About
Vinny Panza is a fitness and nutrition exepert who specializes in sports nutrition and martial arts. With a Masters of Science in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Columbia University and years of fighting under his belt, Vinny is our go-to guy when we need to know what to eat or how to to throw a punch. He lives in Manhattan where he teaches Muay Thai and plays in his punk band, 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.
Highlights
- Advanced degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Columbia University
- Licensed as a registered dietician by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- Kenpo Karate black belt, Renzo Gracie JiuJitsu purple belt, 10+ years teaching boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai
- Has trained members of NYCFC, hosted classes for BryantPark.org, currently trains local NYC amateur MMA and Muay Thai fighters
- Doubles as a drummer for hardcore punk band, Values Here
Favorite science fact: One of the reasons mammals need oxygen is because it acts as the terminal electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation—one of the body’s primary means of extracting energy from food (specifically glucose). As electrons move down the pathway and exit the mechanism, oxygen bonds to them, creating water, allowing the process to continue. So, in part, the reason we breathe is so that we can get energy from the food we eat.
