TFC Weekly Member Update ~ June 23rd to 29th 2025

It was a winning weekend on the Gold Coast for TFC, but as we returned to the office for our Monday staff meeting I asked the guys to share something from the last 7 days that made them a coach.

The specific question was, “what did you do in the last 7 days for a student at TFC that made you a coach?”

My intention with this question was to have them reflect on what they had been teaching on the mats, the effectiveness of their lesson plans, and how that translated into tangible impact for at least 1 student.

Among the stories that came back was one of a student who had lost confidence during a particularly challenging sparring session, and how the trainer had noticed the effect this had on that students intention during class drills.

He was second guessing himself, not pushing as hard, and seemed fearful to execute what he was learning.  It wasn’t more technique or strategy that the student needed, it was assurance that he was capable.

The trainer strategically placed this student in positions where he could both teach and learn, he used positive reinforcement and peppered in some pep talks; and then he put him back into some technical sparring rounds.

By the end of the week the student was back to his usual training intensity.

Similarly, Diego spoke about how the kids in BJJ had been feeling leading in to the QLD State Champs weekend, and how he had spent much of that week calming nerves and offering assurance simply by reminding them that they had done the work.

Other trainers told stories about adjusting class plans based on who showed up that day, and acknowledging the weaknesses that were present, while being able to formulate on the spot teaching techniques so that each student left the class having executed correctly, and then watching them return later in the week maintaining the form they had been taught, or watching them ‘pull it off’ in live action on the mats in sparring.

What stood out to me was how invested each of our trainers are in the learning of our members, as well as how important it is to have students that step onto the mats with a willingness to learn and the heart to face adversity with a coachable attitude.

It’s often said that having just one person in your life who believes in you and makes you feel seen and cared for, is the difference between being ok, and not being ok ~ wherever that takes you.

Personally, I believe that that ‘one person’ is not actually ever ‘one person’, but the presence of a force who shows up in many different forms over a lifetime, and that each of us, on any given day have the opportunity to be that person for someone.

So whenever I listen to our trainers tell stories like this, what I hear, is how many more people are ok today because of them, and the downstream effects that has on each student as they go on about their day and the people they will meet along the way.

It’s a real privilege to be a part of this team, and to help facilitate the impact of combat sports over peoples lives.  Technique, strategy, drilling, fitness, game plans, we have a talented team of people who can teach you all that, all day long, but most important to us is that we maintain our ability to meet each student exactly where they are – total novice, beginner, old timer, young guns, seasoned athletes or absolute guns, whether you’re having the worst day or the best day of your life, there’s a place for everyone on the mats.

Our winning weekend on the Gold Coast is a reflection of the whole community here at TFC, with special mention to coaches Nakia Melody and Diego Pereira, as well as our BJJ parents and supporters, the results from BJJ State Champs are phenomenal.  And yes, we retained the Eternal MMA Middleweight title with Darcy Vendy’s spectacular 2nd round knockout.

In Episode 3 of our weekly member update I chat with Jarvie about the weekend results from Eternal 96 and the BJJ state champs, the end of borrow gear at TFC, the Fight Camp 7 date change, and our new 10 year apparel range launching in the coming week.

Watch, listen or read to stay up to date with everything TFC!

By Lorina Thompson.