Coaches

10404264_692815174118012_3153954943473211835_nKenji

Kenji is a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.  He began fighting competitively at age 13.

From 2010 to 2015 he worked under head coach Justin Fortune at Fortune Boxing Gym in Hollywood, California training and conditioning professional fighters – both boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.  Kenji also taught group boxing classes at Fortune Gym and worked as a personal trainer.  Many of his Hollywood clients were actors and actresses who were training for movie roles.

 

Prior to Fortune Gym, he taught at Joker’s Wild Fight Academy and Reign Training Center in Orange County, California.  At Reign Training Center, founded by UFC fighter Mark Munoz, Kenji trained alongside top fighters from all over the world, including: Jake Ellenberger, King Mo, Mark Munoz, Fabricio Werdum and many others.

In 2016 Kenji traveled to the Rock Steady Boxing Headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana and became certified in the Rock Steady Method.  For the past year he has been focused on working with people diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, empowering them to fight back.  His motto is, “Sharp Minds, Strong Bodies, Fight Back!”

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Anne, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

27544661_10109252723684380_682591112985131717_nA former competitive long distance runner who ran the Chicago Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon and San Diego Marathon, Anne first began training Muay Thai in 2010 at SITYODTONG Los Angeles under Kru Walter Michalowski.  In 2012 she began training in the sport of boxing at Hollywood’s Fortune Gym under coaches Justin Fortune (Former Heavyweight Contender and Manny Pacquio’s strength & conditioning coach) and Jesse Forbes (Ronda Rousey’s strength & conditioning coach).  She continued working on her Muay Thai under Coach Joseph Del Real.

Anne and her husband Kenji relocated to the Midwest in 2016.  They opened K-FIT Minooka in March of 2017.  While she never fought competitively, she loves the physical and mental challenges involved in training as a fighter.  She is passionate about helping people who would not normally walk into any gym – let alone a boxing gym – transform their bodies and their self-image.  Anne encourages women of all ages to feel confident, powerful, beautiful and strong, no matter where they are at physically at this very moment.  It doesn’t matter if you are not able to run, or even walk – boxing can empower you from a seated position to take back control of your health and your life.
In June of 2018 Anne traveled to Indianapolis and became certified in the Rock Steady method.  As the boxing program for people with Parkinson’s has grown at K-FIT, she has enjoyed taking on a more active role as a volunteer coach.
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Charlie
20170707_113640 (1).jpg Charlie began boxing at age six. His father owned and operated a gym in Lefors, Texas, where he started a youth boxing program and became Charlie’s first coach. Boxing is a family tradition for Charlie. His grandfather, father, uncles, siblings, and cousins were all boxers. Holiday dinners could get very interesting. There was always a challenge or two.

At age twelve Charlie and his family moved to Garden City, Kansas, due to his father’s job. They lived there for two years. His father continued to train him and he had several fights, including several amateur tournaments.

When Charlie was fourteen he and his family moved to Hanston, Kansas. At Hanston Charlie met a great “old school” trainer named Sandy Hann. Sandy began training Charlie and setting up matches with some great fighters. Sandy also had a “custom cut” wheat harvest business, which started harvesting wheat in central Texas and traveled across several states ending at the Canadian border. At the age of sixteen Charlie was given the opportunity to go along on this great adventure. It also provided him the opportunity, with the help of Sandy, to box in several states against some great opponents.

In 1969, at the age of seventeen, Charlie moved to Morris, Illinois, where he still lives today. He immediately set up a “makeshift gym”. He found an old swing set and installed a speed bag and heavy bag onto it. He began training in his backyard. In a short time he started training and fighting at the Checker Gym, a gym he started in Morris and at the Armory in Ottawa, Illinois. In the 1970’s and early 1980’s the Armory had some great amateur boxers. The Checker location is where he first started training and coaching. His student’s ages ranged from eight to mid-thirties.

Charlie was also passionately active in several other sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and track. He has coached youth baseball, youth and high school football, and high school track. He is certified by the IHSA, USA Coaching Association, and Global Compliance Network.  Charlie is dedicated to the success of his athletes and every client he works with.