Gabriel Szabo
Gabriel is a lifelong student of the martial arts with over 25 years of experience. His passion for martial arts commenced in his childhood with a foray into freestyle wrestling that ultimately led to him studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before transitioning to a focus on kickboxing and Muay Thai. This was a catalyst for him relocating to Thailand, where he was part of the Rawai Muay Thai camp.
Gabriel’s hard-earned wealth of experience resulted in a deep passion for sharing his knowledge. As such, he can be found not only coaching but also running Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy to ensure that students always have access to phenomenal coaches and a world-class training facility.
Catch Gabriel’s striking classes to experience the depth of his techniques and an incomparable conditioning workout. Whether your goal is to deepen your striking knowledge or merely to increase your fitness, Gabe will help you realize these ambitions with his own signature flair.
Denis Kang
Denis is a lifelong martial artist who honed his craft in several professional MMA promotions, including standing toe-to-toe with some of the biggest names in the UFC. Since hanging up his gloves, Denis is now focused on cultivating the next crop of killers as the head coach at Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy—an endeavor largely informed by his time spent training under several of the world’s best coaches.
Denis currently teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and runs the invite-only MMA program. With decades of experience in this game, students can expect to obtain a knowledge base and skillset that only a seasoned veteran like Denis can provide. If you are attending Denis’ classes, expect to experience the grind that produces champions.
Very few gyms in the world provide access to a coach of Denis’ pedigree; and, although Denis is too humble to mention it, here at Pinnacle, we know how truly lucky we are to have this much access to a bona fide MMA legend. As such, make it a point to take advantage of this unique opportunity and catch Denis’ classes throughout the week.
Tristan Connelly
Tristan “Boondock” Connelly is truly one of the great underdogs in MMA, and he is also a celebrated figure in Canadian combat sports. With experience at the highest levels of MMA, students at Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy have the rare opportunity and distinct pleasure to rub shoulders with and learn from one of Canada’s favorite UFC veterans.
Whether Tristan is teaching grappling, striking, or MMA, his students, even complete beginners, can rest assured that he is sharing techniques which work at the highest levels. Moreover, Tristan’s classes are characterized by hard work and an atmosphere which builds camaraderie. Students also get to enjoy his signature sense of humour.
As a coach, a competitor, and a prominent Canadian MMA personality who finds himself highly sought after to run seminars throughout Canada, make it a point to catch Tristan’s sessions each week at Pinnacle and join his legion of followers who also book him for private lessons to dramatically increase their development.
Achilles Estremadura
Achilles is one of Canada’s top MMA prospects who has won multiple BFL titles, and he is also currently knocking on the door of the sport’s biggest promotions. Not only does he have the good fortune of training under the likes of Denis Kang and Tristan Connelly, but when his busy training schedule allows, he can also be found coaching at Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy.
Achilles is a complete martial artist, with a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of the sport. That said, he is truly passionate about striking and frequently runs invite-only sparring sessions for young upstarts at Pinnacle.
If your goal is to pursue MMA as a potential career path, then it should be your priority to come and train with Achilles as he is the veritable archetype of what it takes to make it in the fight game. With his humble nature and a skillset second to none, Achilles will help you reach your full potential.
Vicente Mabanta
Coach Vinnie has been training martial arts for nearly half of his life, and he is truly a mixed martial artist. With a wealth of experience competing in different arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Kickboxing, and MMA, Vinnie has turned his focus to coaching the next generation of Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy’s fighters.
As someone who was drawn to the culture at the gym, Vinnie continues to ensure that his classes are chock-full of the same camaraderie and focus on pristine technique which initially pulled him into the world of combat sports. Moreover, as someone who has always been drawn to the grind of the gym, Vinnie will ensure that you truly get your work in.
Vinnie continues to train with and nurture and develop the Pro/Am MMA Team and offers instruction in Pinnacle’s grappling program. Come and see why Vinnie was undefeated in the cage and embrace Pinnacle’s culture just as Vinnie always has.
Edwin Dela Cruz
Edwin’s martial arts journey was sparked in childhood when his father introduced him to Filipino Kikaran Arnis-Kali, and has evolved to include Tae Kwon Do, Boxing, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai—the latter of which he is still an active competitor and frequent winner.
Edwin has been coaching since 2016, and he prides himself on developing the skillset of a diverse student body. Edwin’s classes are shaped by his deep-rooted passion for athletic performance, and as such, it is a given that his students can expect to sweat while they learn. The kicker, however, is that they can also enjoy the jovial atmosphere he creates in his classes.
In 2021, Edwin faced a severe battle with Covid-19, which caused him to be intubated for two months and to contemplate the possibility of death. As a warrior whose spirit has been fortified by martial arts, Edwin found himself shadowboxing in his hospital window, remaining steadfast in his desire to recover and to bring his philosophy, which is rooted in physical strength and resilience, to his students.
Jaden Bourque
Jaden commenced his martial arts training at age 10, and has experience in Tae Kwon Do, Wing Chun, Boxing, Muay Thai, and Submission Grappling. Since joining Pinnacle in 2020, Jaden has continued to develop his skills as both a martial artist and instructor.
Jaden emphasizes a conceptual approach in his pedagogy that is informed by physics, biomechanics, and relies upon key principles such as base, posture, structure, alignment, frames, and levers. Moreover, Jaden emphasizes the importance of constraint-based drilling as a means to increase the efficacy of each training session.
With over 30 years of martial arts experience, and multiple academic degrees which inform his approach to teaching and learning, Jaden continues to evolve as a martial artist and instructor by training with the Pinnacle team. By virtue of his perpetual pursuit of cutting-edge techniques and pedagogical theory, Jaden has a knack for helping students achieve breakthroughs in their own development. Join Jaden for grappling and intro-MMA to experience his unique approach!
Jamie Siraj
Jamie “The Gremlin” Siraj commenced training MMA at the age of 16 and quickly found success as an amateur fighter before turning pro. However, as he stood on the doorstep of the UFC, he was blindsided by an autoimmune disease and a brush with death. Despite this uphill battle with his health, he is back racking up more wins and is once again ready to show off his talents in the UFC.
Jamie is a rare phenomenon who is equally adept at finding the finish via submission or knockout. As such, it stands to reason that the students at Pinnacle Combat Martial Arts Academy are lucky to be privy to Jamie’s knowledge base.
When Jamie is not too busy with the rigours of his fight camps, he can be found running striking classes at Pinnacle and working in with the gym’s MMA team. Jamie is a detail-oriented coach and rising star in the world of MMA, so don’t miss the opportunity to learn from him while you can.