We're all adult choices, right?

Mhmm.

You choose, you know? Sometimes we got a couple of, you know, some people just dealt with two choices. Mhmm. Sometimes people dealt with a couple of choices. You gotta be able to freaking pick.

Yeah.

Now if you choose to go steal cars, hang out with the right the wrong people, that was your choice. Yeah. Now you gotta deal with

it. Consequences.

Yeah. The consequences of of your choices. Some people don't understand that.

Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. What's going on, Eagles? Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. Today, I'm here with my cousin and cofounder Joey and someone who's taught me a lot. Iraqi three time Iraqi war veteran, black belt owner, head instructor at Semper Fi MMA, and a coach to some of the world's renowned black belts.

Staff Sergeant Julio Rosario. Julio, welcome. Thank you for coming.

Thank you guys for having me. Yeah.

So we were basically deep into the show already. We had the real back. I feel like the the the stories we're getting into here are just gonna be one for the record books.

Mhmm. Mhmm. Mhmm.

So, Julio, could you get us started and just tell us a little bit about the upbringing and how you maybe became Staff Sergeant Julio Azaria?

Alright. So I'm I'm originally from Jersey. I grew up in Newark, New Jersey. If anybody knows Jersey, Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, and it's probably the roughest. Grew up in the projects just like anybody that's ever grew up in the hood, probably didn't even have that father.

I grew up with a single mom. She was a bartender, so pretty much mornings were left to us. We had to get ready because my mom was just

You have siblings?

Yes. So I have a brother sister from same mother being Puerto Rican, you know, my dad had 10 kids.

Right.

You know? So but we were tight with with the other siblings as well. Gotcha. You know, again, growing up in the projects, it was rough seeing things that most, you know, growing up as a kid, you shouldn't see, you know, and dealing with. But it just became a normal type of lifestyle.

I really wouldn't change much, honestly. You know? I I think it really shaped me to the person that I am today. Shaped my brother, shaped a lot of people in my family. You know?

We're grateful for it. Or should I say, like, we took it as a hell of a lesson, you We've learned from it, and then we just try to just try to change that for other people, not to follow. It doesn't have to be that way, you know? Always had this dream of being a Marine. So my uncle was a Marine and my mom used to display his picture at a house.

And I said, who's that? You know? She's, oh, that's your uncle. He's a Marine. I was like, man, the uniform Even as

a kid, this is what

you're Yeah. I'm looking at that thing. I'm like, I wanna be him. Yeah. Never knew what the hell the marine was.

You know, I've always watched movies, but, you know, being young, I couldn't really tell the difference. If he was a marine, he was a soldier, air force or what, I was like, I just wanna be a marine. Didn't know much. And

any of your did any of your other siblings feel that way too? Or was that like yours that was like yours thing?

I I think I was the more that gun ho, hardcore. In my family, I'm like the, I'm the favorite uncle, right? Yeah. Or the best uncle, should I say?

You're the fun uncle.

I was never that, I was that, that kid you had to keep an eye on. You could not blink. Yeah. I was doing something crazy, you know? I've broken bones, stitches all over my I mean, was, it was always something for my mom, God goddamn it.

I just got home. I wanna go to sleep. I gotta take this kid to the hospital. You know? Get some stitches, things like that.

But that's how my family saw it. Like, this kid is all over the place. You know? He's crazy in a good way. Yeah.

And next thing you know, I'm, you know, was just following the wrong crowd, man. I got arrested for stealing cars. That was a big thing in Jersey back in the day. How old were you at this point? 14.

Yeah. You know? A couple of times, you

know? Maximus. Maximus?

What would

you Nissan Maximus back in the day. Everybody was

tagging those. I more luxury. BMWs, Lexus.

That's the

thing. Yeah. If I was gonna do it, I was gonna go all out. So, you know, and it was a better getaway car.

You know what's crazy? I would say to him, like the level of effort and hard work it takes to steal a car, you might as well just do anything else. Like, the risk to reward reward is just not there.

Yeah. The thing, the it's the it's the length of time to the reward is

the other thing. Yeah.

It's true.

Because you you boost the car.

The the reward, the time to reward is very short.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, whereas if you use that same knowledge and willpower to do something like, you know, like something else that's going to be.

I saw a friend. They stole the car right out of their driveway that they had literally middle of the night, they these three three guys roll up, do what they do, like hot wire the car or whatever, and literally wheel it out of the Hey. In neutral out of the driveway. I'm like, this is a shit ton of work. Like, between and all the stress that's involved with doing it, I'm like, they might as well just go do something else.

Yeah. I mean, it there there there's a like, high out of it. Mhmm. You know? I think that's what yeah.

That adrenaline. Kind of little rush for it. And there was some bad moments. I've lost some friends doing it, you know, being killed for taking the, you know, for trying to steal a car and stuff like that. And you start to think like, all right, is this shit worth it?

Yeah. You know? But then there's that peer pressure, you know, being pushed to, you know, to do something, having a dad, you know, or just someone in your life to say, what the hell are you doing, man? Yeah. You know?

Don't do this. It's not worth it. Stuff like that, which is where later on, you know, how my mindset started to change. So

when you got, when you got arrested the first time for for stealing cars, did you say, hey. That's it? Like, I'm done with this now, or was it you went right back to it after?

Nah. A while. Just I was more upset, like, how I got caught. How you got caught? Yeah.

I'm like, damn. I could've been better. I should've I should've jumped this route. I should've did this. I should've went instead of left.

I should've went right.

Sure. Yeah.

And, yeah, I I think I was still immature about it. Mhmm. Just didn't really understand understood the the consequences. Mhmm. You know?

And then it was two times. Yeah. You know? After the second time, my mom was like, you know what? You're going with your brother to Philly.

You know? Because my brother moved here to Philly with with his wife because her her family was from here. Ah.

Okay. You

know, Jersey, Philly, it was just like, I was like, man, fuck. Yeah. Excuse my language, but F the Phillies. F the Eagles. F Eagles.

F Fizz. I didn't even like none of that. So I was like, you know what? Whatever. And Well, plus it was like a punishment

for you. You know what I mean? Like yeah. It wasn't vacation.

You know what

I mean?

So I come here and

What part of Philadelphia was it?

We were at, like, Suttleville section. Yeah. Yeah. Now eventually then I was living in a hunting park. Okay.

So HP for all those who know out there.

Hunting Park in Kensington Ave.

Grandparents are. So I went to Albany High School. Mhmm. Right? I was over I had straight Fs from the high school I came.

Right?

I was going to school You said straight Fs. Fs. If you said straight Fs, I was expecting As at the end of that.

My my brother had to literally explain, like, why do they why should we take him? He's he's straight ass, this guy. You know, seems like a you know, been suspended so many times fighting

this and

all that. Yeah. And somehow this vice principal was like, you know, we'll we'll take him in. Now, I got sent over there like in February, March time frame. I was gonna flunk regardless.

There was no way I was gonna come back from straight f's. Yeah. You know, the last three marking periods. So I flunked that year and I went back to Jersey. So I'm thinking, I'm cool.

Here's the summer. Alright. My mom, end of summer, she's like, you're going back. I was like, what? I thought it was just for temporarily.

So I'm pissed. I have to, now I gotta start a whole new school year. I I don't know anybody. And, again, I'm starting at Olney High School. And I go and I'm just like, guess I just gotta deal with this, man.

So Mhmm. First day of school. If my brother watches this, he's gonna crack up. After he explained, you know, went through tooth and nail to try to get me into the school Mhmm. And I wasn't even the best school.

Yeah.

You know? And I freaking leave the school first day. I freaking left right out the door. So who's there's a coach who was my gym teacher then the vice principal, they see me walk right out and they're like, yo, isn't that that new kid? And sure enough, man.

I get here I go. I'm calling my brother. And then my brother's like, you know what? If anything happens, call me. This is my direct line.

Mhmm. And I just always wonder how they were ahead of me. Not knowing it would you know? But this is where my brother decide where he was my my father figure. He would not let off

Mhmm.

On anything with you know, he I had to work. So at the time, I was 17 years old. I was working at night clubs. My brother was like, you're gonna work with me. I'm barbacking at nightclubs.

You know? Now we would get out of these clubs at, by the time we cleaned up, you're talking about getting home at almost four in the morning. Mhmm. Now you would think it's a freaking Thursday night. Maybe you let me sleep in.

Yeah. Hells no. My brother was like, wake your ass

up. Mhmm.

You know, now in Jersey, school started at like 08:50. Mhmm. Here it was like 07:30. Yeah. So I'm like, man, I just went to bed.

I'm at school, like and you know what the crazy part was? I made honor roll that year.

Really?

Literally, whole year, I made honor roll.

What was it? The structure you Yeah.

Like, how did you go from straight f's to?

I think so I have, like, ADD, right? Whole attention deficit disorder. And I just think it was just like rolling the dice, and I just had all the teachers were great. Actually understood what they were teaching. Versus where I went to a school have you ever seen that movie, Lean On Me?

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Was

Eastside. I leaned on me that time.

Well, I went to two high schools. I went to Barringer and then it was Westside High School. So we had Eastside, Westside. Yeah. Yeah.

Well, I dealt with that, where they changed doors. You go only come in through one door because that's what they did to keep the drug dealers out. Yeah. So what that movie portrays is 100% true. Yeah.

And the no teachers cared. Just went there, got a paycheck. If you showed up, you showed up.

Yeah. Yeah.

Some of them will mark me present and I wasn't even there.

Yeah. They were

just like, I just go home and raise They

were kind of enabling the bad behavior, like, not even thinking I mean, I realized

So I have these teachers, and like I said, Holleney wasn't the best school, but let me tell you, it was the best high school I went to. You know? High school in Jersey, they were shootouts in that in that school. You know? And it's crazy because you see it, like, happen around the country.

And I'm like, why didn't they talk back in the day when it was it was already happening? Yeah. But, you know, I think the media just took the opportunity to kinda make it a political thing. Mhmm. You know?

It didn't matter back then. But

So it sounds like you had, like it sounds like the teachers that you had, like you said, that you understood what they were teaching, but I can only imagine, like, you understood what they're teaching because they cared. Yeah. Like, they cared.

You know, I try that's why I explained. We all watched the the cartoon Snoopy. Right? Yeah. You know the teacher, how she talks?

Yeah. Womp womp womp. Yeah. That's how it is for me when when I was in school. If I that's just how I was just Mhmm.

Interpreting it when they would teach. I was like, oh my god. What the hell? And then that's it. Alright.

Can I go to the bathroom? And I'm just

Yeah. On the

hall because I just couldn't take it. Yeah. And but that that year, man, every teacher, English, math, science, I was like, I love school now. Yeah. I'm going to school.

What's your brother what's your brother say? Going from straight F to honor roll.

What's he saying? Now he's like, now I'm not I'm not gonna let off.

Yeah. Now

I don't He's like it worked.

Yeah. Now now Yep. You know, basically, like, look what you can do. Yeah. You know?

This is your potential.

Yeah. So anytime I did kinda slack, you know, I was like, Hey, you better get it together. You know, I've already seen you. You you can make honor rolls. Yeah.

You know? And, yeah, and then my mom was like, Cool. Now you're staying over here, Yeah.

Yeah. Now you're never coming back.

I was like, All right. Now gotta stay in Philly, so

As as you got those better teachers and had a better experience, did your attitude start to shift as well? Like, you less interested in bullshit or was it No. Were still you were still fucking around.

No. Like like, I was getting my education. Mhmm. Right? I was falling in line with that.

And I was in my depression because I was missing home, my friends and stuff, like, least who I thought were my friends. And then I got some friends here and, you know, and kinda led back to the same thing. Still doing

some bad stuff.

Stolen cars here in Philly. You know? I got caught. I got caught here three times. And

Difference is now you're on the honor roll when you're doing it.

Yeah. You know? Yeah.

You got caught by the cops? Yeah. Like arrested in cuffs and things.

Oh, yeah. I was at a CFC. CFC. Yeah. Know?

Total, I was locked up for about fourteen months. What? Yeah.

What's crazy is the people that take on this fatherly figure and people that would literally beat someone's ass that they cared about for doing these things.

Someone Don't know that part. Yeah. Exactly.

Like, when I got my jutsu started with Julio and, like, I'm, like, sitting there, as I was telling you before, like, the store we have a story time after class. Like, we just hear about, like, some of the, like, the things you've through. Like, I'm like, damn. Julio, like, fuck me up if I was like, the guy had a lot.

Yeah. This is where, like, when I'm hard on Sean or whoever it is, and I'm telling you from my experience.

Yeah. You're speaking from experience.

I'm telling you that you're gonna waste your time. I'm telling you what you're doing is wrong. Mhmm. You know? I already did it.

I I already did the hard work for you. Yeah. There there's a easier road. Just listen to what I'm telling you to do. And when I was sitting in jail for that, you know, for the fourteen months, and that's when I was thinking about the Marine Corps stuff.

Because I was actually I'm a senior in high school. I was gonna be the first person to graduate high school in my family. Woah. That's And everybody's rooting for me.

That's amazing.

I effed it up. I effed it up with one stupid decision. I'm like and I'm in that cell and I'm thinking like, damn, man.

I was

gonna join the Marine Corps. Was gonna do this. It was gonna change my life.

Just to confirm, you were about to graduate and then you locked up for fourteen months or for it was a total of all the times you've been locked up was fourteen months?

No. So the other times were like, I was there for like a day or two, then it was like two weeks, and then a third time

That's

because I had still two open cases, you know, I had to go through court. Mhmm. And then I didn't get a bail till about halfway through, which was $310 Now my brother, being the hardcore guy he is, and like I said, I'm not even mad, I understand why he did it now, but I hated him for it back then. He was like, nope. We're not paying for it.

Yeah. Yeah. It's not that we didn't have $310. We could've got that.

There you go.

He was like, nope. You made this decision. You're gonna deal with this shit.

So you missed graduation because you were

in there? Oh, they kicked me out.

Oh, they kicked you out?

Wow. I took a stolen car to school.

Ugh.

So they expelled me from that. I was like, damn, everything was going well. I was doing this, this, that. Yeah. It was only a few months till graduation.

Yeah.

So I was well on my way. And yeah, my brother was like, Nope, you're staying in there. I'm like, Mother. That's like $310

Was there any part of you that thought that he was gonna do that? Or did you think he was gonna bail you out?

You remember? It was kinda surprising.

Yeah.

I was like, really, man? But I was he he he definitely wanted me to learn my lesson.

Yeah.

You know? He was, I'm not gonna help you. I was Literally,

if that was Parker and I he was I was I was at my wit's end with him. Right? Like, my son and we had just, like, literally don't know what else to do. I'm like, that actually seems like a fair

Yeah. But you

got like, fair thing to do. We even

see It's a way to send a message, but you gotta think about, like, what could go on in there while he's there. You You know what I mean? Like, if he if he doesn't bail you out and you got to spend another eight months there, like, who knows what could happen in there? And then he's got to live with that.

True. You know what I mean?

Like, yeah, it's it's it's

crazy. Yeah. I have to think about that now, but yeah, because, you know, and yeah. But once I was going to court and I was beating the cases, right? They couldn't find enough evidence.

I was like, all right, cool. I got two more to go. Then I'm down to one more. It was like, all right, this ain't looking so good. Just plead guilty to this, this.

It's like misdemeanor stuff. And that's it. You'll be on probation for a year. I was like, You sure? Was

like, no.

And I tell, Okay, well, misdemeanor.

Who's this, defender? Yes. Public defender.

And I'm like, Wait, I could probably still be a Marine. And I remember when the public defender came to see me and talk about the case, he was like, let's do this, this is probably your best bet. I was like, all right, all right, let's do it. I remember just going to sleep and I was having a dream that this was gonna work out the way I, what do you call that when people, how shall I say, just envision things. Visualization?

What is it? Visualization? Oh, this is another one.

Out of body experience.

Manifest? Yeah, manifesting.

Yeah,

yeah. Right? So it was like a more of a manifest. All right, I'm gonna beat this case, I'm gonna take this deal, I'm gonna be good for that year, right? Because I'm on probation, I'm a go back to school.

I'm just gonna have to go at nighttime, right? I'm a graduate, and then I'm a join the Marine Corps. I don't know how I'm a do it, but I'm

This is

how it's gonna Yeah. Is gonna This is what's gonna happen.

And sure enough, man, I'm out, I'm on with the probation thing. I get a job, I'm working at a warehouse. Now I go back to Jersey. Warehouse I'm working at, you can literally see the World Trade Center across, right, the River. And I'm in high school, about to graduate, right?

Actually, just graduated, right, got my diplomas, the first one in my family, right? Everything's going on well.

Did you go back at night? Yes. Or did you okay.

I

got So you're working during a day at

the warehouse? Full time. Working a full time job. So and this is where I tell people, man, stay in school. You got it so much easier.

Yeah. Right? And how old are you? Like, 19? 18, 19?

Yeah. I was I was, like, 19. So I'm working a full time job. Mhmm. Right?

Seven seven to four. Right? Yep. So once I got home, shower, change. I didn't have a car.

So I had to take two buses. Mhmm. It took me two hours just to get there.

Oh man,

that's By the time I was done, so high school was from six till nine, all right? When they let out, the one bus, you would see it leave, the next one would come to almost ten Remember, it's two hours to get home. I was getting home at twelve at night.

And then getting up and doing the same thing.

You know, and I did that for for a year. Mhmm. I was like, this sucks, The winter, I was freezing my ass off.

Now were you back in Newark?

Yes.

And you're saying your mom?

Yep. Yep. Yep.

So now you're back. Where are the friends at from when you were 14

I just want I cut a lot of them off.

You cut them off?

You know, in in order to stay there, I just couldn't. I mean, I was still friends with some, but, you know.

Do you think that vision that you had for what was about to happen next gave you the courage to basically say like,

you're just

You flipped the, in jail, you flipped the switch. You're like, I'm done with this. Right?

Well, was really believing that vision. Yeah. You know?

I'm being

like, alright. Yeah. I I wasn't doing that with the car stuff. I was like, I'm working. I'm

making Yep.

Honest living, stuff like that.

And And you wanted to be a marine. Like, you're like, so

So now

You didn't have time for any to to fuck around anymore.

So now I'm like, I could make I know I could make this happen. So, you know, I I saved money, got a little lawyer, got some things expunged that I needed to, just in case because

because they wouldn't have accepted So

the Marine Corps, and it's still the same way, they will not take you.

Even with misdemeanors?

Depending. Depend right?

Case by case maybe? Yeah. Yeah.

So depend so I got all that stuff expunged. I didn't want them finding anything. Yeah. And so I was like, alright. Let me start seeing this recruiter.

So they, you know, start going through the process and I'm like, you know, have you ever been arrested? I'm like, nope. You know? And obviously they say, you know, you shouldn't lie. There's things that can put you in jail for so many years.

They can fine you up to 200 and something grand. I was like, you know what? I'm a lie my ass off, man. I gotta make this dream happen. If that's what it takes, I'm gonna I just wanna serve my country.

You know? Right. Yep.

And things were getting a little difficult. Right? And 09:11 happens.

Yep. Are you still working at the warehouse when

09:11 We see the tower. We see it on fire. And I'm just like holy shit, what the hell is going on? Second tower gets hit. We're like, woah.

So now all the workers are like, and I just remember the boss is like, listen, I'm not gonna tell y'all you guys can go home, but I ain't gonna tell you all all can stay either. We all clocked out because we thought it was the end of the world. Yeah. And I went home, man, just I remember just watching live, and I'm seeing this guy fall onto his death. And I'm like Yep.

And when I saw that and everything started to click, said, this is my ticket in. Watch. I said, this is my ticket in to the Marine Corps. Yeah. And sure enough, I just something did come up, and it was one time I got arrested for trespassing.

I jumped in someone's pool with a bike. Okay. So I was like, out of all things, I was okay with it.

Yeah, take that one. You know?

So they were still, even at that time when you knew that was your ticket in, were still, they had a standard and they were gonna

Yeah, the Marine Corps has one of the high, and that's what I loved about it. Yeah. You know, they weren't sugar cooking anything. Yeah. You have to be, you know, it was one of those things like, anybody could just join the service.

Mhmm. But Marine Corps wanted that selected few, which is where you get that you know? The few, baby. Yeah.

Yeah. Did I'm sorry.

Go ahead. Go ahead.

But did anyone remind you along the journey, yo, you're not gonna be able to be a Marine if you don't straighten up.

My best friend.

You just didn't

My best friend is like, dude, you're not gonna he was a marine. Yeah. And he became aware because of me, because I was sound like, dude, join the Marine Corps. Like, dude, this he was gonna do army, and he's actually my instructor. Okay.

He said, tell it to me. And I wasn't offended. It just drove me more. Like, no, I'm a prove you wrong, man. I'm gonna make it.

Yeah. I just felt and I wouldn't say nine eleven. I just felt like nine eleven just made it easier.

Well, they needed people, yeah.

You know? So I was like, I was all about it. Yeah. And then next thing, no, I'm in boot camp, man, and suffering. I was like, damn.

You know, I thought it was tough. Was like, shit.

Yeah.

This is thirteen years So

how how where how much time was there between 09:11 and when you went into boot camp?

Maybe about a year.

Okay.

You know? While I was in boot camp, the war just kicked off.

I was gonna say,

yeah, now it's we just went to Iraq. And yeah, man, I'm like, my family was happy. It was like, wow, big changes. You know, you went from not going to school, not gonna get an education, being locked up, probably was gonna end up being dead because that was happening to a bunch of my friends. And yeah, just changed that.

My mom was happy. And the craziest part, when I left to boot camp, I left on Mother's Day. I was like, had all freaking days. Now I was gonna leave at the end of the summer, and that recruiter called me back was just like, Hey man, I got an earlier ship date. You wanna do it?

I was like, yeah, when is it? He was like, May 11. I was like, alright, put me in. He didn't tell me May 11 was Mother's

Day. Yeah.

You know? So that was hard on my mom, but to this day, she's just, you know, she just loves our journey. Yeah. You know?

I gotta imagine it was, mixed emotions because she's so she's so proud of you from, you know, the 13, 14 year old version to where you are now, but at the same time, you're going to war. Yeah. You know what I mean?

So Yeah. Yeah. It it was I mean, she it actually changed her too. My mom was having an alcoholic. Mhmm.

Into drugs. And I remember her telling because her best friend, her son joined. I mean, him became best friends at Marine Corps. Oh, wow. And she was like, listen.

Did you go to boot camp together?

No, no. I was about eight months ahead of him.

Okay.

He's actually still there. He'll be retiring in the next two years.

Okay.

So she was telling me, she was like, you know what, ever since you've been to Iraq, she was like, you know your mom doesn't drink no more? She said, she was like, I'm not gonna drink till my son gets back. How long? Well, I've been back, but she's so used to not drinking, She's like, well, I'm just keep living this life. And my mom, if we have a party or something, she'll drink and stuff, but it's not where she's just home cracking stuff, you know?

Yeah. And

Did you did you ever talk about that with her? Like, that did she ever come to you

and say, hey.

Like, I made this promise to myself when you left that No. Was like, I've spoken.

Did it more, like, for her, but didn't know that that we knew about it.

Sure.

You know? And I was proud of her for that. Was so happy because I'm like, you know, she was different, you know? And I was like, all right, I could parade this mom around. Like, I'm happy to show you this is my mom, not maybe an older version of her, you know?

And my mom was tough as hell. Tough, tough, tough. My mom actually was, she went to jail. So my mom used to be a drug dealer, right? She was big time back in her day, and she got caught.

She got caught with a couple of kilos of cocaine and it was one of those things where it was like, we won't give you a choice. You either do five years or you getting life. She was like, oh hell no, give me five.

I didn't have a That happened while you were

So not only that I didn't have a father, but I lost my mom for five years. Know? And I was bouncing around from my aunt living in Brooklyn, but then child services wanted to take us away, me and my sister and stuff like that. And we had to go to Puerto Rico for a little bit, high school.

Before high school? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So

you know? Well, when I tell people

like the story before the story.

Yeah. I I try to tell people, listen, man. There's not much you can tell me that's gonna surprise me, you know, that I probably didn't go through. Well, I didn't have a mother. Well, I didn't have a mother either for five years.

Yeah. You know? Well, I didn't have a father. Okay? I knew who my father was.

I didn't have him either. Mhmm. You know? Well, my father was alcoholic, so was mine. Well, my mom was this, so was mine.

Yeah. You know? Well, I didn't have anybody, neither did I.

Yeah.

You know? And I just think it's we all have we're all adult choices, right?

Mhmm.

You choose, you know? Sometimes we got a couple of, you know, some people just dealt with two choices. Sometimes people dealt with a couple of choices. You gotta be able to freaking pick. You know, if you choose to go steal cars, hang out with the right the wrong people, that was your choice.

Yeah. Yeah.

Now you gotta deal with

it. Consequences.

Yeah. The consequences of of your choices. Some people don't understand that. So

I feel like as a kid, you don't you have to live those consequences before you can understand it. Like when you were doing that, like, like maybe you could have made a different choice, but I mean, didn't like you said, you didn't really understand the consequences involved. You had to live them.

And I'm also a fan that, you know what? Sometimes you're gonna have to learn by falling on your face. Yeah. Because I can tell you what not to do, what to do, which choice to go, but I think it'd be better off if you just learn until you fall on your face. And when you fall on your face, then I'll help you up.

And I'm not gonna be there to tell you, Hey, I told you so. I'm like, All right, are you willing to listen now? You know?

Did you have that moment with your brother when he didn't bail you out? When you came to the end of your 14, did he come pick you up at CFCF? And did he explain, Hey, I did this because?

No, actually, he didn't pick me up, so I got released out of court down on Santa City, right? So they released me right away. I said, cool, I'm happy. I got no money. Yeah.

I'm trying to call, I don't have even a quarter to call home. I'm like

That's crazy, they could give you a couple bucks on the way.

Give you a call at least.

I'm still in jail clothes. Yeah.

All right. What?

I got honest job, so I'm in the blue pants, light blue shirt. Yeah. And the bus looks out and I said, Look man, I just got released. And he was like, Get on the bus. Right?

But I just got on the bus not knowing where the hell it was going.

You don't know where buses is?

Man, I think I walked like two hours, man. I was happy at first. After a while, felt like I was in a desert. That's crazy. And I get home, man, my brother's wife was like, You're home?

I was like, Yeah. Remember she cooked this meal for me, and then my mother, he was happy. Did she think, did you, you were still in the blues, so did

she think you like escaped?

No, no, to pay paperwork. They told me carry that paperwork because the cops gonna probably freaking stop you. Oh my god. Was like and, hey, it was just matter of just keep reminding me of that that dream. I'm like, it can happen.

It can happen. Yeah. You know?

Was there any point in time, like, during that during that, like, adolescence, right, where you let go of the dream? Yeah. Or was it all yeah. So when you were

You know, There's times when, and anybody's like, we end up losing focus, right? And in my case, you know, we lose focus a little bit. I was way back there, like holy shit. Hard left. I'm in jail now.

Hard left, yeah.

Yeah, like hard left, two rights, downhill. Know? And so

Yeah.

A whole puddle of mud. I'm like, how the hell am I gonna get out of this? You know? And I just tell people, look at me, man. Know?

I've really lost track. And I was able to find it again where most people wouldn't. Yeah, know. You know? Thank God I wasn't really big into alcohol, wasn't big into drugs.

I was just more into causing trouble.

Yeah. You know? Yeah.

Been shot at, all types of stuff, just didn't got nothing where I didn't get hit, where I where I, you know, where I could've got killed. You know? So but now it's I focus on just passing on a better message for kids, you know? Sure. Or even young adults, it doesn't matter who, you know?

Someone that

Shit, even adults. You know what I mean?

Yeah. Just this I could I could pick up some stuff on how people are now, I'm like, all right, I need to talk to that guy. Yeah. Yeah. I I can see it, you know?

Yep. And just try to like

to that too.

Not necessarily motive. You could look at it as motivation, but I look at it as more like as an example. Mhmm. You know? Don't tell me shit is bad.

I could tell you when shit's bad. Yeah. You know, bad, bad.

Sure.

What you think is bad, okay, it's bad. I can give you a better example of what's really bad, and I still was able to pull out from it.

Sure.

You know? And my brother, same thing, you know? Mhmm. Him, he's a cop here in Philly. And I tell people, man, listen, that's not one cop you're never gonna see on TV that'd be like, oh, this cop got caught stealing money.

My brother's like the most honest cop. Mhmm. Very fair. He knows, like, hood. He knows you can't really trick him.

Yeah. You know? Because he's like, dude, I've been there. Yeah. Know, I know

He knows how it works.

Yeah. Yeah.

What's your brother's name?

Sammy.

That that comes into Semper Fi and, like, tells you about all the boxing stuff going on? Yes. I didn't realize that was your brother.

Yeah. So, you know, and he's all about the community. Mhmm. You know? I mean, he's got an autistic son, you know, so that's just hard to deal with as a parent, you know?

Anybody that has a child with special needs, that just takes a lot out of you. So you're doing that. Yeah. Being a cop, that's gonna take a toll out of you. You know, you got a family, you got your personal life, you know, that he's training, he's still helping kids out, dedicates a lot of his time to the community, a lot, you know?

And he's always got me doing it. Hey, come on, man. Let's do that. Let's do this. I'm like, all right.

Sign me up, man. Let's just you know? So now it's like, I'm just grateful for and I'm not the most religious person, but just grateful for God not giving up on me. Mhmm. You know?

Alright, man. Listen. I get it. You dug yourself real deep in this hole. I'm gonna help you out of that hole.

Don't mess this up. Know? Not just mess it up, but I need you to give back.

Yeah.

So any opportunity, I'm like, listen, without hesitation, sign me up. Let's go.

What do

you need? I'll do it. I don't ask for money. Know? Anybody that's ever known me, I don't ask for money.

Nothing, nothing. Even like my fighters. Nope. I don't want nothing. Just wanna see you succeed.

Yeah. You know? I'm happy because you're

happy. That's the best gift.

Yeah. Yeah. That's what

And that's so much of a give of your energy and time too, like the fighters. Like, you gotta prepare them for their fights and then go to their fights.

Know, you know, what it takes coaching wise. Yeah. You know?

Have to

like John Marquez, was funny. He was saying stuff like, you know, not only do you have to be a coach, mentor, you gotta be a father Yeah. To some of them. Yeah. The disciplinary person, you gotta be a a therapist, you know?

Yeah. Financial advisor.

Mhmm.

There's just so much.

That's probably the hardest part of

the part. The hardest, what we tell these guys is, listen, the best way you can repay us back, just listen. Yeah. Just listen. That's the best way you can repay any coach back.

Just listen. You know, we don't expect you, we know what you're making, and we know it's not enough. We know you gotta pay bills, but you also have to understand that I'm taking away time from my daughter, you know, my girlfriend, wife, know, my family, my friends, my personal Business. Because I could be home right now watching a movie, hanging out

with my know? Business, too.

Yeah. Same thing, running a business, students, you know? I'm trying to worry about one individual. I got a couple of hundred students there. They want my attention to, you know, who are paying me.

They actually paying the bills.

You're not. And they the least I ask is that just eat good so we can make weight, right? You know? Do do your strength and conditioning so we don't look like crap out there in the ring. You know?

Just just listen. Just just do that. It's not it's not the hardest thing in the world. There's a lot a lot of things that are a lot harder than that, but I tell people, look, it's not that hard. You know?

Yeah. So I feel like we'll have to do another episode on just the war stories. But, like, at what point did in the journey that jujitsu come into play when you got out, like and how did, like, your MMA, like

So did you do,

like, after I graduated, like, the once I got out and I was doing a night school thing, that's when I started jiu jitsu.

Oh, so you

were doing

jiu jitsu before? Or

No. Before the Marine Corps. Yes. Yeah. About three, maybe about three, three plus years before the Marine Corps.

So you did? I was already a Blue Belt when I joined the Marine Corps.

That how'd you how'd you start that?

Yeah. Was

through through my instructor, which is Johnny Guerrero. And they were doing it and when we used to hang out, right, he used to practice on me.

Oh, so you guys were buddies?

Yeah, yeah. We go out and he's the one that joined the Marine Corps because I had told him to. You know, he might say no, but, you know we were just we were always into fighting, right? Yeah. He like, All right, do this on me.

We'll do it. He'll freaking choke me out and do this. And I'm like, yeah, he was

like was enrolled in the school, like he was

No, so I'm old school jujitsu, right? We were learning from

VHS?

Yeah. VHS is real good. If anybody knows, like, Gracie's in action. Yeah. Watching those stuff and magazines and stuff.

So he was watching those, was practicing on you, and then that's how you got started.

Yeah. Oh, that's wild, dude. Him and my buddy Cesar, they were, my buddy, so Newark has one of the biggest Brazilian populations in The United States. So he would go down and get magazines, jujitsu magazines, because nobody knew what that jujitsu was. Yeah.

You know, you're talking about Yeah.

Years it

I started in '98. My buddy started in '94.

That's crazy. That's wild.

Look at magazines, see the And would just practice the techniques because they would show, alright, this is one, this is two, the sequences. We weren't sure if we were doing it right, you know? Sure. And one day they went to a seminar. This seminar had, like, eight black belts, and it was only, like, $40.

You'll never find

that today, you And

they went and they rolled with some of their white belts, blue belts, and they had a lot of trouble. They was like, yo, who you guys train with? Oh, nobody. What'd you guys learn from?

VHS.

Teams, magazines, right? And they was like, really? Where you guys from? Jersey. Oh, I'm gonna introduce to one of my guys who has a school in Jersey, David Adeev.

Okay? David Adeev is one of Hoyler's top black belts. Alright? And which is he has a school in Jersey. What's the Miggy Gull?

Mhmm. From UFC? That's his teacher. And yeah. Then we connected with Dave David Adeeve at the time was a a purple belt.

You know? I mean, when I say go back, anybody knows David Adeeve as a purple belt, you're old too.

Yeah. So your buddies paid for a $40 seminar with eight black belts there. They met David Adeeb, and he said, guys gotta try guys gotta

try they they just introduced. Yeah. And David was like, alright, man. Go join join up with me. Alright.

Now we're getting proper instructions.

Gotcha.

All this, that, whatever. So your buddies came back from the seminar? You didn't go to the seminar?

Yeah. Didn't.

But they were like they were like, oh, met this guy. We gotta go do this.

Yeah. So now I'm training. We would go. We would pay, like, mat fees. Mhmm.

His school was a little far from north. Right? My one buddy, he had a car, so we would drive up there. But now we were like hood ones. Know, everybody else is a little more like, you know, suburban type.

Yeah.

The hood guy comes in there.

But we were, like, we were hardcore. Like, you you Yeah. You're gonna tap. Yeah. So we would go out Friday, like Friday nights.

Right? Or even Saturday nights, get drunk, wake up, go train. And David and Dee would see us, he'd be like, because we're weak like alcohol. Yeah. Hey, you go with him, go he would tell his bluebells, probells to beat our ass.

We'll get our asses whooped, like whooped.

Yep.

And he was like, all right, they're probably gonna learn their lesson and not come drunk again next week. We would still come drunk, know, hungover, you know, and I know he

was

like

Those are probably the day the good old days, though.

They were. They were. Yeah. It's I'm I wouldn't do that now. Was too early for that now, but back then just because I was young.

Yeah. You got no no responsibilities, no problems.

You know, we did it.

High recovery.

Yeah. Yeah. Let's see someone try and go into a jiu jitsu

Oh, my gosh.

The morning after being hungover.

You know, jiu jitsu was still out there trying to prove to the world.

So when you're going there and you're paying the math fee to train, like, how many people are there while you're training?

Maybe be, like, fifteen, twenty people. Yeah. You know? Okay. And but nobody really like I said, nobody really knew what jujitsu was.

Jujitsu was still the Gracie's were still trying to prove to the world

Yeah.

That jujitsu was the best. Right?

Is that who gave you

challenges and stuff.

Is that who gave you your blue belt from, like, those days of paying your

man? Hoyler Gracie did. Okay. Yeah. So, you know, even when you saw blue belt, blue belt was like Yeah.

Seeing a black belt like, yo, you a blue belt? Yeah. Like, man. You know, it was, you know, it was just seeing a purple or brown was like, you just saw a ghost. Yeah.

And that let alone black belt. And, I mean, if you were a blue belt, it probably took you five years to get that thing. Yeah. Yeah. It took me four, like, four, four, four or some change.

And And at that time, was there, like, a

lot of knowledge sharing between upper belts and lower belts? Or no? Were you like bullpen?

You like the white belts? I'm not gonna show you my secrets. That that that was, like, the part I didn't like. I'm trying to get better, you know? Teach me how to get out this triangle, man.

Yeah. Stop putting me in this thing. Yeah. Like, help me get out, you know? Yeah.

At least if I know how because if somebody else put me in, I wouldn't know, you know?

Yeah. So so is there still, like, it's still you and your buddies, like, working on that together via chest magazine? We had

we used to work out of we used to train out of the the police department's PAL, police athletic. Yeah. Yeah. Got crappy mats, man. I mean the Velcro never even stuck that well.

We do it on hardwood floors, you know, and we were still skeptic on, man, this really work? You know? So we would actually go to the projects and start fights. Oh, wow. Yeah.

Yeah. And

Test it. Test it And

I don't wanna say no names, but, you know, I would see my instructors at a time, you know, fist fight, take a dude down, mount him, you know? Yeah. And the person would turn around and choke him out. And I'm like, oh, man, this really worked, You know? Put a guy in the arm bar, snap his arm.

You know, I'm like, all right, this really worked. And one time we got into a fight at a nightclub, outside the guy cuts us off and he's like, and I was like, oh yeah, us at the gas station, okay. You're like, what blue belts? So all my boy, there's three of us, three of them, and we all knew jujitsu. Everybody got one.

I get stuck with this big dude, I'm like, he comes charging, I level changed, double legged him, took him down. Mounted him, did what we normally do, punched the guy, turned, and I choked him out. And I was like, I'm hooked. Like, I just beat a guy. At the time, I was like a buck 20.

You know, this guy was probably like two ten, two fifteen. Yeah. Any other day, I I should have lost that fight.

And they probably had no idea what happened.

Hell no.

That's the last thing I expected to happen.

Hell no. What's crazy is I heard that story before in in the gym and it was better the second time. Literally, there are the stories that that that made, like, Semper Fi, like, great. Like, those, like, everyone be crying. I don't know who we are.

Just like, listen.

Yeah, I can understand why.

So you get hooked, and then you take the hiatus to go serve the country?

Yes. So yep. And then, yeah, I joined the Marine Corps.

So you come back, you pick up right where you left? Like, or how long were you in the Marine So

after boot camp, I've been getting stationed to San Diego. Okay. Right? At Bunnellton. And as soon as I get there, check into my unit, they were like

You're off.

They was like, hey, did you unpack here? I was like, no, why? Don't.

I was

like, okay. They lined us up, man. They put us in a formation. It was like, all right, we need volunteers to Iraq. Wow.

I was like, it was like, can either volunteer or you're gonna be voluntold. So I'm like, never heard that word before, but it don't sound good. So my buddy that, me and him went to boot camp together, I was like, what's up man, you go, I go. He was like, let's do it. Yeah, we're here.

And everybody that was pretty much there already already had just came back. They're exhausted. And they're looking at us like crazy dudes, y'all don't even know what the hell y'all getting into. Yeah. Yeah, volunteered for the first one, second one, and my third one.

So my, when I went my second tour, I volunteered for a third one to stay again. And let me tell you, I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. I regretted that.

Why did you do that?

I don't know. Honestly, man, and and I know a lot of marines can relate. I actually ate better in Iraq than I did here. I felt some, how to say, I felt important over there. Once I got back, it was just like, just another Marine,

just Yeah, yeah, yeah, purpose.

Yeah, purpose, you know? And not only that, with the other Marines, you know, we're, especially Marine Corps, we're very tight. That brotherhood is just that bond. And it was just, it became even stronger in Iraq. Yeah, you're going through we got back, you missed all of that, man.

Put you in this state of depression. I was like, you know what, send me back. You know? Though I hated that over there too, but that bond and everything, what we were going through, we went through it together. My third tour, man, I mean, they were all rough, you know?

But that third one, was like, what the hell was I thinking, man? I was like, god. And I dealt with it, you know? So I did fourteen month. Well Yeah.

How long were you two of your tours? So at Marine Corps, we do seven month rotations.

Okay.

So where the army, they were doing that, then they switched over to fourteen month rotations. So I did seven seven well, and then two back to back, so I became fourteen. Mhmm. You know?

Yeah. Same thing, though. We were young, and, like, did you not you obviously didn't have your daughter or anything. Like, you didn't have any not much at home here to really miss. Right?

So, like, that time in Iraq, you kind of felt like like it was your purpose. Like, you you had so much fulfillment there because you were doing, like, great things that maybe, like, if you had a family back here or something, like, obviously, you had your your

brother in. I don't even know. I'll miss my mother, my brother, my nieces, things like that, my friends. Wish I could be at the club, you know, all this stuff we you know, I'm talking about. But it was just it was a different feel, man.

It's just so hard to really accurately how should I explain it? You know? It's just a feeling that

Well, you had the experience

won't really understand or get how we feel unless you're there.

Yeah. And

and really be in that position, you know? Because trying to find the right words on what I was feeling and and and what even when, like I said, when it when it was over, you know, once I got out the Marine Corps and I got off active duty and I come back home, I'm thinking I'm good, I get called back in. Freaking 07:30 in the morning, man. FedEx banging on my door. I'm like, yo, who the hell is that?

I'm like, ain't even know FedEx delivered that early. You know? And eyes are barely, you know, open. They give me a letter, sign here. I'm like, alright.

I open that thing and it's a government letter saying that I'm getting deployed again for a fourth tour. And I'm like, how could they do this?

The end?

You know? I'm like and I'm I'm at my mom's house. She she goes, who who is that? I was like, FedEx? And she sees the the that that

The ambulance.

Marine Corps seal on it. She was like, what is that? I was like, they want me to go back to Iraq. She was like, why? Now she's upset because she's happy that she's got her son back.

She thinks you're done. You think you're done. Like, you think you're in a

So when you sign up, active duty, you sign up for four years, right? Once you're done, there's four years inactive. It's like a strength. They can pull you back in. Well, again, not even home for six months, and they they were pulling me back in.

Yeah. Because at the time, we were just so exhausted. Rotating after rotation, the the only break in between you were given was six months. You know, not even, three months. Yeah.

Because as soon as you were selected to go back again, you had to train again for three months out of that that six. So you really were just parting

So even between your first and second tours, you had three months and then you were back in Six

months breaks in between, you know? And just mentally and physically exhausting. And not just on you. Think about your family.

Mhmm.

You know? I know I know a lot of marines that they were all divorced, you know? Wow. A lot of things happen, losing families, things like that. It it takes a toll on both sides, you know?

Oh,

yeah. But, yeah. I get this letter, man. I'm just like, you know, and I we just opened up Semper Fi. So Semper Fi came up.

We literally the other time, like like, they went into business. Like, they went through this hard shit, then you're like, okay. I'm gonna

go into So

you you opened Semper Fi after your third tour. You came home.

Yeah. So once I came home, while I was in Iraq, my brother was like, hey, man. You know, let's open up a gym, man, so you don't have to keep doing this thing, man. And I'm like because for him, it was like rolling the dice. Eventually, I'm gonna crap out.

You know? Was I was hit with a with an IED and stuff like that. Vehicle blew up. You know? Got all my fingers and toes, man.

Thank God.

Was he did was he part of that crew that trained jiu jitsu with you? Yes. Oh, okay. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. I I I put my brother down with it. Oh, okay. You know?

I even taught I I I was his first teacher. Trained him. Yeah. Yeah. I trained him hardcore, man.

I don't think he was a black belt when I was at at Semper Fi.

No. No. My brother's a purple belt.

Okay. Yeah.

He's a purple belt now. Still? But he's he's old school too, but he's good, man. He knows definitely what he's doing. Trains police explorers, hosting the police academy, stuff like that.

Was the IED in your third tour?

That would have been my third tour. Yep. Oh, second and third.

Yeah. Sincerely.

Second and third. Yeah. It just it during second and third, there was no fighting going on. It was most of the KIAs due to for soldiers were were through IDs, majority. You know?

It's not it wasn't from fighting. You know? It was Alright.

So you get this letter, and you you but you just opened the gym with your brother. And how when you say just opened, it's, like, a month or, like, a like Five months, maybe? So like you're trying to get people in the door, like you're Yeah, so Plus

at this time it's not

like everybody's

beating down the door to get

to the once I signed, Before MA. It was at five of MA from the start?

Yeah, okay. So my brother asked me that while I was in Iraq. I called him over there just to say what's up, and he was like, yo. When you think we opened up a school? I said, god.

You know, I was like, I'm down. I was like, I got the funds.

I haven't been

spending it. You know? I was like, because when I get home, I'm not doing enough to really spend it. So he I was like, look, I'll fund it all. Don't worry about it.

And I was like, yeah, just find a good place. He's like, yo, I found this good place. Great. It's been closed for for months. And then he was like, got a good deal.

What do you think? I didn't even see pictures. I just took his word for it. He was like, alright. I need a name so I can do this paperwork.

And I'm like I'm like, hey. I was like, Sam, let me call you back. You know, let me call you back. He goes, dude, I think it takes, like, two weeks for you to call you call me back. I said, I'll call you back tomorrow.

Don't worry. I'll I'll make sure of it. So I talked to my Marines. Because they knew I was teaching and training jujitsu out there. Oh.

To other like soldiers, airmen, other Marines, you know. I actually met Tim Kennedy for USC.

Oh, really?

Yeah. Got a great funny story with him. He beat my ass over there, but great dude, though. And I'm asking my marines, I was like, hey, I'm trying to open up a gym. What do y'all think I should call it?

They're like making jokes, call it Oo Ra jujitsu, call it this, call it that, you know, call it Kill Kill MMA. I'm like, No, man, I can't do that, man. Then somebody was like, Simplify MMA. I'm like, Hey, you know what? That's starting to click.

It's sticking in my head. Was like, I told my brother, my brother was like, You sure we can use that? I was like, I'm like, What are they gonna say? I'm like, If I wasn't a Marine, then I could see the yes shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

But I'm a Marine. We're gonna use that shit.

Did you call them back the next day?

Yeah, I called them back the day, you Did

you ever have anything come up with Semper FMA or no?

As far as?

As far as the name? Like, I remember

Like, terms or anything?

Yeah, did they ever say, like

I've had a bunch of marines because, you know, on Levick, there's the the the

Navy Base. Right?

Yeah. Depot.

Couple of marines working there. In Camis. And now, if anybody knows marines, you can't just walk around in Camis. It's forbidden. It's part of our policies, you can't.

All right? If you're gonna leave, you go straight home. All right? Unless you run out of gas, you pump that, you go sit back in your car. You ain't

Is that just a Marine thing?

Yeah. It's part of our standards, man. You can't be in uniform. That's what most marines do. They would change.

So if you ever see a marine, you'll know the difference because it's like this, the digital camouflage. They're not supposed to be out there unless they have orders to do something, you know, whether they're working or they're doing something, you know. So I see these two Marines come, one's a staff sergeant, one's a gunnery sergeant. I'm vacuuming, I'm like, oh hey, what's going on Marines? They're like this.

They was like, who's the owner of this? Why does it say Semper FMA? I was like, because I'm a Marine. You're a Marine? Where'd you serve at?

Who, you know, and this is what we do, you know? Who are you with? Who it is? Find out, me and him were at the same place and I served at the same time was pretty But it wasn't the all, I've had old timers come in. Who the hell, who's the older of this place?

You a Marine? I'm like, yeah, a Marine. And we talk and stuff like that now. You know? So I got the respect from the city.

Yeah. Sure. Anybody that that knows.

Well, it's the first location. Where is that now? I guess where you've there the

whole Yeah.

That's the only location. Yeah.

That's the only one on the bus.

Is that the way I know that's where you started too.

Yeah. Yeah. No. It's I've been there seventeen years now.

Wow. So it was a much different area seventeen years ago.

Yeah.

Maybe not as busier. Yeah.

Traffic wide traffic wise and that's what helped me a lot. Just people stopping there and stuff like that. I see. A great family neighborhood, so a lot of kids are walking around.

Yeah. What

year was it that you opened? 02/2007.

Two thousand '7. Was I there?

I would say June.

I mean, No. Because I was

No. Think I I was sophomore. I, so I was at like, I was in like North Philly, like Castro and Erie, like around there, Hunting Park. And then we moved to Fox Chase. So I lived like right by 75.

Okay. Because you were next to Rikers, right? Yep. Yeah. So, and then, you know, I'm training and started to get I have a family of seven.

And the mom was walking with a double stroller. You know, she was into working out. So she's pushing like three kids, three girls. Her daughter was my first student who started it all, man. That family, I'm so grateful to them.

And then we had which some people may know, Danielle Kelly. Mhmm. She came through and, you know, I got her started, you know, to where, you know and she's got a successful career with the whole grappling thing. But then Sean Brady. Mhmm.

His little knucklehead, you know, around the neighborhood and, you know, he might not admit it, but he was

a knucklehead, you know, in

the neighborhood. I think was

another one back in the

Fighting, punching dudes, you know, him and his brothers, man, they were tough as hell too. Tough case. When

I do Sean Brady's a legend of Semper Fi, obviously. So, like, did you know what with Danielle and Sean, like, did you know that those they had world class potential or like, Sean Brady's known as, like, the best rappler in the UFC right Well,

yeah, for UFC and then Danielle's one of the top in the world, so far female wise. Necessarily with Sean, not right away. Danielle, she just was just a good listener. She was a great student, you know, and just absorbing this. Boom, boom.

She had some, how should I say, tragic things that happened in her personal life and, you know, I was there for her and jujitsu was there for her. Because, you know, Spiel was like, look, you can get through this. Get in here, train, train more. And I know that helped out a lot, you know, it really pushed her and once she started seeing her potential, it just, you know, it went from there, man. That girl was just like a magnet to everything, absorbing.

It didn't know it didn't matter who was teaching her, you know? Great great student overall. Mhmm. And then Sean, he started with Muay Thai first.

Oh, wasn't even playing jiu

It wasn't jiu jitsu first. Him and his brother, Brad, oh man, funny story. They used to fight in my gym.

Like, yeah, I can't imagine.

Like two brothers, just not getting along. Normally for me, you fightin' my, I'm kickin' you out. Don't want your money, go somewhere else, give somebody else another headache. And I woulda did that, but I need to pay the bills, man. I was telling my boss, man, can't kick them out, man.

We could use that money to help pay some bills, you know, because we're still new at it. And he's like, I was like, just separate them. Because let me tell you, they will hold pads. If one of them, they'll hold pads like, it's like this, no. They will drop pads and just fist fight each other.

Jesus, that's And I'm like, what the hell, like what are y'all doing? It's him, no it's him, fuck you. I was like, all right, you're gonna train with us, so just don't put them together. Yeah. Let me tell you, his brother Brad showed, like, I'm like, yo, he's got a lot of potential to freaking kill it.

Yeah. Know, Sean was like on the back burner a little bit. He was I just didn't see it yet. He was still down. He was still hitting pads.

He was still about it, you know? I just didn't really he just didn't shine yet. And then one day they just stopped and causing trouble in the streets. And then one day he just came back and was just like, hey man, I wanna come back. It was like a couple of months later.

I was like, you sure? He was like, yeah, yeah. He goes, but this time I wanna do jiu jitsu, wanna do the whole MMA thing. I was like, All right, well, class is on this day. Yeah.

And that was it. Then started with jujitsu, you know? And the rest is, you know, where he's at now.

Yeah, was just locked in from that day on.

Yeah, he just was getting better and better. Man, he was into just lifting, being Some people think like, you know, oh, he's steroids. The kid's just a natural freak, man. He's just strong, technical. It's funny because me and some of the other black belts are like, oh, you can't do that.

You know, that doesn't work. Sean was just You be a psychotrope, my man would just Could get a one arm, put you on the arm. I'm like, You can't do that. You're gonna get arm locked. That's not gonna work.

But he was doing it to like top level black belts. So I'm like, okay, I can't tell him that, you And I started to understand, you know what, certain things are just gonna work for certain people. You know, so as teacher, start to kind of, woah, that works for him. Why am I gonna take that away from him? Until someone proves him wrong and not much, you know, nobody really has.

So I'm like, let it work for you. Sure. You know? Look at his guillotines, you That started with me showing him how to get it from the mount one way, and then guess what? He took that and started, you know, making it work for him, and now he's freaking doing it one hand.

I never showed him one hand.

That's what he taught us at the if you wanted to tell him. The seminar. Yeah. He taught us the the mounted. Yeah.

How to put it through. Yeah. He does it one hand. I showed him like this, but again, he took something and made it work for himself. Sure.

You know? And that's where, all right, you know what, you're a black belt, you're able to see that and make things work for yourself. You know, obviously he's a lot more mature, you know, not the little knucklehead kid anymore, doesn't even like drinking anymore, you know?

I really try to have All Sean there is eat, sleep, train.

If anybody knew what Sean was, oh man, he used to come to the gym just like I used to. This was crazy because I saw a little bit of me in him. Remember when I tell you guys I used to go and be hungover a good night or drinking and still train jujitsu?

I tell

you what, he would show up, and me and my other black boy Frank, we would look at him and we're like, oh, this motherfucker's drunk. And he used be all, man, like, I'm good, know, go challenge and go change. I was like, we're gonna beat his ass. We're gonna beat Now, it wasn't jujitsu, was MMA, so I'm hold him crucifix, punching him, thinking that he's not gonna do it again. Just like me, guess what?

He freaking did it. Yeah.

So, you know what? I just it's just

It all worked out for

me, man. I'm just like and then I had to tell him, like, well, I had to learn, like, like, you're you're younger than me when I started, you got more potential. You know, at the time my body was beat up from the Marine Corps, just doing stuff even when I was younger, breaking bones and stuff. It starts to add And I'm like, you know, you're such in a better spot than I am. You know, and I remember he didn't make weight one time.

Boo. Out of all the times, this one time he didn't make weight is because he was out drinking the weekend before. Yeah. And I chewed him up the whole way home, man. Let him have it.

Like a dad would. Dude, this is freaking embarrassing. I said, Do you understand that? People who brought tickets, it's not just like, Hey, here's your money back. No, I had to get a babysitter.

Yo, I took off of work. You know, I made arrangements. He doesn't understand that. I'm like, they did, I said, look, you have to decide, what are you gonna do? You know, if we're gonna fight, then you can't be doing this drinking stuff no more.

You can't do that. This is what you're, and I can't say that that conversation fixed everything, but it definitely clicked. Yeah. You know? Because from then on, that's when he started to change, you know?

That was his jail cell moment. Yeah.

There's consequences. Yeah. You know, they have to be an

actual sinner. Yeah. Exactly.

You know? But that's where I'm like, alright. I already got my reward. I I saw you know, I said what I needed to said, and and look what happened. Look where you at now.

Yeah. Mhmm.

You know? Yeah.

And we talk, and he's been he's been there for me. You know? I was going through a whole mental, emotional roller coaster as far as my PTSD. You know, I was trying not to let all that affect me, you know? It's different because I could talk about it now, but I know there's a lot of people that just don't, you know?

You would never know, man. There's some people put a smile on their face not knowing what they're going through, and that's what I was doing. Running my classes and trying to be in a relationship that, you know, to act, you know, trying to be a father for my daughter. Mhmm. And just going through this every day, man, was just the hardest thing to get up every day.

And I know there's hundreds of thousands of people that are just like that, you know, millions if anything, you know, of our veterans going through the same thing. And I just didn't have no one to talk to, no one that was gonna relate, not understand, you know? And then I was seeing, you know, my buddy's wife posting a picture that he just took his life, you know? I was like, what? He just posted he was chilling, he was good last night.

That morning, blew his head off. Another one, I'm like, What the hell is going on? And it all started, I think, with the medication that the VA was giving out, and I just knew to stay away from that shit. Stay away from that. And the alcohol and things that were leading, because we're doing it to suppress the pain, you know?

And I just had to suppress it on my own, which made it even harder, you know? And jujitsu was helping me, you know, helped take some frustration out. But I just couldn't really understand why I was feeling like this. And I just recently went through a breakup with my fiance after ten years and yeah, it pushed me to the edge. I was in the darkest place possible, man.

Yeah. I mean, Sean was trying to help me, talk to me. I went to his house and, you know, I thank him for that. Not just that, other friends, family members, my other best friend Johnny, who's my instructor. And just thank God just for having just friends that just care just enough to say, call, reach out.

Yo, you okay, man? I'm okay. No, you good? I don't know what, normally I would say yes. Yeah.

But that moment I was like, Nope, I'm not okay. Yeah. I am not effing okay. And yeah, the thoughts were dark and then I'm like, You know what? Those medications they gave me, it's time to start taking them.

And I was taking it, made me freaking worse.

Yeah.

I was like, what the?

Interesting.

And I wasn't the same. My daughter and everybody else is telling me like, what the hell? You're not the same person. And it was the medication, man. They just had me zombified and I'm just like, I didn't wanna teach.

I I think I taught for, almost two or three months. And thank God

How's it ever that?

Thank God. And you heard my speech, right? Yeah. But if it wasn't for my guys, man, my black belts, my white belts, it didn't matter, you

Yeah. Mhmm.

Who was able to hear what little I had left in me to just say what I had to say. Mhmm. And it was just like, Sensei, what do you need? We got you. Because I didn't give a shit about my business.

Yeah. It could have closed, I wouldn't give a shit. I wouldn't give a shit about bills. They could I didn't listen. Take it, take it.

I was just not giving about care about nothing. Nothing, all I wanted was that pain to go away. And tell you what, I never ever want to feel like that again. So three years ago, I was going through some stuff too, I did some research on psychedelic therapy. And I was seeing a couple of podcasts of veterans talking about that.

And one of the companies, Veteran Solutions, and didn't know much about it, man. I was actually a little scared about it because I'm like, man, is this shit gonna erase my mind? Like, you know? Sure. All the veterans, I'm just, I'm still in the loop looking at new findings, researches, medical stuff that they're doing on.

I'm like, man, this shit sounds promising. It sounds life changing. Mhmm. And I really couldn't I didn't know if I wanted to spend that type of money on that. It I didn't understood I didn't see the value, if that made sense, you know?

Mhmm. To spend this much money for what? To be kinda cool or if it might work, not might

Yeah.

And when I went through this breakup, man, that pushed me over the edge and I was I called my broker, man. Mhmm. And I told him about it. He was like, dude, I just had a, my, because his, he was a Marine too. My broker's a Marine.

He was like, dude, my buddy's, my brother's boy just went through it, changed his life. He said, bro, I'm so happy for you, man. What do you need? You know, me and him are talking. And I was like, I need $7.

I said, can you just I I wanna pay for all of this. Yep. Let's just do it. He was like, all right, I'll send it to you right away. And I mean, was my money.

It was some sort of investments. And I called these people up, man. And I wasn't getting no response at first. Yeah. So I'm like, man, fuck.

And when I wasn't getting a response, man, I kept thinking about taking my life. More and more, I was like, man, fuck this shit. It's probably a sign. Just get it over with. Let's just, you know, and I'm taking my stepson and my daughter to the movies.

As soon as we're about to walk into the to that theater, my phone rings. That's one of the reps. Hey, can I speak to Julio Rosario? Like, yeah. What was so and so from Veteran's Solution?

I'm like, oh, yes? It was like, hi, how are you feeling? And I told the kids, just go go in, I'll be in.

Yeah.

And I just started bawling. Was like, Listen, I'm fucked up. Yeah. I can't. I was just holding it just together just for the kids.

I was gonna say, you're taking your kids to the movies. Like, a lot of times when people hear stories like this that you're in that state, they think that you're like balled up in a corner of your house somewhere. It's like, no, you're wearing the mask. Yeah. You're like out wearing the mask.

Every time that-

was gonna do it that night. I was just gonna spend that time with them. Yeah. And I was done. I was just mentally, I was just-

Well, here's another sign that that call coming in. You thought it was a sign that you were done, but here the call came through and it's another sign that you're just, you know, getting started.

And I just, yeah, I just told her I was messed up. Yeah. And she talked me through it, and she said, we're gonna give you the help you need. And I was like, if you tell me to leave right now, I'll jump on a plane right now. She was like, let me see what dates we have.

It was just three weeks.

It was three weeks out.

Longest fucking three weeks of my life. Longest. I thought being in Iraq was like long, waiting seven months. And

Yeah.

They had people, coaches calling me every week, every other day.

Leading up, leading up to that.

Yeah. Preparing me for this thing. And it was just like my last straw, like something's gotta work. Obviously the VA therapy, none of that stuff was working. It was more just like putting band aids on something.

I was still bleeding out, wasn't healing the wounds. And telling my friends, my closest family, I'm like, I'm doing this. I'm like, I don't care. I'll spend all my money. So I decided, man, I'm gonna do this, I'm going first class.

First time I flew first class.

That's a different experience, by the way. I got on a business trip, got a last minute upgrade for my sister and I for a hundred dollars. And they treat you like royalty. What? Oh, man, listen.

I'm like, this is crazy.

I was like, damn, I've been missing out,

man. Exactly.

What the fuck? I was like, oh, heck. First flight

is what?

I'm like, I've done I paid a little extra $40.50 bucks to get extra

Each leg room, yeah.

Extra four inches of leg room, but

So everybody's experiencing it, I'm like, I'm never not flying first class again.

Yo. Right? That's what I said. I said, fuck. I'm gonna save the extra money.

I care. I'm going first class.

Next flight? A bajillion dollars. I'm like, fuck that.

Yeah. I

guess I'm not flying first class.

I I'm sitting in first class. This lady sat to me with a service dog, and I swear this dog knew what the hell was happening. He was looking at me like, bro, you okay?

They know.

You know? And he just kept like

They definitely know.

Rubbing up on my leg to almost sense like something was wrong. And I'm just looking out the window, And I knew things were wrong because I could just be like this, fine. Mhmm. And I'm talking about this months ago, but I would just be crying. And I'm like, I wouldn't know I was crying till it was coming down my tears.

Like, why? Yeah. Because I had no control in my mind, and I knew I was losing it. And I'm in that plane, it's happening. I'm looking out the window, I'm at the window seat like, don't want this lady to see what's happening.

And she didn't I don't think she saw it, but the dog was I would look and he was looking at like, like, yo, you need a hug or something? I'm like

I mean, I feel like a service dog would probably know

you even more than that. I talked to my daughter, my mom. I was like, look, I gotta do this. This is gonna change my life and stuff like that. I just put all my belief into it, man.

And when I got there, company's name is Ambio. Do they pick me up in the airport? So psychedelic therapy, was two psychedelics. One is called Ibogaine, one of strongest psychedelics on this earth, and then the other one was called DMT. Yeah.

And so the first psychedelic comes from like a a root extract out in Africa. And then DMT comes from a tree frog. Yeah. And funny because I was hearing people saying licking the frog. I'm like, crazy as hell.

And man, they took me, picked me up from the airport, drove me straight through Mexico because it's illegal to do a ibogaine here in The United States.

Okay.

So they're still trying to work it to pass it. And, yeah, we get to Mexico, man. Beautiful house on the beach. Mhmm. So I you know, my family was scared for me.

They was like, you're going where?

Because you're yourself.

I'll do what?

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I was without a six other I I was a six person.

Okay. I got you.

So they do, like, six at a time.

I got you.

But let me tell you, it was worth every penny.

Were they Marines?

No. One was two of them was army, you know? And then the rest were just regular guys just like you, just going through had a really dramatic place, I guess, growing Yeah. And but you coulda told me this thing was worth, what, was 20,000. I'll you to I'll tell you to this day, it was worth every penny.

You're saying you woulda paid You woulda paid

Listen, I woulda paid 50. Yeah. Like, it was worth every penny. Long how long was the feeling was crazy, these people are so passionate about helping veterans or anybody Mhmm. That's going through something that I wasn't even charged yet.

They picked me up from the airport. They didn't even ask me, hey, I'm not gonna pick you up. Did you pay for this already?

Yeah.

I'm on day two going through this stuff, and they didn't ask me anything about paying or nothing. I mean, I was gonna pay. Yeah. So I was like, shit. I realized, and I went on the thing and I paid for everything.

Yeah.

And but I was like, they weren't even asking. Weren't even asking. I was like, I felt like another company would have been like, before we pick you up, we gotta pay for this. Mhmm. Know?

I knew I knew those people great people, man. To their staff, their nursing, the doctors. And like said, you're in a mansion house type setting. Beach is there, there's a pool, nobody used it. We had our own chef.

Yeah. I mean

So what was the, like, would you do the drug during the day and, like

Yeah.

Like a whole experience?

So first day, it's more like introduction to try and find out who you are, that's what we're doing, stuff like that.

As a group or individually?

As a group. As a group. Oh, okay. Yeah. And they were just like, look, man.

You've done enough for people, helping people out. Let us help you. Do not do anything. We had laundry service, everything. Like, you just you just got out of bed.

Didn't do anything.

Yeah.

And it just felt it was like, focus, it's all about you. Yeah. And more of that holistic Mhmm. Type of stuff. We did

Speaking my language, man. I love the

the So we did what's called temescal, which is like a looks like an igloo. You know what the the hottest you think Russian bath houses are hot? Yeah. This ain't got nothing, bro. Nothing.

This thing was so I felt like I was seeing stuff in there, was freaking again, it's all holistic type stuff, but Yeah. Everything from that, breath work, yoga, meditation. Wow. We did all of that leading up before we did the eyeball game. So eyeball game was first.

Next day you rest and then because we were there for five days.

So

Ibo Gang was on day three. You rest and then we do day five, you do the the DMT. But I'm not depressed anymore. I have no anxiety. And it's not to say that my past traumas are gone.

They just don't bother me anymore, if that makes sense. Mhmm. You know? Like, I could think about it. I could talk about it.

I just don't. Doesn't have a hold on you. Yeah. You know? It it just doesn't.

And let me tell you, I see everybody different. If I know I could just pick up. You're going through something. I I don't know. It's just like it's just crazy.

The visions I had, everything. Changed my life, man. Saved my life, is what I should say. And now, know, I've already got a couple other marines and this female Airmen, I got her to do it. She's always hitting me up like, Dude, you saved my life.

I'm like, Not me. I'm like, The psychedelic therapy saved your life. I just point at you to the right I'm telling you what it did for me. And that's the same thing why I tell for any veteran, man. Look into it.

The company's called MBO Sciences. You can look up Veteran Solutions. Mhmm. It works, man. And these people are trying very hard to get it legalized here in The United States.

Crazy you got alcohol and drugs or alcohol and weed legal in The US, but Yeah.

And and not only does it just help people with traumatic or PTSD type stuff, it helps people with addiction. Mhmm. Actually, the ibogaine was first used for addiction. Originally, that's what it was So someone that's hooked on heroin, fentanyl, any of this stuff. You do the ibogaine, it'll clean you out.

You won't crave it anymore. It will so anybody that has like a daughter or a son, man, you're watching this and you wanna save your son, you want your kid back, look into that.

Yeah.

I will bet all my money, you will save your kid. You will get your kid back.

Yeah. What was the was the experience like when you came home? Like, you after the after the therapy, after the trip, when you got back, were you

So I was supposed to hang out with some kids with with some friends in San Diego, some other marines that I served with. And I did. And I was excited, to get home, man, just tell my story, tell my visions. Because when you do the psychedelics, there's visions. And yeah, man, I saw my inner child, you know, I saw myself hugging it.

Sounds like my kind of trip, dude. Some yoga meditation, breath work, and some

It was

plant medicine.

But the the DMT, I was only out for seven minutes. So my experience was seven minutes long.

Yeah.

Now, eyeball game, shit, it was like sixteen hours, man.

Why?

Oh my god. Yeah. Yeah. Most of it, you're floating in space, bro. Black space.

You know, then you'll have some visions. It's just a couple of points you're like, alright, man. I'm done. I just wanna get out of this, but you can't, man. You're like blindfolded.

You take that off, man. It's

You laid there 16.

Your eyes are doing this like everything's moving, man. It's just sad.

Laid there for sixteen hours? Like, you laid Yeah.

Was about a good twelve to sixteen hours for for for most Wow. But you're monitored. They they they got

hard Oh, I'm sure.

I'm sure.

They got I'm sure.

When I say these people are pros, listen, they got doctor on-site, they got nurses. Oh, sure. They're constantly checking on you, making sure that nothing's bad. It's what I thought too, you know, the beginning, man. What if I freak out?

Like, never done any, I don't do drugs.

Yeah. And

now I'm gonna go and do some of the hardest stuff in the world? You're telling me I will gain the strongest psychedelics in this world on earth, and I'm gonna do that? You know, I'm like, man, is there like little steps I can Yeah, yeah, I'm pushing So I was like, yo, I hope I don't freak out. Hope I don't freak out. You know, I'm like, oh, God.

I'm like, but they prepare you, man. They prepare you for a lot of stuff. Know, whether you're into drugs or not, it doesn't matter, man. They're there to help you.

Did you bring any of the yoga, meditation, breath work, some of those stuff back with you? Like, did you do any of that now?

Yeah. Some stuff in the mornings just to help you get started and stuff like that. Yeah. Like a whole mindset kind of thing. Just Mhmm.

You know? Because I I believe it too. It's like what you're putting out to the world, the world's gonna get it right back. Yes. You're putting out this negativity, these thoughts.

Of course.

Listen. That that's what you're gonna live

in.

Kinda like it's kinda like the the manifesting you did when you

sat down, you said this is

the vision I see, and I'm gonna make it happen. Yep.

The same type of thing?

Some people are not answering, listen, man. I'm I'm gonna walk my dog out in this field and I'll start just let my dog run. I almost forget about where the hell is he at. And I'm just manifesting, walking out there. This is what's gonna happen.

This is what I'm gonna do. You know? Things are gonna get better for me. You know what? I forgive this person.

You know? I can't hold that thought. Know, I used to hear people say, you know what? The forgiveness is not for them, it's for you. Know?

You would ask me that months ago, what the hell are you talking about?

Yeah.

You know? And now I understand it. Mhmm. You know? What happened to me in my relationship past, you know, regardless what was done to me, you know what?

I'm gonna forgive myself, you know? Yeah. For dealing with certain things, allowing certain things. It's okay. You know what?

We can't hold it anymore. We're gonna move on. Want for me to move forward? I had to do that.

Yeah, yeah, really sad. So,

like I said, I had made a post on Facebook. Look, man, if I ever, you know, wronged you in any way or said something, I did my best to try to just apologize to those people, you know? My bad, because that wasn't me, you know? Wasn't me, You know? Even though how should I say, I was still all about helping you guys do all that stuff, you But deep down the side, man, it was just you know, I don't wanna use the word demon, you know, just definitely wasn't the person I really am.

But now, and it's only been since September, right? Yeah, since September. So and the iBowl game stays could stay in your system for almost six to two six months to a year or something like that. Really? You know?

So it's still doing its thing, you know? And I'm grateful for it, man. Best decision I ever made in my life Mhmm. Is save me. And now I'm just trying to just see who else I can save.

Mhmm. You know? Who who really needs it, you know? There's some people I talk to, I'm like, alright. They're not at that point, they don't need to waste that money.

Yeah. You

You just need a little therapy, you just need someone to talk to, you just need to learn not to hold that in.

Sure.

And just start, you know, talking. Or you need some jujitsu too, man. Yeah, yeah, Exactly. You know,

specific therapy and that's what you needed at the moment? Do you think that it was the period of time that you were holding on to the things that you had been through that you didn't maybe talk about?

Yeah, I felt like when I found out about the psychedelic therapy three years ago, I just don't think it wasn't my time yet to go push for it, you know? Was still I felt like my body was saying, we can hold a little Yeah. Got more room to to to keep holding this in, you know?

You almost hadn't suffered enough.

So, man, it was just like I said, just recently over the summer, man, that that was my my mind, my body telling me, like, dude, dude, we're done.

Yeah. This is

We are done. This is as much as you could fit in the bag. That's it. We're ready to pop. Like, it just Yeah.

And I know that feeling when other marines, sailors, does any other veteran that's going through Like, that's it. This is much as and it's painful. And that's where they think about the dark thoughts. You know what? I'd rather just take my life.

It's just you know? And I I also understand there's two two differences on, you know, being physically tired and mentally tired. Yeah. Dude, mentally tired? I mean, anxiety.

I hear people with anxiety. I'm like, I never I kinda knew what that was. Mhmm. I didn't know what it really was until the best way I could explain is take pre workout before you go to bed. Dude, can't freaking sleep.

Yeah. As soon as you start thinking about it, I'm like, amped up. And now you're so amped up, you don't even have an appetite to eat. Yeah. I had lost, I think, over the summer, I think I lost like 18 pounds.

I'm not the biggest dude. Yeah. So you take 18 pounds, it's like, you know, I had my bags, I was like sucked in and

But it's crazy going through all this. Still have plenty of energy to beat a lot of asses. A of ass whoopers from who you

are. After all of this, I was losing my passion about teaching, running the school, coaching, which is kind of like where, you know, I'm guiding Sean to go somewhere else. Yo, go with these guys. Look, they'll take care of you. I'm a put you in good hands.

I'm not just gonna throw you out there, you know, where other guys that needed my coaching needed me. I just didn't have it no more. And it wasn't that I didn't have it, I just

You can't pour from an empty cup.

Yeah, man. You know, it's just a shame some people didn't see it like that and became a little selfish. I'm not mad at them, I get it, you know? So I'm very more understanding now. Yeah, my cup ain't empty no more, man.

And now I'm rolling with my guys, I'm fucking loving this shit. I'm like, I get like Lee and them, you know? Liam. Liam, and they're like, all right, let's go. You know, they throw the old man thing.

Liam's always like, dude, you're fucking strong for your fucking age. Like for an old man, I'm like, fuck, I'm not old. Yeah.

I was gonna say, let's let's

bag on this old man shit. You know? So it's good to see that I can still hang out with the with the young boys. Oh yeah. You know?

Yeah. They're doing all this fancy shit. I'm like, yeah, go ahead and do all that shit. I'm gonna do my old school stuff and, you know, I feel good. Not like, listen, I'm sore and all that, bones hurt, joints hurt, but not like before, man, which kind of like just pushed me away.

I was like, man.

But like you said, there's a difference between the physically tired and the mentally tired. You know what I mean?

I think the mental effect definitely had a

Has effects on the physical too.

Yeah, of course.

Of course. Probably manifested in your body, like, what's going on in your brain too.

Yeah. Yeah.

But, man, now I'm back to coaching, back to training We just had a tournament on Saturday and just proud of my kids, man. Just seeing them, like, now I love it. You know, I'm like, all right, I'm back to how when I first opened the place, you know, I had that passion of doing all of this stuff. I'm like, now I'm single too, so ain't like I gotta worry about going home to someone. You know, because she's like, you're still at the gym?

Yeah. Still doing this? Oh, I thought we was gonna do this this weekend. You're gonna coach? I'm like, you know?

So I'm like, screw down. You know what? My students want my time. I'm gonna give it to them.

And I think the right partner will understand that too.

Yeah. You what mean?

Like, she'll make it a, like, maybe a a point to be

a part it. When it comes to that, you know? No. I'm not even worried about that stuff, man. Yeah.

Yeah. Come spring, though. Come spring to summer. You gotta love I'm putting myself out there.

Yeah. Okay. Right now.

Alright. Fresh pictures, dad, in the Tinder profile.

There were a lot of kids that were dealing with anxiety. So what frustrates me is that this generation is far different from mine, man. Far different. I think even people in my generation have to understand that we didn't have that technology, you know? We didn't have the better clothes, shoes, all this other stuff.

We obviously foods were better for us then, not this junky stuff, you know, that's killing killing our kids, killing us. Right? Mhmm. We didn't have the therapy, you know, to help the you know, we just dealt with it. Yeah.

And suck it up.

And we expect that from our kids today. Suck it the fuck up. Deal with it. It's different, man.

Yeah.

It's so different. You you look at the TV shows, they meant something. If you look at what was that show, the Cosmys. Yeah. Bill Cosby was a dad to a lot of us who didn't have one, because he was like, yo, that's I want damn.

That's a dad? Yeah. Look what he's doing for his kids. Look how he's being there. We I loved him for that.

You know? That's that's that was like a vision that I saw. Look at shows now, man. I'm I'm I'm freaking understanding. Look at the music.

The dads a a freaking I think he

idiot. He's in the house. Idiot. Yeah. Look at full house.

Yeah. You know, their dad. Yeah. And I was like, alright. Like, even if you're a suburban like, I'm from the hood, but I'm gonna wipe that like that.

You know? And

it's just You don't see that on TV nowadays.

No, man. Like, the messages are just different.

Yeah. Messages

are different. Like they know it, man. They're taking advantage of screwing our kids over.

Listen. Things don't happen by accident. You know what I'm saying? Like, things don't happen by accident. I

agree with You got social media.

Yeah.

That screw you know? You're you're sending a vision. That's not even true, man. You don't live like that. Yeah.

So many people right now, you know? Yeah. You don't know what they're going through behind those You think, oh, man, they're living their life. Yeah. Not knowing.

They're they're struggling and and they're doing that. So because it's like a two lives, you know?

Mhmm.

The more likes, it makes them feel good. Yeah. You know? And then people don't understand. That's a trigger.

You know? That's a trigger from your traumas. Yeah. You know? Because what happens I know a girl.

She posted a picture. She didn't get over 500 likes. She took that shit off. Yeah. She it made her feel like shit.

Yeah. But it was it was you know? And this is stuff that I know now.

Where anxiety is starting too because you're seeing you're people are on social media all day every day seeing highlight reels of people's best moments of their lives. And subconsciously, it's creeping into their mind that my life's not this great. Mhmm. But I see all of these people's lives are that great. So that's triggering anxiety, depression, etcetera.

You know what I mean?

Yeah. People don't like, was telling some my students this past weekend, nobody tells you that. Like like, when you look at someone that's a champion, whether they're MMA, any type of sports, basketball, they don't tell you. Like, you look at Jordan. Mhmm.

I'm not telling you the hard work that, you know, we we if you see a documentary, you kinda understand. Yeah. But they're not tell you just see, oh, I wanna be like Jordan. Do you wanna it's not be. Do you wanna go through what Jordan went through?

Yeah. You know? Order to become Jordan.

For sure.

People don't get that. They don't understand The

middle's missing. The middle's missing.

Comes along with being Jordan. Do you want the like, you don't know what his quality of life is. You know what mean? He's sacrificing everything for the dream. Yeah.

Even when he's made it, and he is Jordan, like, do you want to live Jordan's life on a daily basis? Like,

you know what No privacy. Can't go nowhere. Can't do you know what mean? Yeah.

Practicing

Time away from kids.

When your buddies are out there partying, you're at the court by yourself, you know, working on your jail or backyard. Or you'll see a kid shovel half a court on his own just so he can practice. I've seen that at Hunter Park. I'm like, that's a kid who could be out there selling drugs, doing something, he's doing the right thing. Hard work, you I'm a big fan of hard work beats talent when talent fails

to work hard.

You know? That's I push that on my students all the time. Work hard. Work hard. Push yourself.

Your students are fortunate to have you, especially the young ones, speaking all this wisdom and experience into them.

Like

Yeah. And it's all from trial and error, man. I'll tell you that. I was like, listen. I I can save you the heartache.

I can save you a lot of trouble. I can save you some money.

Yeah.

Just listen to me. And I said it. Not that I've been through it all, but I've been through some shit. You know? There's not a lot you can't tell me

that

I haven't been through, you know? Rather, you could talk about racism, you could talk about finances, breaking up with a girl, military, you know? Depression, anxiety, I'm like, having those dark thoughts, thinking about suicide, you know? If anybody's out there, like, go on my social media, know, shoot me a message. I'm definitely open about talking to a person and try to direct them.

I don't have to know you, you know? I'll listen to your story. Sure. You know? And then let's get you the help that you need.

But it's gotta start with you just, you know, opening Opening Just say We're not asking you to tell us your whole life. Talk three hours, two minutes. Yeah. Talk with us two minutes, let's see where you at.

Being open to hours always wins.

So, and that's what I learned now, man, not to hold that stuff in, man. That's like the worst. That's what's killing.

It's poison.

Yeah. Well,

that being said, can you let the community know where to find you and Semper Fi MMA on Instagram?

Yeah. So on Instagram, it'll be Semper Fi MMA. My personal one is My name is Julio, but I make jokes when I was younger, teachers called me Julio. You know? So it's julio77, that's what It's j u l I e o o seven seven.

You can find me that. Like I said, DM me, man. And just send me a message and let's just like I said, two minutes. Yeah. You know?

I think that could definitely not just change your life, but save your life. Absolutely. You know, you're interested in psychedelics and they wanna know a little more about that, you know, we can do that. Know, there's some, I tell people, man, look, sometimes just fundraise, you You don't gotta spend $7 like I did. I just did it because I'm on first class.

Yeah, yeah. But the whole thing in total, for the five days, I say you're responsible for your flight, your there and back. So they don't do that. But they'll pick you up, drop you off, you You got a place to stay, food, everything. Medical services, they take care of all that.

It was, if you are a veteran, they do discount it. I believe it was 62, I wanna say. About 6,200, you know? If you're not a veteran or something like that, it's like sixties I think it's extra $500 on top of it. Gotcha.

So they deduct 5.

Gotcha.

You know, on on top of that. But they'll work with you. If you're like, look, man, I I really need this.

Yeah.

Listen, they're not gonna tell nobody. They'll deduct 500 and it is what it is. There are some other solutions there where you could break down the payments. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, they have something, I think another company you go to, that they'll pay for it and then you just pay over time.

Gotcha.

So, there's a solution. It can be done. So I don't wanna hear someone, I ain't got the money. Yeah. You know?

I mean, you gotta get out there, you gotta work, you can Uber.

Yeah. You

know, don't tell me you can't work, you can Uber. Yeah. You don't like being standing up all day at a warehouse, then just Uber. There's definitely a solution to anybody's problem.

Well, we got a lightning round of three questions before I let you go. Alright. The most rewarding part of teaching jujitsu in MMA.

Seeing a kid that didn't believe in himself, who didn't play sports, wasn't athletic, never did anything physical in their life, right? Even their parents thought they were like a little, I hate to say this word, but a little pussy, you know? Yeah, yeah. They just wanted to try to toughen up their kid, and you're seeing this person beating grown men, you know, choking people out and loving the damn thing. I'm like, that's better than any gold medal for me.

It's always nerdy guys that get you.

And that's the ones I'm talking about too.

They're the killers. They

are, the silent killers too.

What is a quote you live by?

I've mentioned it before, man. Hard work beats talent. When talent fails, they work hard. So any day.

And if there was someone that was just getting started in their jiu jitsu journey or thinking about quitting their jiu jitsu journey, what is one piece of advice you would have for them?

Some days you're gonna be the nail, some days you're gonna be the hammer, all right? You have to be realistic with yourself.

You

can't be the hammer every single day. Being the nail is just an opportunity for you to learn, you know? You gotta learn from that. Why was I the nail? Work on that so you can be the hammer the next day, right?

There are definitely brighter days, you know? Just, it's almost like a storm, man. You just gotta weather it, right? Yeah. I tell some people too, they be people that are depressed, can't rain forever.

It can't rain forever.

True. Yeah,

The sun's gotta come out. Know?

It's true.

And if you just stick with it, you'll have those sunny days, man. You're gonna start seeing your progress. But also too, you get what you put into it. Mhmm. You're only putting 10% of work.

You're gonna get 11% back maybe, 10% back. Of course, anybody will quit. Go ahead, put 80% of work in. You get 80 back, you're like, woah, I can work with this. Yeah.

Oh, I I can die. That's good. Yeah. You know? So sometimes you just gotta be realistic with yourself.

What are you doing? Mhmm. You know? You Yeah. You know?

I was gonna the next question was gonna be like, do you have the next coming of Sean Brady coming? I know you I know you got the the young Brady.

You know what's crazy?

You got the the young Brady over there.

He's already

started at a young age. Right?

Yeah. So it's crazy. I've been it's hard for one school Mhmm. To have a one star, right? Whether they're a jujitsu star or MMA star, boxing, it doesn't matter, right?

I've been I don't know what it is, I've been fortunate to have, you know, top female grappler. Yeah. Top welterweight in the UFC in the world. I got some up and coming ones, you know,

that have I'm not saying like it's the teaching, but you gotta just connect the dots. You know

what I Connect the dots. I'm not even a fan of, anybody knows me, I don't even go like, pushing like, yo, I did that for Sean. Oh, I did that for Danielle. I did that. I don't do I'm happy for them.

You know, I'll praise myself more inside. Yeah, I'm not being

on social

media and be like, yo, I did that. He's there because of me. Mhmm. I know I didn't do it by myself. Yeah.

You know? He needed training partners. Danielle needed training partners. You know, they needed someone to pat them on the back, talk to them, stuff like that. It wasn't just me because there were other Mhmm.

Other teachers. Know, other people came into their lives too, it's not just about myself, but Yeah, we got I got some stuff that some people that have the potential, you know? Yeah. And then they see them. Eventually, I'm gonna retire, man.

It's it's gonna be Sean's job. Yeah. You know? Yeah. I'm a give you this, But

having Sean and Danielle out there, it's like, it is like, makes it realistic. Like, attainable. Yeah. You know I mean? Yeah.

Can actually do

this. It's just really But I one day to just be able to be like, you know what, listen. I, it's almost like, I did a, I put the filling, I made the pie, you know, put it, all you gotta do is just put this in the oven, man. Yeah. Put it in the oven for forty five

minutes Here's the recipe.

Let it cook.

You know what I'm saying? So I'm cooking some guys that when I'm ready to hang this up, Sean decides that he wants to teach, open up his own gym, go to him, go there, you know. Oh, John, I got guys that go to John, Marquez. Like, you know, let them do it. And guess what?

When these guys are winning, I'm not don't thank me. Thank John. Thank those other guys that were beating your ass, you know, that were pushing you every day. So I'm not that coach that wants to take 100% of credit, you know? Yeah.

I'm like, look, I just happen to have the place and you just walked to my door. Yeah. You know?

Yeah. So And taught some good jiu jitsu along the way.

Yeah. So

Alright. Well, anybody have anything else before

we move I I really enjoyed this, man. Thank you for coming, I appreciate it.

Thank you. Thank you.

Alright, Eagles. Remember I leave you with a reminder. Always choose effort over entitlement. Always choose hard work over handouts. And remember, no one owes you.

No one owes you. Let's hunt, baby.

Babe, go birds.