Yesterday’s IKF PKB wasn’t just a tournament.
It was a true example of why our community is special — and why showing up, in any capacity, truly matters.

At KruFit, we talk a lot about discipline, ownership, resilience, and heart. But events like yesterday are where those values stop being ideas and become real actions you can see, hear, and feel. From the first weigh-in to the very last bout, the day was a reminder that martial arts isn’t an individual sport — it’s a team effort, whether you’re competing or not.

Here are seven reflections from the day — reminders of why showing up matters more than most people realize.

1. Showing Up Ensures Events Like This Continue to Exist

These events don’t just “happen.” They require hosts, volunteers, judges, timekeepers, set-up crews, clean-up crews, and people willing to give their entire day to the event.

By supporting the event — as a participant, a spectator, or a volunteer — we help ensure it stays alive and can be offered again.

If we want opportunities like this available for our members and for future generations, we all have to play a role in sustaining them.

2. Beginners Need Accessible Pathways — These PKB Events Give Them That

Not everyone wants full-contact fighting — and not everyone should jump into it right away. PKB events gives athletes a bridge between training in the gym and full contact fighting.

Events like PKB are how people discover their competitive spirit. It’s how they can get feedback on their skillset in a safer, more controlled environment.

For some, a PKB is the end goal- they don’t wish to participate in full contact fighting.
For others, it’s the first step on the path toward full-contact competition.

Either way, showing up matters.

3. Volunteering Makes These Events Possible

Yesterday, our volunteers were the unsung heroes.

Some members showed up planning to spectate — and once they realized we needed more hands, they stepped straight into action. No hesitation. No questions asked.

A brand new KruFit member — just two weeks into training — signed up to volunteer and spent the day helping run the event like they’d been part of KruFit for years.

Others stayed far beyond their assigned shifts.
Some came early. Others stayed late.
Someone even grabbed a broom and swept the gymnasium floor at the end of the day — that’s the kind of ownership that helps a community thrive.

These actions matter more than people realize.

Volunteers are the foundation. Without them, events don’t run, athletes don’t get opportunities, and our sport and art doesn’t grow.

4. Even If You’re a Full-Contact Fighter Now — You Still Have a Role

For our fighters who have moved beyond PKB events:
Your presence matters more than ever.

Because these are the same people — the beginners, the parents, the volunteers — who will buy tickets, travel, cheer for you, and give their time when you step into the ring.

Supporting a PKB event is part of the cycle of giving back to the community that helped you get where you are.

You were once the person looking for your first chance.
Someone made that possible for you.
Now it’s your turn to return the favor.

5. Spectators Matter Too

The energy in the gym yesterday was exciting because people showed up to watch, to cheer, and to encourage their athletes and team.

Spectators create atmosphere. They help competitors feel seen and supported. They turn a gym into a memorable moment for those on the mat.

You don’t have to step in the ring to have a real impact.

6. Thank You — Yesterday Was a Win for Everyone

From all of us at KruFit, thank you to:

• The IKF staff for their professionalism and partnership
• The KruFit coaching staff who worked their tails off all day
• Every volunteer — scheduled or not — who made the event run smoothly
• All the athletes who stepped onto the mats with courage, respect and technical skill
• The spectators who brought the energy and supported your athletes and team with class.

Yesterday was a huge operational success, but more importantly, it was a huge community success.

7. Keep Showing Up

Whether you’re brand new, experienced, competitive, recreational, or somewhere in between — your involvement matters.

Show up to cheer.
Show up to help.
Show up to participate
Show up to learn.
Show up to step outside your comfort zone.
Show up because these events shape who we become — as athletes, as teammates, and as a martial arts community.

Yesterday proved something we already knew:

KruFit isn’t just a gym.
Muay Thai isn’t just a sport.
And when people show up with a collective effort — amazing things can happen.

THANK YOU.

Sincerely,

Coach Jamie