I have places to be

Summary

Combat Confidential #017 - S3E2 - Nathan O’Callaghan I have places to be. This week we have Nathan Callahan, an absolute savage on the mats and behind the lens. In this chat, Nathan, gets real about what drives him in the fiercely competitive world of grappling and how he…

Transcript (youtube_captions)

uh yeah uh okay uh everyone uh welcome back uh today I have uh my friend Mr Nathan Callahan yeah uh a little bit about Nathan he's 2019 world champion with Elite grappling yeah uh 2019 ibjjf European champ awesome and the 2019 21 22 to rapple Industries champ yeah that correct yeah yeah and then you're also photographer for you're going to have to pronounce that for me at chisik photography all right right on you here yeah bang on right on okay uh that that U it's great it's awesome yeah um those are are some accomplishments and you how old are you cuz you you're like 23 no no what yeah yeah sake oh my goodness I thought you wow that's okay so that's wow that's a lot for I know awesome man I have places to be and I know where I want to be do you know what I mean like I I just have to be different to everybody else like yeah that that's great man you know what I was doing on 19 no [ __ ] getting drunk and spending my money like all my money that was it's so stupid to me I think back at I I think back at being 19 20 again I'm like oh it's an idiot such an idiot I lack so much in goals and Direction and those are my biggest regrets and those are the things I I I hope to to not pass on to my kids you know and I think first of all I think it's awesome that um you've done so much at 19 already wow I I hadn't guessed I just assumed like you said early 20s yeah yeah that's awesome yeah I like I like to be different than everybody else like everybody else that I hang around with like smokes drinks like I I don't smoke or drink I'll just train like if I get offered to a party I I'll skip it and I'll train because I know exactly what I'm looking for I know that I want to be different and I'm not going to be different to anybody else doing the same things as them and stuff like that under man that that's awesome really um okay so look here I just got a few kind of comment you fast questions just you know first thing yeah that comes to mind go ahead and uh give me I'm going shuffle them up like I barely remember what they are to begin with I think those aren't even the right ones there they are um yeah let's see what they are all right first one all right you prefer and probably know the answer to this one do you prefer working on a team or you know kind of working by yourself uh it's I don't know like I like working by myself because I know the way I want stuff to be done yeah like so with photography like I like doing photography my way with f or like down fight my way but you always need a team you always need people to help you they're around you to know what I mean it's true like it's it's good to have somebody there that will understand you like people have to be on your same wavelength 100% yeah absolutely all right next one uh what is the last book you read I don't read I can't read like proper cuz like I'm just stupid I am I don't read to be fair it takes me forever to read as well I think I'm I think I'm dyslexic so that makes it even harder I have to read sentences two or three times I know one the same I'll be reading the sentence and then I'm halfway down the book it's like how the [ __ ] did I even get there like and L course like oh AB yeah know the last book I read and honestly cuz I had to read it like three times because like I said I'm reading every it was it was Edward snowden's book permanent record I think I read it's been it's been a while but um that's the last book I read completely because I usually I get frustrated in the middle of it and I'm like okay just I just I just stop even audio books I have a hard time with yeah I I just don't have to attention span even with films and stuff like that like I'm studying cinematography in college yeah and uh like they're like oh yeah do a a presentation on your favorite director and it has to be a film and it's like I can't watch films so I don't have the attention span to sit there on me own if I'm sitting there with a group of friends or my girlfriend or something like that I'll sit there and watch it but if I'm on me own I'm but just not a chance like just what what college do you go to H barma College okay right so down the road that's cool man um yeah I in recent years um cinematography something I have been and getting more and more interested in yeah so that's awesome that you're going to college I'm going to be hitting you up for some tips yeah 100% all right here we go another one this one's always controversial especially in this country okay yeah coffee or tea coffee yeah all right I'm my man I only got in the coffee because of Jiu-Jitsu yeah cuz the whole team would go out for coffee after and they go to Costa and it's like I can't sit there and order a tea in a coffee shop like so that's the only reason why I like did you drink tea before or yeah used to used to be a big fan of tea but uh yeah like even when I drink tea I wouldn't even be tea it just be basically milk I was one of them like no see like I I never before I moved here like I never drank coffee I never drank tea either um like in the states it's big with like IC tea and then like if you go down south like sweet tea never liked any of them yeah uh my mom would drink iced tea all the time and I just never got into it although like it is it is kind of refreshing you nice cold tea yeah but it it still wasn't my but then I moved over here and then uh my first job I had I think I've said this before uh first job I had they gave out uh or they had um free coffee in the canteen and I'm like I'll see what this is about and then uh I was hooked ever like I remember my first coffee was chard Dublin zo vending machines it was one of them and I never drank it again and then it was like I joined youu and I was like [ __ ] I kind of have to kind of have to do it unless I want to fit in there like they really do go hand in hand yeah 100% all right uh what is one word you would use to describe yourself I'm G to say funny but like not in a [ __ ] way like I'm funny because I'm so stupid like if that makes any sense like I'll I'll be so stupid that people find it amusing or else unfiltered I just kind of say what I want like that's cool which probably get me in trouble B I don't know I think it's I think it's a benefit so I don't know sometimes it's cool to have folks who just kind of say what they're thinking because then it's you know more kind of like where you stand with them you know what I mean you don't have to worry about you know does he like me doesn't he or you know does he have an issue with me or something like that you know it's it's just all your cards are down the table so% like as I always said to me m like if I didn't like you you'd know all about it like yeah I'm the same way I'm generally I don't talk to people if I don't like them yeah 100% yeah I don't make a fuss about it but I just we just don't talk yeah yeah literally like that's how to be look just chilled just all right uh bit difficult in this country considering there's only two of them in my opinion uh favorite season I'm going to say summer like but but like there's prows and cons for like you know what I mean just like I like the winter as well for when it snows but then after two days of winter I'm [ __ ] I'm sick of it like when it snows and then you're walking around in all the slge it's like for [ __ ] sake yeah no uh I'm I'm the same in in America I like winter yeah because you know we actually well where I'm from we actually get snow yeah it looks H over in America cuz you get deep deep snow it looks cool and um here is just cold and wet yeah yeah that's the only showy part is it just be freezing here yeah like I was only saying this to my girlfriend earlier like it'd be sh if you book The Holiday here because so like the obviously hot people like the hot country people come in for the cold and the rain and stuff like and then tomorrow we could have a [ __ ] heat wave at 26 deg and stuff like that it's like yeah I don't know it's all over the place so the first time I was here the first summer I was here it was actually really nice yeah and like everyone's going on and on and on about how nice it was and I'm like this is normal back home what are you talking about but um no it after living here for so long it was a great summer and I kind of wish we could have that yeah I know yeah it does be [ __ ] depressing when you're like oh class is somewhere and you go outside it's piss and rain it's like oh good lord yeah uh okay uh uh foodwise sweet or savory sweet 100% sweet yeah yeah like I'm a picky eater which is my big problem especially with f and stuff like that like oh yeah really like chicken and stuff really yeah so so it's a big issue for me you like vegetables and stuff or oh not really no no like FR vegetables is like I look at that like you are 19 are you sure you're not 13 yeah yeah yeah uh if it was me absolute hope yeah I'd have it but I'd rather know yeah right on um okay so do you rely on all when you're making decisions regardless of what they are do you tend to rely on you like intuition your gut or kind of you prefer evidence uh like it's it's a bit about like I don't know I feel like I'm like my go always knows what's going to happen like you know what I mean like I'll always go with my guts Force decision but if there's evidence to back it up then I'll I'll weigh out the decision then like but 90% of the time like if if I have a bad feeling or i' have good feelings it's like all right I'm not going to do it like I'll leave I'll leave it for this time and if it was good and there's H we figured it out in the end you know what I mean and it's probably probably a bad thing as well that I just rely on me go to tell me stuff like that I wouldn't say so it's probably good like you're you're really trusting in yourself you kind of your instincts and I think that's it's probably a benefit uh some sometimes it's good like cuz you do miss out a lot as well though like but it's it's like like a FAL Factor do what I mean cuz yes yes like even I don't know like if me made it like you come out like no like like I went out the first time ever like two weeks ago didn't drink around but was like I just had a good good laugh at the M like you know what I mean like I don't have many friends I have people I train with and I have two or three friends from school and like that's that's all I have that's all I need like you know what I mean cuz everybody else is just they're they're a bonus really but I just have them solid M start stick with and know they they trust me they support me and that's just all I need that's good uh you know I think a lot of people don't don't have that um I know there was I can't remember what I was listening to there there was something like a study in the states where was like 20 years ago I think men there's like 2 or 3% of men said they didn't have someone they could kind of rely on or like go to in a time of need and then jump to now and I think that's it's doubled or tripled yeah you know so it's it's I think it's close to double digits now yeah um you know so it's good that you have you know kind of that you know even though it's a small group you have you know a group of folks but like even even with that like I I call them my close friends but I wouldn't go to them I'd stick to myself yeah I don't know why like even if if I have a problem I stick to myself and I figure it out myself I don't know I feel like I'm putting problems on them by telling them are you know way child uh no have have a little sister I do how what's the age difference uh I'm she's 11 okay so eight years between us it's a bit one yeah know I I grew up an only child and I kind of felt that a lot too yeah and yeah I don't know maybe it maybe has to do with ag Gap yeah probably yeah yeah like me like I I feel old when I talk to her do you know what I mean like because she's just locked in her room on her iPad and it's like go outside and have a game of tip the can or like something like that you know what I me and it's like I don't know it's it's weird like they like there's only a few years in between us but like we're two completely different people yeah a lot can happen in you say eight years yeah yeah there's a big difference there yeah um I I I look back I say kids people your age but like most of the uh the kids I see like oh God I feel so old now not even that old uh but uh yeah know it's just things are a lot different but I mean you know times to change as well yeah yeah 100% all right um here favorite type of music um UK rap UK rap yeah who's your favorite rapper Central sea no idea I have no idea who that is I asked heard I asked your favorite rap UK rapper like I yeah look yeah he's I I I said it hoping you'd say someone I knew like stormy I think I think that's all I know yeah who no there's a couple more um name some popular ones for me uh Dave nope uh no I'm lost uh there's good feel anyway yeah there's a couple I know what's his name again Central sea Central sea yeah I'll look him up you you have 100% heard some of the songs if you're on Delux of Tik Tok on Instagram no well I'm on Instagram but not Tik Tok yeah but uh okay I'll check that out I'll check him out like I love rap yeah um my preferred rappers Kanye he's really yeah the [ __ ] best ah he he went he went so as he did for a while his shit's still good I just I just bought a bunch of I just bought a bunch of his stuff from his website yeah yeah yeah I had to yeah support my guy like my my music will will uh change like I know like coming up to my f on grapple Kings it was like J know poo and NTI yeah like he was my walk out song yeah so every day that was the only song I listened to cuz it was the stuff that got me to visualize what was going to happen mhm so it's just a weird thinking process but it was like like that sort of a what like what genre of music would that be like kind of like a I'm not sure I don't even know how to describe it I really don't know yeah um yeah I'm not sure like uh like for me like uh music comes in waves or I guess genres come in waves for me so like like right now I'm like on a like a folk country kick at the moment um which I've I've always liked kind of like folk music um but that seems to be the where I'm at but generally I always fall back to my Classics yeah Kanye old old Drake um yeah stuff like that bre down bits now as well though like uh I don't know if you've heard a song J know with Jack harlo yeah yeah that's probably one of my favorite songs from him like yeah that's a good one you did a song with Central sea as well did he yeah yeah I have to look it up maybe you will clearly not uh in the now but all right here we go uh early riser or do you prefer to sleep in I I am an early riser but I don't know why um lately my body clock has just gone gone sideways but like the second I'm up I I want to get up I want to go do stuff and then it's like like the second I'm home I'm up like I I'll probably have about 5 hours of sleep like yeah and then I'm up busy again but I feel like it tires me out a lot but I'm me early riser in anyways like I feel like I'm just waffling on here like no um I I I've never lik it up early no no absolutely not yeah I I could sleep in as late as I could I would but I have kids now and my youngest she's been waking up at about 6: in the morning yeah these days so I guess I'm an early riser yeah well as soon as I get some coffee in me I'm I'm usually pretty good I don't have it I wish I had that like a sort of reaction to Coffee I won like to me it's it's just the ritual it's not I don't think it's like an effect it's just the ritual of doing it because sometime like if um if I kind of drink like sometimes I will have like you know like an herbal tea or something like that I think it's just the ritual of doing it because as soon as I do that then it's things right the day start like starting yeah yeah all right last question and it's actually good this was kind of end here cuz we can go on about this one uh who inspires you just everybody everybody my team and like even even the young that I don't see like all the time like do you know the little young that hang around the shops they're my inspiration yeah because they're the people I like that sounds bad I don't want to be like them I want to be different you want you want to be like inquisitive you know you want to be uh looking you want to be learning yeah you know yeah know that it makes sense I don't want to make the mistakes that they' make like hanging around the shops in the tracksuits you know just just hitting people for no reason and stuff like that like they're they're they're an inspiration at the bottom here but obviously like I have like me coach and my team like I don't know if you've heard of Josh Scully and stuff like that like they are they're my biggest Inspirations like obvious obviously you can look up to the likes of Gordon Ry and M Miss Mei and all all the greats and stuff like that but it's the people that I can meet every day are my inspiration so like the lookes of my coach he's 50 something John Kelly yeah John Kelly what a man like what a man he's intense I've met him a few times and like he's he's nice guy uh but he's I think he's always a bit intense he's always kind he's got that uh like the like the Thousand yards stare yeah you know 100% he's always so serious like I remember like when I first joined it always take the piss out of me so i' be like go up there and ask me for this and he stared at you a certain way I like all he's being serious so you go up and he start pissing himself laughing like you can't tell whether he's serious or not yeah but like he's he's a big inspiration like the what he's doing is like his class like he he just goes in trains every single day goes out and competes and shows like a true leadership and stuff like that yeah now he is no I I know like I know I know there's a lot of coaches who do compete but as far as is like what am I trying to say um I I know there's a lot of coaches that that compete but he he he definitely seems to be like I trying to say like uh cutting this part out no he he uh and he trains what trying to say he he he trains like he competes or he he trains to compete now and a lot of coaches don't necessarily do that you a lot of coaches don't you know I guess compete anymore yeah um but you know he he's uh you know reached a really high level and he he's still he's still out there doing it and I think that's awesome 100% like like you said he's very much uh you know kind of leading by example yeah and I think that that's awesome yeah that's how he does it like I I think he's one of the most active like competitor coaches out there 100% that's what I was trying yeah active competitor Co that that's that's what I was trying to say there yeah like he what he does is amazing like and I'm shocked that he still does it every day like he comes down twice to day like and trains teachers yeah even on Saturdays and Sundays like we only train once on Saturdays and Sundays but if you want to come down and train a five he's down at five to train do know what I mean he always there for you he's always like the Gym's always available like he's just he's he's some leader and he's some example to follow boy you know what I man yeah that's great I I've been up to uh I've been up to uh check B Mountain check yeah check there I've been there a couple times and of all the open MS I've done like that one's always the toughest yeah like you guys are ridiculous in there like it's just cuz obviously like you have all your clubs and they teach you the basics and they separate you by the basics the way John thinks is you just need to tough it out if you're good you're good like that's that's the way he kind of thinks it cuz it's like all levels so I'll I'll roll with the white belts Josh will roll with the white belts but we'll still roll the exact same way that we always roll yeah we won't hurt them we won't like [ __ ] them up but we'll put the pressure on them to make them think oh sh like I I need to learn that sort of stuff cuz that's the way it was when I joined it's good it's good you don't you don't want someone taking it easy on you all the time yeah like that's the thing like even like watching like two new white belts roll is kind of like what the [ __ ] is happening over there but it's like if you roll with someone technical I feel like you learn a lot more because they slow you down they teach you how to slow down and stuff like that like it's good it is like Josh Josh's a great example like he'll come in and he'll roll with the new people but he'll you [ __ ] him up in a way that's like oh [ __ ] like he's good but he's not like it's not there's no ego in our club at all like again if there is an ego it gets rinsed out you very quickly like like it's it's mad because like you look at the like to me and Joshua two little skinny onless like and like some some big 100 kilo fell comes in and he's thinking like oh I'm going to go smash these up now like nice easy roll and he gets [ __ ] up and he's like oh [ __ ] like like need to rethink it but that's the best part about you just say like the smaller fell can win absolutely yeah it's uh been many a time I've been humbled so and I'm what like 11 15ish at the moment and yeah I've been schooled by someone half my weight before Oh 100% like it it's it's so crushing cuz it's happened to me as well like like overall with people at 40 kilos and they're [ __ ] flowing around like holy [ __ ] like i r with a yellow belt some kid is I think he's from Brazil I think he was he was over for the Dublin open but it was like I I was going to go like light with him cuz he was 20 kilos lier and I was thinking right I'm not going to go [ __ ] 100% And The fell flew around me I was like holy [ __ ] this fell is good some some if you have like one of those kind of Youth color belts yeah you know chances are you've been doing it already for a decade and which you're you're really just a you're really a purple belt you know just waiting you have to put your time in you know and U yeah no I I've I've learned that as well yeah literally like it's it it shocked me at it but like it's good like jit to ground and the levels expanding absolutely it's crazy it is what about Jiu-Jitsu grappling Combat Sports in general what what do you find uh to be so filling about it it's just like it's it's not the winning it's not the like it's not the losing either it's nothing about like the competing side of it it's just the the Journey of it J me they grind for it 100% like something to it's just something to work for Ane like I go into train and I'm thinking I'm not going to let this fell tap me not tap me like if he Taps me he Taps me I'm not going to let him pass me guard it's it's always a a constant puzzle like there's always something new to work out and like you can never complete you do so whereas like you can be the best boxer you can be this that and the other cuz you have your ways yeah you have strength and yourself but you just there's always just something new like there's always like the Boogie choke as well like that's only a new thing like like holy [ __ ] like I use that nearly every day like like if someone pass on TR up a boogie choke but it's like there's always just that always something to learn you know what I mean off of different people because I know the way we do G and checha is different to everybody else's they'll do fundamentals we'll do how to stop the the fundamentals do you know what I mean like it's it's different there's always something to learn someone always going to be different someone's always going to be better J on the man yeah for sure um it was going to say um fundamentals are good and it's good to have those as like a solid base um but it's certainly you know kind of critical to know how those can be kind of counteracted so yeah yeah like I know like my girlfriend uh she joined SBG what one H tler okay right on so uh she um she was in there and she was telling me what they were doing but it was like I I got around our sit around floor I was like yeah but you can stop it by doing this because that it's John's brain is just different like the way he thinks and like maybe it's just the way SBG and stuff like that teach you what I me like they just teach if this way and this but people getting caught in the Trap of like this the only right way to do it I mean like like we do like an arar and stuff like that but we'll stay on top when we armar whereas in different clubs they swing off of the armor yeah but when you're swinging off you can come up and pull out and stuff like that you know what I mean like there's gaps like we we fill the gaps is it s your girl is she new to it in general or is it just kind like transfering clubs or it was she did it with me for a while and then she M to SBG we we we broke up and she moved to SBG and now we're talking again so to be fair like uh I think for for if you're new if you're a white belt like you know maybe you should only be really focusing on fundamentals you know and then as soon as you move beyond that like it's probably a good idea to you know know how to counteract a lot of things but you know if you if you start progressing and you don't have fundamentals going down like you're you're kind of off balance the rest of your know the rest of the way so we I feel like yeah you pick up the fundamentals though as you go as well like cuz I know like John used to teach fundamentals and everybody everybody used to be good like but compared to now like the people that were good back then they're not the best like you know like people I feel like I know fundamentals are brilliant right let's just say that right but the way way we do it is like people stick to the fundamentals and they're like oh I have to do this this way and there's only one right right way like and then they they don't experiment with their Jiu-Jitsu okay you know like I know like the legs of me and Josh like we're swinging our legs in anywhere we can like even when we're training okay we're just experimenting so basically you're saying you know it doesn't have to be fundamental based you can experiment like you said experiment in the fundamentals you know what I mean because like I know like Josh is real bendy like me we're long and bendy fing so like when we're down like the like a half guard knee Shield where he's trying to swing our legs in you know just to annoy each other but it figur it figures stuff out like and that's the only way to do it like whereas different clubs like you try experiment and no it's wrong like you're you're doing it wrong like you have to just practice and practice practice that way whereas like me and Josh will go off and like while everybody else is is down other stuff we're hell hooking each other in the back corner you know what I mean like but like it gets brought up to John and then John has a think about it and then he changes at a small bit like you know to where you can't get caught and stuff like that you know so it's it's good to know like right um what moments solidified for you that like you this is something you want to do you did something you want to pursue it was the first day I did it like it was just a what what what Drew you in on that first day like why were you there um I watched Conor McGregor yeah and I was like wow that looks cool but I knew I didn't want to do the MMA side of it okay I was like the grappling side holding someone down pain and someone looks good so I was thinking more wrestling and stuff like that and I got in contact with SVG and stuff and uh I was like H there I don't know like so then I got in contact with John John was like yeah come down tomorrow no problem so then I was like did you know them beforehand or no no you just messaged them I I literally went onto WhatsApp and just text John he was like come down tomorrow and I was like it kind of sprung on me so I was like oh if he's offering tomorrow I may as well go down like so I just went down and like I [ __ ] myself when I got there because it's like holy [ __ ] like cuz our our Gym's like small like it's probably the same width as this round probably a bit bigger obviously but like the m is like small but because it's so small everybody's so friendly you have to be everybody's friend how how old were you uh I was 15 at the time okay so but there was there was a few people my age but it was mainly just older people cuz we didn't we we don't separate our classes by age or weight or belt or I CU I know in certain clubs they do that but it was like you got trown in you got [ __ ] up and you hug after it you just have a laugh and it's like come back tomorrow it's like right and it was because I got so [ __ ] up was it's like that's kind of like mad how they could do that to me like I thought I was the biggest beans ever like I thought was deadly like I watched McGregor yesterday I thought it was [ __ ] the [ __ ] and uh they they just came in and [ __ ] me up but it was cuz it was in the G as well they were wrapping me up and I was like what is going on here I was like that's brilliant like I remember the first thing I ever learned was a a hand pass from open guard okay so just dragging like a leg track yeah and I was like when am I ever going to use this but it's it's the most basic and the most handy pass like ever like I didn't I didn't learn any fundamentals or like that I went and learned the pass and I was like right it's kind of Co like I say there's a bit more to I went back the next day did something different and even even when I got the rooll it was like holy [ __ ] this is this is crazy you know it's good to it's good to kind of learn that kind of one thing and then have it work yeah you CU it it kind it gives you a a bit of boost of confidence and that like maybe you know maybe I do know something yeah you know yeah 100% like I I was H so I was in training for I three months and I started catching arars everywhere FL flowing arars everything I was like whoa like arar a my thing and then I went to the worlds three months after John sponsored me yeah and he brought me over to the worlds he did he was like I think you're good enough blah blah went over I remember everyone is that 2019 then 2019 yeah and then I end up winning the worlds and I was like holy [ __ ] like I I see a potential in this oh yeah and then um then I got promoted to gry belt and I feel John said like that was his mistake there I shouldn't have proom promote me to gra uh gryt cuz I was already 15 at the time so the second I was Tor and 16 he had to promote me to Blue Belt mhm so I I fought a the Europeans are gray belt the Irish open at gry belt and uh grappling Industries and I think there was one or two more I'm not too sure but uh when I turned 16 he had to promote me to Blue like he had no ifut on maybe yeah and I when I got promoted to Blue Bel I was like oh yeah that's beding deadly but I was like [ __ ] am I ready for it like and I remember I went in to me first Blue Bell competition and I fought Alex K yeah and [ __ ] me man he [ __ ] me up what weight are you or what weight do you normally compete at um right now I'll compete at under 70 okay but at the time I was like 60 65 is um in around them way categories but I remember going against Alex and I was a sore little loser cuz I never I never lost before and Alex is a [ __ ] top man I was talking to him on the weekend like I've got a few snaps of him and stuff like Alex is he's an animal like his last 2K Legacy fights [ __ ] he's good like and it took me ages to realize that like he's better like you know what I mean like he just did more work than me there and then and I didn't know the rules and I was trying to r lock him and it's cuz I was under 18 I wasn't allow wrist lock him but the ref didn't know either so I I just kept trying to WR lock him because it was a new thing I was like oh I can wrist lock now like that's deadly so I chased the wrist loock like in EG and lost you know what I mean I think I lost by an advantage that day yeah but it is what it is like the better man wins but [ __ ] just kept competing like I it put me off a good bit now yeah like that's that's my biggest problem like with jiu-jitsu like I get into my head too much like the past year and a half or something I haven't competed proper like I did I did grapple Kings and I should have been down every competition do you know what I mean I just got into my own head because like I'm thinking [ __ ] what if I lose like because when Alex beat me I was like oh I'm the world champion I'm the European Champion I'm this that and the other it doesn't [ __ ] matter at the end of the day like yeah you know what like it doesn't matter what you won or what you didn't win like [ __ ] he was better than you tough tough [ __ ] like like [ __ ] but I keep getting into my own head it was like after grapple Kings I was like gr I'm going to go do everything and then I got into my head again and I was like I haven't competed since grapple Kings which I should have like I'm [ __ ] it's like even when I talk to people they're like oh you should you should be competing you're good like you just got to get that one out of the way I think maybe you know and um you know you fall back into it yeah yeah like [ __ ] like I just need to get the flow going again because what happened is I was starting to go again at po belt like when I for got me Po belt I saw sha King sha King's Gus and he [ __ ] me up he [ __ ] up me shoulder and everything I was like [ __ ] that was hard and I I I was like oh I did another one and uh I fought Dylan or Donovan okay he [ __ ] me up as well but it was like I went on his Instagram after and he was like oh yeah I'd be former world champion and all I was like right and I went back into me little box like I I [ __ ] I got into my own head again and I came to the Dublin open like about a year later and I I had Dylan in the braa with me and I was like [ __ ] he's going to beat me again I should I went out like without even thinking just playing me game like I had a I had a great day that day but some of the ibjjf rest are a bit bit dodgy now like I I wouldn't agree with the all the the refereeing but um but like I I be him and that was like oh [ __ ] I can I can do this like do you know what I mean and uh like Dylan a sound fell as well like [ __ ] bang on 100% like and uh then I remember I fighting in grappling industry St MH uh 20122 or 2023 one of them and um I had Sean King me and Sean King and the division and I end up beting him twice and I was like holy [ __ ] like I I don't know why I stopped like I don't know why I stopped competing and then I fought another fell Le and um [ __ ] I beat him I got double gold that day I was like Wow look I can do this I don't know why I ever stopped and then there was a break because it was getting close to Christmas okay so there's no real competitions up to Christmas and over that break I just kind of shed away from it again and I was like bals like and then Coach text me and he was like um do you want to fight on grapple Kings and I remember I seen Josh fighting grapple Kings before and he got smashed by some uh Welsh fell and I was like [ __ ] that's going to be hard like and if I lose everybody's watching I was like yeah and I I remember I standing at the bus stop outside college and I goes yeah and then we fell died and I was like [ __ ] I don't know what he's had to say now I was like so I'm sitting on the bus 2 hours home waiting waiting to like run in and chck me phone and see what he says he goes Grand uh sorted just just go uh send me a photo of your now gig here and I was like [ __ ] all right it's happening so I I just went back to the drawing board and put the walk in and I sat down like we have a marus DOA ADCC head referee yeah so him and his students like training with us okay so I sat down with a fell Thomas really he's brilliant he is very very very technical very good at leg locks and stuff like that sat down with him and goes teach me [ __ ] everything I just wanted to know everything that he knew and then it was like I was rolling with Josh Josh's top competitor obviously do you find you you pick up kind of new techniques quickly or you have to kind of just keep repeating them over and over again it's it's not that I I do the exact technique it's that I find a way to bring it into my game okay so let's say if I invert if that's there I'll grab it yeah but I'll pick it up as I'm as I'm going with it you know what I mean like I won't um like if I get talk something around China so I get to this the exact position that I T and stuff like that but like yeah quick enough like I'd learn it good uh so before you compete before competition do you have like or even after do you have like a like a ritual that you kind of every through so the week before I'll sit in my bed and I put my phone underneath my pillow and there's a so there's Iron Sky by po and I'll have that on Loop okay I'll have it on Loop and I'll sit there on CL me and I'll just be on me back looking at CE them and it will play over and over again and it'll make me visualize everything that happens I don't know why and it's probably it's probably not a good thing cuz I probably overthink a lot but it's like every every night coming up to the day and then in the when I do be in the shower I'll [ __ ] I don't know like uh like there's a few few songs that I listen to but that's that's all really it like coming up to ours fights and after fights after fights I just go out and have an end those yeah but like but like coming coming up to the fights like every every single night for about two or three hours listening to the same song over and over visualizing and that's good visual visualization is I think a bit underrated yeah 100% it is yeah it's good to kind of just sit there and you know I don't know like and and sometimes it's uh like people like uh you know they give fake speeches to themselves or whatever that's good that's a good thing you know because it it puts you in the position that you want to be in like a yeah it like it it mentally it puts you in the position you want to be in so like that that's good to do it's good to it's good to have that kind of mindset rather than you know just uh being worried about something or whatnot um go ahead oh no I was just going to say like When I Was fting Your Man Sean Cary going know the Cary brothers are animals there yeah so I was like oh [ __ ] this going to be a tough L fight like but like every night I visualized I'm going to I'm going to go for the legs like [ __ ] it and I remember I got to the position and I went for deep half and he started attacking an armar I was like balls and everything went sideways so grabbed me on arm and he he went back to half guard and I was like [ __ ] this not how I picture it happening and I end up trying to go for a Choy bar so like swing me leg over for the arm then yeah and I was like he stood up and I was like [ __ ] I was like I don't know what to do here like and uh [ __ ] drop down I went for the submission that I visualized the whole time you know what I me like and I feel like that's going to be a big thing another visualization H coming up to the new for in chaos as well do um like okay so when you get on the mat like do you you kind of get like a rush in that or is it does that come after so it's I'll I'll be okay walking towards the M no problem no problem stand on the M [ __ ] but the second slap bump yeah gone yeah I'm just just in the element not thinking just rolling just just [ __ ] flowing do you know what I mean it's just muscle memory at that point like John doesn't H John won't talk on the edge of the match and the way some culture sh oh do this do this he he just like me off the first time I remember was fighting up in Lim in Andy Chapman's batt of the bridge and uh he goes go out and have fun and I was like wait what's that my the man like and for the whole thing that's good like sorry I didn't mean in that's good because like you're still young and you know like especially like especially I guess for I say kids like you know uh 18 and under or under 18 like it's good that like it's not competition F or that it wouldn't be competition focused have fun yeah because you know at the end of the day that most of the most people who do this aren't going to make it a career and for those of the folks who do make it a career unfortunately it's a shitty one yeah you know um yeah so I think that that's awesome you know because sometimes I think coaches maybe put a little too much pressure yeah on competition so just to say have fun that's cool like John John just mainly sit there then he he'll just look at the match but if you're about to do something wrong it be like oh no no no no don't don't don't but like for like the looks at me and Josh like not a higher belt like you just sit there and you watch any enjoy it you know what I mean yeah because he says like [ __ ] if you need to be coached like do you really know much because it's different to when you're out on the map compared to when you're sitting on the side cuz I I could be showing [ __ ] jump like you know I mean but like if you don't know to do that already then yeah yeah your man could be super strong as well like you know what I me like cuz I I remember at the world or something I think when John John was shouting at me and uh he was like grab this or whatever hold oh it was the Europeans he was like hold the Lael and I was like I want to choke though like and I was I was fighting this battle cuz I wasn't focusing on the fight then cuz if you shouting at me do this and I'm doing another thing it's like I'm fighting a battle in my head then which I'm not focusing on the fight it's like do I do or do I not like you know what I mean do you I don't know if this is for me sometimes like in I have it in my head it's like I want to do a collar choke yeah so it's like that's what I'm working on is positioning myself to do a collar choke and I might give up other you know maybe a position or something like that to do a collar choke you know do I don't do you do that or are you a little bit more flexible and how you want to yeah like that's the thing like I I'll mainly attack like I only take a few certain things but I I'll always flow with it that's the thing like I have to you have to kind of flow with it like I won't I won't Chase it but if I can chase it I will yeah that's right I find it I find it to be more like a I mean I guess out of competition uh I find it to be uh out of competition um I treat it kind of like a game like cat Mouse game you know like u i to do a cow choke or an Ezekiel or or you know something like that like so I'm I'm trying to position myself to do that like I'll give up other things to do that and good and bad uh because I've done that before in competition and I think I've just gotten lucky yeah you know yeah like I I'll do it like I know for a fact like with a basball B choke so so you'll be in front of me and I'll have me hand here and I'll feed it as if I'm going for the cross color yeah but I'll let you roll your head on there so you're already in the baseball back position so then what I'll do is I'll make walk for the pass even though I I want you to pass so I won't give you the pass yeah you play into the ego oh I'm getting the pass I'm getting the pass I'm getting the pass and then boom you're switching for it MH so so it's all just a mo game as well which you did as well cuz everybody has an ego everybody does like you're thinking oh I'm going to get them I'm going to get them and then boom you're topped out you know what I mean you always have to be thinking ahead like you always have to be thinking like where they going to land if I let them go like that's that's the way I do be thinking so I'm thinking like if I fall back what way are they coming up so I can quickly switch it in you know um last question here uh in five years you're 24 uh where do you see yourself like see that's the thing like I've been asked that before ages ago and if I hadn't answered I wouldn't have known where I would have been I wouldn't have known that I would have been sitting here today like Janan but like in when I'm 24 realistically I want to be the best in the world like I want to be I want to be competing in Black Belt adult divisions getting the best of the best people CU when you start going into the Masters Division and stuff you're not going to get the high high level yeah like so I I want to have the chance like to be like [ __ ] Mikey Missi like I want to have the chance to be like you know the R Brothers and stuff like that like get if you get into the master you can always compete in the UT that's what I that's what usually what I do just a larger pool but the L of the ADCC and stuff you You' be put into your divisions more okay uh but uh yeah like I don't know where to be in five years hopefully [ __ ] doing well for myself in anyways hopefully still doing photography yeah hopefully still fine but uh I don't know I see a bright future hopefully but uh actually let's we don't have to end it yet let's talk a bit more than about photography cuz that's photo you're a photographer you go to school for cinematograph phography um what what spurred your interest in that um it was actually competing I remember years ago at the Irish open I saw shon's son yeah and she took uh what's Sharon's surname uh she anyway she's a uh sports sports photographer around she does a lot of the events around here um yeah sorry so you you fought her son yeah I fought or something I took some graay and I didn't know who it was at the time but it's it's mad how like it it revolved actually around to now we work together you know on certain events but uh she she took good photos and um like wow they're deadly like I I want more photos of me to be taken but it was like I I also thought it was interesting how you could capture photos like that as well so I went back to the to the she training and um there's a fell in the Army Jamie Martin and he's a photographer in the Army okay and he used to always bring his camera stuff down and it was like his camera stuff he had like the 70s 200 white lenses I was like wow he's he's K is he my professional I I remember uh cuz I used to be in the military as well and when I was getting out I learned that there was a uh a career field um it was in public relations but it was like a combat photographer and I'm like God damn it I wish I would have known about that that would have been so cool yeah like he used to come down and I used to just I used to just wreck as head I used to just I used to just ask him all the questions I could you know because I just wanted to know more about it and then he was like oh yeah I got all this off like the the Army and stuff like that um cuz he had a one the x mark 2 and a one the X Mark 3 at the time so he used to come down and take photos I was like w I used to get them back I used be like can you can you show me stuff and like and he he used to talk about his camera settings without me even having the camera yeah I was like all right that's going to kill so I went down and bought me first camera which was a Canon M50 okay it not bad little Mir thing yeah a little tiny y it was actually it did the job and then I got a Canon 250d also not a terrible camera either yeah like they were about good for like a little starting camera but I remember I was like oh I'll try it and I like looking back at my somewh Al was like [ __ ] I was like I think all like that cuz initially I got in like I started like I liked photography yeah you know and kind of the same thing like I like the you know kind of catching that moment in time you know and trying to make that moment as Timeless as possible that's that's my quote um when people ask like what could you into and has always always say like torn in like moments into memories like yeah absolutely something special about what it is yeah sorry uh so go ahead keep going um your your second second camera 250d oh yeah so I then went down to the club and Jamie was like what the [ __ ] is this yoke like try trying to show me how to use it and stuff and I remember I used to always use it on like the automatic settings and I was like learn manual so I went home and I used to watch YouTube videos like my photography is all selftaught like and editing and stuff so like I just learned it from YouTube and I remember looking down uh or looking up uh videos like how to he manual I was like holy [ __ ] so hard there there's too much in this but like eventually like I was gone to like little events and he brought me to cage Legacy my first ever cage Legacy and he he was like do you want to use my camera and I was thinking what I was like are you serious like so I was using a 1dx Mark I at the time I was like wow this is deadly a big thing a big camera I I look back at the the the photos and do I show you but I remember like I I only looking through my Instagram story like uh AR yeah and uh I was looking back and I was I was tagging all the other photographers in the photos that I was posting I was like why was I doing that I was just trying to like expand out there but it's like he must have been [ __ ] wrecking that head like oh it was just Sharon [ __ ] Jamie like shon's daughter I was just Hing them in all of it I was like [ __ ] I look back at that now like I must have been wrecking their heads but that's what got me into in with like cage Legacy and stuff like that because I was shadowing Jamie Jamie just got me in like [ __ ] saying that was with him and stuff and uh then it it it just kind of went on and I remember I was going to go byy me for serious camera which was a 70 at the time and good camera yeah I was going to buy it out a CX so I could have been in [ __ ] bits for all know see first CX I think is a bit underrated I think the one thing I like about it um is everything two-year warranty oh really oh yeah well electronic wise uh so if anything [ __ ] up with it just take that bad boy back you have to keep the original receipt which is kind of annoying but yeah u i it's not bad some some of the stuff that really good deals yeah other most of the stuff no yeah like you're paying if you're like you know you like a 100 bucks off you know but sometimes uh I've gotten some steals oh 100% you know and like I said I think CX a bit underrated yeah yeah like I went in and uh I was going to try it in me 250 day for the 70 and and uh I would have only had to pay like1 in it okay and I was thinking that's deadly and I was ringing Jamie while I was handing it over and uh Jamie didn't answer and he ring me like a few minutes later he goes y what's going on like I was like it's a 7 Day water and he was like yeah it's good like it's a good camera and stuff like that I used to have one like years ago in the Army and stuff and I was like yeah I was like oh I'm going to buy one like [ __ ] so you think it' be a good investment and he's like you're an needy and I was like why and he goes I have one here I would have given it to you oh man and I'm there trading in me me other camera so I just had a a [ __ ] a star credit I did and I end up getting my first camera from him yeah and uh I was using that only until about two years ago like and I remember was at a competition and it broke the shutter went on it and I was like oh you have to be Ming so was [ __ ] out photography for about a year or something oh damn and it was rough like [ __ ] trying to trying to do Aunt to get back into it and then I am to get me 60 Mark to which I have now and then I started [ __ ] doing the looks of football matches and stuff and uh I remember I text Evan Tracy one of the days cuz he was with a group called info like the photography group and I was trying to get in there I was like is there any way we can get into info blah blah and he goes show me some of your photos so I sent him some and he goes they're all sh and I was like oh my heart was broke was I swear my life was like well Evan's a pricking anyways yeah and [ __ ] I remember I used to just always text him and stuff like that and then um I don't even know how I met him again I met him again somehow and uh like now literally like if he if he needs a shoot on and he can't make it like you ring me and ask me that's that's cool he he still calls me for I won't ever let that go yeah I feel like I I always followed I called it the spray and prey method yeah all that's shut her down and one of them is bound to be good yeah um but yeah I was I was always bad at kind of like shot composition and when like I like street photography and mainly because there's a lot more like you don't have to you don't have to like you know set up lights and set you know you don't have to set up a background and everything you can kind think it's a bit more candid and it's more room to sometimes the errors in street photography is the photo you yeah yeah I know what you mean that's yeah like I tried to do portrait photography for a minute you just taking pictures of you know people I knew but it was never great but a lot of that comes down to like lighting and like said shot composition Stu like that but um yeah that that's super cool so then what uh you started going to uh is it you said B fot the what was the name of the college again uh Bal FMA College uh Bal FMA for for our education right I was just never good in school I wasn't so I end up doing a PLC in the end like [ __ ] and I got accepted in the belly f with the PLC it's class it is like you learn about like J know like film cameras and how to process and print and like that's I think it's so cool it is like it's good college it is good H teachers in it so I have to see if I'll I'll do another year uh what do you what do you edit on uh I what you mean what app yeah like what uh like your photo and you do videos well yeah or just yeah yeah yeah so like I'll use Premier Pro light Photoshop but like is that cuz what you're using in school h no I'm all selftaught with editing and stuff like that okay so like I I learned how to edit photos from YouTube which is probably not the best but it gets some good something yeah something but uh like we the like to video editing and stuff like I'll I'll learn all that from YouTube so I'll go on to Premier Pro and I'll there's a channel I uh follow cinecom.net okay or or something like that and they they post like after effects tutorials and stuff like that like absolutely like they're useless effects that you'll never use but you learn how to use the tools and stuff like that you know what I mean so like I found that kill um I use light real for like editing events which Evan goes and a mad one at me for because he tells me Hees camera raw um in Photoshop but it's normally just cuz I have a big bulk of photos I I'll use light real and I can normally just quickly fly through them all and then export them easily yeah yeah yeah like cuz it's I'm still I'm still learning to bring me my photo countdown like like uh like he'll go to an event and he'll only send off about 30 photos like you know like the like of CAS Legacy and stuff like that what I know that's what I'm saying like so so I I need to I need to get to that level that's that's nuts cuz I I could do I've done an event once and I think it took like 5,000 pictures yeah something mad like that I know to be fair like 2% of them were good but you know yeah like I I remember I went to cage Legacy and I take like [ __ ] 4,000 and I send off like 800 but it's like why am I like I don't even need that many photos cuz it means like people have to go through 800 votos to find their it's good yeah no it yeah no it's good to be able to what is um it it's good to be able to kind of you know know how to [ __ ] what am I trying to say uh I do this a lot um no it's good to like if you can if you can have you know like even just like a 100 photos mhm and then you know like narrow it down to you know like I said there like 30 something then you know that's probably not bad but then to still have oh I'm getting a phone call they can wait um what was I trying to say they can uh so you have that your you're kind of like your photos you're going to send out and then to still have maybe a few decent ones in reserve for you know if they want to you know check out anymore like that's probably not bad a b idea yeah like [ __ ] I don't know like it's it's just know what photos are good and what are bad like you know what I mean like I remember I posted a good feel on me story The Last cage like he EV only posted one and I don't know like he he's he's good at what he does but like I don't know if he ever got any better photos you know after that so I was like I don't know sure like I just feel bad when I I feel like people aren't getting their money's worth yeah yeah you know when I only send them like 30 photos it's like a so I kind of throw in a few random ones there like even even though they're not the best but it's like I don't know I feel like it's just not the the the money's wor yeah and I I do feel bad which is probably a bad thing for me more to be done right on all right look man um I appreciate you sitting down with me um I appreciate you coming uh you know being on the show here um enjoy talking to you I keep talking about I keep talking about cameras and Jiu-Jitsu and stuff like that all day um but uh yeah look man like I said I appreciate it do you got anything coming up soon or I have chaos grappling in May 11th okay right on Sam I can't pronounce the second name Andy Chapman's fell okay uh he's he's only had to get the record for the quickest sub mission on grapple Fest yeah okay I know I know I remember that I don't remember the the fellow's name but uh yeah yeah I remember that so should be a good fight anyway absolutely all right man well look uh like I said I I appre appreciate you coming U appreciate you talking to me I really enjoyed talking to you yeah I hope you do it again sometime but yeah all right yeah 100% man [Music] [Music] cheers uh yeah [Music] uh