Meet the Coaches: Nakia Melody

“Bad habits are like chains that are too light to feel until they’re too heavy to carry.” –Warren Buffett

The students of TFC who train with Nakia know him as an outgoing guy ready to take on new challenges. He’s always looking out for new experiences and is game to try and pick up new hobbies. He’s always in the gym, and it’s hard to imagine it without him. And now, he has become TFC’s first ever BJJ Black Belt!

Would you believe there was a time when he was unfit and unhealthy?

Nakia Melody was only 32 when he found himself with some bad habits, but it didn’t really seem so bad. That is until he realized they had begun affecting his quality of life. Nakia knew he had to change, so he set out to do just that. He became more active, constantly trying out new things. Once he discovered BJJ in 2010 however, that’s when he’d realised that it’s probably one of the best decisions of his life. Now, almost 13 years later, he is a black belt under Vicente Cavalcanti and one of the most respected BJJ practitioners in the TFC community.

We can only assume that, like anything worthwhile, it has not been an easy journey. If we know anything, though, it’s that it changed the outcome of what his life could have been if he hadn’t made the decision for himself and his family.

Today, Nakia is a grappling instructor and MMA referee. He has personally experienced the transformative change of martial arts, and he gives back by teaching. He teaches Gi and No-Gi. And even though he’s the one teaching, he thinks it’s more apt to call it a give-and-take situation. Nakia may be the one sharing knowledge, but his interactions with people serve to extend his own learning and life experience. 

We build bonds through working hard in training, and Nakia values the time he spends with others for that. He looks forward to seeing his team and training each night, and seeing people progressing their own goals gives him a sense of satisfaction. Recently earning his Black Belt under Vicente Cavalcanti, Paul Stolyar and Aleksandar Jovanovic, Nakia hopes to help TFC become one of the top grappling and combat sports gyms in Queensland. 

If you’re looking to train in BJJ, come train with Nakia Melody. Fundamentals are the building blocks to developing your own style, and Nakia will help you build strong foundations. And here’s another thing you need to know about him: he is a man of his word. So if he says he’ll help you build strong foundations, he will.

For people who are having second thoughts about trying martial arts, here’s what Nakia has to say to you:

“What do you have to lose? You do it, like it, and it will become part of your life forever, or you don’t, and you walk away no questions.”

Get to know the team!

Raf Vilches

Boum Lambarki

Minh Nguyen