My Story

I am a martial artist, fitness enthusiast, and graphic artist with an unwavering passion for these disciplines. I was raised in the poor area of the Philippines where I had very little  resources and opportunities, at 7 years old I migrated in Australia, living in the Sydney suburbs with no English background and no friends.

It wasn't smooth sailing growing up especially when my mom became a single parent, she signed me up to a local Filipino Martial Art Centre to help me defend myself. She then met an Australian man who became my stepfather who was a Boxer and introduced me to Boxing during my first year in High School and joined my step brother, who competed as an amateur at Belmore PCYC. The chaos in the 90’s was wild growing up, experiencing racism and getting into trouble in the streets with gangs, fights, drugs and skipping high school.

After high school I took up Boxing seriously just to get fit then became a habit training 6 times a week in the late 90’s and had one amateur fight under the tutelage of Joe Laferla at Kingsgrove Lions Den, dreaming of being in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games but yet again I was influenced by the party scene and the night life.

Things took a turn when I got away from the Sydney suburb and had a thirst to learn new things. I learned Capoeira, a Brazilian Martial arts and a few years later discovered Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in 2009. I received my Advanced Diploma in Graphic Design & Communication and continued my studies in Diploma for Fitness which allowed me to combine my creative flair and love for martial arts.

I got involved working in the Fitness Industry and became a Personal Trainer and Group Instructor. Many friends and family members believed I would fail as a trainer. I persevered and stayed consistent. Opportunities arrived and led me to coaching amateurs and professionals in boxing and Jiu Jitsu, helping fighters achieve their goals and reach the pinnacle of their potential. Only after 2 years working tirelessly as a coach for an MMA fighter I became one of the first coach involved in Martin Nguyen success who went on to become Australia’s first two-division champion under One FC, one of the most prestigious MMA promotions in the world. The rest they say is history. 

My story will always come from humble beginnings that have instilled in me a strong work ethic and a deep appreciation for the value of hard work in silence. I have experienced and learnt that deep work and constant learning is an important journey and not to focus on the end goal. It is through perseverance and dedication that one can achieve success.