GAZELLE MAGAZINE APRIL 2017 | Page 92

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Fight Your Way to Fitness

We are several months into the New Year , and it is fair to say that some of us are trying to keep our fitness goals on track . One way to remain excited about your workout is to change it up and try something new . Retired , undefeated world kickboxing champion , Coach Daniel ( Dan ) Isaac , is helping St . Louis men , women and children get or stay fit .

Isaac moved to the area in 2016 from India , where he was the CEO for Super Fight League , a full-contact , combat sports league with more than 300 professional fighters , and branches in the United States , Canada and other parts of the world .
In addition to private consulting , Isaac is a cardio kickboxing instructor at the Missouri Athletic Club , the downtown St . Louis YMCA , the University of Missouri-St . Louis Recreation and Wellness Center and several other athletic organizations .
Q : What inspired you to make the switch from fighting on a global platform as a leading figure in Indian martial arts and mixed martial arts , to helping St . Louis families achieve their fitness goals ? A : In June 2014 , I was with the Indian national team participating at the mixed martial arts world championships in Las Vegas . I was speaking with my good friend , and head of the U . S . MMA Federation , Frank Babcock , who asked me to visit St . Louis . He felt that I might be a good candidate for making a big move to the United States to start teaching martial arts as a full-time instructor . I flew from Vegas to St . Louis that same month and visited some of the local martial arts schools . I also met with a leading immigration attorney who looked at my resume and said that because of my work in India with MMA , I could qualify for a U . S . immigration visa that could help me move here , along with my
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