Meet Ernie Medina | CEO/Chief Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ernie Medina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ernie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
The most important factor behind our success is that we remain dedicated to our clients’ success in training. I’m doing so, we empower them to truly have the confidence to defend themselves should the unfortunate arise. This is particularly critical for our female clients.

The success of our brand is a result of staying true to our core values (Service, Training, Empowerment) and relentlessly striving to learn and grow.

Values:

Service

We provide the best customer service and experience to our clients
We serve our clients best interests above all else
We serve to train our clients to succeed in real life

Training

We provide the best quality training for our clients
We provide the latest techniques and principles
Backed by sound reasoning and efficiency
Courses driven by practical application and realism
We push our clients to realize their greatest potential
Balance between training hard and having fun
Instill the warrior scholar mindset in our clients
Our Instructors continually seek to improve their skills
With the intent to be better leaders
Bring new knowledge to our clients
Keep our skills razor sharp
Remain humble and open to new learning and growth

Empowerment

Empowerment is the cornerstone of what drives training
Our focus is to build confidence by strengthening skill
We empower our clients by building their confidence in themselves
Empowerment by mastery of skill
Empowerment by belief they defend themselves and their families
Empowerment by instilling a lifelong journey in the art of personal defense

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I suppose my career started when I was six years old. My mom enrolled me in martial arts and I train and teach to this day. However, I remember back in New Jersey, where I’m from, when I was 14 I was just shy of my black belt. I hadn’t really taken my training seriously to that point and I was sparring with one of the adult black belts that day. In that session, he administered a beating on me that just woke me up. Form that point forward I promised I wouldn’t get a beating like that ever again because I wasn’t training hard. I went on the next year to earn my black belt and through the years ascended further.

When I graduated college, I entered military service through the US Naval Academy and studied mechanical engineering. Going through the academy was absolutely the hardest thing I’ve done, morally, mentally and physically. I had good grades in high school, but wasn’t a straight A student. When I expressed to my counselor at the academy that I wanted to study mechanical engineering, she pretty much said that I didn’t have what it took and that I should select an easier major. That only lit a fire in me and I wanted it more and I was determined to do it. I not only did, but graduated in the top half of my class.

When I graduated, I was commissioned in the Marines as pilot student. I wanted to fly jet’s since I was a kid. Unfortunately, halfway through the program in 2004, I failed out. It devastated me, big time. Normally, that meant that I would be given some unpleasant assignment for the remainder of my service. Well, it was 2004 and we were in the middle of the war in Iraq, so I asked to be assigned to he infantry. I figured if I couldn’t fly, I’d rather be in the thick of it with greatest people I’ve ever known. Well, I was blessed to be afforded the chance. I served in Iraq in 2005 and deployed countless places after that.

One of the places I enjoyed and learned the most during my military career was in Colombia. I was assigned there in 2008 as an exchange officer to the Colombian Naval Academy (ENAP). I had the opportunity to work with great people from the Colombian military and culture and I learned a lot about diplomacy and working with other people outside the our normal society. During m off time there, I started a business and ran a martial arts school as well, training Colombian citizens martial arts.

Upon leaving the Marines, I started a financial planning practice, which I maintain today. There I learned a lot about sales, personal relationships and how the real world works outside of he military. It has been on of the hardest things I’ve done and I learned a lot about what it means to start a business an what it takes to succeed in it.

In 2016, I started TRB as a weekend gig and I absolutely loved it. It became my passion, my obsession and my vehicle for having a positive impact on people. It certainly has its challenges like any other business, but I enjoy meeting those challenges head on an growing stronger as a result. Despite challenges, if our teaching saves someone’s life one day, then to me it is all worth it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow, that’s an interesting one. Well, we’d probably wake up at 4am and grab some Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and coffee (best coffee ever!). The. We’d head over to the outdoor range for the morning and have some fun while training.

Afterwards, we’d grab some lunch in town, then head out on a motorcycle ride through some of the windy roads in the area, like Ortega Highway for the afternoon. We’d probably head to the Triangle in Costa Mesa for dinner and drinks!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to thank my mom for everything and being the example of what a good person is. And of course for showing me right from wrong. I also want to thank my dad for instilling I’m me strength, perseverance and through his example of what it takes to run a successful business.

I want to thank my martial arts instructors: Denise Mullin, Lou Legregin and Jay Cuoco. They taught me discipline, respect, physical and mental endurance and helped make me the man I am today.

I want to thank my team at TRB. Ed Craig, Brendon Arbilon, Stephen Pham, Sunshine Santos, Renee Shane, Hilary Zumont. They are an All-Star crew and without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today.

I want to thank God for surrounding me with everyone mentioned above. I’m blessed to have been put on the same path with such awesome people and i’m grateful for the tools he’s given me

Lastly, I want to thank our clients. I love being around them, teaching them and learning from them. We get to work with amazing people from all walks of life and it’s awesome to be part of that.

Website: Www.TRB training.com

Instagram: @taprackbangtraining

Facebook: @taprackbangtraining

Yelp: Tap Rack Bang Training

Youtube: TRB Training