About the Coaches
Coach Matt Pinkney
When it comes to training and fighting in a number of different martial arts, Coach Matt Pinkney is undoubtedly one of the best out there. Born and raised in West Philadelphia, this 37-year-old has been training and teaching for over a decade, having first learned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu before moving on to Muay Thai Kickboxing, boxing, and self defense.
He has competed in over 20 amateur Muay Thai fights and has even had the honor of representing the United States at the World Championships held in Italy!
But Matt isn't just an incredible fighter; he's also a proud husband and father to six amazing children. His dedication to teaching his students both inside and outside of class shows how devoted he is to helping others become better people—but it's his dedication to ensuring that his children get all they need from him as their father that really speaks volumes about him as a role model.
In many ways, Coach Pinkney has been able to bring together his commitment to martial arts with his desire to be an attentive parent; by passing down the wisdom he learns from training in these disciplines, Matt helps set an example for his children that will no doubt stay with them for the rest of their lives. It's not every day you come across someone who can successfully juggle being both a successful martial artist and a great dad, but Matt Pinkney certainly manages it!
DGMT Head Coach Lonnie Beck
Master Lonnie Beck III began his training at Dragon Gym in 1990 at the age of ten. Since then he has trained directly under Grandmaster Chae T. Goh and Master Somnath Sikdar in Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido and has earned the rank of Sixth-Degree Black Belt. In addition to his traditional training, Master Lonnie has also trained extensively in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu where he has earned the rank of Brown Belt in addition to his years of experience in Muay Thai kickboxing. He has also traveled to Thailand to train as a student at the exclusive Rawai Muay Thai Camp in Phuket.
Master Lonnie is the head instructor of the Dragon Gym Muay Thai Program and oversees all of our children's martial arts programs. His passion for teaching is evident in each and every class, and students can always expect to be welcomed into the group like family no matter the program they are interested in.