Hello!
June Gloom ☔️ 😩, or June BLOOM ☀️ 🤩?
YOUR CHOICE.
Semi-lots read 😅🤣
So let’s get to it!
Re: Bryan Popejoy Seminar
Thank you to everyone that showed up. Hope you learned some cool stuff!
Coach Vic Is Back On Tuesdays
Yes — for the last few months I have been absent teaching our Tuesday evening classes.
In an effort to have some balance between work and life, I decided to take an evening guitar class at SMC.
One of my other passions in life is music and playing guitar, and SMC has an incredible music program with some world-class professors.
I am sad that the semester is over but also very happy to be back teaching on Tuesdays. It truly was one of my favorite days of the week to teach.
Thank you to all the coaches that helped sub while I was away.
I am honored to know that I have such a capable group of coaches to teach and to look after the space while I was away.
I will return on June 17th. See you then!
TBI 13-Year Anniversary Celebration
Please join us as we celebrate the gym’s birthday!
Open to the public — we’ll have food and drinks!
• Pupusa stand making hot food all night
• Non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages
• Sparring matches
• Good hangs
📅 Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
⏰ Time: 6PM–10:00ish
If you’d like to participate in the sparring event during the party, write your name and weight on the back board! We’ll match you with another member for a friendly sparring exhibition.
It’ll be safe, moderated by me as ref, and you can keep your shirt on — or not. 😅
Also, will need some help with some stuff if you can be so kind as to volunteer:
- Help with cleanup and trash dumping after the party
- We need three coolers: one for ice, one for non-alcohol, and one for booze
- Time keeper and DJ during exhibition bouts
Speaking of DJs, does anyone care to volunteer to be one? Do you have a PA system you can set up? You have free reign over music as long as it’s vibey.
Talk to me. All and any help appreciated. Thank you!
Welcoming New Members (and Maybe Current Members?)
Generally, there are two peak seasons at the TBI:
New Year’s-ish (Feb.) and Summer (June). These are when we get an influx of new people.
Whether they are new to the sport, visiting on vacation, or back home from school — whatever the case may be — it’s been like this since the gym opened.
It is our job as a community to help new members become acquainted with the space.
What does that mean? Be helpful! Not just with new members but with each other as current members, too.
Things like not exclusively opting to train with your friends. Or just partnering up with the same gender.
Mix it up!
Having friends is cool, but making more friends and helping them feel like they belong is next level.
I want to highlight a few things:
This has been our mission statement for at least the last half-decade and is on the front page of our website:
“We aim to provide a safe and welcoming community where members can learn effective Thai boxing techniques for self-defense, a healthy lifestyle, and to improve self-confidence.”
As a current, long-standing member, what can you do to help?
I think the biggest starting point is to be kind, smile, and say hi to anyone you don’t know. Maybe ask them what their name is!
As mentioned earlier: Be open to working out with a new partner — in open pairings, sparring, and drilling classes.
Just remember that all of us, including myself, were beginners at one point.
What can you do as a new member?
Be proactive! Talk; don’t be shy; say hi. Volunteer and get involved.
Say hi to me, ask me questions, and talk to me. Or any of the other coaches. We are all very approachable.
Our natural demeanor may say otherwise, but that’s because we’ve been punched so much that our faces just look like that now. 😅
Lastly, I can only do so much to engage the community.
HANG OUT WITH EACH OTHER OUTSIDE THE GYM!!
And on the topic of the gym — I feel like TBI is more than a ‘gym’. I like to think of it as an institution of learning and a community of service.
Speaking of which- I googled the definition of ‘community’ to double-check if I was correct, so let me post it here real quick:
A ‘community’ can be defined as: a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.
I’d like to say this: the WHOLE gym encompasses the community.
The coaches aren’t one segment. The member body isn’t another. The group of friends within these two groups isn’t another.
WE ALL ARE.
Cliques aren’t tolerated. Gossip is DEFINITELY not tolerated.
These two behaviors are completely against our mission statements, inclusion statements, our core values, and our vision.
I break up cliques. And the thing about gossip is that it always comes back to me — whether in conversation or through a member experiencing it and voicing their dismay over it.
I asked ChatGPT about gossip and this is what it said:
When Gossip Becomes a Problem
In gyms, workplaces, or tight-knit communities (like your Muay Thai gym), gossip can:
- Divide teams
- Erode trust in leadership
- Push people away who came for positivity
I have asked former members to leave the gym due to this type of behavior. It should be our goal to be constructive coaches and members to continue helping each other reach our goals.
“Coach Vic—Where is all this coming from?!”
Maintaining a space of this size is difficult. I could be lazy and just let things happen and only worry about making money and getting new members in.
But that’s not me. If there’s one thing you have to know about me — it’s that it’s never been about making money.
For me, it’s about QUALITY and STYLE.
From a business point of view, people recognize our brand.
From a Muay Thai point of view, people recognize our style.
And they respect it.
None of this is achieved with a revolving door of new members.
It needs growth. Growth needs to be cultivated.
And it’s done with all these tools: Things such as our Inclusion Statement, Core Values, and our Vision.
I always refer to my leadership bible and my mission to continually move the gym forward.
I asked ChatGPT to summarize the book and its philosophy:
🌱 What is Tribal Leadership?
From the book Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright, this model says every group (or “tribe”) operates at one of five cultural stages based on how members relate to each other and the world.
Each stage has its own language, behavior, and vibe — and the goal is to move your tribe up the ladder.
🔥 Stage 4 — “We’re Great (and they’re not)”
🧠 Core Mindset:
“We’re great, they’re not.”
Stage 4 teams are highly cohesive, values-driven, and mission-focused, but still define themselves in contrast to others.
🧬 Traits of Stage 4 Culture:
- Strong group identity: People are proud to be part of the tribe — “our gym is special.”
- Shared core values: These are lived, not just posted on a wall.
- High trust: People collaborate naturally, share ideas, and help each other level up.
- Defined enemy or rival: Could be an outside gym, a lazy mindset, or even a social problem (“we fight for self-worth through Muay Thai”).
- Leaders are value-centered: Not just about skills or titles — they elevate others.
This is where I find ourselves. Stage 5 is difficult to obtain but I am trying. We are trying! I implore anyone in any sort of leadership role to read this book.
While we’re on these topics, let me shout out our Inclusion Statement.
At The Thai Boxing Institute, we believe that Muay Thai is for everyone, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, or physical ability.
We are committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all individuals feel respected, valued, and supported on their martial arts journey.
We celebrate the unique backgrounds and experiences that each of our members brings to the mat, and we embrace the opportunity to learn from one another and to grow together as a community.
We are dedicated to creating a safe space where individuals can train, explore, and excel without fear of discrimination or prejudice.
Our instructors are committed to promoting fairness, equality, and mutual respect in every aspect of our training sessions and interactions.
Together, we stand united in our passion for Muay Thai and our commitment to building a more inclusive world.
Join us on this journey of growth, learning, and acceptance.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
🔗 https://thaiboxinginstitute.net/our-inclusion-statement/
Also shout out to our Core Values for helping guide our community.
Core Values: “GHAP”
Gratitude: Appreciative of the privilege to practice Thai boxing with others within our community.
Humility: An attitude of spiritual modesty and respect for the worth of the individual that comes from understanding our place in the larger order of things.
Abundance: A positive growth mindset with a goal towards achieving teamwork success and contributing to the community.
Passion: All members within the community train and teach with a sense of intention, purpose, and fulfillment, along with a commitment to high standards and a strong work ethic.
🔗 https://thaiboxinginstitute.net/core-values-and-mission-statement/
TBI Survey
Speaking of constant improvement — it would mean the world to me if I may have 2 minutes of your time to fill out this quick survey.
All replies are anonymous, so be as honest as possible 😅
Many thanks!
Eoin and Mher Go to Iowa / Competition Team Sponsorship
We’re raising funds to help send Eoin and Mher to this year’s Thai Boxing Association Muay Thai Classic National Tournament in Des Moines, Iowa, at the end of June.
We haven’t fundraised in two years and our reserves are running low. Thank you to those who asked how to help!
We try to subsidize as much of our athletes’ competition costs as possible so they can focus on training. Supporting active competitors levels up our gym’s skill across the board — benefiting coaches, teammates, and the entire community.
We are looking to raise about $1,500 for the trip.
Quickest way is to Venmo: @COACHVIK
We can charge your credit card too 🙂
Sponsoring an athlete = investing in a future coach, leader, and in the long-term health of the gym.
You don’t need to own a business — you can support just as a patron.
But if you do run a business, this is a great opportunity for visibility.
🔗 All sponsorship info here — including pricing tiers:
NEW TBI ‘FLIER’ TEE
A remix of our Youth Crew Band tee “Think Lightly,” inspired by punk zines and flyers I grew up with.
White M&O 100% Cotton Preshrunk Jersey Tee
• Taped neck and shoulders
• Double-needle sleeve & bottom hem
• Double-needle cover-seamed neck
👕 Sizes: S–XXL (!!)
💰 Price: $27.31 (tax included)
$5 for shipping
Pay via:
• Venmo: @COACHVIK (last 4 digits: 5678)
• Zelle: info@thaiboxinginstitute.net
• Credit Card: TBImerch.com
Shirt design here:
🔗 https://the-thai-boxing-institute.gymdesk.com/product/white-%E2%80%98tbi-flier%E2%80%99-tee/80704
Include your size and address (if shipping) when ordering. Thank you for the support!
Also, our ‘TBI Minimalist’ shirts are back in stock in all sizes.
Check out TBImerch.com for all designs. Thanks!!
June Curriculum
• 6/2–6/7: Closing Distance to strike for knees and elbows
• 6/9–6/14: Knee Defense
• 6/16–6/21: Elbow Defense (Shelling Review)
• 6/23–6/28: The Jab