Paige Chan
Jun 21, 2025
Tactical Playground HQ’s Orlando trip in June 2025 was a mix of learning, bonding, and adventure featuring training with Grandmaster Ashton, late-night laughs, unique food stops, and unforgettable outings from line dancing to a speakeasy.
On the weekend of June 19th, 2025, Tactical Playground HQ journeyed to the far far land of Orlando, Florida to visit Grandmaster Ashton. We wanted to learn, to make memories, and to have fun!
The journey began around 8 PM Thursday night. Of course, we had to stop by Buc-ee’s to grab snacks. We grabbed ourselves some honey jalapeño beef jerky, white cheddar puffs, and sour strips. The Tactical Playground Crew also all bought matching Buc-ee’s shorts, which was a great souvenir to start the trip. We arrived suuuuper late, almost at 3 AM. Sadly, I had to go to bed to work remotely the next morning, but the rest of the group popped open beers, swam, and enjoyed the night all the way till morning.
The next day, they planned to go to the neighborhood waterpark (which was unfortunately closed) and explore the area, grabbing food and grocery shopping. While they had their adventure, I worked remotely until 4 PM, taking meetings and working for my summer internship. Once I finished work, the group headed out for dinner. The place we ate at was called Zaru, which had amazing Japanese food. Grandmaster Ashton Hammond met us there, and it was our first time seeing him since the NRA event, which was really cool. We also had a new friend come along, an Orlando local named Honey, who happened to be in the area getting her hair done. We shared wonderful food, cocktails, crab bites, and many noodle dishes.
After dinner, it was time to head to a bar called Cowboys Orlando! The special thing about this bar is that there was line dancing, which is something we all had no idea about. We all headed inside and had a few drinks, but not too much since we had class with Ashton the next day. The whole group was there: me, Johnny Winn, Fenwah, Daniel, Arlen, Honey, and Ashton. Arlen was beginning to feel sick and slept in the car while the rest of us went to the dance floor. Honey was amazing, knowing every line dance. She taught me and Daniel a few moves, and soon the whole Tactical Playground HQ group was on the floor learning a tricky routine. It was my first time in a line dance bar, and it was exciting to try something new with everyone.
When the night was over, we rested and got ready for the next day.
My alarm went off, and Fenwah cooked omelets for breakfast, served with avocado and bacon, yum!! Arlen was still sick, so he stayed behind while the rest of us went to Ashton’s class.
This was our first class with Ashton, and it was for sure an exciting and wonderful experience. We ran through the course Ashton set up, breaking down stages and learning how to move and shoot more effectively. We recorded everything , so you can find it on our YouTube (Click Here to Watch!) so you can all see exactly what we did. I enjoyed Ashton’s teaching because he focused on areas we weren’t confident in and helped us improve.
After training, we stopped by an Asian food court Honey recommended. We ordered dishes to share, including different types of Onigiri and Banh Mi, which were both very delicious. Honey then brought us to a Filipino ice cream place, where they had many exotic flavors. I tried soy sauce buttercream ice cream, while others tried unique tropical flavors like Ube.
Back at the house, we cleaned ourselves up and dressed for a fancy night out at a speakeasy! The first floor had live jazz music, and the bar was decorated with Monopoly. Upstairs, a bookcase opened to reveal a much larger area with dim red lighting and vintage décor. The group had fun taking photos, shining flashlights for effect, and posing like celebrities.
The show began, and since it was my first speakeasy experience, it felt bold and exciting to watch. The performers danced with sass and style, showing off their beautiful bodies and sexy clothing! We enjoyed cocktails and snacks like truffle popcorn while laughing and sharing the moment together. It felt rewarding to spend the first part of the day training and the second part having fun and celebrating as a group.
After the speakeasy, we made a late-night Taco Bell run. I spoke in Vietnamese to Johnny Winn and Fenwah, while they both roasted me for how bad my accent is. Honey and her friends were there already, and Ashton joined us shortly after, carrying a little bird on his shoulder that he borrowed from a stranger. We spent the rest of the night chatting, laughing, and enjoying the simple fun of Taco Bell after a long day. Eventually, we said our goodnights and farewells to Honey and Ashton, grateful for the time spent together and the memories we made on the trip. The last day was spent with a quick stop by the Florida beach! The water was clear and beautiful, and the Tactical crew walked in the water, practiced martial arts, and taking a nice warm stroll. Arlen took Nina the dog out in the water and she had so much fun running around too. This was the best way to end the trip, and we all smiled at each other and enjoyed the beautiful weather before heading back to our homes.
