With more than 20 years' experience tucked under his hand wraps, Nestor Marte has been a trailblazer in popularizing muay thai in the United States. At his Ultimate Gym NY, Kru Nestor draws on his immersion in muay thai and Thai culture—he's certified by three camps in Bangkok and travels twice a year to Thailand to keep up with the latest—to pass along the best knowledge and skills to his students. He's trained with top muay thai fighters, and nowadays also works with masters from other martial arts, including judo, brazilian jujitsu, and vale tudo.

And while Ultimate Gym focuses on muay thai, like Kru Nestor, it's interests have expanded into other martial arts. The gym also offers boxing and luta livre submission wrestling classes in its 3,000-square-foot space. To accommodate the many modalities, the gym is decked out with matted floors, boxing rings, and thai heavy bags, which can be used for practicing kicks or trying out snappy one-liners.