This is a rare opportunity to train with one of the most decorated and experienced fighters from the USA.
Coach Kaitlin has been an active competitor in combat sports since 2000. She first began training and competing in Olympic Style Tae Kwon Do under Punnarin Koy of the Minnesota Tae Kwon Do Center as a teenager, winning gold in both the Junior Olympics and Senior Nationals as a colored belt. There, she began teaching children’s classes. After earning her black belt, she placed at the US Open, Collegiate Nationals, Senior Nationals, US Team Trials, and various other tournaments. She studied Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. In addition to teaching at the main school, she began coaching at the U of M Tae Kwon Do club, bringing a team to compete at Collegiate Nationals the following year.
After taking a couple kickboxing fights on a whim, she transitioned to Muay Thai, training out of Minnesota Martial Arts Academy in 2005. Kaitlin entered professional in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) in 2007 and was a part of the first ever MMA event on primetime television on CBS in 2008. Since then, she has competed under the HookNShoot, Bodog Fight, EliteXC, Rizin, Invicta Fighting Championships and Professional Fighter’s League banners and has reached top 10 world ranking in the bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions.
In 2014, Kaitlin was selected to represent the United States as a part of WAKO Kickboxing’s US team. Shortly thereafter, she relocated to Los Angeles and began training under Kronphet Phetrachapat, taking a four-year hiatus from MMA to train exclusively for Muay Thai and kickboxing bouts. She competed with Lion Fight, Mix Fight Gala, WMO, the World Games, and various other promotions in the US and abroad.
Currently, Kaitlin an active competitor in MMA, Muay Thai and kickboxing as well as co-owner and coach at Striking Institute. She is also a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Professor Ishmael Bentley of M- theory Marital Arts. She writes a blog about all things martial arts on the Zebra Athletics website. Kaitlin’s areas of focus at Striking Institute are kicking, clinch fighting, sports psychology and athlete management.
