Chad Naidu

When Chad Naidu Gurumu wants to know if his business is booming, he only has to take a look around his CBD gym. It’s packed with his regular clients who return again and again, week after week, working with him to create not only the bodies, but also the minds they want. You see Chad’s CBD gym, Gurumu Combat Fitness, is worlds away from the empty-headed exercise programs of modern gyms. His clients; young, old and in-between, come back because they are looking for a different way to get their sweat on.



 As Chad himself explains, ‘At Gurumu it’s about passion, positive thinking and motivation.’ But to really understand how Gurumu Combat Fitness is unlike any other, first you have to know a bit about the man behind it all. You see Chad comes from something of a Taekwondo dynasty. His father and his father’s brothers were all Taekwondo champions in their native Malaysia. When Chad’s branch of the family decamped to the UK they took their ‘take-down’ skills with them. Chad and his own brothers carried on the tradition by studying in the art as well. Chad says ‘I began my own training at age 5.’ That’s about the age when most of us were still playing ‘thumb wars!’ Gurumu Combat Fitness Those early years spent in the ring set Chad up for a successful career as an MMA competitor. And he was single-minded in his pursuit of titles. He says, ‘When I was a [competitor] my only motivation was to win medals.’ But his life changed when he had his children. Chad explains, ‘my kids helped me to realise that there was more to martial arts than just medals. Martial arts is about discipline, positive thinking, staying motivated and being fit.’ Chad realised he could ‘lead by example’ and show others how to change their lives.

 And so Gurumu Combat Fitness was born. “Understanding the problems in the community helped me to tailor my programs. People’s real life stories touched me and showed me what my clients needed.” – Chad Naidu Gurumu 096a5161Now Melbourne-based Chad spends his days coaching his clients using the skills and discipline he developed through his own training. And his classes do more than just tighten butts and develop biceps – they focus the mind and connect people with their own inner power. The moves and exercises he has developed are about gaining real-world skills whilst honing the body and the mind.

 And despite the name, there is no real contact involved – meaning no one goes home missing teeth or sporting a chewed ear. For Chad, one of Gurumu Combat Fitness’ central purposes is to toughen people up for the battles of life. It’s about ‘arming’ people with the ability to defend themselves not only physically, but mentally, too. He says, “Understanding the problems in the community helped me to tailor my programs. People’s real life stories touched me and showed me what my clients needed.” In developing his programs Chad spoke to many people about their struggles with stress in the corporate world and to parents wanting to develop discipline and self-respect in their children. The result is a gym that has a purpose far beyond its four walls. For Chad Gurumu Combat Fitness is more than just a gym – it’s a way of life.