When I was younger, I thought grinding harder was the answer to everything. If I wanted to get stronger, I’d punish myself in the gym. If I wanted to learn something new, I’d bury myself in trial and error. I wore my stubbornness like a badge of honor.

But here’s the truth: that mindset left me beat up, frustrated, and spinning my wheels more often than not. I wasted months chasing the wrong paths, reinventing the wheel, and convincing myself I was making progress when I really wasn’t. What I lacked wasn’t effort — it was guidance.

Martial arts gave me the first real proof of that. I knew I needed a coach “a guide” when studying martial arts. Attaching the understanding of that need, “Do it this way, to life” I realized just how much time I’d been wasting. One correction saved me weeks of frustration. One lesson kept me safer, sharper, and moving forward faster than years of grinding alone ever could.

That moment flipped a switch. I stopped seeing coaching as weakness and started seeing it as the ultimate advantage. A good coach doesn’t just teach you skills — they collapse time, save you from unnecessary mistakes, and demand more from you than you’d ever demand from yourself. That’s not just true in fighting. It’s true in business, in life, and in every area where growth matters.

That’s why I can never stop being a student. I’ve got a couple Muay Thai mentors, a Kali coach, a martial arts business consultant, and a business coach. Each one sharpens me, keeps me accountable, and pushes me further than I’d ever go alone. I owe them respect, gratitude, and the results I’m able to pass forward.

And just like I trust them, I’m deeply grateful for the trust you — my students and parents — place in me. When you step on the mats, or when you hand me the responsibility of training your child, I don’t take it lightly. I know the weight of that trust. I know what it means to put your growth in someone else’s hands, because I’ve done the same.

So if you ever wonder why I push hard, why I hold the line on details, or why I won’t let you settle for “good enough,” it’s because I’ve lived the other side. I know what happens when you try to do it alone. And I know what happens when someone has your back.

To my mentors and coaches: thank you for holding me to a higher standard.
To my students and parents: thank you for letting me do the same for you.

That trust — both ways — is priceless. And I’ll never stop attempting to earning it.

I also want to be clear about something: I don’t take assigning someone as a coach or even a trainer lightly — and I don’t make it easy. Coaching isn’t just about showing up; it’s about showing up right. It takes time, effort, discipline, and a willingness to be held accountable. When I bring someone under us, when I put them in a position to lead, it’s because I believe they’re ready to carry the weight that comes with it, And that weight can be heavy.

At Impact, accountability is everything. When someone wears the title of “coach” here, it means they’ve proven themselves through effort, consistency, and character. It’s not just about holding pads or running a class — it’s about protecting our culture, guiding our students, and demanding the best from everyone who walks through these doors, including themselves. Each one of them adds something, something exciting, something different, something we need in our group.

That’s why I want to take a moment to thank Coaches Ben, Adrian, and Bailer. You’ve stepped up into a role that isn’t easy, and I trust you with it because I know the standard you hold yourselves to. You carry the responsibility of shaping others, and that’s not something I hand out loosely. The fact that you’ve earned that spot speaks volumes about who you are.

And here’s the part I want everyone — students, parents, fighters, and families — to hear: the same accountability I expect from my coaches, I expect from you. This isn’t just a gym where you come in, sweat a little, and leave unchanged. When you step on our mats, you step into a culture that demands effort, respect, and consistency, & accountability.

At the end of the day, coaching at Impact isn’t about titles — it’s about trust, responsibility, and grit. And I’m proud to stand alongside every one of you who takes that weight seriously.

Kru B