Team

Matt Thomas

The idea for Fight and Flow found me in 2014. I withdrew from law school, started a business that failed, and ran out of money. I moved into my parent's basement, where I had a heavy bag, a yoga mat, and a lot of time on my hands. One day while doing yoga from a YouTube video, my girlfriend at the time made a playful comment about thinking she was dating a fierce fighter-man, not a soft yoga boy. I remember thinking, why can't I be both?

I was at the beginning of my yoga journey, and I already felt the benefits of flexibility, mobility, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and mental clarity. I used it as a counter-balance to my pursuits as an amateur boxer turned world champion chessboxer. I felt like living proof that two ancient disciplines, martial arts, and yoga, could be combined for favorable results.

For six years, I explored the worlds of yoga and martial arts. I practiced at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, Thailand. I trained Tae Kwon Do under North American Champion, Dayne Turner. I completed a 200 Yoga-Teacher-Training course under Danielle Mika-Nagel in the redwood forest. I trained with a world-renowned Cuban boxing coach, Nardo Flores in his legendary Havana gym that has produced more Olympic champions than any other gym in the world. I hosted yoga and personal development retreats in the US, Costa Rica, and Bali. I completed an Animal Flow certification from the longest-serving Master Instructor, Kathy Donatto. I completed a Tai Chi certification through Harvard Medical School. I trained under the Tai Chi and Kung Fu European Champion, Lucas Galliot. All along the way, I took meticulous notes on movements that countered and complimented each other.

Then, I experimented. First, I wove my favorite movements together and tested them with my body. Then, I onboarded clients who volunteered as Fight and Flow guinea pigs. I started with a man in his mid-sixties. Then, I adapted his movements for a man in his fifties, then one in his forties. Then, I onboarded two female clients in their late thirties. Then, I started sharing Fight and Flow in small group settings, followed by weekly corporate wellness classes to hone Fight and Flow personal training into a workout program that could be accessible to all ages and fitness levels. Over time, and through many iterations, Fight and Flow evolved.

Advisors