The Few Will Hunt Show

In this episode, we are joined by Danielle Kelly, the ONE Women’s Atomweight Submission Grappling World Champion, and she talks about her journey to becoming a champion. Danielle opens up about the struggles she faced from a young age, including constantly moving, bullying, and personal loss. She shares how she overcame these challenges, using them as motivation to fuel her passion and achieve greatness. Danielle also talks about the importance of self-motivation and how she found strength through jiu-jitsu. Tune in to hear Danielle’s inspiring story of resilience, determination, and triumph.

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and Made in the USA apparel brand. Family-owned and operated and headquartered in Philadelphia. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

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What is The Few Will Hunt Show?

The official podcast of Few Will Hunt, the world’s largest community of hard workers and 100% Made in the USA apparel brand. We’re on a mission to restore the dignity of hard work and help others live The Rules of The Few to strengthen ourselves and strengthen society. No entitlement or excuses are allowed here.

Danielle Kelly:

I tell people all the time, like, if you feel like you're stuck, like, what's your surroundings?

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

You think you're in a good surrounding, but sometimes people, they're not doing what's best for you. They wanna do what's best for them.

Drew Beech:

Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show.

Joey Rosen:

What's going on, Eagles? Welcome to the Fuel Hunt Show. I am Joey. I'm joined here with Drew, but he's not important right

Joey Rosen:

now. No.

Joey Rosen:

We have a guest we have a guest here with us today, Danielle Kelly, one of the few, a few on athlete, and most importantly, 1 championship, Adam Waite, 1 15 submission grappling world champion here with us today. We're we're excited to have you here with us at, at HQ on the show. Were just rapping a little bit, before this.

Drew Beech:

We used a 20 minute podcast before. Yeah. We

Joey Rosen:

were just rapping before this, and,

Drew Beech:

I was telling everybody how emotional

Joey Rosen:

I am and, that, you know, I can basically cry at the drop of a hat. But I'm

Drew Beech:

not gonna cry during this episode. I'm not

Joey Rosen:

gonna do it. Just letting letting everybody know.

Drew Beech:

It is funny. Being such a hardo brand or a hardo brand, like, people wouldn't think we were such emotional guys. But, I mean, you especially. You're very in touch.

Joey Rosen:

I am in touch. I appreciate

Drew Beech:

that.

Joey Rosen:

I'm gonna

Drew Beech:

take that

Joey Rosen:

as a compliment. No.

Drew Beech:

It's a compliment.

Danielle Kelly:

The strongest people are usually emotional.

Joey Rosen:

Yes. I agree. I feel like you see.

Joey Rosen:

You have

Drew Beech:

Of course, he agrees.

Joey Rosen:

You have to touch both ends of the spectrum.

Drew Beech:

You know

Joey Rosen:

what I mean? Yeah. To really, really be strong.

Drew Beech:

No. I agree. I agree.

Joey Rosen:

I know you're outnumbered.

Joey Rosen:

No.

Joey Rosen:

Like, by crying or something like

Joey Rosen:

I I

Drew Beech:

cried or I have cried, but not

Joey Rosen:

I would say to the depth of Not as

Drew Beech:

You're like you're from, like you you're from hard o to, like, crying.

Joey Rosen:

I'm an interesting person.

Drew Beech:

It could be the the the one thing said, and it's like Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I know. Look. Still still rivers run deep. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

I get super emotional really quick. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

We're still saying it.

Joey Rosen:

Same same thing.

Drew Beech:

We were just talking about being emotional. You guys got all work all work felt.

Joey Rosen:

I know. I know. It happens. It could happen.

Joey Rosen:

It was,

Danielle Kelly:

like, coming, like, the tears. I was like, nope.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yep. That's actually

Danielle Kelly:

And we started talking about Disney. Like, oh, okay.

Joey Rosen:

That's a superpower, being able to turn off the faucet. I'm still working on that. I'm still working on it. Alright. Well, let's talk today.

Joey Rosen:

The community knows you. Let's talk today a little bit about, like, your journey your journey to world champion. Right? How you got started in jujitsu. We got some time.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm. You know, how you got started in jujitsu, what got you started, and then, like I said, the road the road that you've walked. I know there's probably I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that there's probably a lot of people out there that would say you were lucky or this or that or the other thing, but I know you. I know your story. And I've seen just in the short time that we've known each other personally, I've seen the hard work that you put in and, why you're where you are.

Joey Rosen:

So I wanna talk about that a little bit too.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. So, really long story, but long story short, long story. I so I lived in Philly, like, pretty much all of my life until my parents decided to move to, like, the suburbs, but we were still, like, close to Fox Chase, like, Northeast Philly. My first ever, actually, school, first ever before the other one. I used to do, like, karate grappling, it was called.

Danielle Kelly:

It was still karate at Tiger Shulman's that used to be at the, Northeast where the hibachi place is. I don't think it's the hibachi place anymore.

Joey Rosen:

In, Roosevelt Mall?

Danielle Kelly:

Yes. Yeah. There's a corner of Roosevelt. Mention it to, like, real Philly people, people are like, wow. Like, you're old.

Danielle Kelly:

I'm like, no.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. I remember it was on the corner, like Yeah. Next to the

Danielle Kelly:

There was, like, a lot of kids at the time too. Mhmm. But, It

Joey Rosen:

was big.

Drew Beech:

It was big for Philly. Popular. Yeah. That's Yeah. I mean, that's

Danielle Kelly:

And I think that's when Tiger Showman's, like, brand was just starting to get big. Mhmm. Anyways, so me and my brother, before we moved, because this was, like, a few months before, and the bullying didn't really start. Like, I grew up in that school where I was at, the elementary school, and I had, like, a lot of childhood friends.

Joey Rosen:

And I

Danielle Kelly:

was in a small neighborhood. Like, this is when a lot of kids were, like, playing outside.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Of course.

Danielle Kelly:

My neighbor was, like, my best friend, had friends up the street. But my parents were more like, alright. We're in a Philly school. There's not really much sports. You guys need to, like, get out of the house more.

Danielle Kelly:

So and this is like I make fun of my brother to this day, but, you know, I think he would be really good if he stuck with it, but he just doesn't like people touching him, like, really aggressively. So we did, we did, like, the 1st month at this Tiger Schulman School and learned, like, how to do, like, you know, defend, like, grips. Someone grabs your wrist or whatever. Learned my first ever, like, double leg takedown. And I didn't know what I was doing.

Danielle Kelly:

It was, like, all new to me because I was, like, playing soccer and field hockey and a little bit of softball. And a few months later, we moved to the like, a bigger house, nicer neighborhood, in Rockledge. And, I think at the time so it's weird, like, 5th grade to 6th grade, like, it was kinda like a big elementary school because it was like McKinley and there was, like, 6 other elementary schools going to this big middle school. So once the 6th graders at the time when I was in 6th grade got to the big middle school, we were we were with 9th graders. So it was 6th graders, 7th graders, 8th 9th.

Danielle Kelly:

And I had to be paired up with, I would see, like, the freshmen or 8th graders who were, like, girls who were, like, bigger. So it can't it got to a point where, like, I'm this new little small girl, £70. I don't go to that tiger show one place anymore because it's like I guess it was, like, expensive for my parents. And I discovered I was getting bullied a lot. So, I didn't know what bullying was at first because, like, you know, I'm just a 6th grader.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, like, it's like a new big school. Like, you're supposed to meet new friends from, like, other elementaries, but I was still me and my brother were still, like, new kids. Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

So, like, here I am, this little new kid still. Didn't only had, like, friends I knew from, like, 5th grade, but, like, you know, those kids grew up with each other. Sure. So, like, here I am just kinda, like, by myself. You're, like,

Joey Rosen:

thrown into the melting pot. Oh, yeah. Like, of yeah.

Joey Rosen:

And then

Danielle Kelly:

like, not even, like, a month later, like, I somehow found myself, like, you know, getting followed to the school bus. There's it was it was bad. Especially, I feel like nowadays, bullying's probably gotten worse with social media, but back then, like, it was scary. Like, I was a small girl.

Joey Rosen:

Plus, like, you were saying, you don't know, like, you don't really know what the bullying is. Like, when it I was bullied bullied as a kid, like, when around the same time, like, it started maybe, like, 6th grade or whatever. You would you start thinking, like, something's wrong with you. Like, you're not, like, oh, this person's a bully and, you know, something's up with them and they're taking it out on me. You actually think.

Joey Rosen:

You're like, oh, well, no. I'm something's up with me. Mhmm. Like, you know what I mean?

Joey Rosen:

And Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

They're telling me a truth. It's

Danielle Kelly:

and that's the

Joey Rosen:

furthest thing from the truth.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. And, you know, at such a young age, like, it when all that's happening and, you know, it's just it takes a toll on you. Like, you know, your comp especially my confidence, and I'll get into that, like, starting jujitsu. Like, my confidence was so low. Like, I had a new new person, had no friends, can't really rely on my brother because he was a great above me.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, he had his own stuff going on and, you know, and then backstory, like, my dad was just getting sick. So as a kid, it was just a lot. And then one day, fast forward, I got into, like, my first fight ever, and this girl was, like, bigger than me.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. At school?

Joey Rosen:

At school?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Yeah. She was it was if I remember correctly, like, it was like it was like a kid fight, like, 6th grade.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm. She

Danielle Kelly:

was in my classroom. It was at recess. And I think she, like, shoved me or something outside, like, we had playgrounds. So Yeah. I forget what happened.

Danielle Kelly:

And then my go to instinct was pull our hair, and then we just pull each other's hair.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And then we were on the floor, and then the aids, like, stopped us, whatever. And I remember I have, like, a scar here actually from her nail. And ever since, like, that happened, I was, like, you know, I I need to, like, defend myself. You know? And my dad was, like, into boxing.

Danielle Kelly:

So, like, back in his time, he was probably like, oh, you should've done this and that. And it's like, see you said and done. Like, I don't know whether cross or, like, what up but that's not

Joey Rosen:

This is like this is like your first fight.

Joey Rosen:

You know what

Joey Rosen:

I mean? You were my

Joey Rosen:

1 squad.

Danielle Kelly:

Know what I was doing, especially on the ground. Like, she was bigger than me. Mhmm. Like, you know, and

Drew Beech:

Was that before or after the Tiger Showman's experience?

Danielle Kelly:

This was after, but, like

Joey Rosen:

It sounds like you did, like, you did your month your, like, free month or so at at Tiger.

Danielle Kelly:

And then thinking

Joey Rosen:

about it.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. It was probably and I but, like, I was so young. Yeah. Especially, like, nowadays when I look at kids who are, like, 5, 6, 7, they're doing, like, Pan Am's kids. I'm like, wow.

Danielle Kelly:

Those kids would have kicked my butt. Yeah. Yeah. I couldn't put 2 and 2 together when I started at Tiger Gilman's. It was it was different times back then too.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I feel so old saying that. But, like, yeah, it was, like, 2,005, 2,006. Like, I couldn't really, like alright. Like, when do I do a double leg? Because the way they show it, it was like, oh, they just stand there, and they and you just do it.

Danielle Kelly:

But what about if someone's coming out, like, going towards you? Like, I I was frozen. So it's really weird that I remember, like, little details like that when that happened. But, yeah, every time I look at my scar, I was like, I need to I need to get into some kind of self defense. My my dad was saying that.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

And

Danielle Kelly:

then that's kinda like where my journey started. You know? Okay. Because my dad was really upset, and he started, like, look at, like, schools. It was mostly, like, self defense, like, typed in or, like, go on Google Maps on the computer back then.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

It was like, alright. Self defense schools, karate schools.

Joey Rosen:

That was,

Danielle Kelly:

like, everyone's go to because jujitsu wasn't really known back then. Yep. And then found, like, the first school. But we were looking for, like, striking. So, originally, I was going to trying to find a place where I could work striking because my mom did taekwondo.

Danielle Kelly:

And then Oh, okay.

Joey Rosen:

At the

Danielle Kelly:

coach at the time, he was like, oh, this is jujitsu.

Joey Rosen:

Okay.

Danielle Kelly:

And explained to me if someone takes you down, you learn how to defend yourself, sweep them, or, you know, defend yourself on the ground if someone's bigger or is on top of you.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. So that's so it was really, like, out of necessity, really. That's why you started. Right?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Yeah. It wasn't like, oh, I wanna do this. It was like I

Joey Rosen:

This is a must do because I need to defend myself.

Joey Rosen:

You know what

Joey Rosen:

I mean?

Danielle Kelly:

Because then, like, it was such like a big small but big school. Things got around fast. Like, oh, Daniel got beat up and this, that, and

Joey Rosen:

then I wore

Danielle Kelly:

targets on my back.

Joey Rosen:

Exactly. There's, like, blood in the water. You know, it's like sharks.

Drew Beech:

You I didn't know that because some of the videos you put on Instagram and that you see on YouTube, like, you were, like, a young dog. Like, you were wrestling jujitsu, like and you were just, like, taking people's heads off in these videos. I saw I think you posted it or something. It's like you beating this boy, like a boy that was like double your size.

Danielle Kelly:

I beat him alive.

Drew Beech:

And you're like double, like, the shit out of him.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

So I thought it was like you just realistically, like, your dad just put you in that stuff and you were just

Danielle Kelly:

I I give him a lot of credit for that. It's such a long story too. But, I think, like so, like, with my first school, you know, p I was like, yeah. My mom actually went with me because my dad found the place, but my mom took me to that place.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. It was

Danielle Kelly:

on a Friday. They were sweeping the mats, and my mom was explaining, you know, my poor mom was like, my kids, you know.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

My poor kids. It it makes me sad even just, like, because I knew, like, she was worried. Like, I didn't understand, but it was, like, I needed to, like, get into something. I mean

Joey Rosen:

but, you know, like, hats off to them because they took action. Yeah. Like, they didn't sit there and just say, okay. Well, this is a phase and all kids go through it.

Danielle Kelly:

It'll pass. Not only that. Like, a kid back even, like it was it's still a good school to its degree, but, like, a kid was a kid got stabbed the next week later. Like, if Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

These things happen

Joey Rosen:

I mean, you're

Joey Rosen:

talking to

Danielle Kelly:

do anything

Joey Rosen:

about it. Yeah. 2 kids from Philly. We we understand, but, like, you know, hats off. Like, much respect to your parents for taking action, like, immediately.

Joey Rosen:

It wasn't, like, one of those things. Doesn't sound like they were waiting or they were like, oh, hey. It's a new school. These things happen. There's no excuse.

Danielle Kelly:

That day, he was like, you're going you're whether you like it or not, you're gonna be in this class. And the next time someone puts their hands on you, you make sure you make a statement.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

And that's what I did.

Joey Rosen:

Wow. Yep. So, how old are you when you start jiu jitsu?

Danielle Kelly:

I was 10.

Joey Rosen:

10.

Danielle Kelly:

And then it's weird because, like, as I started 10 years old, then, like, maybe 6 months later, I was I turned 11. So I started, like, right before So,

Joey Rosen:

like, 10 or 11. Right? Now this was when jujitsu wasn't as popular as it is today. Right?

Danielle Kelly:

Oh, yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So I gotta imagine you're a 10, 11 year old girl going into a gym, you know, whatever school. I I can't imagine there's a lot of other girls there.

Danielle Kelly:

No. When I started, it was literally me and maybe, like, 2 girls who were, like, 4 years old, who are now graduating from college, which is really crazy to look till because I I follow on social media. I'm, like, wow. I'm getting old. But, yeah, I was I was, like, one of the only, like, big teen kind of girls Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

In the class that just started and the rest were, like, boys.

Joey Rosen:

So you're training with a bunch of boys. It's a it's already an uncomfortable environment for you there.

Danielle Kelly:

Honestly, I mean, if this helps anyone out there, especially, like, kids. Like, the 1st day, I would I think it was the 2nd day. 1st day, I was shy, had my, like, biggie on with sweatpants, and I wasn't forced to go on the mat. I was just, you know, whenever she was, like it was, like, more so whenever I'm comfortable.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

And then, I think, like, the next day when I went to the when I went to the next class because it was, like, a weekend class

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

And I had we were doing sparring. So for, I guess, it was, like, alright. Sparring after class, the last 10 minutes. Me and this kid, Danny, Crazy that I remember him, but, like, I he was bigger than me, still is, but at the time he was bigger, and we just wherever I was taught yesterday in that same day, I had to use it. So I went in there and took all the energy I was dealing with from school and at home, and I took him down, mounted, and that was just my go to.

Danielle Kelly:

Mhmm. And then 4 months later, I did my first ever Naga tournament and won.

Joey Rosen:

And so you were 11 when you first did Naga?

Danielle Kelly:

Yes.

Drew Beech:

Yes. Yeah. Wow. Poor Danny. Hope Danny

Joey Rosen:

loves us. Danny okay nowadays? He's alright. Right?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. He's He

Joey Rosen:

probably you put the fear of god in there. He probably still feared

Danielle Kelly:

me. Like, I mean, also too, like, my I was looking at old photos on the other day too, and it's kinda surprising, but my first ever, like, naga match, first ever no gi ever jiu jitsu match was Amanda Levy. My first ever match.

Joey Rosen:

Was it really?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. That's Oh, that's wild. That's wild. That's not her. Wait.

Danielle Kelly:

That is her. And yeah. Crazy small world.

Drew Beech:

That is crazy.

Joey Rosen:

That is so crazy. I mean, it's crazy it's crazy, but it isn't. Right? Like, you're 2, like, OGs, right, in the game. So it's like

Danielle Kelly:

Especially when she like, girls, like like, in the area too can relate. Like, we always had to go against each other and then, you know, back and forth. And then as the sport, like, grew, more girls started signing up. And now it's, like, just as big as the guys. Still small, but just as big.

Joey Rosen:

How did, like, you know, like you mentioned, you had a lot of you had all that energy, like, balled up. Like, what's going on at school? What's going on at home? When you poor Danny. When you double leg Danny and mounted him and lord knows what else happened.

Drew Beech:

He's he's like I said, fear God. He's got it.

Danielle Kelly:

Danny and his kid Forrest.

Joey Rosen:

Remember these two names.

Danielle Kelly:

I mean, Forrest always went at it. He was, like, the higher bell at the time.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. When you when you were actually able to, like, release that energy and, like, exercise that energy, I gotta imagine it made you feel great.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. And I think that's why, like I think anyone that signs up jiu jitsu, everyone, like, needs that needs just that kind of burst of energy.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Like, that outlet.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Like, you know, people use it as therapy. People use it. Mhmm. People it's like my job now, but people, especially kids, like, it keeps them active.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Especially, like, kids aren't really good at talking about their feelings like me. I just used it on the mats.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I I didn't know I didn't understand, like, as a kid. Now, like, when I'm older, I'm like, well, like, that's why I stuck with it because I had no friends. I was getting bullied, dealt with some dad stuff at home, and, you know, now this is my outlet.

Joey Rosen:

Like

Joey Rosen:

Feelings is fuel. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And then those kids became my friends and

Drew Beech:

Yep. Yeah. It'd be ever a point in jujitsu career where you, like, didn't wanna do jujitsu, like, that your dad was, like, you have to go keep going back or, like, kind of force you to go? Or did you always did you always

Joey Rosen:

love it?

Danielle Kelly:

Like a long timeline. So, I didn't start thinking that till, like, it's weird. Like, I knew I wanna stick with jiu jitsu after my dad passed, and this was, like, trying to go through a timeline. So 6th grade to 9th grade, my dad was still around. And then sophomore year, had to go to a new school.

Danielle Kelly:

And, like, it was just me and my mom and my brother. Yep. So Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So you knew so you knew then that you were you were sticking with it? Like, you were

Danielle Kelly:

So we had the so when I was in Rockledge so if I remember correctly, like, I could just walk to the the first school I was at. Mhmm. It was like it was still like a good neighborhood at the time. Like, it wasn't bad whereas, like, some neighborhoods you just can't walk by yourself as a young girl.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

But, like, there was times where, like, my mom, like, was busy with my dad or, like, had to, like, you know, take a couple of work shifts, I would just walk the jiu jitsu myself. Yeah. Or my brother if my brother wasn't, like, in his mood or, like, raging

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

He would walk with me halfway. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I'm gonna

Danielle Kelly:

put him on the spot a couple times on here. But, yeah, he would, like, walk me, like, either up the street. Sure.

Joey Rosen:

Or

Danielle Kelly:

my dad would meet me in the middle, like, after Fox Chase Cancer Center, meet me and then go back home. So

Joey Rosen:

I mean, you on those walks, there are different walks. Right? Because now, like, compared to younger Danielle, you're more confident now. You know how to handle yourself.

Drew Beech:

On that walk.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. You're probably hoping you see Danny or

Joey Rosen:

I'm scared

Danielle Kelly:

the elevator coming up.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. In all in all fairness, most of our guests

Joey Rosen:

at the

Joey Rosen:

HQ do not trust that elevator.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Yeah. No. I watch too many scary movies.

Joey Rosen:

It's it's yeah. Oh, yeah. We, yeah, we should talk about that on. So you're you're locked in. Like, come like, you you transitioned to another school again, so that's 10th grade, I guess, or whatever.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. So with that, I also wasn't driving yet, and this comes where, like, I start talking later, I'll talk about, like, how parents are big, like should be a big support system with kids who are trying to pursue jiu jitsu or any, like, sport as a career. Mhmm. Because, you know, once we moved out there, like, with my dad, it was a far drive for my mom. So, like, I wasn't going to jujitsu every day.

Danielle Kelly:

I had to stay up at Huntington Valley, which is, like, another 20 minutes where I was at. Mhmm. And so, like, I I started like, I didn't quit, but it was like, I can't show up to classes because my mom, like, she had other things going on. She wasn't taking it as serious, and that's, like, another whole another story after that. But, yeah, like, you know, from, like I forgot to go into the bullying, but because I wanted to mention some fights that I got into too.

Danielle Kelly:

But, like Is

Joey Rosen:

this fights in the 6 to 9 school?

Danielle Kelly:

But is it an advocate. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

But you're per you're you're more prepared now, though, after 6th grade. Like

Joey Rosen:

Once

Danielle Kelly:

I start I'm late

Joey Rosen:

to 9th grade, I gotta imagine, like

Danielle Kelly:

When I tell kids if especially, like, they need advice or something, I tell them just put your kids like, make them compete. Because, like, most people are always nervous when they're competing. It's that adrenaline.

Joey Rosen:

Yep.

Joey Rosen:

Then once

Danielle Kelly:

you, like, let it out and especially, like, in school, like, no one wants to fight school. Like, everyone's trying well, especially, like, Gavinton, but

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Everyone's trying to, like, go about their day, but then you have people who are just going to school because they wanna, like, pick on kids because they think they're tough.

Joey Rosen:

I mean, and they pass their pain on. You know? There's there's pain and Which

Danielle Kelly:

is no excuse, though. Like, you know?

Drew Beech:

People hurt people. Right?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And, so I think this I think this was in 8th grade actually. Fast forward, Still and I was always a quiet kid. Like, I never I never wanted to raise my voice to people. I always, like you know, I had stuff going on at home. Like, I just I was just trying to survive.

Danielle Kelly:

So, like and my, you know, my mom was doing her best to, like, take us to school and everything. And this one day, like, this girl was I think she was a yeah. A great it was always the girls who were older than me that wanted to pick on me. So, like, this one day, like, I was walking the hallway. I was in 8th grade, and she was in 9th grade.

Danielle Kelly:

And I guess, like, I was still, like, being followed by, like, the same girls. You know, it's always, like, in groups. And then she was in the group, but she was, like, by herself walking with someone. I forget, like, the details, but it was just me and her basically walking past.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

And she shoves me with, like, her shoulder in her backpack. And all I knew, like, with competing and, like, I started going 3 or 4 times a week training, jujitsu.

Joey Rosen:

And they know she knows this. Right? Does she

Danielle Kelly:

back in the Myspace days, I made I tried to make tried to play, like, the tough kid. Like, yeah, I do. I'm in a sport. Yeah. But then that made some girls, like, wanna challenge me.

Joey Rosen:

More aggressive. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. So Understood. Yeah. I think she was trying make a point

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Because she was by herself. Like, she was, like, someone probably tried to show it off to them. Weird kid stuff. I don't know.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And she shoves me with her shoulder. I turn around, and all I my instinct I wasn't even thinking. I just shot level change, shot a double leg. The cleanest takedown ever. Oh, I was also in wrestling too

Joey Rosen:

for,

Danielle Kelly:

like, middle school. Yeah. Shot the cleanest double leg. And then once I took her down, she started, like, flaring her legs, like, crazy because, you know, she didn't know what she was doing. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

So now did, like, my double unders, basic 101.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Did my double unders, threw her on her stomach, and she was, like, here, and I just started, like, probably hitting her back over her head. I don't know. My dad told me stick stick up for myself. So that's what I did. And then the aide yelled at me, not her who started it.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Yelled at me. I got the suspension. And then when the aide told my dad, because my dad picked me up that day Yeah. My dad was asking the aide, like, okay. Like, did was Danielle okay?

Danielle Kelly:

Like, did she beat up the girl pretty good? Because she was starring with my daughter.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. And the

Danielle Kelly:

aide was and then the principal was kinda like, oh, we don't condone violence, this, that. And then my mom was, like, screaming at them on the phone, like, we've been calling you guys. You guys don't do anything. Yeah. And my dad, like, sat in front of, like, alright.

Danielle Kelly:

I'm taking Danielle at Dunkin' Donuts. Like, since I just finished the 3 days. Yeah. Whatever. Screw it.

Danielle Kelly:

So the greatest day of my life, probably.

Joey Rosen:

I mean, yeah, it you know, you all took matters into your own hands. That's what needed to be done.

Joey Rosen:

Otherwise

Danielle Kelly:

school like, I'm scared to have kids, like, especially if they had to deal with that bully in school. Like, it happens.

Joey Rosen:

It's to this day, it still does. It's worse, and it starts younger. I have 2 daughters. I can attest to it. And we were just you know, Shane was just on the show.

Joey Rosen:

He's a girl dad also, oldest daughter in the same age range as mine, and, like, I can attest to it. Still happens and it's worse.

Drew Beech:

That for a while, I was just trying to do it in my family, but I, like, started seeing videos of kids getting beat up in school and stuff, man. My I that's why realistically, my wasn't because I wanted to share the love of jiu jitsu with Parker. Instead, I wanted Parker to be able to defend himself his entire life.

Joey Rosen:

I got my ass whooped in school until I didn't. Like, my grade school was, like, a rough go for me. So I

Danielle Kelly:

was just playing 7 for guys. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I was a latchkey kid. Like, you know, both my parents were working multiple jobs. So it was, like, you know, here's the key. Like, see yourself out and see yourself back in. And when you come in, you know, cook dinner.

Joey Rosen:

And then, you know, we'll be home around, you know, 6 or 6:30, and dinner will be ready. And and I I it's not a woe is me thing. Like, I'm super grateful that that was, like, the way it was. But it was just, like, kinda me, and I walked to and from school, and I got my ass whooped by older kids to and from school until I figured out, like, I wish that I had jujitsu at that time or something, some type of martial art.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I had to figure out the cerebral way to go about it. I had to, like, literally get my ass beat by the kid. And then, obviously, he was in pain, so he would put me through pain. The next day, I had to walk to school with him again. Like, these are kids I walk to school with.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. It's mentally tough.

Joey Rosen:

The next day, he's not gonna beat me up 2 days in a row. He's gonna let some other kid do

Joey Rosen:

that. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So the next day, I had the opportunity to go up to him and be like, hey, man. You know, is everything okay? Like, I had to go with a cerebral approach because I couldn't use violence.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So I had to get into his head and be like, hey. What's what's going on? And he's like, oh, well, my dad, you know, yesterday saw our dude. Like, my dad made me eat 14 waffles before I left the house because I'm bulking for, like, football and, like, I was pissed about it. So then I, like, beat you up.

Joey Rosen:

And I'm, like, yo, it's cool, dude. Like, next time you're pissed about it, like, let's talk about it. You don't have to beat me up. Like, I had to go to cerebral.

Danielle Kelly:

Here you are coaching him. Like, hey. Like Well,

Joey Rosen:

I had to. It was like self preservation.

Danielle Kelly:

Otherwise, I'm

Joey Rosen:

gonna get my ass beat. You know what I mean? But that's how I think I learned to communicate with people because I was forced to do it. You know what I mean? So I didn't get my ass kicked.

Joey Rosen:

So Mhmm. The the bullying, I'm super, super sensitive to it with my daughters, like, super sensitive because I know what it did to me for, you know, the few years

Danielle Kelly:

that that that happened to me. In jiu jitsu for 20 years or plus, it still affects me to this day. Like Mhmm. Sure. Like, I have a following, but it doesn't get better.

Danielle Kelly:

You know? It's I think it's just different levels, but I think it it does it always starts with as being a kid.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Oh, yeah. For sure.

Drew Beech:

Hate too. Like, even as you get to new level, that's, like, the more supporters come out, also more haters come out. So Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

See, it's harder for girls too. Not, like, playing gender, but it's it's wrong.

Joey Rosen:

I can yeah. I can imagine that. I think when when your kid there's a story, and I I wish I could actually cite this story. I don't think it's, like, biblical. I think it's just, like, another type of story, like, a parable about, like, a fence.

Joey Rosen:

And when someone does wrong to you, they bully you, you know, whatever. It's like putting a nail in the fence. Right? And eventually, someone will come and remove that nail, but the hole is always there. Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

Right? Maybe you remove the nail yourself because you're stronger and you're more capable and all that stuff, but the hole from the nail is always there. So you'll always remember. So you've you're literally at the pinnacle, like, world champion, but you still feel some of those wounds because, yes, they've scarred over, but there are still scars. They're there.

Joey Rosen:

You know, you see them. Like you said, you you physically have one, right, from, you know, early on. Yeah. So sorry. I think I think I cut you off.

Joey Rosen:

Question? No. Yeah. So the the bullying thing, out of necessity, I'm sure you've that's not the only story you have about a clean double to defend yourself.

Danielle Kelly:

Happened in a new school too. Like, it you know, I feel bad for me and my brother. Like, you know, I understand what my mom had to kind of 5050 understand what she had to do, not that I agree with most of it. But, you know, I guess, like, after my dad passed, you know, you're just kind of, like, oh, we we got moved here. We have to do this and that, like, panic mode.

Danielle Kelly:

So

Joey Rosen:

Survival mode.

Danielle Kelly:

I am, like, going to sport, far away from my first school, don't have a car. Like, you know, my brother when my brother got into an accident, like, he was the one that first got a car because, I guess, like, he was able to afford it because, you know, when you have an accident as a kid, it kinda comes back when you turn 18. So he had that going for him. But here, I was stuck with no car. Like, I had to be at home with my uncle or my mom.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, that that life was not great at

Joey Rosen:

all. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

So and especially, like, you're still young, you're in high school, and you're a new kid, it takes a toll on you because, like, no one wants to talk to a new kid.

Joey Rosen:

No one

Danielle Kelly:

wants to put the effort, especially, like, girls. Like, girls are so catty, especially, like, in a richer area. Like, I was always, like, judged in some way.

Joey Rosen:

You I mean, I'm going out on a limb, but I gotta imagine that, like, you probably prefer north like, Northeast Philly because you could just, like, fight it

Danielle Kelly:

out, call it dead. I feel bad always saying it's my mom, but I was like, mom, why did you make us move? You know, it's

Joey Rosen:

There's a difference.

Joey Rosen:

You

Drew Beech:

think of doing that.

Joey Rosen:

There's a difference between, like, I I know from maybe it's not that way. Maybe this is a generalization. I'm gonna get skewered for it. But, like, I had the experience of Philly. And then, like, when I was in college, my parents moved to the suburbs.

Joey Rosen:

So I had the experience of, like, getting to know some kids in the suburbs. As just different, man.

Danielle Kelly:

Philly, I when I was different. Even just having a kid, like, everyone was friends with everybody. Then once I moved to Abingdon, like, the other suburbs, people were mean.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. So I'm saying, like, when 6 to 9, you know, in that school with Philly kids, with city kids, like, it wasn't all peaches and rainbows and lollipops, but you fought it out. You survived. You had a calling card. You had a reputation now or whatever it was, not reputation.

Joey Rosen:

But people knew, you know, now you're restarting and you're doing it in an environment where kids operate differently.

Danielle Kelly:

You know? Like mental. Like, they won't say it to your face, but it's like,

Joey Rosen:

they

Danielle Kelly:

think they're above you.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Well, I did have one girl who thought she was, actually got into another fight in my brother's classroom, actually. But, yeah, she was, in my brother's grade. I was a I was a junior, and they were all seniors. Mhmm. So that's, like, a whole different story.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. But then you have those girls who act like because they're the city, then they're in, like, the the rich school. They can

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. I got you.

Danielle Kelly:

How they feel.

Joey Rosen:

What so you did you you had to find a new you you didn't have a car, kinda landlocked, your home. You have stuff going on at home. You still have stuff going on at school. You had to find a new home for training, go about things differently after the move?

Danielle Kelly:

Or It's weird, like, because, my mom was, like, close with a lot of people, like, that I grew up with from, like, the first school. My mom was very like, everyone, like, loved my mom. Like, you know, my mom was you know, she she was friends with my first coach. She was friends with, like, even people who are, like, still competing out today. Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

But, like, you know, my mom was kinda, like, dealing with a lot of her stuff on her own. And then I me and my brother and mom stay with my dad's twin. So that's a whole, like, different

Joey Rosen:

Oh, okay.

Danielle Kelly:

Story.

Drew Beech:

Oh, your brother's a twin?

Joey Rosen:

Her dad's

Joey Rosen:

a twin.

Danielle Kelly:

My dad

Joey Rosen:

my dad's a twin.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So you're not did you My

Danielle Kelly:

dad's a better looking twin.

Drew Beech:

Was there a was there

Joey Rosen:

a point in time where you missed training consistently?

Danielle Kelly:

For sure. That's when, like, you know, I was also gaining a lot of weight. Like, that was the first time, like, as a high schooler, like, I was already having bad confidence, not having friends, being a new kid, And the first time ever and I can I can barely gain weight now? But, like, I was, as I got older a little bit, I would eat more, gain a little weight, and, yeah, like, I just I wasn't training consistently. I only train on the weekends.

Danielle Kelly:

Okay. But then the classes would be, like, Tuesday nights, Thursday nights, and then maybe I'll do the juniors, but, like, I was starting to be, like, you know, a big kid. I can't be in the juniors class anymore.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. So when did it when did you get back into like, was there a point in time where you said, okay. Look. Like

Danielle Kelly:

So I was only able to if it was, like, like, winter break, spring break. But even sometimes, like, the school will be closed. Like, it was it was hard to, like because, like, I started not let fall in love with jujitsu anymore. I was going to wrestling. That's why I started, like, alright.

Danielle Kelly:

If I don't have if I can't go to jiu jitsu every day, I'll just stick with wrestling because I do it for high school.

Joey Rosen:

And Oh, okay. So you were wrestling in high school.

Drew Beech:

Oh, you wrestled at Abingdon?

Danielle Kelly:

I wrestled, yeah, I wrestled from, 6th grade to senior year Oh. And I was in freestyle.

Drew Beech:

Wow. I know. Wow.

Danielle Kelly:

Oh, that's I forgot. So, actually, like, in my first tournament ever, and I wanted to do more, like, after the ballot beach. Like, this was now we're talking, like, 2007. Mhmm. And my coach at the time was like, maybe you should start doing wrestling.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, you'll work on your takedowns. That's the only reason I got into it.

Joey Rosen:

Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

And, yeah, it helped with my takedowns a lot. My confidence with that, met friends from from, like, Abington. Yeah. I mean, it gave me a lot of confidence, and then I fell in love with wrestling.

Drew Beech:

So all those fights were at Abington High School in in the suburbs. Right?

Danielle Kelly:

2 fights in Abington, then one in,

Drew Beech:

High School. Interesting because you ideally look to move your kid your family to the suburbs to get them out of that situation. You think that doesn't happen there, but, realistically, the violence happens anywhere.

Joey Rosen:

So Yeah. It's, yeah, it's everywhere, man. It's everywhere. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I think

Danielle Kelly:

if I ever have kids, I I will not if they're, like, old enough where they're, like, 10 or 11, if, like, they already have friends, I don't want I'll probably try and move in the area where it's, like, a nicer house. But, like, taking them you know, they make friends there.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. They're

Danielle Kelly:

gonna start to feel, like, by themselves.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm. Yep. So you so, wow. You wrestled for 6 years.

Drew Beech:

That's a

Joey Rosen:

lot. So when does you start wrestling. You're still competing, obviously. Right? So what what's life after high school?

Joey Rosen:

You graduate, still competing, still training? Like, where's take us on the journey a little bit, honestly.

Danielle Kelly:

I have such a weird, like, journey because right when I got out of high school or just at the end of my senior year

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

I did, like, a a random Naga tournament. You know, my mom was busy with work or something. So, like, my coach at the time and, Daniel Gracie was just coming to Philly. We all went to this tournament, and I signed up for the advanced division, like, whatever. I've just I was just over senior year.

Danielle Kelly:

I wanted to, like Mhmm. Just put it past me and start competing again. And my and in the at the time, it was a school, I think it was called Leuterman or something. Like, they were the pinnacle of jiu jitsu. Like, they were beating every kid, every adult, like, in the area.

Danielle Kelly:

And my 2nd match roundup was, a world champion girl, Inogi. I actually posted all my story, finishing her. But, basically, like, after that, I did the tournament, submitted both my opponents, won. I had my confidence back. Like, alright.

Danielle Kelly:

This is, like, what I wanna do. Mhmm. And then I think that was, like, 2014, 2015. So, like, mid 2015, you know, this was also, like, when me, my mom, and my brother my brother was also preparing for college and getting ready for the military because he wanted to go to air force.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

But we were still, like, dealing with, like, my uncle at the time. And then, my mom wanted to get away from that. We moved back to Philly. So now we're, like, in the Ronhurst?

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Ronhurst area. Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

And this

Danielle Kelly:

is, like, when I met, like, my really good friend, Susie, who lived across the street from me. So it's, like, more so, like, the area we were at, the house we were at, it was just to get away.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

You know? My mom for my mom's sake and everything. And it wasn't ideal because, you know, especially as a kid and, like, being 17, 18, you have, like, a really nice house, nicer house, nice neighborhood, and now we're back to square 1.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And, I think, you know, especially, like, especially today, like, it still takes a toll on me. Like, well, I had this and that. You know? My mom, like, started to become, like, alright. Dejitsu might not be for you because how are you gonna financially, you know Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Help yourself? Like, I can't do this and that. Your brother's going to military. You know, my mom had started to have, like, her stuff, like Mhmm. Internally.

Drew Beech:

So at this point, you were wanting to make jujitsu your career?

Danielle Kelly:

So I was in college. So it's really weird and I feel old saying this, but, like, back then, like, jujitsu for girls wasn't really her. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Like, what was their

Danielle Kelly:

Like, if you were Mackenzie Turner, Gabby Garcia, and you're doing, like, and IBDGF was, like, promoting them a lot Mhmm. Then, like, they're making decent money, I

Joey Rosen:

guess Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

At the time.

Drew Beech:

But that was the pinnacle for you. Like, if you were to say what was your life be like in jujitsu, it would be like a like a IBJJF being promoted by them and okay.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. So well, also too and that's the thing, like, I BGF tournaments even, like, back then were expensive. And my mom was like, you know, I'm not paying for that. I don't wanna do this or that. That's, like, a whole, like, different story, like, with my mom too, but, like, she basically, like, wasn't, like, supporting me, which I understand, I guess, to a certain degree.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, it a lot, like, happened during, like, those small few years. Like, it's high school and moving to the new small house.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

And, yeah, it was tough because I'm like, well, like, how I love doing what I do. Yeah. I work at a pizza job right now to, like, support myself a little bit. I use my brother's car now because my brother had gotten a new car, like, at 20 or 21 or something. So

Joey Rosen:

I was

Danielle Kelly:

basically taking myself there and back. Even people that were, like like, I thought were close to me, you know, this is actually this is probably, like, after my mom passes away. But, you know, my mom wasn't, like, being, like, supportive, you know. And I think with kids' jujitsu nowadays, the big reason they're they're more successful is because they have parents. Like, they're They

Joey Rosen:

have this. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

They're, like, they have the support, the backbone of it, and I didn't have that. So for me, like, I feel like as a blue belt, purple belt, I was behind while all the people at blue belt, pro belt opponents, they were ahead because they were

Joey Rosen:

They had a support system. Yes. Yeah. You mentioned that in the beginning of the show that, like, you wanted to call that out, like, the importance of if your child is expressing interest in jujitsu, like, you know, make sure you tell them what you told them when they were in kindergarten. They can be anything they want.

Joey Rosen:

Instead of telling them, well, this isn't realistic, and and I'm not speaking on your instinct.

Danielle Kelly:

No. You're right.

Joey Rosen:

You know what

Joey Rosen:

I mean? Just speaking generally, like, you know?

Danielle Kelly:

It still messes me mentally, like, you know, it's and, like, I I love my mom.

Joey Rosen:

It seems like yeah. It seems like you're you know, there was so much going on that your mom was looking for stability and wanted the same for you. Inadvertently, it seems like she was talking you out of your dream a little bit, which

Danielle Kelly:

Wanted me to pursue my my my brother loved

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, the air Force, but I but it was it's not just my mom. Like, you know, after where when she passed is when people started to, like, kind of, try to tell me what to do or what I should and shouldn't do. Yeah. Coaches that I thought were my mentors and

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

End up kind of just

Joey Rosen:

If there's if there's one thing that I see throughout your life story to this point, right, and even now to today, probably, because you said these things still affect you as they should. You consistently use your feelings as fuel consistently.

Danielle Kelly:

And that's that could be a good or a bad thing too, especially, like, being professional grappler. Almost a professional a professional fighter because Yeah. You know, it's not really back then, like, professional grappling wasn't, like, a thing.

Joey Rosen:

A thing.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think, like, everything I went through I think it's for everybody. Whoever you go through for childhood, you know, you become a parent or this or that, it still affects me, my relationships, my family. Like

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And I I always struggle. Like, I didn't want to just to just be my identity. Yeah. You know, I think I'm more than that. Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

Of course.

Danielle Kelly:

And I think, like, you know, like, my mom tried her best, you know, and I just think, like, I probably could have, you know, done, like, more tournaments or, you know I I think it would've been a different path, you know, if some things didn't go the way they did, but it is it is what it is.

Drew Beech:

To your mom's credit though to a person who's been conditioned by society and the way things have been, like, you telling her that you wanna go be a professional jujitsu player is crazy. Like Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

She was like she looked at me and was like,

Joey Rosen:

like, like, stay

Danielle Kelly:

in college. Like,

Joey Rosen:

will you Exactly. Searching for stability.

Drew Beech:

She thinks she's doing the right thing by guiding you one way when realistically to to be to us dreamed chasers and risk takers, like

Danielle Kelly:

Well, I'm also being compared to my brother, but, like, he you know, all he did was he'll go to school or he'll rage at his game. Mhmm. That's what he would do every day and then go to military.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And then me, it's like, I don't wanna just I don't know, like, what I wanna do.

Drew Beech:

Like Exactly.

Danielle Kelly:

I'm being forced to, like, do something where I don't want to, but I have to because of what was going on at home.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. So after I can imagine, like, after your mom passed, you stayed on the course to chasing your dreams with jujitsu? Or did you have another moment where you're kinda like, hey. Is this really for me?

Danielle Kelly:

Do we have time?

Drew Beech:

Yeah. We got a

Joey Rosen:

little time.

Danielle Kelly:

Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

We got a little

Joey Rosen:

time.

Danielle Kelly:

So, you know, like, I can talk about it. It's when my mom passed, it was it was kinda unexpecting, but, like, the position I was in this is, like, screwed up because I was still, like, young.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, I was I was kinda, like, conditioned. I don't know, like, because my mom wasn't taking care of herself. Like, I had to deal with I felt like I was being a babysitter at one time, and, like, I wanna do things what I wanna do, what made me happy. My brother was already doing his thing. My brother was out of the picture.

Danielle Kelly:

You know? It was just me and my mom at that at that point. Had to deal with my mom's stuff. I had to, you know, it it not become a caregiver, but it was like, she was telling me I didn't want I shouldn't do this x y z, but then, like, she wasn't doing her part

Joey Rosen:

as being a mom.

Danielle Kelly:

And this isn't putting down any parents, like, this is, like, what I went through.

Joey Rosen:

Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

And, you know, I think losing my dad really, like, took a toll. So, like, people that I thought, like, were my mentors or, like, people that I looked up to, they weren't there. So, you know, as a kid, like, so young and, like, being 20, 21 years old or I was still 20 years old actually. This was, like, 2016 when she passed going going to 2017. Like, I was still young and, like, people are telling you, like, you should do this or that, do this and that.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, I'm a kid and you're pulling me into different directions. I don't know, like, what I wanna do. So what did I do? I was still in college, drank every weekend. I thought that was a cool thing.

Danielle Kelly:

I thought it was cool to get attention, certain attention that, you know, it's not not great.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And then I realized, like, it took me a while. People don't just snap out of it. It has to happen, like, for me, it was, like, probably almost a year.

Joey Rosen:

And I was like on your your terms. You know? Like, somebody can't come in and

Danielle Kelly:

just tell me. Myself. I'm like, my dad would not want this. Like Mhmm. What am I doing?

Danielle Kelly:

So I I basically took myself out of a situation, people who weren't supporting me, who I thought were there from me and my mom.

Joey Rosen:

And I put myself with

Danielle Kelly:

people that wanna see the best of me. They people that wanna see me win. They want me to see see me succeed. I tell people all the time, like, if you feel like you're stuck, like, what's your surroundings?

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

You think you're in a good surrounding, but sometimes people, they're not doing what's best for you. They wanna do what's best for them. Yeah. And this isn't bashing, like, people in general. It's just Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

They're just doing what they wanna do.

Joey Rosen:

And many times when people are really good people and they have good intentions, but they don't know what you need.

Danielle Kelly:

Or that's what they were the whole time and you thought.

Joey Rosen:

Or that. Yeah. But, like, they don't, and I'm just speaking generally. Right? Like, people want to help people, but not everybody knows how to help people.

Joey Rosen:

Does that make sense?

Drew Beech:

Does that

Danielle Kelly:

make sense? Especially with my situation. Yeah. I can't imagine.

Joey Rosen:

And your your situation, your upbringing, what you went through, it's not common. Like, people don't have the tools to navigate that.

Joey Rosen:

That's the thing.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, normally like, it's so weird. Like, I'm not saying, oh, I'm different, but it's like, I really don't know anyone else. Like, people who probably lose a parent or 2, I don't want anyone losing parents. Like, you know, but normally when people lose parent or both parents, it's when they're older.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

But for me, like, I lost my dad turning 15.

Joey Rosen:

Pivotal time.

Danielle Kelly:

My mom 20. Pivotal.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I I will say that to your point, people don't always want what's best for you. They want what's best for them for you.

Joey Rosen:

I think that's what like, they don't they don't know how to help people.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

They know how to help themselves. We all do. We all know how to help ourselves. We know what we should do and what we shouldn't do. What we do is we take that ability to help ourselves, and

Drew Beech:

we say, oh, this will work for you too. Exactly.

Joey Rosen:

But that's not helping people. You know what I mean? So it's, you

Danielle Kelly:

know, it's just a whole thing I I wanna touch up too, like and I found this, like, being in, like, relationships, you know. Like, when you're a kid, you're always close to family, whether it's your mom's side and dad's side.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm. I

Danielle Kelly:

was close mostly with my dad's side. And, you know, like, normally, like, I assume, like, especially, like, close family connections and everything, like, your aunt or uncle or cousins, like, they'll look after you. You know? And I feel like my dad was, like, the person that kept, like, everyone together. So, like Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

It was

Danielle Kelly:

just hard because, like, I relied on people from jiu jitsu because, like, that's what I grew up with. Like, I was focused and around people at that time through jiu jitsu. But then, like, you know and again, it's like these people aren't they don't really see me as family. They're just gonna do, like, what's they think is best for me but in their perspective. But then, like, me I'm, like, thankful because I'm back, like, close to my mom's side now.

Danielle Kelly:

Mhmm. Like, especially on my dad's side, like, know, my dad went through a lot, and you're not gonna, like, talk to your kids. So that's, like, a whole different story.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

But, like, here I am. Like, I'm being judged at 20 years old, lost both parents, and people were judging me on my, like, decisions. But it's like, what adult? I have, like, no one to really guide me.

Joey Rosen:

Yes.

Danielle Kelly:

Or if I have, like, people from who I thought were mentors from jiu jitsu trying to guide me, but then, like, they'll talk to me how they want to, Then I have my family, like, I don't have people to, like, back me. Yeah. Parents do that. Yeah. And I think, like, growing up, like, now we're, like, you know, relationships.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, people think it's okay to, like, treat some people who don't have family because who's gonna stop who's gonna stop them from saying that, you know? Yeah. So I I always, like, you know, especially when I have kids, like, I just hope, like, you know, they always have, like, a relationship with, like, their family and everything.

Joey Rosen:

I'm sure you'll you'll make sure that that's the case Yeah. If and when you if and when you do. It sounds like you you know, another, like, yet another

Danielle Kelly:

It's sad story. But

Joey Rosen:

yeah. But, I mean, but a story of growth because you kept going. You know what I mean? What so you you come to a realization, another, like, inflection point, it seems like, like, a realization in your life. Like, hey.

Joey Rosen:

This is not what my dad would have wanted for me. Like, you know, how I'm living my life at the moment. Like, he would probably want me to chase my dream. So do you flip that switch at some point and you say, okay, look, like, I'm gonna align myself with different people. I'm gonna stop listening to these opinions.

Joey Rosen:

I'm gonna chase this. I'm gonna go after it. Like

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Honestly, it's like when I moved to, like, North Jersey, found a school, Silver Fox. You know, I I was around people and people who I, like, was with and everything.

Joey Rosen:

Did you make that move by yourself? So you were, like, independent? Like, you got

Drew Beech:

a job

Joey Rosen:

and you're

Danielle Kelly:

just doing

Joey Rosen:

your thing?

Danielle Kelly:

Well, that's

Joey Rosen:

why I

Danielle Kelly:

went to Daniels. So I was at Daniels, but I was still, like, trying to figure out, like, what I was doing because I was in college, but I didn't know if I wanted to stay at college because I was, at downtown Northeast, and I was at Northeast Community College. And, like, again, like, so much has happened, and I wasn't even focusing, like, on school. Like, that's how I mean, I still pass except I still hate this one professor. He found me because my mom's funeral was out that day, and I was like, hey.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, I can't make it. I have a funeral to go to. And then he was he was like, what funeral? And I'm like, my mom's, like, can I just take the test next week? She failed me.

Danielle Kelly:

So

Drew Beech:

What the fuck

Joey Rosen:

is this guy's name with?

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. We got him now. North

Joey Rosen:

East Community College. Danny, Forrest, and this guy. That's college. Double leg.

Drew Beech:

That's college 1 on 1 right

Joey Rosen:

there. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

So even even just it just piles up. Like, everyone's telling me, like, judging me, like, if I made decisions they didn't like, whatever. Mhmm. I'm dealing with this stuff. Like, I I tried telling my professor, like, hey.

Danielle Kelly:

I have to go to, like, a family funeral and you're gonna fail me because I can't take the test. Like, back to what I was saying, I was around, like, that person and people and I realized, like, this is how I'm supposed to be treated. This is what it's like to be supported.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, I'm really grateful, like, for everyone, you know, there, I think. I give I give credit to, like, Fox, Frank, Enrique, like, everyone there that, like, helped me, and, like, put me to high school. Like, I give credit I I always give them credit, so credit where it's due. And I feel like without that, I don't even think I would be this far. So Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

It's very emotional.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So at

Drew Beech:

what point does it become a real thing where you're like, this is gonna be my Job? So my career. Yeah. Like, what's your first break? Or

Danielle Kelly:

So, it's funny because, like, once I switched schools, I realized, like, I'm supposed to learn this stuff. I'm a brown belt. I should be learning this thing, and then I put 2 and 2 together. I started rolling girls, like, I didn't really see in Philly at the time. Like Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

When

Danielle Kelly:

we go with Daniel's, it was, like, me 3 girls, me one will be my size, and then 2 will be, like, big girls. And so especially, like, today, like, it's hard to find, like, my size and, like, you know, skill level.

Joey Rosen:

Sure.

Danielle Kelly:

And being, like, a 1 15 pounder, like, I'm not a 1 35 er. I can't just go with anyone. Like, I'll get, you know, I'll get muscled and everything. So, it became a point where I was, like, doing tournaments, super fights. I did, like, this big tournament at the time, and it was, like, fight pass.

Danielle Kelly:

Fight pass was, like, streaming it, like, one of the first few, like, jujitsu tournaments. And I guess, like, I put on a show, like, my first match, I was probably, like, a huge underdog because the girl, like, drilled, like, overtime stuff and all that. Mhmm. I beat her at her game. It's like an intense match.

Danielle Kelly:

And my other my next match was, and again, I had this, like, wrestler mentality.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

But that's why I still think to this day, everyone at Silver Fox, like, took me out of that mentality to, like, learn jujitsu. So back to that tournament, I had had this wrestling mentality, but I was going against this girl who was, like, a 5 time jujitsu world champion. Typical. Yeah. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And, the first, like my instinct was she pulls guard. This is, like, a 10 minute match. Pulls guard. I go for, like, a crappy ankle lock. Had no idea what I was doing.

Danielle Kelly:

And then she mounts me for, like, the first minute or 2. I get out of it. Now it's back and forth. This is me, like, as a new, like, kinda sorta new brown belt from Philly.

Joey Rosen:

You

Danielle Kelly:

know? Small girl from Philly, and I went the distance with her, and I lost by one second over time to this world champion. So ever since that happened, Fight Pass and, like, other streams started to, like Mhmm. Contact me, and I think I was, like, the first the first few, girls that, like, had to put my face out there for women's jiu jitsu, and I started to, like, get paid for super fights and everything.

Joey Rosen:

Sure. You realize the, the responsibility that you have with, like, blazing a trail for women in jiu jitsu.

Danielle Kelly:

I don't like to, like, say that because, like, a lot of people insist they don't like to give me credit for a reason, but, like, when I look back, I'm like, yeah. Like, I started that stuff. You know? Like, I

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, I feel like I I I feel like some kind of, effort or, I don't know what that word is, but Mhmm. I basically, you know, put women's jiu jitsu.

Joey Rosen:

You had a you had every reason to quit multiple times and you didn't. And, you know, you stayed strong and you share your story, which we appreciate you doing. Yeah. Not just not just here, but, like, you share your story. And I've got to imagine that, like, other girls resonate with the bullying or the loss of a parent or both.

Joey Rosen:

And, you know, you're a role model for them, you know. And maybe they'll get involved in jujitsu and stick with it and, you know, reach where you're at too.

Drew Beech:

There was 1 did you see the one story where we posted this, girl has a jean jack like, if you want jean jacket on it, she's like

Joey Rosen:

she's like,

Drew Beech:

like Yeah. She, like, loves you. Yeah. She's

Danielle Kelly:

like You know, it's crazy because, like, sometimes, like, you know, if I'm having a bad day, especially, like, if I'm in fight camp, like, for a match or something, I have days where I'm like, why am I doing this? I wanna quit. Like, I still have those days.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, of

Danielle Kelly:

course. Like, I do this for work. When I get home, like, I don't wanna talk about jiu jitsu. I don't wanna look at jiu jitsu. I just wanna play games or just be in my own world.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

But

Danielle Kelly:

But then, like, when I'm having a bad day, it's, like, I always have parents of sons and daughters. Like, they'll say, you know, my I always give my kids, like, your videos and

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, they're they're inspired. Yeah. You know? Yeah. So anyone like, any of the haters are like, oh, like, Daniel's this or that, that.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, I'm inspiring kids. Like, what are you doing?

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Mhmm. So Exactly. Exactly.

Drew Beech:

That's true.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. Yep. So bring us so you got the attention. Right? Like, you put on a classic 10 minute match.

Joey Rosen:

Right? You got the attention. When does one come into the mix? You compete a couple more times before one.

Danielle Kelly:

So digits is weird, like, you know, people can, like I feel like unless you're on you're not in contract, but people can compete in anywhere unless, like I feel like for girls, it's different because if there's, like, no 1 of fivers or 1 15 pounders, I'm not most likely not gonna compete unless, like, I just really want to and just wanna get matches in. Yep. I think, like, I got I got in where, like, big stream big streamer, like, Fight Pass, for example, started to come into, like, the jiu jitsu world and started promoting jiu jitsu. And I think, like, like, Mackenzie Durham was, like, the first, and then she got in she went to the UFC. I think I went in whereas, like, jujitsu just started to, like, be with, like, UFC.

Danielle Kelly:

And then I would they would ask me, like, hey. Like, do you wanna go against this girl that's in the UFC? I'm like, yeah. Because, like, back then, I thought it was, like, cool. Like, oh, like, they do UFC.

Danielle Kelly:

You that's Yeah. You know, they're a UFC fighter. And now I'm like, you know, I yeah. I'll go against them. Sure.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. So the first I heard of Danielle Kelly was at the 1 Fury car where you went against that, the one you received. But I'm not sure who it was. But

Danielle Kelly:

Carla?

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Was that your

Danielle Kelly:

She That was my 4th 3rd 4th card.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. So that wasn't your first.

Danielle Kelly:

No.

Drew Beech:

Like, okay. That was just the first time I've

Danielle Kelly:

ever seen it. Card I went again, say, jujitsu world champion.

Drew Beech:

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

That was,

Danielle Kelly:

like, ranked the time. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. So then after those cards, that's when 1

Danielle Kelly:

And that's the thing, like, you know, I feel like yeah. And then, like, after those, especially after the UFC fighter one, I, I signed with 1.

Joey Rosen:

Okay.

Joey Rosen:

But

Danielle Kelly:

I was, like, already in the talks with them. But it's like a that's actually, like, a different subject. But, you know, I feel like especially, like, with some, like, promotions I competed for

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

I think a lot of times because I was on the card, like, I feel like I gave that view those views and, like, they wanted to promote, like, the tournament. So, yeah, I'm not gonna say, like, I I'm, like, one of the the first, like, girls that are, like, trailblazing for, like, girls jiu jitsu, but, like, I think, you know, I'm very, like, one of the few. So especially, like, being 115. Like, I'm I'm smaller than most.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. So what, what's next? Obviously, world champion. What's what's next?

Danielle Kelly:

Oh, I see.

Drew Beech:

I don't

Danielle Kelly:

see it yet.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Oh, so there's something

Drew Beech:

going on. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Okay. Good. Good. Good. Good.

Joey Rosen:

Well, I

Danielle Kelly:

thinks, I mean, I think, but

Joey Rosen:

You don't have to announce anything. It's just more of a general

Drew Beech:

question. That's a that's a, a Yeah. I have standard question itself.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. What's next?

Danielle Kelly:

I definitely have tough matches ahead. So Okay. I'll be ready.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Any, any MMA in the future?

Danielle Kelly:

You know, at no. No? I don't. I mean, unless like they're they're paying me like 500 k, fine. But if I'm getting paid for

Joey Rosen:

just I don't

Joey Rosen:

know what the prices are.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. So obtaining a boxing, let's do that.

Danielle Kelly:

So it's like jiu jitsu, like, especially, like, today, your athletes are getting paid. Sure. So, like,

Joey Rosen:

there's I

Danielle Kelly:

don't know if I wanna get elbow broke break my nose. I guess I'll get my face broken in a jiu jitsu match.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Like, almost

Drew Beech:

The the risk, the reward, the the yeah. Joey's on too fractional levels.

Danielle Kelly:

But Really?

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. In my short, two and a half year career

Drew Beech:

Being a being a hobbyist. They're a hobbyist. He I'm like, what are you doing over there, dude?

Joey Rosen:

Like

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. It's kinda you know, it's, like, really weird actually, like, especially, like, how weird jiu jitsu is today. Mhmm. And the reason I started was because I wanted to do the fighting stuff. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, like, that's when Gina Carano and them were, like

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Coming out. And women and that's actually, my dad said no to MMA because he was he was the first to be, like, there's no fighting. There's it's not like boxing. Girls no one's gonna watch a girl's fight. My dad was one of those guys, so I'm sorry, dad.

Danielle Kelly:

But he was basically like, no one watches that, so don't do fighting.

Joey Rosen:

I mean,

Joey Rosen:

at the time,

Joey Rosen:

that was

Joey Rosen:

a fair assessment.

Joey Rosen:

At the

Joey Rosen:

time, that was a fair assessment. I don't think any of us knew where this was gonna be.

Danielle Kelly:

He was so supportive, but, like, he was basically just saying and he was a he like boxing.

Joey Rosen:

So he

Danielle Kelly:

was like, there's no girls up boxing. You're not gonna make money. Like, no one's gonna watch you.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Realistically, when you look at the amount of money that some of these, jujitsu guys are making

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

There's really just no point to even consider the

Joey Rosen:

Sure.

Drew Beech:

The the risks that you

Joey Rosen:

Sure. Sure.

Drew Beech:

Assume when you get the octagon. It's just, like, not even doesn't make sense. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I feel like it's just more mainstream it is. It's just gonna get getting it Oh,

Joey Rosen:

of course. Yeah. Of course. Of course.

Drew Beech:

Everyone's doing jiu jitsu. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah? I mean, even I'm doing

Drew Beech:

jiu jitsu. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

So, so maybe an announcement soon. What about, let's touch on before we bring this in for a landing tied up. Life outside of jiu jitsu, you said that, you know, after, match or you just wanna come home, kinda just, like, do your thing, be in your own world. What's your world look like outside of jujitsu?

Danielle Kelly:

Take care of my deaf dog. Dog. My friends in PC. Like, I like my game friends because, like I mean, they'll, like, nerd out with jujitsu or mostly MMA because, like, they'll be like, oh, like, could be this, that. But it's it's not about jiujitsu, so it's, like, funny and, like I gotcha.

Danielle Kelly:

You know, we can kinda troll about anything. I don't have to talk to, like, about jiu jitsu because I'm at that point too, and it's, like, scary because, like, when I was a kid, I was obsessed with jiu jitsu. Like, I would look at I would watch, like, old ADCC matches, which back then, like, when I started, they were literally, like, 2 years ago at the time. Now they're, like, 20 years ago. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

But I used to be, like, so obsessed. I still am, like, obvious. I think, you know, if you're not obsessed if you love if you're doing something, you don't love it or obsessed with it, then, like

Joey Rosen:

Why?

Danielle Kelly:

Why?

Drew Beech:

Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

So I still love, like, what I do. It's just right now, it's it's work. Yeah. I can't just, oh, I don't feel like training today. No.

Danielle Kelly:

I have to go and train because, you know, I

Joey Rosen:

Sure.

Danielle Kelly:

It's my job. It's it's like, I'm a champion. So, like, it it's just like fighting now. Like Yeah. Fighters who are champions or they're getting ready for a fight, you have to stay prepared.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, I wish I could be like, nope. Not training. I do this. Like, whatever.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Not a not an option

Drew Beech:

because your competition's training when you're not. So Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yep. So, I guess What

Drew Beech:

what games are you playing on PC usually?

Danielle Kelly:

Well, if so I like to, like, make myself scared, and I'll, like, play, like, some scary games if I'm not playing Call of Duty with my friends. But, yeah, like, if I if they're not on Call of Duty, I'll play, like, sometimes Valorant, but I I haven't played Valorant in a while. K. Now I'll just play, like, from Steam, 3 dark games. Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

From, like, scary games just to, like, keep my journaling up.

Drew Beech:

Back in the day, I was a big Counter Strike source guy. I don't know if you ever played that.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. My brother.

Joey Rosen:

I had

Drew Beech:

Halo Halo 2. Okay. Just like my

Danielle Kelly:

Halo, Halo 1, Halo 2.

Joey Rosen:

That whole

Danielle Kelly:

Halo 3.

Drew Beech:

Like, I went from, like

Joey Rosen:

I was doing, like, Sega Genesis. Talk about you were like, you said it a lot during this. You're like, I feel old to say this. I just said Sega Genesis.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

That's like 6

Drew Beech:

that's like 6 No. I'd say a Genesis, but, in high school, CyberZone and the Shamity Mall was, like, a big thing. Oh, yeah. My friends, like

Danielle Kelly:

Isn't the Shamity Mall still open?

Drew Beech:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. But do you know what cyber zone is? We would just go in. There was, like, be, like, a 100 computers, and he was going there and play

Joey Rosen:

with me.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, that's wild. I don't even know.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. But we're old.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. You've you've been there. Right? Sorry.

Danielle Kelly:

When I was probably a kid. I really was, like, going to that.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. So we would go there and just, like, be a 100 of us. Like, not a 100, but, like, 20 of us playing video

Joey Rosen:

games together. Oh, really?

Joey Rosen:

Oh, wow. Wow. I didn't even know they had something like that. That's wild.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. It was kinda like jujitsu. I would talk about how jujitsu was, like, your uncle Bob told you, like, come to this karate school.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. It's kinda like

Joey Rosen:

that. Sounds

Joey Rosen:

like a speaking.

Drew Beech:

It was you were all buying you probably will buy it a million times. I had no idea. Yeah. My friends are all gonna do this with us. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

That's wild. So one one other thing I've gotten to know about you, correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems like you're a horror fan.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Drew Beech:

Right? Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. So am I. I love

Danielle Kelly:

I mean, it's so

Joey Rosen:

I love a good scary movie.

Danielle Kelly:

I think, like, I like the old school heart like movies

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

But, like and games. But, like, I feel like now I like when it's, like, suspenseful, if that's the word.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Sure.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. And, like, mystery.

Joey Rosen:

So not like slasher?

Danielle Kelly:

I like the old school slasher. I think nowadays, like, it's over Yeah. It's overdue.

Joey Rosen:

What's, could you give me a horror recommendation movie that I may not have seen that I should watch?

Danielle Kelly:

Actually, since I just talked about mystery mysterious and, like, suspenseful ones, I actually like terrifier.

Joey Rosen:

Okay. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. Alright. Okay. I'm so out in this conversation.

Joey Rosen:

You're tapping out.

Drew Beech:

JJ JJ Thomas from Primal and I were just talking about this as I speak. Yeah. There is some, like, life is scary and, why do you wanna bring in more cortisol and and stress?

Danielle Kelly:

Oh, damn.

Joey Rosen:

He's not my brother. I'm good at stress. Reality TV. Like, I can't watch reality TV. Like,

Danielle Kelly:

people yelling each other, I

Joey Rosen:

can't do it.

Danielle Kelly:

Because my brother would say that, but he's also neighbors and he'd be like, why you do jujitsu? It's not a leg tool. Like, bleeding

Joey Rosen:

to, like

Danielle Kelly:

he's like one of those people. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I get you. I get you. Like, Amanda and I have never watched this scary movie together. You know?

Drew Beech:

We've been together 11 years, 12, maybe.

Joey Rosen:

Halloween. I'm always first of all, I always wanna watch horror movies.

Danielle Kelly:

Though? Like

Joey Rosen:

Well, I mean, Halloween time

Danielle Kelly:

is Oh, yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Is my favorite time of year.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, those,

Danielle Kelly:

like, even flash movies aren't that scary.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Like So it's like

Danielle Kelly:

Well, like, I'm saying, like, okay. Realistically, if a guy is, like, walking behind you slow and you run, you're gonna, like outrun him.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Yeah. Like, it's that's like the Yeah. Fire seems more

Drew Beech:

I watched Yeah. I watched Paranormal Activity in high school in college.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, jeez.

Drew Beech:

And I didn't sleep for a week. Like, legit I laid awake in my room just thinking

Danielle Kelly:

about it. Is actually like

Drew Beech:

The the paranormal shit and the and the Exorcist type shit. Like, that shit's scary.

Joey Rosen:

I got you.

Danielle Kelly:

Exorcist is stupid.

Joey Rosen:

It's not scary.

Danielle Kelly:

I don't know. I

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Like, Exorcist Emily Rose, I think I watched that. Yeah. That was terrible. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I think any movies with, like, kids or animals dying, I don't like it. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I can't do that one. Nope. Yep. Can't do that. There was

Drew Beech:

a, but I don't even know if

Joey Rosen:

I wanna tell this. I don't even know if I wanna tell this. No. I can't tell.

Drew Beech:

I can't. Well, you gotta tell now.

Joey Rosen:

I I also like, I like short films, like independent films, like shorts. Same. You know, I like those. Right?

Drew Beech:

Paramativity.

Joey Rosen:

That was independent. I don't know if it was, like, short. There's this short film.

Drew Beech:

That scared of Paramativity?

Joey Rosen:

No. I don't know.

Danielle Kelly:

I I have this thing. In movie theaters, they were scarier. Now I watch it on TV. I'm like, it's Yeah.

Drew Beech:

That's all I did.

Joey Rosen:

I have

Joey Rosen:

this thing about ghosts. Like, ghosts never killed anybody. So, like, I'm actually cool

Drew Beech:

with ghosts. Like, I'm cool with them. Yeah. I see the the thing

Joey Rosen:

I think they're home. I think they're here. Right? And I'm cool with it.

Drew Beech:

Dude, you ever see the thing where the the family sings happy birthday and the people's and the everything's it's fucking going nuts. No. Apparently happy birthday apparently happy birthday is like

Joey Rosen:

a ghost chant. Fake? It's a ghost chant? Alright. Let's I

Drew Beech:

love you.

Joey Rosen:

It's We all know happy birthday. Let's start saying no.

Joey Rosen:

No. No. No.

Drew Beech:

I'm out. I'm out.

Joey Rosen:

You're out. You're out. No. The ghost stuff doesn't bother me, man. The ghost stuff but there's this short film, and it is not it's more of like a thriller, I'm really sure.

Joey Rosen:

I think it's, like, 10 minutes long or whatever, and it opens with the most, like, horrific scene. And I almost

Drew Beech:

had to just stop watching it.

Joey Rosen:

It was only 10 minutes. I almost had to stop watching it because it's like, I can't watch children, anything happen in children, and anything happen in adults.

Danielle Kelly:

Don't watch Terrifier 3.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

I mean, so Terrifier

Drew Beech:

so I know of it.

Joey Rosen:

I just haven't dove in yet, but I do wanna I do I wanna dive in.

Drew Beech:

I've never even heard of these movies

Joey Rosen:

I've ever heard of.

Joey Rosen:

Like, like, more of, like, a psychological type? Mhmm. Okay. So so

Joey Rosen:

have you I

Danielle Kelly:

think those are more scarier.

Joey Rosen:

So have you seen It Follows?

Drew Beech:

No. Okay. Like, Inception?

Joey Rosen:

No. This is different. This is more of, like, a psychological Hereditary?

Danielle Kelly:

That was pretty scary for I mean, there was still, like, gore in it, but it was still, like, oh, crap.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Jump scare. Oh, actually, The Ring and The Grudge.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Japanese.

Joey Rosen:

Yep.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. That's fucked up. So I'm

Joey Rosen:

in on that. I'm in on that all day.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. That had me awake for, like,

Joey Rosen:

a Really? Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Both of those.

Joey Rosen:

Fake. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

I mean, I don't know if my younger self could

Joey Rosen:

This is why, like, you gotta, like, embrace the ghost.

Danielle Kelly:

The old the the ring, the first one, I think was, like because we were, like, all living

Joey Rosen:

fucked up movie. OG movie. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

And then the girl, like, her that face still, like, traumatizes me.

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Like, real bad things that can happen don't scare me.

Danielle Kelly:

Actually, the most scariest is, when, like, if there's a movie about, like, chat rooms and people meeting up

Joey Rosen:

Mhmm.

Danielle Kelly:

Those are scary. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Because it happens

Danielle Kelly:

in real life.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. Okay. Yes.

Drew Beech:

Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Alright. Well, we're

Drew Beech:

Alright. I'm

Joey Rosen:

back. We're we're very clear that on the horror screenings, you will not be there.

Drew Beech:

No. No. No. Okay.

Joey Rosen:

Alright. Well,

Drew Beech:

we'll we'll stay in a little bit. Hour night is the best.

Joey Rosen:

Yo. That's what I'm talking about.

Drew Beech:

We're all about good vibes. We need the vodka.

Joey Rosen:

They make you grateful. The horror movies make you grateful

Drew Beech:

for the good. And, like, watching them before bed Super bad. Just tells it even.

Danielle Kelly:

I like doing that.

Joey Rosen:

Oh, my god. Yeah. I like that. Halloween, like, October, fear fest before bed, I'm in. I'm in.

Joey Rosen:

And I sleep like a baby.

Drew Beech:

Hard out.

Joey Rosen:

I sleep like a baby.

Drew Beech:

Did Melissa get down without some idea?

Joey Rosen:

Yes. Because she's open to it. Like, open to enjoying it with me, but we wouldn't be the first person.

Drew Beech:

Shot scared, though?

Joey Rosen:

I believe she is.

Drew Beech:

Okay. We're

Joey Rosen:

just gonna we're gonna

Drew Beech:

go in. She just told my daughter.

Joey Rosen:

That's where it comes down to. Basically, it's a give and take, man.

Drew Beech:

She's, like, sitting there scared and shitless. That's it. You're, like, you're, like, loving it.

Joey Rosen:

No. She she she does well

Joey Rosen:

with it.

Drew Beech:

She does well with it. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah. Alright. If you want horror night, it's bad. It's gonna happen.

Joey Rosen:

It now it's gonna happen.

Drew Beech:

If you

Joey Rosen:

coined it, it's gonna happen. Alright. What else? Any other questions for Danielle?

Drew Beech:

Thank you for coming in.

Joey Rosen:

Thank you for coming in today. This was absolutely amazing. Thank you for your belief in us and what we stand for. You know what I mean? No other questions.

Joey Rosen:

No. Where can everybody knows where to find you, but where can the community find you on the interwebs?

Danielle Kelly:

Daniel Kelly BJJ on Instagram. And, I mean so I'm not a big game streamer, but sometimes when I'm, like, trolling. So if you guys, like, want to make fun of me, you guys can go on Daniel Kelly, BJJ Twitch. Okay.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. That's the first

Joey Rosen:

because I'm

Danielle Kelly:

not on there all the time.

Drew Beech:

No. It's the first Twitch drop we've had.

Danielle Kelly:

Yay. Yeah. I mean,

Joey Rosen:

I am

Danielle Kelly:

not on there all the time, so I just go on there, like, when I just wanna chill.

Drew Beech:

Got you. Got you. I actually

Danielle Kelly:

don't promote it even on social media, but

Joey Rosen:

you just

Danielle Kelly:

have to randomly find me.

Joey Rosen:

I was gonna actually ask you about it if you if you did it. So here we go. Yeah. 1st.

Danielle Kelly:

Not all the time. It's just I don't announce it. I'll just do it, like, when I feel like

Joey Rosen:

it. So

Danielle Kelly:

Sure. If if they're if, like, people are there, then, like because once I got done streaming, the video doesn't pop up. Like I

Joey Rosen:

got you. Yeah. I got you.

Drew Beech:

I'm not me,

Danielle Kelly:

like, when I'm gaming.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

No Fortnite for you? No Fortnite?

Danielle Kelly:

I don't know.

Joey Rosen:

I've never Party is good.

Danielle Kelly:

If my brother says

Drew Beech:

play Fortnite.

Danielle Kelly:

Like, of all people, like, if my brother is like, I don't like that game or this, I I had to take his advice.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. So Okay.

Danielle Kelly:

I'd rather play, like, Halo or I don't know. Like

Drew Beech:

Oh, yeah. Old school. Part of the answer to me for Halo, but I've for some reason, I don't play Fortnite, but I've, like so I'd like no Halo yet at 8.

Joey Rosen:

I think the,

Danielle Kelly:

The new ones aren't as good anymore.

Joey Rosen:

The I played

Drew Beech:

You never played Halo?

Joey Rosen:

No. I played you ready? Everybody all under the You're not

Drew Beech:

a gamer. Oh, yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Wolfenstein. Do you know what that is? Oh my god. Do you know what Wolfenstein is? You don't know what Wolfenstein is?

Joey Rosen:

Did you ever

Drew Beech:

play any video games, like, online with other people?

Joey Rosen:

Yes. Yeah. Yeah. This is PC. So Wolfenstein

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Quake Diablo.

Joey Rosen:

No.

Joey Rosen:

So these

Danielle Kelly:

games are, like, you buy, like, like, red games.

Drew Beech:

He's also, like, 10 years old. You're you graduated high school.

Joey Rosen:

You graduated

Drew Beech:

high school by

Danielle Kelly:

o nine. 2013.

Drew Beech:

Oh, really? You're 4 you're talking to me?

Joey Rosen:

Damn. Yeah. So Wolfenstein, you basically go after the Nazis. It's amazing. It's like 8 bit though.

Danielle Kelly:

That actually sounds like a good game.

Joey Rosen:

It's it's a good game. Yeah. Quake.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I've heard of Quake.

Joey Rosen:

Quake. There's another one.

Drew Beech:

I played Day of Defeat on Steam. That was a school game.

Danielle Kelly:

Zombie game?

Drew Beech:

It was a World War 2 game.

Joey Rosen:

Okay. Yeah. I've played a couple of those. And then, what was the other game?

Danielle Kelly:

Make me sad. I don't know.

Joey Rosen:

There was one other game that I used to play. I did play actually later, like, when I was in college because I worked with a group of my friends, now friends, but they used to play it after hours at the office.

Drew Beech:

World of Warcraft. You're a World

Joey Rosen:

of Warcraft guy. World of Warcraft. So I play, like, a

Joey Rosen:

lot of

Drew Beech:

That would be a

Danielle Kelly:

play the game. RuneScape was my game.

Drew Beech:

Oh, RuneScape was

Danielle Kelly:

I played it every day after school because I know Yes.

Drew Beech:

Thanks. RuneScape was lit.

Joey Rosen:

And the last time I touched anything really we're going off the tangent. But last time I touched anything really was, like, we downloaded emulators, and then we could play, like, Blades of Steel or, like, any of your games.

Joey Rosen:

So yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Okay.

Danielle Kelly:

I think, like Napster.

Drew Beech:

The Limewire. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I don't know if that's the same for, like, gaming if people use Limewire.

Drew Beech:

Oh, really? Oh, do they really?

Joey Rosen:

The Dynamo games? I guess you could to file sharing.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. At your own risk.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. At your own risk. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

Were you guys around playing, like, those games that your parents probably wouldn't let you play, but you were on, like, a certain website and played

Joey Rosen:

Those are those are played for a little bit.

Danielle Kelly:

E Bombs World? A big deal.

Drew Beech:

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh my god. E bombs world.

Danielle Kelly:

And he pressed the arrows in the

Drew Beech:

What a what a Hell, yeah. Just like, oh, no. Website dropped. I've never

Joey Rosen:

I think I've thought of that website in, like, 20 years.

Joey Rosen:

This is

Danielle Kelly:

from my brother. He's older than me.

Drew Beech:

Ebottle. Shit. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I yeah. I was I saw things I probably

Joey Rosen:

should have.

Danielle Kelly:

I was like, yeah. No.

Drew Beech:

Oh my god. What a wild sight. Yeah. What a time to be alive, that was. That was.

Drew Beech:

That was. That was, like, the wild wild west

Joey Rosen:

of the Internet. Yeah.

Joey Rosen:

Wicked old days.

Drew Beech:

What a what a dream. That was sick. What a drop.

Joey Rosen:

This is the highlight of my day.

Drew Beech:

So many people are gonna be like, oh my god. Evon's world? Like, that's a shit. Yeah. Yeah.

Danielle Kelly:

I just remember the castle and Peach is the dog.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. I don't know if it was a game. I don't

Joey Rosen:

know if

Drew Beech:

it was a game. I don't know if it

Joey Rosen:

was a kid. I don't know if it was a kid. I don't know if it was a kid. I don't know if it was a kid. I don't know if it was a kid.

Joey Rosen:

I don't

Drew Beech:

know if it was a kid. I don't know if it

Joey Rosen:

was just 10 years different. So, yeah, there's a little bit of difference.

Drew Beech:

There's a little bit of difference. I just

Danielle Kelly:

remember, like, the first game of play on there, like, you're trying to, like, people are trying, like, burn the castle down. Mhmm.

Joey Rosen:

So you have

Danielle Kelly:

to, like Yeah.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Everything. Yep. Yep.

Danielle Kelly:

And then Michael Jack there was a lot of Michael Jackson stuff.

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. There that that whole site, it knew no bounds.

Joey Rosen:

No.

Drew Beech:

Yes. New no bounds. Whatever.

Joey Rosen:

That whole site. Is this so like, it's domain stuff?

Joey Rosen:

Yeah. It

Joey Rosen:

was. Everybody's shouting, dude. Everybody's checking. Alright. We're gonna we're gonna tie this up.

Joey Rosen:

Like I said, thank you so much for coming in. Thank you for your belief in us. We're very grateful for you. Thank you for sharing your story.

Danielle Kelly:

Thank you for having me.

Joey Rosen:

We both got through it with no tears, which is amazing. And it's powerful. I had it's a powerful story, and I know the community is going to take a lot from it. You can find it at Daniel Kelly BJJ on Instagram and on Twitch.

Drew Beech:

Yeah. Evolve's world's alive and kicking, dude. Alright. Be before we go before we go into that,

Joey Rosen:

they it's probably, like, diluted it now, man. Before we get into it, we're gonna I'm gonna leave a few with a reminder. Always choose hard work over handouts. Always choose effort over entitlement. No one owns you.

Joey Rosen:

No one owes you. You're one of the few. Let's hunt.