Things don’t always work for people the first time around, and that’s okay. If it’s meant for you, you’ll get back to it sooner or later. That’s how it was for TFC coach Minh Nguyen, who didn’t really enjoy training martial arts when he started.
Minh was a rather small kid, so his dad decided it would be best for him to have some self-defence skills in case he needed them. He enrolled in a Taekwondo school at age 6. He didn’t enjoy training, except for sparring. Eventually, he ended up dropping out of martial arts due to a lack of interest at age 12.
Minh Nguyen didn’t hate martial arts the first time, but he didn’t really like it either. Sure, he went to his classes as necessary, but it wasn’t all that hard to let go of training. And so he stopped for four whole years.
It’s amazing about how different things can be when you’re doing something because you actually want to.
At 16 years old, Minh went with a friend to a boxing session at the Inala PCYC. They had a little spar. Minh lost terribly… and he loved it!
With a newfound interest in the martial arts, he spent his time exploring different systems like Boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, and MMA. He enjoyed it so much that his desire to train eventually evolved into a desire to share his knowledge.
And that’s how we got the TFC coach Minh Nguyen we know and love today. He teaches Boxing and Muay Thai and enjoys the positive atmosphere of people working on their goals together. People who show up are usually motivated to improve themselves, and Minh is all for pushing them forward.
The most satisfying moment as a trainer is the sense of achievement students get when they finally nail a technique they’ve been working on. The 2022 Winter Fight Camp was particularly memorable for Minh as he cornered and witnessed how far members had gotten throughout the intense training regime.
Minh Nguyen is a trainer, husband, and father of two boys who enjoys a good laugh. He’s a musician and martial artist who enjoys hanging out with his family and friends with drinks and food. You can find him teaching Boxing and Muay Thai classes during the week to teens and adults.
Speaking from experience, Minh says, “the hardest part is showing up. Once you’re here, everything becomes easy as long as you’re willing to invest the effort into it.”
