Mark ‘The Hammer’ Castagnini is Founder and Head Instructor of Hammer’s Gym and is one of the most highly respected names in Australian Muay Thai Kickboxing.
Mark began his martial arts training under Shihan Emin in Kyokushin Karate. His competitive nature lead him to kickboxing and then Muay Thai kickboxing. Castagnini’s fight career peaked in 1995 when he won the World Kickboxing Association (WKA) Australian Cruiserweight Muay Thai title against Romolo Pio. In the same year Mark won the National All Styles Victorian Black-Belt Championship, which he won again in 1998.
Mark has been appointed the VAMAA (Victorian Amateur Martial Arts Association) Vice President, which is a Victorian Government recognised association.
Castagnini regularly travels to Thailand under the umbrella of the World Muay Thai Council (WMC). His trips allow him to keep up to date with the latest training methods and bring back the improvements to share with Hammer’s Gym’s students. In 2006 Mark received an award from the president of the WMC for his dedicated promotion of Muay Thai in Australia. As well as this he also was given the award for the development and popularisation of Muay Thai in Australia. Mark has been an ongoing ambassador for the sport and continues to receive recognition from the WMC.
Mark has many years experience working in the martial arts industry. He was previously general manager for Blitz Publications which produces the “International Kickboxer”, which was named the best fight magazine in the Oceania by the WMC. As well as this Mark hosted his own show on Fox Sports called “Hammer Time”
