Coach Jilla is a certified strength and conditioning coach through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) and is the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Mac’s Gym. He was drawn to Mac’s Gym because of Coach Mac’s approach to blending several striking arts including Muay Thai, Dutch kickboxing, boxing, and TaeKwonDo into a unique hybrid  style.  Coach Jilla also subscribes to this Bruce Lee-inspired approach.  He believes Marc “Crafty Dog” Denny summarized it best by saying it was, “smuggling concepts across the frontiers of style."

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This means you’ll find a variety of  methods incorporated in his strength and conditioning classes, which are aimed at developing the attributes most relevant for combat sports. However, his motivation goes beyond martial arts and competition. Coach Jilla emphasizes core stability and proper movement which benefits competitors and hobbyists off the mat in everyday life. A strong core and proper movement enhances sports performance, alleviates back pain, improves posture, and reduces susceptibility to injuries.

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A longtime fan of mixed martial arts/combat sports, Coach Jilla has trained in kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Coach Jilla even helped launch ChicagosMMA.com and produced a short-run TV show about the  Chicagoland MMA scene for CLTV called "Combatwire."