Instructor Spotlight: RJ Creer, lead instructor of Muay Thai & Boxing

Wright's Gym Instructor Spotlight: RJ Creer

By Kaelan Kreger

As a new year begins, Dave Wright is on queue with improving the Wright’s Gym facility and martial arts programs. Not only has he renovated the weightlifting area with new equipment and a new layout, he’s expanded our martial arts programs with more mat space, more classes and enhanced programming to truly develop our martial arts members. 

One of the most important moves Dave has made is introduce our new lead instructor to the Muay Thai & Boxing program, RJ Creer. RJ began training in our martial arts over a decade ago. He is a foundational member to both our Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu program and simply put, if you train martial arts at Wright’s Gym, you know RJ.

Our Muay Thai program has seen a number of great instructors lead our classes and RJ is to be alongside them. RJ has heard the first round timers ever set in Wright’s Gym, drilled the first combinations on our hand pads and sparred some of the first rounds in our ring. He fought in amateur Muay Thai bouts from 2011-2013. He has acted as a personal training partner with owner Dave Wright for nearly 7 years in both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He owns his own personal training business known as Lil Rob Fit where he is certified in teaching these martial arts as well as strength and conditioning coaching. He is approaching 14 years of experience training in martial arts at Wright’s Gym and is exactly who we want leading us into 2024.

RJ will reinforce traditional Muay Thai standards and fundamentals. Basic Muay Thai techniques will be of significant focus. Specialized boxing classes have been added so boxing skills are fully developed alongside Muay Thai skills. Members can expect strength and conditioning drilling to build their martial art technique off a foundation of fitness. With RJ’s experience and understanding of competition training, the opportunity to take your skills to advanced levels are present. Forget about shortcuts and nuanced overrated training methods meant to sell you fast results. We hold true to the fundamentals and discipline taught in traditional Muay Thai & Boxing that have proven for decades to be effective. Now that martial arts like Muay Thai have become mainstream, you can expect to see a lot of watered down lazy programs where without breaking a sweat you can learn a martial art. We refuse to sell you anything but authentic Muay Thai & Boxing.

RJ is a true example of the type of development we encourage at Wright’s Gym. He started as a member and now leads as an instructor after years of hard work and finding a passion in martial arts. In fact, you would be surprised to find out that martial arts initially began as just a hobby. Through high school and college, RJ was primarily focused on pursuing the culinary arts. He found his passion for cooking after taking a culinary course in high school and competing in a cooking competition at the 5-star Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. He then went on to attend culinary school at West Virginia Northern Community College.

During his time in college, he worked at a resort in West Virginia known as Oglebay where he met his business colleague Frank Blakemore. RJ and Frank would create a catering business that hosted a number of types of events. He went on to cook for political figures like George W. Bush, celebrities like Troy Polamalu and high-profile figures like the CEO of Consol Energy.

In 2009, RJ moved to Pittsburgh with his cousin and acquired a job as a chef at a Dick’s Sporting Goods corporate office. His cousin had been training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Muay Thai for a number of months and inspired him to join. This is how the journey began that led to RJ leading our Muay Thai program today. Notice how it didn’t arise out of a laid out plan made weeks in advance, but a step into something new based on the encouragement of someone close. Sometimes this is all it takes to find yourself moving forward and successful in something you never knew you would like.

From 2010 and on, RJ maintained training in martial arts as a hobby and was noticeably driven to improve himself. He was already training at Wright’s Gym in our Muay Thai program and began taking on amateur Muay Thai bouts through 2011-2013. He even acquired a belt fighting through a local organization as seen in the photo. Once the COVID pandemic changed how we function in society in 2020, RJ decided that although his passion for cooking remained, it was no longer his pursuit for a career. In a similar scenario to when he first began his journey in martial arts, his wife, Kimberly Creer, encouraged him to take the leap of becoming a personal trainer. After years of devotion and dedication to martial arts and strength training, he acquired his certification in personal training. He started his business Lil Rob Fit and works with clients of all age groups and skill levels. He still maintains this business while leading our program. The best way to reach out to him for consultation is via text or social media.

RJ describes himself as a family man and gives most all the credit to his loved ones for their support. Whether it was his cousins influencing him to try martial arts, his wife giving him the push he needed to try new business ventures or his son who at the age of 4, is already in the gym training to be like his dad. Their support helped guide RJ into earning great success in the culinary arts, martial arts, his business and now the Muay Thai & Boxing program at Wright’s Gym. We are more than appreciative of members like RJ, who are real life examples of the success that comes from setting goals, working hard and training at a gym like Wright’s where you can find real support. We would like to thank RJ for contributing so much to our family at Wright’s Gym and will continue to propagate members like him.