Professional Fighter Opens Martial Arts Studio in LIC

Dec. 27, 2017 By Tara Law

A martial arts studio specializing in traditional fighting styles is scheduled to open in Long Island City on Jan. 3.

Hinds Combat Sports, located at 10-25 48th Ave., will offer Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai martial arts classes for adults and children.

Sean Hinds, who has been a Muay Thai fighter for the past 20 years, is the gym’s primary owner and manager.

Hinds has fought in 30 professional bouts and has dedicated himself to coaching students and seasoned fighters in recent years. The gym is Hinds’ first as an owner.

Hinds will co-own the studio with a group of five martial arts enthusiasts. Members of that group also founded Kings Combat Fitness in Rego Park in 2014 and Kings Thai Boxing in Manhattan in 2012.

Kit Yeung, a co-owner of Hinds Combat, said that students will be able to spar upon reaching a certain level. He said that many gyms in Long Island City focus on “cardio kickboxing” but Hinds will be geared toward traditional fighting.

Muay Thai is the official sport of Thailand, Yeung explained. It is referred to as “the sport of eight limbs” because it teaches students to strike with different parts of the body. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, meanwhile, teaches fighters to use leverage to turn an opponent’s body against them.

The only way to understand the martial arts styles is to test them out, Yeung said.

The studio is inviting residents to attend a free class to try it out.

The classes will be designed for beginners, at first, since the studio is new to the area. With time, more advanced classes will be offered.

Each class will be capped at 20 students and personal training is also available.

Hinds will teach all the adult classes. Children’s classes will be taught by Dave Moy, a fighter who has taught at the group’s other gyms.

The list of class times is available at https://hindscombatsports.com/schedule-2018.

A month of classes is currently on sale for $149. Those who sign up now will also receive a pair of boxing gloves.

                                      Hinds is in the white trunks