Element Martial Arts + Fitness
Available for Personal Training/Private Lessons through booking portal
- Role: Beginner MMA Coach, Beginner Wrestling Coach, Intermediate Kickboxing Coach
- Disciplines Taught: Kickboxing, Wrestling
- Experience: Nearly 10 years training, 6 years coaching as a personal trainer
- Competition: 8 amateur MMA fights
- Rank & Certifications: BJJ Purple Belt, Certificate III & IV in Fitness
About Sam
Samuel Niejalke is a highly experienced MMA and striking coach at Element Martial Arts, known for his technical, detail-oriented approach and his ability to blend kickboxing and wrestling into a complete, functional fighting style. His coaching is technique-heavy and long-range focused, with a strong emphasis on purpose and efficiency in every movement.
Sam’s martial arts journey began early. After realising team-based sports weren’t for him, he started wrestling at a young age before transitioning into sports karate, and eventually MMA. Since then, he has continuously worked to expand and refine his mixed martial arts skill set, always looking to improve and deepen his understanding of the sport.
As a coach, Sam is passionate about helping beginners develop an individual style they can truly make their own, teaching them to recognise and lean into their strengths rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all approach. With intermediate and advanced students, his focus shifts to fighting with intent — understanding the difference between recreational and competitive training, and executing techniques with clear purpose.
One of Sam’s greatest strengths as a coach is his ability to systematically break down combinations and skills so they translate across disciplines. Wrestling techniques that work in BJJ, BJJ concepts that apply in MMA — his coaching helps athletes connect the dots and become more complete martial artists.
Sam believes consistency will always outwork talent. To him, consistency is the driver and catalyst for greatness, often unlocking ability athletes didn’t even realise they had. His proudest moments come not from individual wins, but from watching the gym and its athletes grow — seeing new members develop into confident, capable martial artists, and students become teammates and lifelong friends.
If you ask Sam his favourite technique to teach, he’ll tell you the liver switch or step-up liver kick — one of the most effective, underused, and brutally painful techniques in the game.
