Meet the Coaches Behind Xin Dojo
Every coach at Xin Dojo has lived what they teach. Real competitive experience, real training time, and a genuine passion for helping others improve.
John Hickey
"Train for Life"
My martial arts journey began in London as a teenager. Like many teenagers at the time, I had dropped out of school and was engaging in drugs and delinquent behaviour. I started training in amateur boxing and Chinese kickboxing as a way to find positive focus. I got obsessed with it quickly, gave up drugs, and just trained all the time.
At 18, my coach recommended training at a camp, so I moved to China to train full time at Shaolin. I had no idea what it would lead to, but I was young and it was better than my London life at the time. The grind of training six hours a day, six days a week, living in the mountains, smashing sandbags, sparring, stretching on a tree, lifting rocks, pushing to the limit, meditating and then doing it all over again. It was really tough, but it transformed me.
At 22, I spent almost a year training in Thailand. I competed in Muay Thai professionally six times and in amateur boxing once. The training was brutal and the fights were tough, but the experience was invaluable.
At 23, an unexpected twist of fate happened. I returned to the UK to start a sports science degree and injured my back while training. It was a serious injury that required surgery. The doctors told me I would never be able to train again. Motivated by the injury, I delved deep into the study of physiology, biomechanics, nutrition and neuroscience. Fortunately I was able to use that knowledge to rehabilitate myself. I even developed a spine rehabilitation course that is currently helping people recover and avoid back injuries. This experience was also key in the development of True Energy Yoga.
After my injury healed, I did compete again, but I naturally gravitated towards coaching. In 2022, I opened Xin Dojo. Xin (心), pronounced like "Shin", means heart or mind in Mandarin. I wanted to create a beautiful, fresh environment where you can get fit, feel good, connect, and learn to defend yourself.
"So far we have helped many people lose weight, give up addiction, learn to fight, get into great shape and feel better. This is what the ethos of Train for Life means — enrich your life with training."
Background
- Full-time training at the Shaolin Temple, China
- Professional Muay Thai competitor, trained in Thailand
- Sports science degree — physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, neuroscience
- Developed a spine rehabilitation course
- Creator of the True Energy Yoga programme
- Founded Xin Dojo, East Finchley, 2022
Illiar Sbragi
Muay Thai & MMA
Illiar is the main coach at Xin Dojo. Known for his love of animals and a tricky style in the ring, he brings a rare combination of technical depth and genuine warmth to every class.
Born in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to a family of martial artists, Illiar began training in karate at the age of 7. Since coming to the UK, he has dedicated himself to studying multiple disciplines and brings competitive experience in karate, Muay Thai, and MMA.
He excels at teaching the fundamentals of Muay Thai, MMA, and basic grappling, and has a particular talent for teaching the unorthodox, karate-influenced kicks that have become a hallmark of his style.
Illiar helped to build Xin Dojo from the very beginning and has been a fundamental part of the coaching team since day one.
Background
- Started karate age 7, born into a family of martial artists
- Competitive experience in karate, Muay Thai, and MMA
- Specialist in Muay Thai fundamentals and MMA grappling
- Expert in unorthodox karate-style kicks
- Head coach and co-founder of Xin Dojo