16. Martial Arts, Mental Health, and Moving Forward with Kenneth Tay

In this episode of Before We Get There, host Nicholas Braman interviews Kenneth Tay, a BJJ black belt and co-founder of Trinity Combat Sports in Suzhou, China. Kenneth shares his journey of living in China and Australia, dealing with mental health issues, and finding solace in martial arts. He discusses how he transitioned from a career in F&B and tech startups to founding the first Jiu-jitsu gym in Suzhou, and eventually coaching full-time in Singapore at Field Assembly. Kenneth highlights the importance of sports in his life, his experiences training in China, and the growth of the BJJ community in Asia.



Kenneth's links:

Instragram: https://www.instagram.com/pandaramic/ 

Trinity Combat Sports: https://www.instagram.com/trinitycombatsports/ 

Field Assembly: https://www.instagram.com/fieldassembly/ 



Podcast links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2h9gsrWKH9C1KY1OzR12kr?si=2a4d19970632465f  

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/before-we-get-there/id1775182252

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforewegettherepodcast/

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/nicholasbraman

Website: https://nicholasbraman.com/before-we-get-there-podcast/ 

00:00 Introduction and Personal Journey
01:32 Living and Studying in China
11:41 Career Beginnings and Transitions
19:34 Discovering Martial Arts
23:56 Connecting in Suzhou
25:56 Overcoming Depression
29:14 Founding a Gym in Suzhou
38:43 Transitioning to Full-Time Coaching
44:45 Looking Ahead: Goals and Aspirations
46:37 Final Thoughts and Contact Information