed CKC to remain optimistic, hoping for better times ahead. He pushed forward and focused on things they could control, such as improvements to the gym, and even diving into refining plans to open a personal training trade school aimed at training veterans.

Through the first part of the summer, CKC figured out ways to keep the lights on. But had not taken a drastic move, it might not have been enough.

Despite the County’s COVID-19 public health order not allowing for gyms to open, CKC defied the guidelines and reopened at a time when others went out of business and had to file for bankruptcy.

But did it quietly and respectfully without a show—even hired security to sit in the car at the end of the road with a radio ready to report and watch for any disruption in their new plan to move forward. Carlsbad Kickboxing Club reopened, not to defy county orders, but to instead support their staff. The gym opened for their members’ sanity. And above all, the gym reopened because CKC’s owner truly believed it was his right as an American and as a small business owner in the United States of America, a country, that he himself has fought for.

Last summer, Montano said that he hoped that this setback would make the gym stronger. He now has proof that it has.

Within less than a year of reopening, the gym has nearly doubled its membership and looks forward to a bright future and continued expansion.

So, what is next?

For CKC, it is to double the gym’s current growth and bring in a rotation of Thai trainers (when possible) in hopes of strengthening the gym’s tournament team and putting more belts on the wall. In addition, CKC plans to open a new personal training academy school as well.

“Never let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do,” Montano says. We look forward to the future because the sky’s the limit, he adds.

“When it feels scary to jump, that is exactly when you jump”.

What do you feel when you hear the words “work out”?

For many, getting in a workout feels like a chore or just checking some imaginary box that they went to the gym. For others, like San Diego-born athlete and fitness influencer, Demi Bagby, regular movement brings joy.

As one of Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s newer members, the 20-year-old—known as a fitness enthusiast to some—strives to push her limits both physically and mentally. For her, fitness brings passion and motivation.

Bagby finished high school early and received two AA degrees from college all before she was 18 years old. She has been involved in sports her whole life.

What began with traditional rec sports like cheerleading and soccer soon became all things fitness related. Following a cheerleading accident when she was younger, where some may have given up, Bagby did not let the accident define her and, instead, refocused her attention towards fitness.

She began doing CrossFit—ultimately pushing her to broaden her scope and jump into anything and everything including gymnastics, parkour, surfing, snowboarding and more.

“Although my passion for working out and training grew, my interest in sports never faded,” she says. “I continue to work hard and do what makes me feel my best and be my best.”

Being her best includes striving to live in each and every moment. Her hope is to pass the belief along that if you believe you can do it, you can.

Bagby strives to be kind and pass those good vibes to her more than two million Instagram followers and more than 13 million tik-tok followers as well as her fitness app users, demibagbyfit.com.

Her ultimate fitness goal is to stay in shape, be the best she can be in everything she does, and hopefully share that same motivation with others. “I am all about challenges and discovering innovative workouts, techniques, and staying positive.”

Bagby likes to take what people normally would perceive as a chore and turn it into something fun. “Being fit is more than just going to a gym. You can work out and train in so many different ways, you just have to find something you like and get moving.”

She adds that if you are able to look at training (and life in general really) with a positive mindset, it will never be boring.

Bagby follows her own advice and doesn’t train the exact same every day—often changing it up daily to keep it interesting and keep herself motivated. Boxing, for example, is something she has trained in only a few times over the years, but nothing consistently, but does the job in keeping her motivated. “

I get to spend my days training with some of the most talented humans in muay thai,” she says. “Rolando and Hakan at Carlsbad Kickboxing Club are amazing… Rolando has built an amazing gym and I feel blessed to be a member.”

Her goal specifically with CKC is to learn muay thai. “I don’t know where that will go but as with any martial art, it’s super good for my mind, body and keeping myself centered.”

That’s exactly what Bagby wants to relay to her followers. “Change things up. Do something you find appealing or have been wanting to try and just do it,” she says.

“Most people my age are trying to navigate life, especially during Covid, which I know can be really challenging,” she adds, “but I believe you can achieve any goal you want, you simply have to take the initiative in life. Don’t let anything hold you back.”

It certainly was his time to shine this past weekend. As we predicted in January, David Delapaz is on his way up in the muay thai fighting world, just recently earning the win and the belt, at the 4th Annual IKF Spring Eastern Muay Thai / Kickboxing Classic in Myrtle Beach, SC.

For Delapaz, it is just the beginning as he prepares for the US Muay Thai Open West National Championships later this month and more events later in the year.

For Rolando Montano, CKC owner, this weekend’s win reminded him what Carlsbad Kickboxing Club was built on.
“When Carlsbad Kickboxing Club first opened, we were built on our kids competition program. Those are our roots,” says Montano. “And as Covid is calming down, and as more youth competition events are being added to the calendar, there has never been a better time to invest in our youth.”

The kids program over the past few months has growth at a significant rate. For some, it is a place to have fun, sweat and get a good workout and learn teamwork. For others, it is the beginning of their path to hopefully earn what Delapaz just brought back to CKC.

The following will be the specific restructuring and refocusing of the program as of now as CKC looks forward to growing it’s youth’s competition future.

This Monday @3:30 PM we will hold a “TRY OUT”

MONDAY and WEDNESDAY: 3:30-4:15pm (Young athlete development program)

Focusing on competition, furthering muay their techniques, strength and more.

It has been said that one of the most important relationships any fighter will have in their career is the bond they have with their coach. Beyond the technical skills being taught, it is the relationship that is almost just as important as the number of wins earned.

According to Carlsbad Kickboxing Club’s Rolando Montano “The best part of coaching is seeing the potential and helping someone believe in it. I can show them the door, but they need to make the decision to go through it or not.”

Below are just a few days ways to help build a strong relationship between a coach and an athlete.

Communication and Positive Reinforcement: An open line of communication between a coach and a fighter keeps everyone accountable and honest with one another. Doing so will lead to stronger training, personal growth, and athletic progress. When all that is aligned, winning will become a result of those relationships. Positive reinforcement is also an important step in accomplishing that goal. Building up a fighter through encouragement can help them visualize positive outcomes and maintain confidence.

Be Available: Don’t just go through the motions. It is key that a coach makes it clear to the individual they are training that they are available and accessible whenever needed. Especially with younger athletes who are just getting started, they often need advice and might be seeking someone to follow and look up to as a mentor.

Sincerity and Genuine Interest: Don’t just go through the motions. A coach should always show genuine interest in the athlete they are training. It is that sincerity that will run deeper than any win or losses and ultimately, will improve them as a fighter. The challenge though lies in figuring out the balance between rationale, logic, and training in the sport, with empathy and compassion for the individual. Coaches must understand their job isn’t just about physical progress, it’s about setting their young athletes up for success in life.

CKC’s Xavier Barker is very aware of the relationships that develop between him and his students. Since he realizes that many students don’t end up competing, personally, his focus is to foster good moral character, emotional growth, and self-confidence in his students rather than being the best fighter. “You can be the best fighter on the planet, but if you are not a good person to be around, then you lost all of the magic of Martial arts,” he says.

A great coach, he adds, is someone who can instill great values and lessons into the minds and hearts of athletes. “I think the best coaches care beyond the belts and the wins. People will forget most of the techniques I ever show them, but they will never forget how I made them feel.”

Xavier Barker, who will have his 30th birthday this month, was born premature and grew up in rough neighborhoods in Detroit, Michigan. Subject to bullying, he started training martial arts at the age of 7. For Barker, his training gave him a much needed an outlet, not only as a way to defend himself, but a way to express his feelings.

“I initially was drawn to martial arts due to the influence of mass media like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, and Bruce Lee films,” Barker says. “I have always had a passion for it. It’s been fists and feet my entire life.”

In wasn’t until 2015 that he started formally training in muay thai.

In 2015, Xavier found his home with Carlsbad Kickboxing Club and remains one of the longest-tenured trainers at the gym. He was asked to help with the children’s program due to his background in traditional martial arts and due to his attention to detail with technique.

“I became a coach because I want to give back to the sport and art that has given me so much as a person. I think the best way to achieve that goal is to help guild and influence those who wish to learn the martial arts.”

For Barker, his love of coaching is that feeling he gets when he starts seeing someone level up and progress in their skill level. “Like a video game, it so dope to see one get that next power up and slay the final boss,” he jokes.

Additionally, Barker likes the daily mental challenge that comes with coaching and breaking down the techniques on a more digestible level. “It forces me to adapt and really understand the techniques myself when I must teach another individual.”

As for what the future holds for Barker personally, as of present, he is on his last semester as a kinesiology major at CSUSM. On the fighting front, his goals are to still challenge himself to grow through the adversity that comes with fighting and training.

“In the coming year, I would like to spend some extended time in Thailand to fight, gain more experience in the sport and further my craft. I plan to be active as a fighter for the next five or so years. I want to really push myself in that time frame.”

Afterward, Barker says, he would like to fully commit to his role as a coach and also has plans to return to school at some point to pursue his MBA.

“Ultimately, I want to be able to fully express myself in the ring and display my art to my fullest capabilities until I cannot anymore.”

He currently has 13 fights to his name and would like to get up to at least 50 before hanging up his gloves.

To learn more about Barker as well as learn the stories of other trainers and members of Carlsbad Kickboxing Club, or if you are interested in registering for a free trial class, click here.

Also, stay tuned for more thoughts from Barker on coaching and the unique relationship between a coach and their student.

Most people have heard the phrase that culture starts from the top down. Many studies throughout time have proven that culture, which stems from its leadership, touches every aspect of a business. A good culture can have a profound effect a business’s level of success and a negative culture can also be part of a company’s demise.

Culture is often closely associated with employee satisfaction, increased productivity, creativity and more and a positive culture usually translates to a positive influence on the profitability of a company.

For a boxing gym, all of that rings true, but it is much more than that.

Even if the gym has the best trainers in the world, all the latest and greatest in equipment and more, what separates a good gym from a great gym is the culture that you find there. You should ask the question: Does my gym feel like a second home for me, because it should.

If you are fighting competitively, the relationship you have with your gym is essential to your success and culture is key.

Your gym is the one who is with you in the ring. Your gym are the colors you are wearing. Your gym is the one that has your back. When you are in the ring, it is your gym, your second family you look to when you are finding more strength and motivation to keep going.

Carlsbad Kickboxing Club has made culture its number one priority since the day it opened its doors and promises its members that it will continue to remain its mission.

If you are interested in checking out Carlsbad Kickboxing Gym, are seeing their culture first hand, Click here to try a class for free to see it might just be what you are missing.

David Delapaz grew up in Vista, CA, and has lived there for his entire 15 years of life. While he played football as a kid, he used to watch muay thai fights with his dad and fell in love with the sport at a very young age. “Muay thai was always so much more interesting to me,” he says, when comparing it to other sports or activities.

He began his training at a very young age (around 4 years old). In terms of the number of fights he has done; it is so many at this point, he lost count a while ago.

Delapaz has a great record thus far—completing and winning in tournaments like the 2019 US Muay Thai Open WEST Championships, the USMTO West 2018 in Phoenix and in 2019, the TBA Classic Muay Thai World Expo. In the later, he beat out a very tough Canadian opponent who went on to win the gold medal in last year’s IFMA Muay Thai Official World Championship in Antalya Turkey.

But it isn’t about the win records for Delapaz necessarily—although he says the winning does really excite him. “I just like to fight,” he says. “I like to forget about it and train like I am still trying to prove myself.”

Going into his last tournament, for example, Delapaz was very disciplined—running anywhere from 12 to 15 miles. He says he even trained hard enough to be able to still eat at his favorite restaurant—McDonalds.

While he still sometimes gets a little nervous before a fight, when he gets in the ring, “it feels so natural,” he says. “Overall, it’s just so much fun. If you ever been in a fight there’s a feeling you get inside and you just can’t get it doing anything else.”

I guess we’ll see what the future has to hold for Delapaz, but there is no doubt that it is his time to shine. “I definitely see myself fighting because in all honesty it’s the only thing I know.”

Born and raised in Chandler, AZ, Keith Eckert did not grow up wanting to be a muay thai fighter. While he always loved boxing as a kid (and watched pay-per-view fights with his family) muay thai wasn’t something he discovered until much later in life.

But that’s not to say he wasn’t extremely athletic. He attended the Naval Academy in Annapolis, where he was a division 1 wrestler. He also played other sports as a kid and eventually started adventure racing and running ultramarathons in 2016.

Eckert’s first was a long run was roughly 50 miles up Santiago Peak in Orange County, CA. From there, he ran multiple 100-mile races in the Arizona desert and then transitioned to running 200-mile races. In 2018, for example, he ran BigFoot 200 in Washington, as well as the Moab 240—a 240.3-mile footrace through some of Utah’s most stunning and challenging terrain. Also, this past February, he raced 350 miles on the Iditarod trail of Alaska in temperatures as low as -50. He covered 35 miles a day and finished in 10 days.

Eckert was only recently drawn to Carlsbad Kickboxing Club in July of this year because he liked the idea of combing kicks with punches. “After my first training session earlier this year, I was hooked,” he says. “I became even more hooked after participating in the fight night.”

He currently trains 5 to 6 days a week—attending classes and taking private one-on-one training from Joey Siplyak. “As I continue training my goal is to travel around with the team and compete in fights.”

But furthering his muay thai training isn’t the only thing he thinks is worth fighting for. This coming February, he will be heading back to the Iditarod trail in Alaska to race the full 1000 miles on foot. “I need to cover 34 miles a day for 30 straight days to finish in the allotted time.”

His future adventure goals? To expand more into mountaineering and climb the 7 summits. “I have already completed Kilimanjaro and am looking to head to South America to climb Aconcagua towards the end of 2021”

So what’s on your bucket list? If muay thai is on the list, or even helping prep you for any of your other fitness goals, contact Carlsbad Kickboxing Club to learn more.

To visit Keith Eckert’s website to read a bit more and donate to his next adventure visit
https://guardianrevival.org/iti-1000