05/10/2026
The thing most people won’t tell you is… fighting is scary.
It’s one of the most mental sports in the world. The excitement only truly comes after a win, and before every match there’s always that moment of asking yourself, “Why am I doing this again?”
But that’s also what makes this sport special. Fighting forces you to discover who you really are. It brings out stronger, tougher parts of you — while also teaching patience, humility, respect, and appreciation for complete strangers who are willing to step in there with you.
Tournament fighting is a different kind of challenge. You don’t get to sit back and enjoy one victory. The second one match ends, your focus shifts immediately to the next opponent, the next challenge, the next test. By the end of the weekend you’re sore, exhausted, mentally drained… and honestly, there’s even a small part of you that thinks losing might feel easier just so you can finally rest and go home.
Overcoming that feeling is what makes tournaments so hard.
This weekend at the ISKA National Tournament, we brought three fighters with 0-0 records into 16-man brackets — and every single one made it to the finals. Going 5-0 on day one was incredible to watch, and it reminded me exactly why I started this gym in the first place.
On day two, all three fighters stepped back up and fought their way through the finals. We finished the tournament 8-2 overall, bringing home 1 gold medal and 2 silver medals — every single one earned through heart, grit, and hard work.
I couldn’t be more proud of our fighters and coaches who made this accomplishment possible. Thankful to be part of this journey and grateful to share these moments with them.
