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Jian (Jan) Lim

@trainjian

40K

followers

650

following

What happens when a scientist learns how to fight?
@thestrikemethod — science & coaching
@kalevfitness — train in Vancouver
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New educational resources are coming to TRAINJIAN!

Here’s how to access your free test download

and familiarize yourself with the learning platform.

Yours truly,

Jian (Jan)

健

•••

trainjian.gumroad.com

link in bio. by @trainjian

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2 days ago

I’ve been quiet for a while on this account.

While I’ve been gone, two things happened.

•••

The first:

I prepared for, and won, my first boxing fight.

Thank you to my team at Astoria Boxing Club, the club show organizers at Quinit Boxing, and my incredible opponent, Ana, for the chance to participate in the event.

These beautiful images were captured by @onthematsphoto - thank you.

Barbara @onthematsphoto is available for booking via DM. She is based in Vancouver, BC., and is my training partner @diazcombatsports .

•••

The second:

I took a long, focused look at TRAINJIAN and what it means to me,

and what it means to others.

In one year, TRAINJIAN grew from 1k to 40k followers.

What started as a personal journey towards my first fight

has turned into something far greater than I had ever imagined it could be.

I have decided to recognize this project for what it has become -

a unique, accessible space where martial knowledge can find its home

amongst the bodies and minds of

athletes and artists all over the world -

and allow it to grow.

•••

TRAINJIAN as a knowledge & learning hub is currently undergoing open beta (ie., public) testing.

Use the link in bio to download a free test guide on how to use Gumroad to access TRAINJIAN resources.

In the test download, you will receive a personal founder’s note on TRAINJIAN, from me,

as well as some bagwork videos to test whether or not you can view TRAINJIAN resources at the gym & offline.

•••

A personal note:

An honourable mention to the fighters and coaches at Mendoza, whose fighters made up a significant portion of the card. It was so inspiring to witness, and be part of, an all-women’s boxing club card—and to see their all-women’s team shine.

Follow their account here: @mendozawomeninboxing

•••

More personal notes in the comments below.

Thank you for being a part of this beautiful community of dedicated martial artists and athletes.

Onwards to 2 and 0.

•••

#TRAINJIAN #MartialScience #HumanMovement #AmateurBoxing taken in Quinit Boxing Port Coquitlam by @trainjian

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14 days ago

As I announce that my second amateur fight will take place on October 30th at @quinitboxing ,

I wanted to thank everyone who made my first fight possible.

•••

If you have been my friend, client, student or teammate since November 2024,

I cannot thank you enough for your kindness and support.

I take pride in being incessantly transparent about my status as a novice fighter and boxing/striking coach to my students and clients.

Unfortunately, boxing is known for having an abundance of trainers who mislead others about their knowledge.

It has meant the world to have people who trust me, and who I trust, at the early stages in my journey.

Thank you for believing in me.

•••

Pictured on my left is Tony Pep, a Canadian former professional boxer.

Coach Pep is one of my biggest inspirations. He has a record of 42 wins, 22 by KO, and is most famously known for bringing Floyd Mayweather to a 10-round decision.

During his career, Pep held the Commonwealth super featherweight title, the IBO lightweight title and Canadian lightweight and featherweight titles.

I look up to Pep the most, however, for his character as a fighter and an educator.

He relentlessly advocates for, and spreads, the old knowledge to novices like me, no matter how thankless teaching old-school boxing can be, or has become.

I truly believe the art of boxing is one of the most under-appreciated forms of combat sports and martial knowledge to this day and I will never stop learning how to become a better boxer.

Coach Tony’s information for bookings in Vancouver, BC: tonykidfirepep@gmail.com and tonypep.com

•••

Thank you to Quinit @quinitboxing for having me a second time. I look forward to representing the Astoria and doing my absolute best. More details to come.

•••

The final bag-work clip in this series is available as sample content on TRAINJIAN.gumroad.com (link in bio).

Actively competing has affected my content creation pace this year, compared to the last.

Thank you all for your patience with me as I continue to produce educational content for you as efficiently as I can.

•••

This beautiful image was once again shot by @onthematsphoto . Thank you, Barbara. 🥊🌟 taken in Quinit Boxing Port Coquitlam by @trainjian

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7 days ago

In the lab with @robin.danyluk.

No music. Just padwork.

•••

Train with me in Vancouver, BC, at @kalevfitness.

1:1 boxing (all levels), beginner-intermediate Muay Thai, kickboxing & personal training. Beginners welcome.

Your first session is free—book through the link in my bio.

•••

#VancouverBoxing #VancouverPersonalTrainer #VancouverFitness #VancouverTraining #KalevFitness taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @trainjian

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12 days ago

TRAINJIAN Short Film No. 001:

The Counterintuitive Reason

•••

Director’s Note:

To conclude Year One of TRAINJIAN

& kick-off Year Two,

it only made sense to remake
the cinematic reel that started it all.

Same script,
same soul,
different athlete.

Someone who continued
to pursue combat sports
and managed to make it through
their first camp,
first fight,
and first win.

On to more and more difficult challenges.

•••

The counterintuitive reason to pursue combat sports is this - You’ll be making your life harder on purpose.

For those of you who know exactly what this means, this video is for you.

•••

My work is for the fighters. Thank you
for welcoming me into your dark and violent,
but rich and beautiful
world.

I have never encountered as much hardship,
nor beauty,
nor joy,
than while being in this world.

In the moments that I want to leave it -
when I reminisce on other the paths that I could have chosen for my life -

I remember the moments that inspired me to make art like this,

and I chase them.

I hope my art helps you
on your journey forwards
as much as it has helped me
on mine.

•••

This short film and its audio file are available for purchase and download on Gumroad.

I have priced both affordably, so that fighters who are also content creators may download the audio file and use it for their own work.

My public work remains free for all.

Link in bio.

•••

trainjian.gumroad.com

Where martial science meets art.

•••

#boxingcommunity #martialartstraining by @trainjian

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13 days ago

Every boxer knows what it’s like to train while your teammate is sparring.

Cue the nervous foot taps, a return to focused bag work, and eventually wandering over to watch your teammate.

TRAINJIAN Media coming soon.

•••

A personal note from Jian:

Hi team - I’ve been quiet on here lately, but I’ve just had my first fight! Currently 1–0, with my second fight coming up October 30 at @quinitboxing .

I’ll be sharing more educational and creative content as I prepare for the next fight. Stay tuned. Thanks for being patient with me. 🌟 by @trainjian

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16 days ago

the skin in the game

was always there.

you just had

to see it.

• • •

to those of you who follow

my science, art

and media

for what it is -

thank you.

at the heart

of my public work

is not a showcase of skill.

it is a creative and intellectual

demonstration

that boxing,

and combat sports, more broadly,

is beautiful.

that struggling

for yourself

is worth every

heartbeat.

that fighting

is violent

but it can also

be beautiful.

and so,

thank you for allowing me to share

a part of my soul

with you .

• • •

I wrote this script while preparing for my first bout. As nervous as I am, I am mainly excited and grateful. I have always wanted to express myself through physicality and sport. To me, boxing is this.

For a few minutes, I can finally just be myself. No matter the outcome, I cannot be anything but grateful for that. by @trainjian

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a month ago

One of the most critical and elegant aspects of striking—particularly boxing—is posture.

🌀 Posture during boxing is often difficult for beginners to learn and maintain,

as it requires precise coordination between the hips and pelvis, deep core, rib cage, and shoulder blades.

So, how should the boxer coordinate or feel these parts of their body while striking, and how can this drill assist with that?

The Purpose of Kettlebell-Assisted Boxstep (Drill by @trainjian )

1. The kettlebell is used to enhance interoception, or “internal feeling”, of a proper rear foot foundation (crediting the use of the term rear foot foundation term to Coach Tom Yankello).

A rear foot-founded stance means that the boxer’s core muscles are stable and active closer to their rear hip.

2. Ground reaction force travels upward through the body as the boxer pushes into the floor (‘stomp’). The kettlebell may swing as a result, forcing the boxer to utilize their core muscles to stabilize the weight.

3. When the muscles of the trunk respond to this force by bracing the pelvis and rib cage,

they create a stable platform from which the boxer can launch a relaxed arm (ie, pop their shoulder).

Thank you @claraalexandrova for your incredible hard work.

🥊 Train with Me in Vancouver, BC: First Session Free 🌀

I am available as a beginner boxing coach and Muay Thai and kickboxing striking instructor in Vancouver, BC.

My coaching is friendly to individuals of all levels,

particularly beginners who want to develop proper fundamentals so they can eventually go on to learn how to spar and/or fight,

or beginners who want to learn striking to establish proper athletic and movement foundations.

🧪 As a trained physiologist, I also offer premium biomechanics and performance coaching through The Strike Method for amateur competitors and professional athletes: @thestrikemethod

The Strike Method’s athlete services will launch in October 2026.

#VancouverPersonalTrainer #VancouverBoxing #VancouverMuayThai #VancouverKickboxing #VancouverFitness taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @trainjian

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a month ago

What does Wing Chun Kung Fu

have to do with beginner boxing footwork?

🫂 First of all, shout-out to my friend @rafaelcenato , Wing Chun practitioner and boxer, who sent me a picture of goat-clamping stance and inspired this post :)

🥊 This is a video of Bryan and I’s third session, where we focused on building one of the most important foundations in boxing: moving without losing shape.

👊 In Wing Chun, the “goat-clamping stance” develops awareness of the centre of gravity and the muscles surrounding the hips—

particularly the adductors and abductors.

As a beginner boxing coach, I’ve found that this kind of awareness is often completely missing from beginner boxing drills.

🦶 Beginners are commonly taught where to place their feet and which foot to push from.

But footwork isn’t only about moving the feet—it’s about repositioning the entire boxer

while keeping the hips, trunk and base organized around the boxer’s center of mass or gravity.

Therefore, while stepping with your feet changes your position, an awareness of your hips is needed to maintain your shape.

Enjoy this video, a huge congrats to Bryan on his hard work, and follow for more of my coaching and fighting work.

•••

🥊 I am currently accepting new striking clients in Vancouver, BC! Community rates are available and beginners are welcome. Link in my bio. 💟

🌍 Re-working online biomechanics coaching offerings. Follow @thestrikemethod to be the first to find out when I am available again for online work!

#vancouver #boxing #boxingvancouver #vancouverfitness taken in Chinatown, Vancouver by @trainjian

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a month ago

THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BOXING ON YOUR TOES 🧊 🦶

Come teach beginner boxing with me, and learn about

the physiological basis for “boxing on your toes”.

Every class I teach has two themes:

🥊 A fight IQ theme—something about the art of boxing
🦶 A body theme—something about how we physically create it

Today’s fight IQ theme was positioning. The body theme was using the big toe to establish and maintain that position.

One of my favourite things about coaching with a background in physiology is finding the physiological truths hidden within old-school boxing knowledge.

Boxers have always been told to “box on your toes.” But why?

The first metatarsophalangeal joint—the joint underneath the ball of the foot at the base of the big toe—works with the arch as part of the body’s natural springboard. It helps us sense and interact with the ground and plays an important role in propulsion during walking, running and jumping.

In other words: so much of athletic movement begins with the big toe.

Today’s combination explored that idea:

Double jab to gain position → step off to maintain position → cross → reset → 6–3 → retreating jab on the toe → drive forward again.

Everyone shown here trains for fitness, not competition. I currently teach beginner fitness-boxing classes while continuing my own training toward becoming a formally qualified boxing coach. I am 0-0 and competing this season (@trainingjian link in bio to my upcoming bout).

What I love most is introducing people who may never intend to fight to the intelligence, discipline and artistry of boxing. Fitness may bring them through the door—but I still want them to experience the sport as an art.

Vancouver boxing • beginner boxing • the art of boxing taken in Vancouver, British Columbia by @trainjian

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15

2 months ago

The reason why you can’t keep your hands up

most likely has nothing to do with your strength or endurance.

It might have everything to do with your posture.

This is why.

Introducing Sōng & Stance — exploring what Taijiquan (Tai Chi) can teach us about the relationship between our stance, posture and guard.

A huge thank you to Angel M. for being a long-time supporter of this account and a TaiJi practitioner kind enough to educate me. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to produce this work. Please follow @angelmcastillo_lmt_okc , a true martial artist practicing ☯️ in the 🇺🇸🥹

_____

A few important notes:

• I am NOT an experienced Taijiquan practitioner. I encountered some mysterious principles of Chen-style TaiJi while practicing Muay Thai. More on this story and my process soon - it will also be elaborated on in-depth in my Field Notes

• Sōng and péng are also not the same thing — this video focuses primarily on sōng. Sōng enables péng - as @angelmcastillo_lmt_okc taught me - more on this as well in notes

• stance ≠ guard, this video misleadingly focuses on guard when the series is truly on centre of gravity in stance. As you can imagine one of the greatest consequences of being misaligned is a striker’s hands dropping which is why I produced this video first.

HOW CAN YOU LEARN MORE?

This video’s accompanying notes will be released in 6 days.

📖 STUDY NOTES — DROP 001

… is Tuesday, August 18th • Midnight PT

This video barely scratches the surface, so I’m releasing three affordable resources for anyone who wants to study with me:

📘 Sōng & Stance — Field Notes
🥊 Jab as a Lever — Pocket Coach
🎯 The Pull Counter — Technique Guide

Study Notes make deeper education (ie sharing the level of knowledge in these videos) sustainable for me while keeping it accessible to students around the world.

The best way to support my work right now is to be ready for the August 18 drop on Gumroad. 🤍

In-person coaching → @kalevfitness / @thestrikemethod
Support my amateur fight + content journey → @trainingjian ☕🥊

See you August 18.

#martialartstraining #taiji #taijiquan #muaythai by @trainjian

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2 months ago

Hi team ☺️ this isn’t my usual content, but given all the new faces, I wanted to share this clip of me shadowboxing, and, as a result, a part of my martial arts journey with you.

⸻

🥊 My story with martial arts:

Like many people, I found martial arts because I had a lot of anger.

I first trained Muay Thai one summer in 2017. I was seventeen at the time. Last year of high school.

Over the next several years, I started and stopped Muay Thai and boxing training.

In 2024, I decided I was done half-committing. After a whole lifetime of studying I decided I wanted to pursue my dream of being an athlete. I started training boxing & Muay Thai around twenty hours a week (combined).

Today, I am an amateur boxer (0–0), fighting this season out of the Astoria Boxing Club. I am based in Vancouver, BC. I continue to train Muay Thai at Diaz Combat Sports.

⸻

🧪 My work:

I never post anything I have not yet implemented in sparring.

For me, that’s responsible (sweet) science. Which is why, you’ll notice, there is sort of an unpredictable cadence to my posting -

because you’re here with me on this journey, live, as I learn through my own training and share it with you.

⸻

📚 Why I post:

I am largely self-taught.

Everything I know exists because coaches and martial artists before me chose to share their knowledge with others.

I want to do my small part to give back.

⸻

👊 I am a student:

Not a day goes by when I don’t reflect on how much my martial arts practice is enabled by the physical sacrifice of others. I box in Canada, which means my boxing style has largely been developed through generations of Black American boxers, with American boxing having its roots in slavery.

I currently train Muay Thai for self-defence and fitness - However, children as young as seven begin fighting professionally in Thailand. 🇹🇭

For these reasons, I consider myself a guest of the culture.

⸻

☯️ What does Train Jian mean?

My Chinese name is Jian (健), the first character in 健康 (jiànkāng).

健 speaks to physical vigor.

康 speaks to peace and harmony.

For me, boxing has become my lifelong practice of cultivating both.

⸻

🤜🫷🙏 Yours truly and respectfully,

Jian 健 taken in 乌镇 Wūzhèn Watertown by @trainjian

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3 months ago