Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tre Babauta. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tre, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

The risk was really just taking the first step! My “gym” started with coworkers that wanted to train, and we were outside at a park doing our own thing. They were super generous and donated what they can, eventually we moved to our garage, got a bag, two mats, and started having more legitimate classes in there. After about a year of being outside & in the garage, we decided that we should move out into a bigger space to bring in more members – and start really making a name for ourselves. It was scary, we didn’t have any enough funds or equipment to open a functional gym and there’s always that thought “what if no one comes for months and months”. The closer we got to finding a place and moving out of the garage, the more doubt filled my mind… “Can I do this?”, “Am I really a good coach?”, “Is it worth the time?”.
It’s cliche but yes, of course taking that risk was MORE than worth it! Our grand opening was great, friends and family came in, experience or not, they took our special intro class that we held. Within months we had people trickle in, staying as members or just coming to check it out. Like anywhere, it started very very slow, and we didn’t know how to operate the best – after months of trial and error, trying to things, advertisement, etc., we’re starting to get it down!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m the head coach at Kadukus Combat Club, currently located in a private gym in South Side San Jose. Working alongside two other coaches – my dad and partner. We teach all level kickboxing & boxing, have a kids class, hold sparring, and have a small but mighty fight team.
From the time I was able to walk, I spent most of my days at my mom’s job, which was a gym. Both my parents have always been very active so I was accustomed to being around exercise and fitness.
Fast-forward to 2020 during the covid pandemic, where I, along with many folks, was unemployed. Feeling lost, I thought back on what my dad used to tell me: “Work hard, all day. And watch how the opportunities open up for you.” I was unsure of what to do with my life at the time, unsure of what I wanted to be. So I did the one thing I knew for sure I could do: exercise.
I taught myself how to program my workouts and diets, created a goal and achieved that goal in less than a year. At that same time, opportunities started to open up. Gyms began to reopen; I signed up. I worked out everyday, barely managing on unemployment; caught the attention of my former coach and got my first job as a coach. Day after day, all I did was workout. Even after getting my job, I continued to work hard at achieving my goal, thus getting my second job at the time.
All in all, with all things said and done, I know I can instill a certain mindset that transcends mere exercise. Working out, training, exercise… those are all things I can relate with the people I train. But the message I instill in all of my clients is that it doesn’t matter what we do in life. We work hard, all day, ESPECIALLY when we don’t know what else to do. This mindset has helped me, and has helped many people at achieving their goals in and out of the fitness scope of things.
That is what I am most proud of: can you take what you learned from me in this thing that we share a common interest in, and apply it to yourself in whatever it is you want to succeed in in your own personal life? Whether it be habit change, participating in your first competition, or gaining the confidence to take that leap sooner than later. I can confidently say that I am continuously achieving my goal every single day as a coach: Watching my clients and members improving, not just in their training, but in their personal lives as well.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

More isn’t always better. I learned that in several aspects all at that same time, funny enough.

I was working two jobs when I didn’t need to which was taking time away from my family, my partner and my dogs. This in turn was turning me neglectful not just with my loved ones, but also with myself.

At that same time, I was doing FAR too much in terms of exercise and not getting enough rest. Doing two one hour workouts in a day, on top of juggling two jobs, this was affecting my body in negative ways. I was gaining the muscle I wanted, but my body felt the weakest it has ever been.

Any advice for managing a team?

Trust and accountability is a two way street.

Trust that your people understand the integrity of the facility and trust that they are confident enough to hold you accountable just like how you hold them accountable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kadukuscombatclub.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kadukus.combat.club/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@KadukusCombatClub