Fighters to Founders: The Origin of Two Bridges Muay Thai

Dylan, Justin, and James never set out with a business plan, investors, or a grand vision for a gym. Their story—as coaches, martial artists, and now, business owners at Two Bridges Muay Thai in Manhattan—is about passion, resilience, and building community from the ground up.

A Shared Passion Sparked by the Pandemic

Long before Two Bridges Muay Thai was a brick-and-mortar martial arts gym, it was simply a couple of friends training together under the open sky during the pandemic lockdown in New York City. Like so many martial artists, Justin, Dylan, and James each started on different paths.

Dylan, for instance, boxed as a teenager, moved to Taekwondo, then discovered the brutality and beauty of Muay Thai in his twenties. Justin came from a blend of Taekwondo and summer camp martial arts experiences.

James grew up grappling, with wrestling and jiu jitsu as his foundation, before moving into the striking world of Muay Thai. Their shared geography—Brooklyn, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side—eventually brought them together.

When the pandemic shuttered the city, opportunity emerged in the empty parks:

“We got together to just train with each other during the pandemic because all gyms were shut down. So we were like, well, we’re in the neighborhood with neighbors, and we live in, like, the Two Bridges area, Lower east side area…we Met through a mutual friend…we met up, and then the rest is history.” —Justin

What began as self-focused training sessions, “just to feel good and be with each other,” quickly grew as passersby and former clients asked, “What about me?” Word spread and soon, informal outdoor workouts evolved into makeshift group classes by the bridges.

Building a Community Before a Gym

With more and more people showing up to join them, the impromptu sessions began to take shape. Dylan remembers the turning point clearly:

“It was like a fun idea turned into a dream, turned into reality.” —Dylan

As demand increased, they realized that they were fostering not just fighters, but a genuine community. People from all walks of life found camaraderie, fitness, and personal growth through the group. Before long, the decision was made: they would formalize the effort and open a gym—right in the same neighborhood, nestled between the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.

The gym’s name, Two Bridges Muay Thai, was as much a nod to their literal training ground as it was to the metaphorical bridges built between members of a growing community.

“Two bridges is neighborhood and, like, below the Lower east side. And I guess the two famous things would be the Brooklyn and the Manhattan bridge. So we’re called Two Bridges…Because we were training in the area when we first started, and we had a really nice view. Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridge.” —Justin

Turning Sweat and Struggle into Something Real

The early days of Two Bridges were run without outside money, investors, or glamour. The coaches poured in their own savings, hammered in their own nails, and leaned on their own relationships.

“This gym was not built with investors. It was built through all of our hard work time. We didn’t have movers. We all did everything together. We took our own money, invested it into the place, and this is what we got. Now, we didn’t get loans, we didn’t get none of that. Everything was done through us.” —Dylan

For years, Dylan balanced a grueling night job as a sanitation worker with a full day of coaching, training, and family responsibilities. Success was gradual, and there was no instant leap from passion to profitability:

“I quit last year, my job, 20 years. Yeah…maybe like two years, three years in, like, I was just working like two days. Three days a week. Two days. And now I just don’t work at all. I quit.” —Dylan

Within five years, the gym had moved from sidewalk to success story, now contemplating a headquarters expansion and future locations.

Building On Each Other’s Strengths

Just as their martial arts journeys diverged before converging at Two Bridges, so do their roles within the business. Each coach brings a unique background—whether it’s Dylan, the “fight team manager” and coach; James, experienced in front desk operations and tech; or Justin, who leads with both competitive experience and a knack for teaching.

“We definitely have separate Roles, for sure…we knew our strengths kind of like before we even entered the business, like. Yeah, like, right away. Like, Dylan’s a good looking guy. He’s the merch guy. 100%. He got the fights skills, you know, he’s like the fight team manager. So we knew that James, he did, like, front desk stuff, so he knew how to, like, set up, like, a gym desk.” —Justin

They keep learning from and encouraging each other, understanding that humility and collaboration are essential:

“You can learn from anybody, man. Yeah, I never look at somebody like, oh, I can’t learn that. Like, never let your ego get in, get in the way, you know…” —Dylan

Fostering a Welcoming Culture and Changing Lives

From the beginning, the owners understood that for most newcomers, martial arts gyms are intimidating. Their deliberate approach to inclusivity—comfort first, friendship built in layers—has become the gym’s secret sauce:

“We have a three friend rule. They come in, the front desk is their first friend. The front desk introduces them to a coach, that’s their second friend. The coach introduces them to another student and that’s their third friend.” —Justin

Many students come in for fitness or curiosity and end up leaving with something much more: transformed lives, new careers, personal triumphs. Beginners become champions, coaches, and community leaders. Story after story emerges of members who never imagined themselves as fighters competing at Madison Square Garden or of once-reticent hobbyists turning into serious athletes.

“There’s a few of our fighters, like, they never thought about fighting. We were training them outside, you know, we were just like, you know, just having fun and one thing led to another…” —Dylan

Looking Forward: Growth Rooted in Community

Today, Two Bridges Muay Thai stands poised for its next chapter. Having built something lasting with sweat, camaraderie, and authenticity—not investors—the coaches now plan for growth:

“So eventually, I think we do want two locations. We want, like, a main headquarters location and then have another one that’s kind of like, more emphasis on fitness, maybe…So this place, we’re actually moving out of here next May.” —Justin

Their story is a reminder that for all the skill and fierceness cultivated in the ring, the deepest impact happens in the community forged outside of it—one student, one coach, and one bridge at a time.