Real Fighters Gym

What Real Fighters Gym does

Real Fighters Gym is a privately held martial arts and fitness training facility operating from a single location in the Bluegrass Industrial Park at 2710 Holloway Rd #4, Louisville, Kentucky. Founded by Eric Haycraft in 1996 with a fitness kickboxing program that was among the first of its kind in Louisville, the gym opened its first dedicated facility in 1997 and has operated continuously for over 28 years. The business offers two core programs: a Fitness Kickboxing program structured as one-hour high-intensity interval training on heavy bags with bodyweight and abdominal work for general fitness members, and a Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai program with a formal progression system from Introductory through Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels for members pursuing recreational or competitive martial arts. The gym is home to Team Haycraft, a fight team that has produced regional, national, and world champions and competes internationally on platforms including Bellator and Glory.

The business model is a recurring monthly subscription membership sold direct-to-consumer, with no publicly disclosed pricing and no online sign-up; prospective members must contact the gym via a web form, email, or phone. The go-to-market motion relies entirely on the gym's WordPress website, word-of-mouth referrals through its self-described "gym family" culture, and member testimonials displayed prominently on the homepage — there is no evidence of paid marketing channels, digital delivery, or formal sales infrastructure. Distribution is exclusively in-person at the single Louisville facility, with scheduled classes across mornings, evenings, and weekends.

The gym is owned and operated by Head Coach Eric Haycraft (26+ years of coaching experience) and Coach Lindsay Haycraft (40-fight career with USA World Championship representation). Headcount is in the 11-50 range, consistent with a single-location boutique operation. There is no proprietary technology, mobile application, API, or AI/ML capability disclosed, and no external investment, funding rounds, or institutional ownership. Customer segments span fitness-minded individuals (primary), recreational martial arts participants, and competitive fighters, each served through differentiated program tracks.

Name

Real Fighters Gym

Legal name

Real Fighters Gym

Website

https://realfightersgym.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Real Fighters Gym is a private martial arts and fitness training facility in Louisville, Kentucky, offering Fitness Kickboxing and Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai programs for general fitness enthusiasts, recreational participants, and competitive fighters through a subscription-based membership model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Martial Arts Training Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Boxing & Kickboxing Fitness Classes (HSADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Combat Sports Gyms (Boxing, Kickboxing, Muay Thai) (HSADADAB), Combat Sports Clubs/Teams (MMA Gyms/Teams, Boxing Clubs, Pro Wrestling Stables) (MPAKABAC), Competition & Tournament Team Training (HSADADAJ), Combat Sports Gyms & Dojos (MMA, Boxing, Wrestling, Martial Arts) (MPAKAJAG)

Keywords

• Kickboxing training
• Muay Thai instruction
• Martial arts gym
• Fitness kickboxing
• Fight team training

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gym Membership: The primary revenue stream is gym membership fees, likely charged on a recurring monthly basis for access to training programs, classes, and facility use. Members choose between Fitness Kickboxing and Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Real Fighters Gym is a brick-and-mortar martial arts training facility in Louisville, KY offering two core programs: a Fitness Kickboxing program (one-hour high-intensity interval training on heavy bags with bodyweight exercises) and a Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai program (structured progression from Introductory/Novice through Intermediate and Advanced levels). Training is delivered in-person by experienced coaches and supports members ranging from general fitness participants to competitive amateur and professional fighters via Team Haycraft.

Product overview

Real Fighters Gym offers a unified martial arts and fitness training service built around two core programs: Fitness Kickboxing and Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai. The Fitness Kickboxing program provides high-intensity cardio kickboxing for general fitness enthusiasts with no experience required. The Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai program offers structured progression from beginner through advanced levels, producing competitive fighters who compete internationally. Both programs are supported by Team Haycraft, the gym's fight team. The gym positions itself as a 'gym family' offering training for fitness-minded individuals, recreational participants, and aspiring amateur or professional fighters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fitness Kickboxing Program A one-hour high-intensity interval kickboxing program on heavy bags combined with bodyweight exercises and abdominal training. Designed for fitness-focused members with no prior experience required, teaching progressive kickboxing combinations, jump rope, and hand wrapping fundamentals.
• Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai Program A contact sport training program with a structured progression system from Introductory Course through Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. The program has produced regional, national, and world champions in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and MMA.
• Team Haycraft (Fight Team) The gym's official fight team of fighters, coaches, and supporting members who compete internationally in major kickboxing and Muay Thai tournaments, including televised events at Bellator and Glory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Progressive skill development from intro/novice level (5-7 weeks) through intermediate to advanced

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• BellatorminorOthersReal Fighters Gym fighters have competed on Bellator events, one of the major televised mixed martial arts promotions. The gym's fighters are respected across the country from small regional amateur events to televised events such as Bellator & Glory.
• Glory (Kickboxing)minorOthersReal Fighters Gym fighters have competed on GLORY events, the premier kickboxing organization. The gym's fighters compete on international levels including televised events such as Bellator & Glory.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Emerging players

• Sityodtong USA: Sityodtong USA is a US-based Muay Thai academy offering structured beginner-through-competition progression comparable to RFG's Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai program. It is a niche peer in the elite Muay Thai training segment, appealing to fighters with serious competitive intent.
• FightCamp: FightCamp is an at-home connected boxing/kickboxing workout subscription with hardware (bag, sensors) and app-based coaching. It targets the same fitness-minded persona as RFG's non-contact Fitness Kickboxing program via a digital, in-home delivery model — distinct channel but overlapping customer.

Direct peers

• iLoveKickboxing: iLoveKickboxing is a kickboxing fitness franchise with group heavy-bag classes similar to RFG's Fitness Kickboxing offering, marketed toward fitness enthusiasts with no prior martial arts experience. It is a directly overlapping concept with comparable member pricing and demographic focus.
• Title Boxing Club: Title Boxing Club is one of the largest kickboxing fitness franchises in the US, offering heavy-bag group classes much like RFG's Fitness Kickboxing program. It serves a near-identical persona (fitness-minded, no prior experience needed) via a recurring membership model and is a direct head-to-head competitor in any Louisville-adjacent market RFG might serve.
• UFC Gym: UFC Gym is a martial arts and fitness franchise combining MMA, kickboxing, boxing, and functional training in a membership model. Its combat-sports credibility and group classes overlap with both of RFG's core programs (Fitness Kickboxing and Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai), and it competes for the same recreational-vs-competitive member pool.
• CKO Kickboxing: CKO Kickboxing is a kickboxing fitness franchise delivering group heavy-bag cardio classes on subscription, directly comparable to RFG's Fitness Kickboxing program. Both target a similar demographic of fitness-curious members rather than competitive fighters.
• Legends MMA (Louisville): Legends MMA is a Louisville-area MMA and combat-sports training academy offering classes in striking, kickboxing, and MMA similar to RFG's Dutch Kickboxing & Muay Thai program. It is a direct local competitor fighting for the same metro-area pool of recreational and amateur fighters.
• 9Round Fitness: 9Round is a national kickboxing-themed fitness franchise offering 30-minute circuit training on heavy bags with a similar fitness-focused, no-experience-required positioning to Real Fighters Gym's Fitness Kickboxing program. Both compete for the same fitness-minded consumer seeking coached kickboxing in a subscription model.

Broad incumbents

• F45 Training: F45 Training is a global functional-training franchise with a similar subscription/recurring class model and a comparable Louisville-area presence. It doesn't specialize in kickboxing/Muay Thai but competes for the same fitness-minded member's discretionary spend.

Others

• Bellator MMA / Glory Kickboxing (parent promotions): Bellator and Glory are the major televised combat-sports promotions on which Team Haycraft fighters compete. They are not commercial competitors for memberships but are the competitive ecosystem platforms that anchor RFG's elite fight-team value proposition and brand credibility.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ericlhaycraft
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/real-fighters-gym

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Real Fighters Gym