02/09/2026
๐ฅ๐๐จ๐๐ข ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐๐ง โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฅ
She might be the smallest member of our Junior Fighters Teamโฆ but somehow, Bailey manages to take up a LOT of space! ๐
At just 9 years old, Bailey has been training with us for around 10 months, starting her Muay Thai journey alongside her brother Kohen. Both arrived with plenty of enthusiasm โ but during one of Baileyโs first sparring sessions, we remember looking at each other and thinking:
โHang onโฆ this kid is actually a bit of a weapon!โ
Not even a year into her journey, Bailey has already earned her place in our Junior Fighters Team. She has completed an interclub and, while she has chosen not to compete for now, she absolutely loves training alongside our fighters.
She is the youngest and smallest in the team โ but she gets in there as though sheโs 10 feet tall.
And those kicksโฆ ๐ณ
Anyone who has trained with Bailey knows exactly what we mean. For a little person, she can generate some SERIOUS power!
But thereโs another side to Bailey that has impressed us just as much.
A couple of months ago, we paired her with a newer, much younger student. As the session went on, we realised Bailey wasnโt simply being a good training partner โ she was actually teaching her.
She was helping her with technique, showing her where to stand, what to do next and encouraging her along the way. Better still, she was getting it right.
Since then, weโve deliberately paired Bailey with some of our younger 4โ7 year olds who need a little extra guidance.
And she is brilliant with them.
Gentle, patient, kind, funny and encouraging โ so much so that she has earned herself another title around Budo: Aunty๐
What probably sums Bailey up better than anything;
With the Fight Team, she is tough, determined and formidable.
With the little kids, she is caring, helpful and gentle.
And when it comes time for the compulsory silly group photo at the end of training, Bailey understands the assignment EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Crazy face? Ridiculous pose? Complete commitment to making herself look utterly silly?
100%. Never lets us down. ๐
We can teach Bailey Muay Thai. We can develop her technique, sharpen her skills and help her become a better martial artist.
But we can't teach what she already brought through our doors.
The heart.
The kindness.
The humour.
The willingness to help someone else.
And an absolutely enormous personality somehow squeezed into one very small human being.
That part is Bailey.
In only 10 months, she has cemented herself as a valuable student and a much-loved member of our team.
And now we'd like to give Bailey another opportunity.
We'd love to welcome her into our Budo Junior Assistants Team.
Our Junior Assistant program isn't simply about helping teach martial arts. It's an opportunity for young people to learn responsibility, develop confidence, help others and discover what it means to become a leader.
Bailey has already started doing those things naturally.
Now we'd like to help her grow them.
Keep being exactly who you are, Bailey!
Small in stature. Huge in character. And unmistakably YOU! โค๏ธ๐ฅ
