Charlie Freegrove Crank interview

Summary

harlie Freegrove competes at Crank this weekend, we explore why he joined jiu-jitsu and where he started, his level up on belts and what it meant to him and the addiction of jiu-jitsu Plus much more

Transcript (youtube_captions)

Okay, so I'm here with Charlie Frigo. He's going to be competing at Crank this weekend. He's going to be competing against someone I know quite well in Caleum Leash. So, we're going to talk to him about his journey so far into jiu-jitsu and the event coming up and more. So, thank you very much for joining me. How are you today? >> Yeah, good. Absolutely. Looking forward to Sunday now to be honest with you. Um, there's been a good bit of buildup before the crank which is nice. It's nice to see few MMA lads hopping on the uh the old socials and and posting it up which is nice. So definitely looking forward to Sunday. [snorts] >> Yeah, cuz I I noticed with Crank, they actually have some uh uh BJJ gear and stuff and it's actually really nice. I've seen the likes of Dylan Logan and people uh wearing it and I've seen this invitation coming up and I know Adam, I interviewed him before, so I said I'd come on and I find some of the stories about jiu-jitsu really interesting cuz like for the first year you're getting the [ __ ] beat out of you essentially, but you still continue. Tell me why for just the first six months you're getting beat, subbed. What is it that makes you want to keep going? >> I think for a lot of people it ends up being where it's the little bit competitive like, oh, I don't want this to happen. But for me, before I started jiu-jitsu, I wanted to do jiu-jitsu for years. So, I only started about three years ago, just gone through years now. Um, and I wanted to do it throughout my whole teenage years. I followed the lads up in Gory, uh, where I started for years and I wanted to get into it and I was real interested in MMA and stuff like that as well. So that was more my route into it is I was very interested in MMA and I actually like the grappling which obviously you know a lot of people give out about the grappling and MMA but I like the grappling. So when I got into it I was like I was more enthralled by the depth of it. Do you know what I mean that it's it's never ending. The learning is never ending. Um you're always looking for a new way to one up this tiny part of your technique. That's that's more why I got into it. It was slightly different than maybe some people would would get into it for the the competitiveness. like, "Oh, I'm not letting somebody hold me down." But, uh, for me, it was a little bit like, "Oh my god, the depth of knowledge here is amazing." I might be a little bit spaced in that way. I've always kind of had those, uh, those interests where I'm like super into them for for a good period of time, but that's I think why I got into the jiu-jitsu. >> And I like that. And you're right, too, because from what I've seen over the years, like I said, I wouldn't be really really into it. I see it from MMA. But, and I do appreciate it. Like there was one fight I seen us Fox versus Taylor Quinn on my sen when they stood up we were like get back down cuz it was like reversal sprawl like it it was fantastic. I love the ground game when it's done properly. Um but you see like the trends it was leg locks for years and then it was this for years and like you said it's always evolving. Have you found since you started that there is different trends for a while but then you realize how to defend it and then it moves on to another. Have you experienced that in in your time so far? Absolutely. Even only in the three years that I've been doing it, I think the the meta or whatever you want to call it has changed a lot, you know, because obviously at the elite level, they use certain techniques and it's like, okay, this is a new technique that's working at the highest level. So people go and watch instructionals on that, but then of course there's the people who are competing against those people who have to go and figure out how to beat it. And they're also the best in the world. So it moves so quickly because there's instructions coming out on this and then there's instructional coming out on how to beat this and then it just keeps going and going and piling up how we get better in increments. Do you know what I mean? So I I think that's it drives it on. So and as you said there I I definitely have seen even in the three years there's a new thing every two or three months that's working at the highest level and everybody needs to go and study it and then which again is is why I'm so enthralled by it and haven't stopped. >> Yeah know it is really good. There's one thing you actually I want to come back to that you said you said you wanted to do jiu-jitsu for years. What stopped you from making that step through the door? I used to do a lot of other sports. So, I played football a lot from when I was like four or five and was obsessed with that and played that the whole way up through school. Um, but I definitely think I was probably a little bit intimidated by it. I'd never done a combat sport. You see a lot of people that go into jiu-jitsu, they might have even even done taekwondo as a kid or something like this where they they feel comfortable in that environment. Whereas, I had never done anything like that, never boxed, never done anything when I was younger. Just super into MMA and uh I just never really took the leap. I also had a lot of problems when I was younger um with like my weight and stuff like that. So, I never really wanted to go and do a combat sport because I kind of built it up in my head that I'd be like, "Oh, I'm going to be out of shape and I'm going to be getting made do push-ups and made do all of these things." And I'd always had a kind of a thing in my head about that. Um like what like which is completely ridiculous because then when I did start jiu-jitsu was probably at a bad time in my life where I was I was up at nearly 125 kilos when I started jiu-jitsu. So, >> wow. >> That's a complete a complete departure from what I had originally thought in terms of, oh, you can't start if you're unfit or you can't start. You just need to start. Do you know what I mean? You'll get fit doing it is my thing about it. But that's that's definitely I think I was intimidated for the physical factor and then also stepping into the the combat sports kind of round, you know? >> Yeah. And like that cuz like that there's a self-conscious thing. You're going to be going in with these lads that like even though they be you see some lads in the rip, it's like lads put some [ __ ] shirts on, will you? >> You'll never see me at the end of a class taking me taking pictures of me tops off. I can assure you that. [laughter] >> Is it like [ __ ] photo day like today? Yeah. See some of them. But um yeah, and then like there is those fact when you go into gyms like that, people think there's like an intimidation. They're going to be this or that. And like from my experience and I want you just to talk about your experience, the BJJ and for me the uh combat sports community as a whole cuz a lot of them do link in together. There's a lot of crossover and probably the best community I've ever been a part of. They're more accepting. Uh everyone's there for a reason. They're the nice you'd always get one or two [ __ ] within the sport within a gym maybe. But that's life. I compared to soccer and GA which I find very clickish and who you know and this person. What's your impression of uh the community in BJJ especially? 100%. I think it's nearly people who don't do them that build it up to be this thing and then that's what it becomes. But once you actually step in through the door, I think it's completely different. I think it's the most welcoming community that I've ever had in a sport. And I've played football, GA, rugby, and they're all great sports. Of course they are. But I think it's completely different, which is strange because you think, oh, it's an individual sport, but it's not an individual sport. And I think I think anybody who does it or does a combat sport knows that it's it takes a village to get there. Do you know what I mean? It's not it's the best community spirit I've had in any sport I've been in. For sure. Definitely. >> Yeah. Because especially you seen with the Republic of Jiu-Jitsu there recently when the like a terrible thing happened and everyone doing seminars and and the GoFundMe and stuff like that. And I actually need to touch base with them and see where that went. But talk to us about you're a blue belt now. talk to us about what it was like receiving that like like how how did you feel when you got that because every little step is accomplish and there's probably little steps that you don't realize you're going to meet but what was it like getting that? >> So to be fair I had probably lost a little bit of the the meaning for me in terms of like the actual belts and I know it's a bit wishy-washy and everybody says oh I don't care about the belts. It's obviously nice to get a belt. Of course it is. It's nice to get recognized that you're you're at this point. But I started competing. I think it was 6 weeks after I started training. I literally jumped straight in. I was like, "No, I'm I love this. I love the community. I'm all in. We're we're sending it." The lads at home and like that one, the allin comment. There's a story about that. But uh um yeah, I I jumped straight into competing and was just hell for letter. I think I' I'd over a hundred matches at white belts. like just absolutely hammering tongs just straight away just going for it. And I fell in love with competition. And when you fall in love with competition, I think it drives you in a different way maybe than than just going in as a hobbyist. Do you know what I mean? That kind of thing. So I really went down the competitive route. So once I got to the end of my kind of white belt, I was winning a lot of matches and wanted to feel challenged again. So when I got the blue belt, I was absolutely delighted to go in and get the new challenge now at the next belt, you know what I mean? And and and face all of those lads who I was kind of looking at a lot of the blue belts at the time. There's there's guys that the the BJ guys. I know I was looking at blue belts in Ireland at that time. Stuart Carmon, the Card brothers, um who you probably know now. They're stepping into MMA. H Shane and and and Sean looking at people like that who are the blue belts in Ireland. And I'm looking at maybe I can go and do that. Do you know what I mean? So I I was delighted to get the blue belt and then get the next step in competition, you know. >> Yeah, I I like that actually. I like that answer cuz it's different. Everyone will go, "Oh, this that the other." But I like and I like it to when MMA fighters fighting for amateur belts, they're saying not that I don't care about the belt, but because I have the belt, people who didn't want to fight me because they turn down fights now want the belt, so now they want like like it's that level of competition when when you get that belt. But there's love, man. It seems to be like there's competitions or invitationals a lot for BJJ. Like I said, over 100 match white belt. That's insane. I would say I don't know. I'll have to look into that one, but I'd say it is insane. How do you feel having this much this many options at your disposal within the country? >> I think sometimes it's a blessing and a curse, I think, in in in both senses. Like for me currently at the moment at blue belt, it's not a bad thing because blue belt divisions are always going to have matches. What I look at then is in national competitions for when I go up the belts, the matches become few and far between, which can sometimes be an issue. Now I know a lot of the lads in the jiu-jitsu community are kind of getting together now. I know the Ireland BJJ are getting together with a couple of the other organizations who and the ADCC and and they're getting together to kind of fix the dates and and organize dates around each other so that they're not as clashing with each other because especially for me like I would like to do all the competitions as I said over 100 matches a white belt and I think I'm over 100 matches in a blue belt as well. like I I just want to compete all the time, but for other people, it's nearly there might be too much choice and it's it's leading to smaller divisions, especially for, you know, masters athletes and people who are a higher belt. It's tough to get matches in Ireland like but I do I I'm very grateful to have the opportunity for myself because I've, as I said, I've built that now that 200 matches are behind me. I I've built that skill of competing. I don't get nervous competing anymore because there's something to go and do every weekend. If you want to go and do them, you can go and do them, which is always a plus as well. You know, it's not just a bad thing, but it definitely can have its negative sides, I would say. >> Yeah. And I say that's the person dependent on how they manage it as well, cuz it's it's like everything is if these things options are there available to you, you need to manage it because I know myself, I'd probably go like you hammer tongs and burn myself out, not compete for months and then come back. And I've seen that happen. And I like what they're doing with the shows cuz I know Grapple Kings I believe is Dawn and I I really like that show. I I I'd watched it on stream and stuff and I I knew the promoter um and they had really big Will Flurry Henry Henry Fipe. >> Yeah. I I like the fact that what they're doing is like they're spreading them out because like that it's not good because one for the competitors like so if they're on the same day and then affect shows and then like shows stop and stuff like that and it happens [clears throat] May I have six weekends in a row first of March to the 4th of April man like I can't go to like I didn't want to see me family anyways but shook but it's I think they need to do that but there's like with this invitational Like do you prefer any type or do you like just you just like competing, do you? >> Definitely I love competing. I love I love tournaments. Um I love the I think it's a separate skill in and of itself. They're two kind of separate ways of competing. I I haven't done too many invitations, too many one-off matches myself. I had a I was on EFC down here a couple of cards ago. I had a grappling match against somebody down here and um then I have had like a couple on on Andy's kind of small invitationals up there. So, I've only had a few of the the one-off matches. Um so, I'm super excited for this one and and it's black belt rules as well, which I'm I'm very excited for that. But, I have to say it's a bit like a big shout out to the guys that are that are organizing Crank because I mean they're doing the tickets for free. They're doing the live stream for free. like they're not doing this for any other reason than to to to have an invitational here for people to go and compete on which I I have to give them a lot of credit for that like and Adam's putting a lot of time in behind the scenes to make sure these matches go through especially when it like like you said there a thing like grapple kings which was a massive thing for the country some of the names that were on Grapple Kings over the years are massive names in grappling coming over from America from the UK and jumping into matches there like Grapple Kings was a a fantastic show and I'm sad to see it go, but that's why I'm I'm very grateful for the lads of crank to have started this invitational, which is it feels a little bit like the the new generations invitational, if that makes sense. Like I I know you you met a lot of the guys down there at Ferris Fighting Championship and uh like a lot of those guys I would get along. I train train a lot with and a couple of my teammates in there as well. So, it kind of feels like there's there's a new generation coming onto this card a little bit which is which is quite nice. And there's there's a bit of a community building there in the next kind of generation of of of blue belts and purple belts and stuff. >> Yeah, it's like that. It's like the next wave coming through and it happens kind of with every couple of years a new generation come through. And the fact that you said that they're doing the live stream for free and the tickets free. >> Absolutely. Yeah. Free tickets and free live stream which is massive. Like it's it's it's great. It means it's it's accessible for everybody, you know. That's that's hopefully they have sponsors behind it that can can help that because it's hard to run shows get like it depends where the venue is and all the other bits and pieces in between it. But what's the what's so far what's kind of like the highlight or things that stand out you since you've kind of joined BJ like that resonate in your memory that you kind of core memories from it? >> I I travel a lot to compete which is very nice. I I've been to like three it'll be my third G European Championships coming up now in Lisbon in January. I I was at the GE World Championships there in May competing. Um I've been to a couple of NOI Euros now at this point and traveling with my teammates getting to watch my teammates compete and stuff like that is massive for me as well. But but being able to go and compete on those big stages against like I work full-time, do you know what I mean? Not for long, [laughter] but um I work full-time at the moment. So I'm going to competing with a lot a lot of people who are training full-time non-stop. they might come over from Brazil and be training seven, eight hours a day and getting to compete against that high level um is mapped up for me. That's what I've enjoyed the most so far anyway. I'd have to say um like I've I've I've won some tournaments here and there that I've been really happy with, but getting to compete at that level is the biggest thing for me for sure. I I I will give a quick shout out as well. I think this on Sunday is going to be right up there. One of my highlights to be honest with you. There's a lot of really good matches on there and being on the card is is I'm delighted to be on the card I have to say. >> Yeah, there's some really good names. I I I I'd love if you were in MMA like I just want to scrap, bro. Like [laughter] it's like you're like I just want to compete. But I I just I said to Adam, I said, "Man, I'm so busy with interviews. Can you just send me a few uh some names?" And then he started going, "Here's some MMA people. I don't know if you know them." I said, "Of course, I know the MMA people, but I wanted to kind of go down the the route of BJJ cuz the MMA people I talked to eventually, but I found cuz a lot of people from BJ wouldn't follow me. It goes into request, they won't see it." And then someone might say, "Oh, [ __ ] or they might see this and they see, oh, that's who who he is." But um the card looks really really good. And I watched something on Craig Jones going back to what you were saying about you working full-time. And Craig Jones, I remember him saying, he goes, "People were mad years ago doing BJJ full-time and live doing a part-time job." Whereas it's only kind of now you can see people making money from it. Rosa BJJ from I can't remember a second, but Rosa from >> Rosa Walsh. Yeah, absolutely. I know Rosa well. Yeah, Rosa is lovely. >> Yeah, >> she she goes around doing seminars like that's like is that something you'd like to aspire to and do as a living? Yeah, >> 100% 100%. Now, BJJ is a long road, so it's a long way down the road, but um like I'm actually leaving my job in about six weeks time to to go I'm moving moving over to England to try and just train as full-time as possible and see where that takes me from there. Um just just to give it a go while I'm young. Like there's a lot of people younger in the game than me, but I'm I'm still only 23, so we're going to give it a go while we're young. But somebody like Rosa is definitely she's le like making an example basically for all of the the athletes in Ireland that you can go and do this. You know what I mean? Um I think she's a great example for everybody that she's traveling around the world. She's been America, England. She's she's a black belt under one of the best women grapplers of all time. and she's going and doing these seminars and and making a living from it which I think is massive massive for all the the next kind of generation coming up to be like oh there is actually a route to go and do something in this you know >> yeah because that's what Craig Jones was saying he said years ago there was nothing he said lads were working part-time jobs barely living just and he goes and then like they're getting to 40s and 50s and their neck braces and leg braces and he's like he said I was one of the lucky ones that kind of made it big he goes I could have been like that as well um But like I I think it is it's I I find it really interesting. I just don't think I have the drive to to keep to to keep doing it so way. And I think I get frustrated if I just get the shippy. I be like, you know what? [ __ ] this. I I'm out with it. But there is some really good examples like I know like Andy Chapman is one of my favorite people in MMA and he's he's BJJ essentially. But I like what the boys are doing. I like the car they've created and I want to see what it's like going forward. the not I actually hope you've handed in your notice and they don't see that you're leaving in six weeks on this >> 100% 100% no I've handed in the notice there only only a couple of days ago so I'm free free to speak now but >> that's he better not get caught on this but look it's going to be a really good event I won't be there hopefully I'll be able to I'll be at a show MMA show in in Belfast obviously that's where I kind of mainly lie but if it's free where is it being streamed is it a free stream from >> being free streamed on YouTube and there is a link link up in the bio and if you go on to Crank Invitational, there's a link in the bio on their Instagram. Um, and it'll bring you to a waiting room for the for the live stream on there. Um, and they they have it they'll have it fully set up. They'll have whatever matches on whatever matches next. So, it should be a should be easy to get there. >> Yeah, I'll watch that then on my way home or when I get home Sunday night as well because like that there's a lot of MMA Amy Scully, someone who I really like watching. Uh Nathan Chambers is another one that's it's like I when he I didn't look at the card I said send me the names send me names and I looked at the card I was like [ __ ] hell there's loads of MMA on this. Um >> so I'm looking forward to I'm going to let you go. I want to thank you so much for your time. I' I've really enjoyed this conversation. I actually want to get you on another time when you've kind of moved to England to see what that transitions be like if you would like to come back on. That is in >> absolutely I'd be I'd be happy I'd be happy to come back on. Do you mind if I do a couple of shout outs here at the end? Yeah, because I you haven't watched my interview intro fully because I always say at the end if you want to say anything or shout out there you go. [laughter] Yeah. So you can shout out the floor is yours if you want to say any if you want to touch on another topic before we go we can do that. If you want to just give shout outs the floor is yours. >> Yeah. I would just like to talk actually about um just briefly about like I moved down to Cork about a year ago um and changed away from. So I I think you've h you've commentated on a couple of matches for my teammates at home who would be from Gory County Extra. Jack Cassidy um and Charlie Cadwell. They were four to four two of the four horsemen as they were called. [laughter] >> But uh we have we have uh Jack Cassidy is uh he's up against Daniel Negru which is going to be an absolute cracker. That's the main event on Sunday. So definitely definitely tune into that one if if if you're looking. Jack's one of the most underrated grapplers in the country for sure. He's an absolute killer. So that's going to be a barn burner because I know Daniel's a very good grappler as well. But I would just like to give a shout out to my teammates down here in Cork as well. Um I know you might be talking to Ken Omani at some point as well. Um Ken is an absolute legend. H he's double gold at Euros last year blue belt. Came second at worlds last year blue belt. He he moved over from America h from California and he's doing college here in Cork at the moment. Ken's one of my main training partners. He's an absolute legend. So, I I'll give him a big shout out as well. And then a big shout out as well just at the end final one to Sean Cardy. He's out on uh EFC tomorrow night. So, um hopefully a big performance from Sean. He's gonna make some waves in the MMA scenes the same way that Shane has. >> Yeah. No, I'm glad I like the four horsemen. It means you watch the show and you heard that comment as well. [laughter] It's because they because it was Adam came over. He goes all four of us. I just I'm I used to love pro wrestling and that just came in. I said four boys, four horsemen >> 100%. >> And yeah, it's going to be a good show. I will like that cuz when it usually goes live on YouTube, it'll be it'll go into the video later. So I I'm definitely really interested in seeing what happens. I'm interested in seeing you. I do actually I think he's texting me now. So we're going to get on to that. And now that you've told me a bit of his background, I know a bit going in. But look, I will definitely catch up with you. I really enjoy this and I want to see your transition going forward and where this takes you. So I'm going to follow this journey with you if you let me. Yeah, >> absolutely. That was a great conversation, Dave. Thank you very much. I'd love to jump on again in the future for sure. >> Yeah, no hassle. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your evening and best of skill on Sunday. Yeah. >> Thank you very much, Dave. See you later.