What do you get when you combine extensive experience and skill in the arts of Muay Thai boxing, Krav Maga self defense, Brazilian jiu jitsu and Tae Kwon Do, all rolled up in a friendly and personable package? That’d be our newest instructor, Darien Cobon.
With a laundry list of mixed martial art skills like that, you know Fighter’s Physique, our thirty-minute MMA-driven class, is right up Darien’s alley. So even though he’s been an instructor on the martial arts side of Freestyle for two years, we had no trouble talking him into taking over a few fitness classes too. You can find Darien instructing lunchtime classes, where his martial arts background and personal fitness philosophy are shaking things up.
As a black belt, this is a guy who understands goals and the hard work that it takes to achieve them. He endured a six-month test, put in hundreds of hours of training, busted out eighty million squats, muscled through six million chin ups, ran miles upon miles on the track. It was nuts – but it was worth it. And he’s so pumped about it, he’s going to make you do it all too (Kidding. Not kidding.).
“Training so much makes me truly realize how important it is to take care of your body in every way you can,” he says. “Mental health is the key to everything, and I’ve learned that the healthier I am with my eating, sleeping and training, the better I feel mentally.”
In addition to pulling from his martial arts background, Darien brings elements of Crossfit, yoga and endurance training to his class format. He gets a kick out of creating workouts that are intense and effective, and he strives for movements and exercises that are difficult without putting strain on the body. That’s because has a profound understanding and respect for working out intelligently, and he extends that to everyone who walks into his class.
“When people leave my class, I want them to feel like they pushed themselves to their limit, feel clear-headed and know they can come back the next day able to do even better than the day before,” Darien says. “The fact is with fitness the harder you work, the easier it gets and the better you ultimately feel. Exercise will boost spirit and overall outlook on life, especially when it is a consistent part of your life. Combining basic martial arts striking into workouts allows you to get comfortable with pushing your body while fatigued and it creates an aspect of self defense as well.”
We couldn’t say it any better ourselves. Get to Fighter Physique, everyone. First week is always free!