Vinny Panza

Vinny is a New York-based writer, martial artist, coach, and registered dietician with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

He holds advanced degrees from Columbia University in both nutrition and exercise physiology.

He also teaches Muay Thai and plays in a punk band called Vinny and the Hooligans.

Experience

Vinny has been practicing martial arts since childhood and has been teaching on and off for the last 15 years. In 2018, he left a full time career as a Creative Director to teach kickboxing and Muay Thai full time and to complete graduate school.

After graduating in 2021, he started counseling fighters and competitive athletes as a Sports Dietitian. He now teaches private lessons on the Upper West Side and group classes at Zombie Muay Thai, CKO Kickboxing Park Slope and Carroll Gardens, and at The Grappling Club in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Education

Vinny kept it NYC through and through for his higher education with undergraduate studies in Communication Sciences at NYU and graduate studies at Teachers College, Columbia University where he got a dual masters degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology.

He continued at Columbia to complete his internship to become a Registered Dietitian (as licensed by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics).

As a martial artist he’s studied under previous Olympic Karate assistant coach, Art Beins, learned Muay Thai at Lana Muay Thai in Chiang Mai, Thailand, has trained under various boxing and kickboxing coaches around New York City, and currently holds a purple belt under Luca Atalla at Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu on the Upper West Side.