Emily Bearden

Emily originally came to New York City to study dance and met Steve and Simon while they all worked at the same gym. Everything changed in 1999 when Emily was attacked and robbed out by Prospect Park, so she asked Simon to teach her Muay Thai for self-defense. This decision would lead her to become a world-champion Muay Thai fighter. At the time, Steve was fighting professionally and Emily would travel with him to his fights, which got her interested in competing herself. So around a year after beginning Muay Thai, she had her first fight and would continue to compete for 13 years. As an amateur, Emily has twice been the WKA US Muay Thai champion, won the silver medal in both kickboxing and Muay Thai at the WKA World Championships, was a member of the WKA US National Team, and in 2004 represented the US at the IFMA World Championships in Thailand. As a professional, she was the WKA flyweight Muay Thai world champion in 2008 and 2011. Emily loves that Muay Thai takes strategy and skill, a fast-paced, live chess match under pressure. She believes Muay Thai is an activity that is accessible to everyone and that anyone can do it to get stronger, fitter, and more confident. As a coach, she loves getting people to move, to be comfortable in a sport that can appear intimidating, and feel empowered, especially kids, women, and non-binary folks. At one point during her fight career, Emily fractured her spine and, with Steve, used kettlebells as part of her rehabilitation. They realized the benefits that kettlebell brings to Muay Thai athletes, both in training and fight recovery. She began teaching kettlebell at Five Points in 2010 and has a StrongFirst SFG II certification. Emily also teaches elementary school, hikes, is obsessed with line dancing and loves dogs (both owning and fostering them).

‍