#129 Summary: Andrew Tackett
Summary
Andrew Tackett discusses his recent performance at the ADCC trials and his preparation for the upcoming ADCC competition. He reflects on areas where he could have improved and discusses his strategy for staying focused and calm on the big stage. Andrew also shares his early experiences with jiu-jitsu and the role his parents played in his development as a grappler. He talks about managing fear and nerves, and how he hypes himself up before a match, and discusses the importance of rest and recovery in a sport that doesn't have an off-season. Andrew shares his perspective on ego in jiu-jitsu and the need to balance confidence with humility in order to continue learning and improving. Tackett shares his experience with physical therapy and how it has helped him recover from injuries and prevent future ones. He also talks about his goals in jiu-jitsu, including becoming the best in the world, opening a successful jiu-jitsu gym, and continuing to evolve as a teacher. We explore Andrew’s mindset before matches and the excitement he feels when stepping onto the mats. He discusses the balance between training gi and no-gi and the opportunities that come with focusing on no-gi. Tackett also shares his thoughts on facing opponents with different personalities and the importance of maturity and awareness in elite performance.
Takeaways
Family dynamics play a large role in Andrew’s success
Fear, ego, and anxiety are all contributing elements to the perfect match
Rest and recovery should be mandatory for any aspiring competitor
ADCC trials was purely a warm up, the real test lies ahead at ADCC 2024
#128 Summary: Tommy Schultz
Summary
In this conversation, Tommy Schultz shares his journey of getting cast in the film Killers of the Flower Moon and working with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio. He talks about the audition process and the year-long wait before getting the part. Tommy discusses the challenges of developing the character of Blackie Thompson and the personal growth he experienced. He emphasizes the importance of staying humble and grounded, even in the face of success. Tommy also shares his experience of opening his own academy and the significance of communicating dreams and maintaining personal connections. Tommy Schultz, a former wildland firefighter, shares his 17 year experience and how it helped him in performing arts. He highlights the lack of recognition for wildland firefighters and the dedication required for the job. Tommy shares how he got into wildland firefighting and the daily risks involved. He also talks about how his firefighting experience influenced his acting, particularly in his role as Blackie Thompson in the movie Killers of the Flower Moon. Tommy reflects on his time on the movie set and the importance of the crew. He expresses his desire to continue pursuing acting and martial arts.
Takeaways
Wildland firefighters often don't receive the recognition they deserve for their hard work and dedication.
Becoming a wildland firefighter requires rigorous training and a willingness to accept the risks involved.
Tommy Schultz drew from his firefighting experience, and jiu jitsu, to inform his portrayal of Blackie Thompson in Killers of the Flower Moon.
Martial arts, like acting, can teach valuable life lessons and contribute to personal development.
#127 Summary: Viktor Doria
Summary
In this conversation, Viktor Doria discusses his introduction to Jiu-Jitsu and the humbling experience of training in the sport. He emphasizes the importance of training Jiu-Jitsu to improve skills and self-confidence. Doria also shares his thoughts on the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu and the shift towards entertainment. He highlights the special qualities of athletes like Vagner Rocha and Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, and their dedication to their craft. The conversation concludes with a discussion on steroid use and supplementation in Jiu-Jitsu. The conversation covers various topics related to performance-enhancing substances, aging in athletics, and the business side of Jiu-Jitsu. The discussion touches on the evolving business landscape of Jiu-Jitsu and the impact of athlete’s personalities on their success. Viktor Doria shares the impact of winning and performance in the world of Jiu-Jitsu, highlighting the influence of athletes like Gordon Ryan in growing the sport in the US. He emphasizes the importance of attention and audience in attracting investment and sponsorship opportunities. Viktor also emphasizes the need for athletes to be authentic and true to themselves, rather than trying to imitate others. He shares insights on understanding the game and how to play it, as well as the evolution of Jiu-Jitsu in the US. Viktor also discusses the role of a talent manager and the importance of strategic matchmaking and building careers. He concludes by highlighting the value of trust and experience in navigating the business side of the sport.
Takeaways
The use of steroids and supplementation in Jiu-Jitsu is a personal choice, but athletes should prioritize their health and work with medical professionals. Individual blood work is crucial in making informed decisions about supplementation and managing hormone levels.
Professional guidance is essential in understanding the different types of testosterone and their impact on performance.
Performance in athletics should be prioritized over physique, as looks can be deceiving.
As athletes age, they need to adapt their training and make decisions based on their individual capabilities.
Setting realistic goals and staying in one's lane is important for long-term success.
Avoid succumbing to the pressure of social media trends and focus on consistency in training and lifestyle choices.
The business side of Jiu-Jitsu is evolving, with opportunities for athletes to build their brand and make money through endorsements and deals.
Athletes should focus on being authentic and true to themselves, rather than trying to imitate others.
#126 Summary: Jimmy Pedro
In this conversation, Jimmy Pedro, a highly accomplished Judoka and Coach, discusses the challenges faced by American Judo in competing at the highest level. He emphasizes the importance of systemization and structured training in judo, as well as the need for specialized classes to cater to different types of students. Jimmy also highlights the significance of intentional warm-ups and the role of discipline and punctuality in training. He shares insights into fostering intensity and safety in training, as well as recognizing potential in athletes. Finally, he reflects on the mindset of Olympic competitors and the significance of Olympic medals. This conversation covers various topics related to judo and training for competition. The chapters include discussions on the conditioning aspect of sports, the periodization approach to training, preparing for variance in performance demands, challenges in American Judo, preparing young athletes for the Olympics, funding challenges in judo, promoting judo in pop culture, integrating judo into jiu-jitsu academies, the excitement of judo matches, the importance of grips in judo, defending and utilizing grips, Kayla Harrison's weight cut challenge, and Kayla Harrison's desire to compete in the UFC.
#125 Summary: Robert Drysdale
SUMMARY:
In this conversation, Robert Drysdale and I discuss the importance of knowing the true history of jiu-jitsu and the impact it has on the present and future of the martial art. Drysdale emphasizes the need for accurate history telling and the role of historians in providing objective accounts of events. Robert also explores the connection between jiu-jitsu and truth, highlighting the importance of merit and the pursuit of accuracy. He discusses the influence of passion and politics on history and the challenge of separating personal biases from factual reality. Additionally, he examines the role of entertainment in the growth of jiu-jitsu while emphasizing the importance of maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the martial art. The conversation explores the importance of reality in jiu-jitsu and the need for a rule set that balances functionality and entertainment. It also discusses the restructuring of belts and testing to maintain credibility in the art form. The challenges of aging as a grappler and different training approaches to extend a grappler's career are examined. Lastly, the conversation highlights the significance of wrestling in jiu-jitsu and its role in the growth of the sport. This conversation explores the rivalry between jiu-jitsu and wrestling, the influence of wrestling on jiu-jitsu, and the importance of keeping techniques simple. It also discusses the impact of the internet on jiu-jitsu, the challenges of commercialization, and the future of both jiu-jitsu and wrestling. The conversation highlights the need to teach discipline and accountability in jiu-jitsu and the loss of values in the martial art. It also questions the significance of lineage in jiu-jitsu and examines the influence of money on society's values. Finally, we revisit the correct photos to have on the academy wall.
TAKEAWAYS:
Accurate history telling provides direction and purpose for the present and future of jiu-jitsu.
The pursuit of truth and accuracy is essential in jiu-jitsu, as it is in any martial art.
Balancing entertainment and efficiency is crucial in the growth and development of jiu-jitsu. Wrestling has been a rival and influence on jiu-jitsu, particularly in terms of takedowns and simplicity of techniques.
The internet has had a significant impact on jiu-jitsu, leading to a focus on fancy techniques and a lack of hierarchy and authority.
The commercialization of jiu-jitsu poses challenges in maintaining quality and values.
Discipline, accountability, and loyalty are important values that should be taught in jiu-jitsu.
The significance of lineage in jiu-jitsu is questioned, and the importance of simplicity and functionality is emphasized.
I hope you enjoy our conversation.
- Abe
A Note on Injury and Resilience
If you find yourself on this podcast website, I can assume you’re invested in living a physically capable life. You challenge yourself periodically and test your abilities. Through physical training and holistic decisions around sleep and nutrition, you allow yourself the ability to pursue the more adventurous road. For some of us, this has punched our ticket to test our efforts in the arena of martial arts. As hobbyists, competitors, and enthusiasts, we relish in the unpredictable and exciting nature of Martial (of or appropriate to war; warlike) Arts (expression or application of human creative skill).
The older I get the more I’ve realized how much of my life has been dedicated to this pursuit. Ultimately it stems from a deep rooted desire to know, in the end, that I lived. To one day look back and appreciate all the efforts, wounds, scars, set backs, and victories of a life well explored. I would like to emphasize the wounds and scars portion of the previous statement.
In this journey, life will beat us down. We may prepare, anticipate, and gameplan for future scenarios, but life has a special way forcing our respect. For many of us, this will present in the form of injury. Injury that stems from chronic overuse and wear, as well as injury that results from acute trauma or accident.
In either case, our resilience, sanity, and life view will hinge on our mentality. What mental safeguards have we established to combat the depression of uncertainty? The thought that we may never do the things we love with the same intensity?. These emotions can be as crippling as the injuries themselves.
In a world where we overshare politics and undershare personal struggles, these feelings can continue to fester until they begin to affect our immediate environment and optimism to recover. The last thing we need during our return to the activities we love, is a metastasizing belief that we can’t.
My hope for this blog post is evergreen. I want you to be able to return here, re-read, and implement this approach whenever you suffer an injury that inflicts crippling doubt. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that some injuries and traumas are indeed beyond recovery. But that doesn't mean the mindset of the person suffering them is beyond repair. Take Clinton Terry, aka The Blind Grappler, who joined me on Episode 61. He will not regain sight. With modern medicine, this is a reality he has accepted. Yet that doesn’t stop him from competing, and impacting the lives of grapplers in his community. The physical body has been impacted acutely but his mindset prevails. What about Ben Kunzle who joined me on Episode 108? Ben suffered a spinal injury that left him in a wheelchair, and in a flash, eliminated Jiu Jitsu from his life permanently. But Ben’s mind prevailed. He focused on what he could do, and got to work. Now he trains out multiple times a week, plays on a wheelchair rugby team, and just completed the Miami Marathon.
It's all about mindset, not physical ability. That’s what you’re left with when you get injured. Fortunately, this holds true for all trauma. The mindset keeps you focused on the road to recovery. The mindset keeps you motivated when you feel like the chips are stacked against you. The mindset registers encouragement and support from those you love. Ultimately it’s our mindset that recognizes the progress made, and that yet to be achieved. When we suffer an injury in our pursuit of a life well lived, the universe will present two pills.
The red pill will give us misery and despair. We will focus on everything we can’t do. The pain. The agony. The loss of passions. How much better everyone is getting while we’re away. The dwindling skill set. The loss of muscle. The vacated efforts. All cradled by the perverse comfort of wallowing in our own sadness.
The blue pill will ask us one question: What CAN we do? If you gain nothing from this blog post, take one thing very seriously: Immediately consume the blue pill. This is more than a mindset, it’s a framework. It’s a single question that will have the power to shape every single decision we make in the near future. It will help us seek guidance from the right specialists, and develop a sense of gratitude for the incredible aspects of life that are still present in our daily experience. The blue pill will guide us, not destroy us.
This question is essentially what every physical therapist, physician, physical medicine doctor, surgeon, and personal trainer answers for us. They show us what we can do. Even Though they may hold our hand through the process, it’s our openness to the process, and trust in our available actions, that begin to place one foot in front of the other.
The blue pill has a special and unforgiving quality: a calculated, and delayed release. The results take time. Unlike the red pills' instantaneous euphoric and emotional cascade, the blue pill must be digested. We must cultivate the mindset of recovery as the process unfolds. Herein lies the first challenge of resilience. This is where the correct outlook will be shaken and tested.
If you suffer an injury, or unfavorable diagnosis, like I did last Friday, February 16th (see full Instagram Post), Take the blue pill blindly. It’s these moments that truly test who we are, what we believe, and how capably we can tap into our resilience. Stand beside me knowing that it’s okay to be void of all the answers. Not everything will be clear regarding how and when the things we love will fit back into our lives. But move forward, keep pushing, and know that by asking ourselves what we can do, and leaning into the answer, we WILL make progress.
- Abe