Coach Alex Exsisto
Hello, I'm Coach Alex Exsisto, a 30+-year veteran of martial arts. Starting karate at the age of four, I’ve devoted my entire life to martial arts. I floated around different traditional martial arts for almost a decade before falling in love with combat sports at the age of 12. Competition in boxing made me realize two lone fists as weapons were cramping my style. That's when I found Muay Thai. For me, Muay Thai was the perfect mix of everything, the multitude of weapons contained within martial arts with the brutal competition-based aspect of boxing.
I latched onto Muay Thai and never looked back. At 16, I made my professional debut, after 15 amateur fights, against an experienced Thai fighter in Thailand.
One year later, at the age of 17, I moved to Thailand, to live and train at the legendary Jockygym in Bangkok, Thailand. Jockygym is known for their prowess in the "Technical - Muay Fimur" style of Muay Thai. The renowned gym produced 38 Thai champions during their run at the top of the sport, with many of their fighters becoming household names. Legends such as Saenchai, Somrak, and Lerdsila, among countless more, learned their craft within the walls of Jockygym.
I am lucky to be one of the few people alive who has been personally trained in the finer aspects of coaching Muay Thai by Ajarn Pipa Jockygym himself. The high intensity, interactive pad work style I teach is directly inspired by my teacher and adapted for my students in their respective fighting arts.
While in Thailand, I fell in love with more than just the sport. And eventually my Thai wife, family, and I made it back to America. I now focus on training professional MMA fighters full-time out of the famed JacksonWink MMA gym in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Here I work as the Muay Thai coach under the watchful eyes of legendary coaches Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn. Few match these true pioneers who have produced many champions at their top-tier MMA gym.
It is here where I have earned the opportunity to coach some of the biggest names in the sport.
I have worked with some of the best MMA training the likes of the legendary Carlos Condit and Jon “Bones” Jones. Coaching for both UFC and Bellator title fights is an honor I cherish.
Currently, I work with a 10-man team out of JacksonWink. I’m also training Jon “Bones” Jones as he conquers the UFC Heavyweight Division. Additionally, I spend my time striving to be a better coach, student, husband, and person.
I highly look forward to sharing a lifetime of knowledge accumulated from the very best gyms and coaches on the planet. Beyond my excellent pad skills I am known for my ability to break down the core concepts of fighting, making them easy to understand for people of all knowledge levels. Whether you are an elite-level coach or are just getting into the game I'm excited to help you level up.
Sincerely,
Coach Alex Exsisto