Instructor Spotlight: Meet Daniel Terry

11th November

If there’s ever been a year that’s made us want to punch, kick and scream at stuff, it’s been 2020. Thankfully, Daniel Terry was there for all of us through lockdown, bringing his pro Muay Thai and PT expertise to our combat-focused Insta Live classes. They proved such a hit that we had to get him involved in Out The Box – so now you can train with one of our Fight category’s finest instructors in just a couple of clicks. We caught up with the man himself to see how he’s fought through the past few months.

PT, instructor, absolute weapon. How did you get to be the triple threat you are today?

Like a lot of PTs, I had an active and sporty background. I competed in a few different things like athletics, basketball and swimming but my main love was martial arts. I was a black belt in karate at 14, after starting at nine. I was regional, then national champion and a member of the under-21 England squad.

Around 18, other things became more appealing and I fell off for a few years. As a young man I knew I always wanted to go back to high level combat sports, but I was having way too much fun! I was working as a DJ in clubs around London and abroad, spending every weekend out.

When Gymbox 3, in Bank opened its doors, in September of 2008, I started my career as a personal trainer. Not long after that, I had my first pro fight and since then have managed to pick up southern area, English, British and European titles.

How did you discover Gymbox and what was it that made you want to get in on the action?

I wanted to get back into serious training, I knew about Gymbox and knew that they did Muay Thai. I had no qualifications that were relevant, but I wanted to try and get a job there somehow!

It was 2007 and I saw they had flyering teams and decided to apply. I went over-the-top with my CV and cover letter, attaching a photo of me jumping over a car and a few other shots. I got the impression that Gymbox was a cool and different type of gym, so I figured being a little over the top for a job flyering might get me noticed! Within a few weeks I was offered a job on reception.

One day, when I was hitting the bag in Holborn, one of Gymbox’s founders, Richard Hilton, was in the ring with beloved boxing trainer and ex-pro, Errol Christie. He saw me on the bag and out of the blue said, “If you get qualified as a PT, you’ve got a job here!” So that’s what I did!

How was your lockdown experience?

Lockdown was alright! Luckily, I still had some work and the extra time with family was really nice. With way less travelling and running around, life was a lot simpler and far less stressful. But somehow, being at home with the kids kept me busier than pre-Corona! Thankfully, it turned out better than I would have thought pre-lockdown.

I got a lot of things done and the situation made me reevaluate how I’ve been running my business. Teaching online, like the Insta Live classes for Gymbox was a new experience for me. But it was great to have contact with friends and members, and nice to hear how much it seemed to help people. It felt good to be part of something which spread a little positivity for 45 mins of somebody’s day!

Now that things have opened up a bit more, how are you finding the new 'normal'?

The new normal is what it is, I guess. I’m hoping things keep progressing, so we can get on top of this and put it behind us. As a Thai boxer and pro fighter, not being able to punch people in the face or even hit pads really sucks! When the time is right, I look forward to being able to train and teach properly.

You can find Daniel on Instagram and try his Killer Combat classes on Out The Box right now with a 14 day free trial.