In 2008, as strangers, we both attended Ironfist Muay Thai with a mutual friend. We planned to just go for a look, but once we arrived, we received an offer to jump in for a free session to see how we liked it. After some back and forth hesitation, we found ourselves in the class.

Little did we know, that unassuming class was to be a major turning point in our lives.

That first night, we ended up pairing up with each other. Muay Thai had been so popular at the time due to the Muay Thai contender series on Foxtel. And so, there weren’t enough shin pads for everyone in the busy class, and we didn’t have any equipment.

Still, not wanting to miss out on the fun, we participated anyway. We did kick drills without shin pads. Unsurprisingly, we had bruises on our legs for the next few days. Regardless, we were hooked!

Having no fight background, we were initially apprehensive about going to a “fight gym.” Once we stepped in, though, the atmosphere was undeniably welcoming. We quickly build rapport with others in the gym. Many of the friends we made then are still some of our best friends today.

We both ended up finding ourselves in several amateur bouts over the years. We formed close connections with each other and the other regular students at the gym. Unfortunately, the day came when what we felt to be the best gym in Brisbane closed its doors. That was in 2014.

(The gym has since reopened in 2019 and today enjoys close friendships with The Fight Centre.)

This devastating news left many questions; What gym will we attend? Will the sense of community be the same under a new instructor who doesn’t share our history and comradery? Would we continue to train with the same passion if we were all at separate gyms?

The bonds we have built with the other members have become far too valuable. We knew that what we had was something special, and we didn’t want to lose the close relationship we had with them.

We had to find a new gym that supported the culture we had built, our set of moral values. That said, we know that the feat is near-impossible. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and open a new gym. It would be under a new name, at a new location, but it would carry the same ethics and morals we value so greatly.

When we say that we found Ironfist to be the best gym in Brisbane, that’s because it brought a transformation in us. Boxing and Muay Thai changed our lives. We began as kids with no knowledge of true confidence. And we became capable young men who were comfortable in their own skin and knew where they stood in the world.

We knew we could bring the same growth to others coming into our place. The gym had done it for so many people like us, and so we wanted to do it for others.

We had no signage, no website, and no Facebook page when we began. We had the old community, but we relied heavily on word of mouth to bring new members in. For the first few years, the gym was driven by pure passion. There wasn’t much profit, and we paid gym bills with wages from our day job.

Still, the dream was well and truly alive. Many students showed remarkable changes in life. The sense of community was strong, which was always our number one priority.

Three years of operation. Word had gotten around, and we’ve outgrown our facility. Around the end of the year, our gym doors in Springwood closed for the last time. The next day, the doors opened to a newer, bigger, upgraded facility in Slacks Creek.

Our values remain the same, and the people joining every day continue to turn into some of our closest friends. People of all shapes, sizes and colours. Not just fighters but also mothers, school teachers, parents and children. We’ve allowed this amazingly diverse group of people to transform the way we did. That, in itself, is a gift, and it is something we never take for granted.

It had been a busy year for Head Trainer Ben Johnston. He won state, national, international, and world titles left and right. Finally, Ben fought for and secured the prestigious WBC world title.

The months leading up to that fateful night included a lot of travel. Ben travelled back and forth from Australia to Muay Thai’s motherland, Thailand. There, he trained with one of the sport’s greatest-ever fighters and trainers, AKA’s Langsongkram.

The Thailand trip also involved a motorcycle accident on the way home from training. This unfortunate event occurred less than eight weeks before the competition. Ben had to get surgery, with no less than 40 stitches on his face.

Of course, Ben had the love and support of the TFC staff and trainers. He modified his training to minimise any further damage. Finally, fight night rolls around, and Ben shows up fit and strong. He secured the well-deserved win via knockout in the fourth round.

But then again, life isn’t always so smooth-sailing. The year 2020 saw the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Undeniably, it harmed a lot of businesses and affected us as well. But we are resilient, and we managed to adapt.

The Fight Centre eased its operations as many other businesses did, but only for a short period of time. During that time, though, we managed to get an online training program up and running. Today, that program is helping people all over Australia and even overseas!

Perhaps it was the silver lining to all that mess. We realized that we could reach far more people than just those within the gym’s four walls.

Not just that, the online Muay Thai and Boxing program has been an excellent tool for the TFC students to use. They can get in extra workouts outside of work hours, even when travelling for work or holiday!

That’s why we continue to create and upload new content even now. Even though the gym has reopened, we want to reach more people through the online program.