Jada: Strength, Whānau, and the Fighter Within

At Soma Fight Club, fighters are built through discipline, pressure, and heart. But some fighters bring something deeper into the ring - identity, culture, and the strength of the people behind them.

Jada is one of those fighters.

With Māori roots, years of experience since childhood, and a calm but determined presence, Jada represents a new generation of women in combat sports: powerful, grounded, and confident in who they are.

For WKW Active, we spoke with Jada about culture, confidence, femininity, and the mindset she carries every time she steps into the ring.

Growing Up Around Fighters

For Jada, fighting was never something distant or intimidating. It was part of life from an early age.

“My mum and brother were training and fighting when I was younger. I used to go with them to training and it made me want to join too.”

She began training at just eight years old and had her first fight at nine, an early start that helped shape her mindset and discipline.

Māori Roots and Fighting Spirit

Jada’s connection to her Māori background remains central to who she is.

“The club I started at was a Māori martial arts gym, and Whānau and tikanga were a big part of the club.”

That sense of whānau family, community, belonging - still lives in the way she approaches training and competition today. Fighting for Jada is not just individual performance. It is carrying the people who helped build her.

Why Soma Fight Club Felt Like Home

Jada first came to Soma as a junior fighter preparing for a major competition. It was there she met the club owner Mike and saw something special.

“I saw how good of a coach he was and wanted to come back when I was 18. It helped that there was a big family vibe at Soma.”

That combination of high-level coaching and supportive culture made a lasting impression. For many fighters, skill matters. But environment matters too.

Soma Fight Club has built a reputation as more than just a gym - it is a serious fight community where discipline, teamwork, and growth come first. Founded by Mike Ikilei, the club offers boxing, Muay Thai, Kickboxing / K1, MMA, BJJ, strength and conditioning, mobility, and recovery under one roof. Their philosophy is clear: one fighter’s success belongs to the whole team, and even losses become lessons shared by everyone.

Mike often describes Soma as “more than a gym… a real movement,” reflecting a mindset focused on legacy, community, and helping fighters reach world level while staying grounded.

No Favorite Coach - Only Respect

When asked who her favorite coach is, Jada laughed.

“I couldn’t say I have a favorite coach. I love all the coaches here at Soma. They’ve all helped me in different ways to become a better fighter.”

That answer says a lot about her character: gratitude, humility, and respect for the team around her.

At Soma Fight Club, coaching appears to be less about ego or hierarchy and more about shared purpose. Each coach brings something different - technical detail, motivation, discipline, strategy, or emotional support and Jada recognizes the value in all of it.

Rather than attaching herself to one voice, she has learned from many. That kind of environment creates well-rounded fighters: athletes who are not only skilled, but adaptable, respectful, and open to growth.

Lessons From Sparring

For fighters, sparring is where technique meets reality.

“Sparring is good. It helps you practice what you’ve been learning, adapt to the person in front of you, and get used to pressure.”

That ability to adapt under pressure often defines not just fighters but strong women in every part of life.

Sparring is not simply about hitting or winning rounds. It is about learning how to stay calm when someone is trying to break your rhythm, how to think while tired, and how to adjust in real time.

Every opponent brings something different: speed, power, aggression, patience, unpredictability. That forces a fighter to stay present and solve problems moment by moment.

Perhaps most importantly, sparring teaches emotional control. The ability to remain composed under pressure is what separates reactive fighters from intelligent ones. It is where confidence is earned. Not through comfort, but through experience.

Fear, Nerves, and Focus

Even experienced fighters feel nerves. Jada is honest about that.

“I do get anxious sometimes, but once I’m in the ring and the bell goes, I’m able to focus and the nerves go away.”

There is something powerful in that honesty. Many people assume fighters are fearless, but the reality is often the opposite. Nerves are natural when something matters. They show that the moment carries weight, that there is risk, expectation, and pressure.

What separates fighters is not the absence of anxiety, but the ability to move through it. For Jada, the shift happens the moment the bell rings. The waiting disappears, instinct takes over, and attention narrows to the task in front of her.

That transformation from nervous energy into sharp focus is one of the most important skills in combat sports. It cannot be faked. It is built through repetition, preparation, and trust in your training.

Her answer is a reminder that courage rarely looks dramatic. Sometimes courage is simply stepping forward while your heart is racing and finding calm once the fight begins.

A More Skilled Version of Herself

Jada is hungry to compete again. Not just to win, but to show growth.

“I really want to get back in the ring again. I have some things I’ve been working on and I want to show a more skilled version of myself.”

That answer says a lot about her mindset. Many athletes focus only on results, but the strongest competitors are often driven by progress. For Jada, stepping back into the ring is not simply about victory, it is about revealing the work that has happened quietly behind the scenes.

Every training camp brings changes that the public rarely sees: sharper technique, better timing, more patience, stronger conditioning, improved composure. Those details are built day after day, long before anyone watches on fight night.

Her focus on becoming “more skilled” also reflects maturity. Skill lasts longer than hype. Growth creates confidence that does not depend on outside opinions. Fighters who think this way are not chasing moments, they are building careers.

There is excitement in wanting to compete again, but there is something even stronger in wanting to return as a better version of yourself.

Feminine Strength and Controlled Violence

Combat sports are often viewed through a masculine lens, shaped by old ideas of aggression and toughness. But Jada grew up with a different reality.

“My gym was led by a strong Māori woman, and I’ve always been around strong women. For me it was normal for females to do martial arts.”

That kind of environment changes everything. When women are seen leading, coaching, and fighting, strength becomes normal rather than something that needs to be explained.

Jada’s perspective matters because it shows that combat sports were never meant for only one gender. Women belong in these spaces too.

And in martial arts, power is not chaos, it is controlled, disciplined, and earned. A woman can be graceful and dangerous, feminine and fierce.

Strength does not belong to one gender. Women do not need permission to take up space - in the gym, in the ring, or anywhere else.

Becoming a Role Model

When asked who she is becoming through this journey, Jada answered with maturity beyond her years.

“It’s taught me how to deal with pressure and be more confident in who I am. I’d hope to be a role model for other young female fighters.”

That answer reveals the deeper value of martial arts. Beyond wins and losses, fighting can build resilience, self-belief, and identity. It teaches young women that confidence is earned through challenge, discipline, and showing up when things feel hard.

For the next generation watching, examples matter. Seeing someone like Jada pursue strength while staying true to herself can open doors for others to believe they can do the same.

And maybe she already is.

Never Alone in the Ring

“When I step into the ring I’m focused on my opponent, but I never feel alone. I know I have my whānau backing me and it helps me be more confident.”

That may be the most powerful thing of all. Confidence is often built through training, but it is strengthened even more when a fighter knows she is supported by people who believe in her.

Whānau is more than family. It is connection, belonging, and the feeling that your journey is shared. That kind of support can steady nerves, sharpen focus, and give extra strength when the pressure rises.

Because some fighters enter the ring alone. Others enter carrying generations of strength.

At WKW Active, we believe women can be both graceful and dangerous, feminine and fierce, soft and strong.

Jada is proof.

She is not becoming powerful.

She already is.