KRU NESTOR MARTE

BEGINNING HIS MARTIAL ARTS JOURNEY AT 14, HE SPECIALIZED IN MUAY THAI STARTING IN 1990 AND MOVED TO THAILAND IN 1991 TO TRAIN AND COMPETE. AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF RIGOROUS TRAINING, HE EARNED THE DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF THE FEW, OR POSSIBLY THE ONLY AMERICAN, CERTIFIED BY THREE TOP MUAY THAI CAMPS IN BANGKOK. IN 1996, HE STARTED TEACHING IN NYC, LEADING TO THE FOUNDING OF ULTIMATE GYM IN 1997. TAKING OWNERSHIP IN 2000, HE TRANSFORMED IT INTO ONE OF NYC'S OLDEST MUAY THAI GYMS, NOTABLE FOR INTRODUCING AUTHENTIC THAI TRAINERS AND CHAMPIONS, NOTABLY MASTER TRAINER SAKTAYWAN AJARN PRASIT THANGDONG.

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IN 2000, HE RELOCATED TO RIO DE JANEIRO TO MASTER THE NO-GI STYLE OF LUTA LIVRE UNDER THE LEGENDARY MASTER EUGENIO TADEU, EARNING A BLUE BELT IN 2004. HE ALSO TRAINED WITH OTHER MASTERS LIKE DENILSON MAIA. HIS DEDICATION CONTINUED WITH ALEXANDRE PEQUENO NOGUEIRA, A TOP STUDENT OF TADEU AND A 7X SHOOTO MMA CHAMPION, UNDER WHOM HE ACHIEVED A PURPLE BELT IN 2007 AND A BROWN BELT IN 2012. THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, HE HAS NOT ONLY HONED HIS SKILLS IN BRAZIL BUT ALSO BROUGHT HIS INSTRUCTORS TO ULTIMATE GYM TO ENRICH THE LUTA LIVRE AND MMA PROGRAMS.