After a particularly rough breakup, Coach Aileen chose to pursue Muay Thai because Google said it was the most brutal martial art of them all. She did not realize it would completely change her life and become her passion, career, and instrument of change.
Coach Aileen loves working out, optimizing the mind and body, Bruce Lee, aliens, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Coach Aileen began her Muay Thai training at Muay Thai Academy of America (MTA) in North Hollywood, the first Muay Thai gym in the United States. She trained under Kru Puk (the "Godfather of Muay Thai") and Troy Fisher, beginning her fight career under MTA. After leaving California, Aileen trained at AMC under Matt "The Wizard" Hume before moving to Hawai'i where she trained, fought, and spent three years mentored by Haru Shimanishi.
Coach Aileen has been teaching since 2016, fought in both Muay Thai and MMA, held the title of Hawaii State Muay Thai Champion, and coached/cornered both amateur and professional fighters.
Having discovered she is far more passionate about empowering women than knocking them out, Coach Aileen hung up her competition gloves in 2018 and birthed LKE Dojo, where she offers the transformative art of Muay Thai to Women+.
discovered the art of Muay Thai at the age of 35 as a mother of three with zero martial arts (or athletic) background. Through persistence, discipline, and some crying, Coach Angela became Coach Aileen’s best student and is now honored to teach beside her as co-owner of LKE Dojo.
Coach Angela loves dancing, reading, writing, Les Misérables. Holstein cows, and dominating her kids at Boggle.
Coach Angela has participated in both amateur and professional fight camps, and has been teaching since 2021.
Because Women+ have been persecuted, shushed, hidden, punished, abused, violated, and gaslit for far too long.
Because Women+ deserve to train in a place where there is NO HARASSMENT or caveman comments like “You’re too pretty to do Muay Thai” or “Mm, look at that ass.”
Because Women+ are not only deserving, but also MORE THAN CAPABLE of being skilled, high-level martial artists and warriors.
Goodbye to thousands of years of Patriarchy. Goodbye to limited Women’s+ access to combat arts . Goodbye to “the way things have been done.”
Hello to FREEDOM.
- Susan Jeffers