Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast
Discussions on improving your BJJ, navigating mat-politics and all aspects of the jiu jitsu lifestyle. Multiple weekly episodes for grapplers of any level. Hosted by JT and Joey - Australian jiu jitsu black belts, strength coaches, and creators of Bulletproof For BJJ App. Based out of Sydney, Australia
Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast
The Problem With Being A Competitive Person
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Lessons Beyond Jiu Jitsu
SPEAKER_01Lessons off the mat which will enhance your BJJ. Now, recently, Joe and I have gone down different paths, gone pretty deep. Joe has been getting into hunting and has recently been on a hunt, which uh I didn't even know. I thought, you know, you might tell me.
SPEAKER_00I'm a hunter now, I just hunt. Yeah, and then sorry.
SPEAKER_01I just there's just blood streaming down. He's just guy's got an animal on his shoulder. Just like, God, take it easy, Cameron Haynes. Um, and then I've been doing strongman and I recently competed in strongman uh and failed epically. But some big learnings in that. And I was just relating this to jujitsu because I had a role recently, and um I actually thought to myself, wow, okay, there's some crossover here. So it's a little bit about a little bit of a piece on each.
SPEAKER_00And also we want to just talk about the shit we like to talk about. Sure, sure. But but you guys can draw the connect the dots. You smart, smart fans, you guys, you guys. You guys know you know what's up, but um, but but you and new skill sets, right? Because there is a time when we couldn't have perceived of doing anything other than jujitsu, just doing jujitsu and then the weights and shit and stretching to support that. Yeah, but I would say that now, being that we're you know a little bit older and you know broader perspective, yeah. And you've had, you know, whatever we've had, we've both had like probably fucking three decades collectively of jujitsu time. We're like, sure, oh, and you start looking at new frontiers, right? Yeah, so here we are. Um,
The Hunt Begins In The Cold
SPEAKER_00yeah, it was a good hunt on the weekend. Do tell. Uh all right. Well, um, so my boy Alan. Yes, shout out Al, it's a fucking legend.
SPEAKER_01Alan Chan.
SPEAKER_00He's a he's a friend of ours, um, known him for a long time. And he's I met him when he was gonna become a hunter.
SPEAKER_01Yes. We met through the gym game, and and that was like at least our first ever shoot for bulletproof our OG videos, OG photos, yeah. Back in 2018, Alan Chan, OG original.
SPEAKER_00Yep. Um, and I met him probably fucking, I don't know, eight years prior to that, right? And um, anyway, over the years he's become an accomplished hunter, and that's like a big part of his life now.
SPEAKER_01Outdoorsman.
SPEAKER_00I'd be willing to get into it for ages. I've told you guys this on the show before, but anyway, ours has been real, real pivotal in me finding opportunities to hunt and to go with someone who is willing to show teach me the ropes and you know show me what's up. Um, so yeah, we went out on Saturday night. So it was just we just did a one-night thing, drove two hours south of here down to Golburn. Nice. Private property. Um, and it's it's it's it's cool. Like you you just leave in the afternoon, you get there, you s set up camp. There's another bloke there, Ryan, who was with us, who who I've met through our. And uh, I was just thinking about it before. It's actually quite cool because we don't even really talk much. Sort of get there, say what's up, hey man, fuck you know, cuddles, boys, yeah, sick. And then it's like, get camp set up, get your gear on, off we go. And then again, yeah, and then you're out there and it's like, shut the fuck, who's first up? You know, and so I was first up on this one because last time I went there, which I think I mentioned on the show, was when I blew it.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_00I stalked in on this herd, and uh, as I was setting up, one of them caught wind of me and they all fucked off.
SPEAKER_01It's all that cologne show.
SPEAKER_00It's all it's all that's shit. I was like, I smell Josh Brolin in this bitch. Sea salt and lime. Oh yeah, it's it's all that, right? So so I was like, well, it's probably not gonna be me because I fucking blew it last time. I'm used to the surfing thing, which is like you line up for the waves, you get the you you're first in line, but if you fuck the wave, tough shit, go to the back of the line. Yeah, yeah. But the boys are like, no, no, no, you still haven't, you still haven't harvested anything at this site.
SPEAKER_01So okay.
SPEAKER_00So anyway, we're out there, it was cold, we're fucking glassing at the top of this hilltop, looking down to where the deer normally are. Not much activity, actually. There wasn't a lot of activity at all. So um it got dark. We decided let's make our way back to camp and then we'll come out for a hunt in the morning. But as we're headed back, you know, it's pitch black, torches and shit. Um you know, our he's got like quite a fucking heavy flashlight, and he's just like checking out, and then at some point he's like, fuck, there's a fucking he's like deer, deer, you know, and and you're like, shit, there's a fucking deer, you know? Shit. And there's dead set, just at this sort of little corner of the property, there's like 12 deer. Wow. Just feeding. And um Ryan and I move in, try and get into position to shoot. And uh the deer spooked, and well, they didn't, they didn't, they didn't sprint off, they just left. Right. Right. Um we'd heard other gunshots in the vicinity, right? Neighboring properties that afternoon. So all of that makes it like means that the deer are on high alert, right? Less likely for you to get yeah, yeah. And so, and and that's kind of one of the things that you just don't know. This it might have been someone fucking like, you know, there could have been some kind of just letting off doing a bunch of shooting tin cans, sure, you know, literally that morning, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Anyways, um, was sort of like, oh, bummer, let's go back to camp. And then Al swings around with his torch and he's like, fuck dear. And literally where we had just walked, like the path we had walked along, there's just this lone male just crossing that path, like a hundred and fifty a hundred meters, like really close. Wow, you know, and uh, and so I was just like, boy managed to get the rifle up, bang, took the shot, dropped on the spot.
SPEAKER_01Whoa, just like that.
SPEAKER_00It was, I mean, you know, I was like Joe from the hip. No, I was like, I was like nervous and jittery, and I'm like doubting myself, and Al's like Al's like do it, and like, or not like do it, but he's like, he's like, he's like, like, drop it, drop it, you know, like because it's not gonna stay there for a long time, you know. And uh it was moving ever so slowly, it's walking, and so yeah, I was like shitting myself, right? I'm like, oh don't fuck this up, but you know, but managed to to pull it all off and and hit it in a good spot. Wow, yeah, and then um, yeah, and then we went up and like holy fuck, the answer and and you know, I mean, for for folks that don't know about it, like the whole hunt thing is like like there's a um it's this funny thing of like you you're really happy when you've done it.
The Emotional Weight Of A Kill
SPEAKER_00Sure. But I personally also feel it's there's like a heaviness that comes with it because it's this thing that you've been you've been trying to do. And it's yeah, and you've you know you want the meat because you want to share it with your friends and with your family, and you want the hide to to use that, and you and you've been trying to get good at this skill set, and this is finally the prize, right? But you've also killed this beautiful animal, and they and they are a beautiful and you look and you look at them and you're like, oh my god, the fur's so soft, and that the smell of them, and and you know, and you and and you so there's just this weight that comes along with it. Yeah, of course. And I don't think all hunters have that by any means. Oh, but it but it's important to mention that because you know, I don't want people to listen to this and think that I just like blasting animals. I've got I got mates who I've trained with, actually, one one who was in the military that's like, yo, I've got no problem shooting another person, but I'm not sure I can't shoot an animal. What yeah, he's like I I've been like I've served. I can that's wild. I know I can, you know, but an animal, I can't, I can't do it, man. Does he eat steak? Yeah, fucking. Shut the fuck up. No, but fuck out of here. No, but that's more just right, like in terms of like just 2005. Fuck out of here.
SPEAKER_01You kill animals every day. Like I, you know Yeah, but we outsource it, right? Yes, but I and this is the but I fully I fully appreciate that I have I would not be at my state of health, vitality, and everything if it wasn't off sucking the life out of hundreds of thousands of animals in my life. Absolutely, right? Yeah, so but we're not lining up for jobs at the abattoir. No, I understand that, but I think in respect to what you're saying, Joe, to respect what you're saying, yeah. To kill an animal, like I've killed a chicken before, I had to break a chicken's neck, right? Like it's it's fucking brutal. That's hardcore, yeah. To ring it ring a chicken's neck. Like, so there may be people out there, you're watching this, you're vegetarian, you're thinking these guys are fucking savages, fuck these guys. Like I say this with full respect for the animals that have died. Like, you've got like if you're someone who is in denial about your existence and the suffering of other creatures, like what you did was very intentional, it was planned, and it wasn't like it was game hunting. You no no because you're you but you want them.
SPEAKER_00But to be clear, my mate's like, that's fucking sick. That's that's that's the spiritual and correct way to eat meat. Yeah, yeah. You know, but but at the same time it's like I couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on one, right? Which I respect, right? Like not everyone's up for that.
Ethical Shots And Respect
SPEAKER_00Um but you know, the other side of it too is that you don't you don't want to make an unethical shot. Sure. So so you don't want to like you don't want to just fucking So where are you trying to where are you trying to land that shot, Joe? Trying to land it just above the shoulder. So it depends who you ask. Yeah, if you go just like if they're on their side, which call broadsides, if they're broadside to you, which is the ideal positioning, you're trying to go just above the shoulder, which is where you're gonna hit the vitals. So you're gonna hit the heart or the lungs ideally, which is gonna result in a quick death.
SPEAKER_01Sure.
SPEAKER_00Um, some like really good shooters, and I think this is more of a thing, it depends where different hunting cultures, but headshots are a thing. Sure. But headshots on a on a young, like it's a the head's quite small on a young deer. Of course, yeah. And like, God forbid you hit it in the fucking teeth or something. You know what I mean? It's just like but so you're thinking like I want an ethical kill that's gonna kill it quickly. Sure. Um, but I also want to like protect the meat because I'm harvesting this for meat. Of course, yeah. So I don't just want to like blast through the back legs or of course, you know, and so it's like so. That's all a consideration in that moment. It's like, don't fuck this up, don't fucking hurt this thing more than it's gonna get hurt. Yeah, you know, and so it was a it was a it was a it was a pretty good shot. Um, anyways, got the job done, then we're like 500 meters from camp. So it's like, oh, we could bring the ute over and shit, but I was like, I'll just fucking carry it. It wasn't it wasn't big, right? Strength. I'm trying to find out maybe 50, 60 kilos.
SPEAKER_01So anyway, I saw the video, like I only found this. I I didn't even know this guy's going hunting. I thought he could have at least told me. I only had dinner with you last week, Joe. You didn't mention nothing about this fucking hunt. And uh then I'm just like on the stories and Joe with a fucking deer over the shoulders, blood down his back. I was like, shit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was good.
Butchering Skills And Fatherhood
SPEAKER_00Carried it back. It was it was sick. Fucking thing bled all over me. Um in the back my back pocket was full of blood. But um, but no, it was Matt. Took it back, hung it, did the processing. Um, you know, I I've I like so I removed took the skin, yeah, and then like broke it all down and gave something to Al, gave some to Ryan for his dogs, and then I took it home. And and so I came home with this hide and uh and a and a and an eski with like sections of a deer carcass.
SPEAKER_01Wow.
SPEAKER_00And my son was like, show me the carcass, show me, show me, show me cars. Oh, really? I fucking know he's like, that's mad. And I was like, you want to help me cut it up? And he's like, Yes. Wow. And he just, man, he it like five-year-olds don't lock in all that much. You know, they lock in on like Lego, sure, locks in on colouring, sure, locks in on washing, like he likes cleaning things, washing dishes or cleaning the car, whatever. Motherfucker locked in on the butchering in a way that I've not seen before. Interesting, like so into it. Stood there with me in the cold in the night, just trimming, you know, just showing him like, hey, cut, cut this and cut, and he's like, yeah. And he's like, I really enjoy this, dad. You know, it was it was it was quite uncanny to see how much he loved it. Wow, you know? How interesting. That's I would never guess that, yeah. No, yeah, it's it's there's, you know, I mean, yeah, there's there's something, there's something that's inbuilt, right, in our system that is like finds this this task rewarding. Sure. Right? Um and so yeah, so I've been doing that and uh I've started processing the hide. So I'm just gonna use the deer skin and just I don't know, put over a fucking couch or some shit. It's only it's only a little, it's not huge. Yeah, sure. But it's so it's cool. It's like I've never I've never worked with a hide before. Right. Right? So there's a process there, bunch of skills, butchering, yeah, like I'm working the hide. All that shit's super fun.
SPEAKER_01So I'm like, sick, let's do it. Interesting. Mate, that's fascinating. I've got absolutely nothing on that in my stories.
Skill Building And Real Barriers
SPEAKER_01Do you like do you like camping and shit? Um, I I do enjoy it. I haven't done it for a while. Um could take it or leave it. Yeah. I like being in nature. I grew up in the blue mountains, went bushwalking a lot, got lost in the bush a lot, probably should have died. Um, you know, I don't know. I think it's I do I do enjoy being in nature, being out. Um camping is hit and miss. I've had some some pretty crappy experiences, and I've had a couple of good ones. Yeah, okay. You know, so it's kind of, yeah, it's not, it's not a big part of my life.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But uh, but so from that, Joe, because you know, the context of this chat is do you feel like there are some things, lessons you've learned in just building up to this point that make you reconsider uh in terms of preparation, focus, different things. Because I know that in the past, when we've talked about BJJ, you're very kind of laissez-faire, you're like, the less I think about it, the better it is. Whereas something like this, it it actually takes a fair bit of, you know, you gotta have the guys, you gotta have your guns, you gotta, you know, there's so much involved, and there's so many different individual skills to be able to sustain that operation. Like stalking is a skill, lighting a fire is a skill, like butchering is a skill. There's so many different skills involved for you to be able to pull this whole thing off. Is there something you think now you didn't think before now that you've done this hunting thing? Like, what's your vibe? Well, like as in reflections on the jujitsu piece, sort of like is it or just kind of like a uh uh an understanding you've achieved by doing hunting you think could apply to jujitsu or just in life?
SPEAKER_00Oh look, I I think for me, like I'm I'm very good at doing anything that I enjoy. Sure. You know, I'm probably like most of us, right? Yeah, but so you know, so with the hunting thing, like there's been times when I'm like, whoa, like where do I start with this? You know, like fuck, there's so much to learn. I, you know, when I think back to like before I got my gun license and all that, like how do I fucking, you know, and so it's a big undertaking to get to where you are now because I remember when you first were like, fucking get my gun license.
SPEAKER_01I was like, oh shit.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. It's like what two years, like 18 months ago.
SPEAKER_01Probably, yeah, two years, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so so you know, yeah, there's this times that where you're like, oh my god, and and and then you know, I think what I what I did for the most part was I leaned on friends like Alan. He's like, bro, what do I do? God and then he's like, bro, here's five things, do this first, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. You know, and you're like, sweet, I'm on it. And so, and so, you know, but for the most part, it's just been enjoyable, right? I've just been getting out there and having and just putting myself in the in the position to have the experience. So, hey, can I come out with you and hunt? Just fucking tag along, yep, no worries, you know. And so that's it's been easy for me for the most part, you know, and I think and I and that parallels with my jujitsu, right? Where it kind of came, I I was having a good time. It seemed to come pretty easily to me, so I was just having a good time and I got better, right? Now I I think there was a lot of bad, I think you're probably underselling the barriers to entry here. Well, no, but but more my there are barriers, right? But more my point is that um the barriers, I don't perceive them as being much of a barrier because if I'm enjoying the thing, right? You know what I mean? And so say, say with jujitsu, like um it was a time, you know, I I knew a guy that was at the academy, called him my friend at the time, and he was like, come along, and it was like no expectation, and you know, just go in there and do the thing. Um, but I can also see where maybe that experience was quite different, you know. Maybe if I come into a team that was a different vibe, a bit more clicky, maybe I didn't have a friend. I didn't know someone that was there. Right. So I'm trying to find my way. Maybe I'm not naturally the sort of confident, sort of, you know, relaxed, sort of-ish person that I am. Sure. And I find that environment quite threatening to be in. Sure. You know what I mean? Like, like someone might be like, yeah, I really want to hunt, but the sound of a rifle going off fucking scares the shit out of them. Or or animal blood. Sure. You know, like so, so I don't, I don't know, maybe you tell me. Like, I I I feel like those two things for me, like getting into them has been easy because I've I've wanted to do it and I've had fun with it, and I've had someone to help me.
SPEAKER_01I I guess you know, I wasn't there for mind you, actually, there was one comp where we were both at the comp. I have a good photo from that. Uh National Yeah. Where we both basically have the same haircut, same level of facial hair, both wearing blue geese. Like and we both lost to Keller Lock Sodi.
SPEAKER_00Oh, I didn't lose to him that day. Oh no. I would lose to him years later. Oh. I lost to some other count that day.
SPEAKER_01Oh fucking fuck both those guys. No, shout out uh Keller. No, he beat me by two points, one card pass.
unknownDang.
SPEAKER_01But that's how it goes. No, no, I look what I know and what the how you speak about jujitsu, um, it's fairly kind of, you know, just do the thing, right? But from what I understand from you in this process of hunting and doing all this, you had to do a lot of stuff. Like, it wasn't like you can just show up, you guys got guns, I'm here, let's go. Like, it's not that. Like what you folks are not privy to is all the background with how much legwork you've had to put in. So even though you've enjoyed it, it's not something where you could just like a tournament, da, I'll sign up, show up. Yeah, nah, no, it's fucking see how I go. You know, it's it's not it's just is not something that you can do in that way. Yeah. So even though you may say, No, I'm just enjoying it. So, you know, there's no barriers to things I enjoy. Like, bro, in Australia, like compared, I don't know how it is for uh folks in the States, but in Australia, it's it it is quite challenging for you to be able to get your gun license. It's a lot of time invested to go and spend time on a property with someone who will teach you to hunt or yeah, yeah. The amount of the level of dedication you've applied to get to this point where you've this is your first kill, right? No, it's my third. Third, sorry. Yeah, I apologize. No, I do remember. You don't remember my body counts, huh? Fucking who cares? No, I mean, obviously, I care a lot because you care about it.
SPEAKER_00But no, but I I hear I hear where you're getting at. And I and that's why I said perceived barriers, right? Whereby, of course, there's there's a lot of barriers, like as in the time, like to yeah, like getting a gun license, fucking finding a shop that sells guns, finding someone that'll give you the advice on what the fuck do I get? Like all of that, learning how to shoot, you know, like all right, you got the gun now, like what the fuck do you do with this thing? Like you gotta go learn how to, you know, that you need the gear for hunting, you know, it's super cold out there. It's like minus. Yeah, like there's a lot of money to be spent. Yep, right? That's definitely a thing. But but again, that and that's why I say, like, I I kind of found enjoyment in all of that, like going to the gun range. You know, I bought a bought a book on long-range shooting, like, fuck yeah. I enjoyed reading, oh wow, that's how scopes work. Oh, sick ballistics. I mean catcher in the rhyme. I didn't read the ballistics fucking chapter, actually. But um, but so I enjoyed all of that.
SPEAKER_01So it was like American Sniper, Joe's favorite book.
SPEAKER_00I told you I watched that Lee Cooper. Yeah. I got in, I got into watching, I watched Shooter and American Sniper. And I picked up some shit. I learned some shit from Bradley Cooper's son.
SPEAKER_01I'm sure you did.
SPEAKER_00Um, but so so all of that was was enjoyable. And so in that way, right? It was like it was like fuck, remember when we're in the States? Yes. Last year. You got some gear when you're open. Yeah, and I went to the fucking big bass store. Yeah, yeah. And I bought all my hunting gear. Yeah, it still cost me an arm and a leg. It did, you know, but it was like maybe half a leg less than Australia would have cost. Maybe. Um, but so that was all really enjoyable because I think I I had already had the idea that I'm like, I want to do this thing and I I want to, and that had all come from me once having the experience where I got to go on a hunt with a couple of hunters and and experience it without investing anything. Sure. You know, and that was I was like, whoa, this is significant. The way this makes me feel. Um, but of course, yeah, there's heaps of reasons there and heaps of moments where it could like knock someone off the trail, yeah, if they like whatever, couldn't afford to fucking pay for that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Or, you know, didn't have access to uh someone that could teach them that. Sure. And I will I will say like it's hard, like if you meet, like if you meet a hunter or a shooter who's grown up in a family of hunters and shooters, who just do that, yeah. It's like I've just been doing it since I was a kid. Yes. You know, none of this this shit is just it's all on hand. For me, and I'm I'm not complaining at all, but my family is just so far can't be that vibe, yeah. Not at all, right? And so, um, so in that way it's like, oh, I'm like some city boy that's like trying to learn how to be. Fucking country. Sure. You know, there's there's a considerable thing in that, right? But um, but again, yeah, good
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SPEAKER_01Sounds
Strongman Meet Day Reality Check
SPEAKER_01like it. Well, like I said, folks, I don't I I can't I can't regale you with such a good tale. Mine is a story of epic expectations and epic failure. Um was it two weeks ago now? Yeah. Com? Yeah, yeah. It was New South Wales strongest. I was expecting to do much better. Um, but I think the thing about Strongman is unlike jujitsu, it's very cut and dry. You're either strong enough or you're not. And you need to show up and you need to produce right now. Like this.
SPEAKER_00You explained like the the time, like the events are very short.
SPEAKER_01It's either a maximal lift or it's as many reps as you can at a pretty hefty weight, and you've got 60 seconds, and it's just you just got to go. And similar to jujitsu, they're kind of called they're not calling you, but they'll call the category before you know what category is before you. So I was in 90 kilo men under 90 kilo men's category, and so they call the 80 kilo guys, like you you better be ready to jump in. And because I was coming last or second last, you go first. Like whoever's coming first goes last. Right.
SPEAKER_00So they kind of in some way That's the idea there is that there's some kind of advantage for the first.
SPEAKER_01You're resting longer.
SPEAKER_00But you competed last in the event before, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but uh for every it takes longer and longer, right? Right to get through the events, so they're kind of ch chilling.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, I mean I I I actually don't know the logic behind that other than people can understand where where it's going.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01In a way. And and like I said, this is my first problem.
SPEAKER_00There's a huge advantage in being able to see other athletes approach and see what they do, yeah. Yeah, we're gonna do that.
SPEAKER_01Because maybe someone goes, Oh, my max is gonna be 250, and you're like, I can do 260. So then you you can kind of go, I have to go more than 250, that's it. Yeah, yeah. It's that simple. And so I, you know, I won't bore you guys too much other than when I did the farmers carry. And this is the thing about you've just got to show up and you I um I did my farmers carry whatever 135 kilos a hand. Um I think I did it in about eight uh across ten ten meters, so you just pick it up and run it as fast as you can. Just once. Yeah. And it was like uh, I think I did eight seconds or like that's slow. It's slow. What what was what was but I had previously done it in six and a half seconds. Right. So that obviously was not good for me. And I think um so Anthony um Ant Man, who is previously Australia's strongest man and was the strongest guy on the day, he did it in under five seconds, I think.
SPEAKER_00Wow, like it's it's it's so fast. I mean, where did he make up because 10 meters? So you just it's in the pickup and the put down?
SPEAKER_01You pick it up and you run it, like you are just fucking sprinting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But it's pretty heavy, like uh whatever.
SPEAKER_00So then where did you lose time there looking at your performance? Not moving my feet fast enough. Yeah, right. It's in the actual locomotive.
SPEAKER_01Like I've you know, you could say it's the pick or whatever, but you also can't drop it. Right. Because it's short, there's no drop. So you better make sure you've placed it back. You've gripped it appropriately. Because if you try and come out the gate too quick and you dip and leave that shit behind, you can well, you can just you might catch the front of it. Yeah, of course. And then and then it's a drop and you get nothing.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, that was slow. And then we um we did the axle and in warm-up, 100 kilos felt good. I had to do 110 kilos and I got nothing. I got it up to the chest, and I just felt like the weight of the world.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, wow.
SPEAKER_01A hundred kilos felt like a seven or an eight out of ten. So I thought, ooh, we could be onto something here, folks. I was like, fucking 110. I I felt like maybe there's a rep or two in here. Nope. Zero.
SPEAKER_00Uh, and then we did sandbag meddling. And what do you put that down? Do you do you feel like was that was that anything like you have when you have the adrenaline dump in jits and you're like, I became so weak all of a sudden?
SPEAKER_01No.
SPEAKER_00Wasn't that kind of thing? No, just not strong enough. Yeah, like you felt good, be like, I just can't fucking press this thing right now.
SPEAKER_01No, I'll be honest, I was stronger before I went to America. Yeah. So I would I I and I'm not making excuses, I just I wasn't as strong coming into this comp as I had been previously.
SPEAKER_00But but if you were pressing 100 kegs in warm-up and that wasn't max, yes, what it no, but that's just maybe 105 was my top that day.
SPEAKER_01You know, like it was so anyway, needless to say, I won't I won't bore you. I'm trying to make you relive your trauma, but no, no, no, it's okay, it's fresh, it's it's there. I'm still there. Uh no.
SPEAKER_00Sandbag Medley was the next thing.
SPEAKER_01Sandbag Medley, yeah. I I didn't finish last, maybe second last. It was one of those things that I thought I ran it pretty good, 100 kilos, 110 kilos, 120 kilos, but you had to throw it into the back of a ute. And then at the end of the Aussie, you had to push the tray of the Ute up. Yeah. And I had not probably hefted the um, I had not yeeted the bag hard enough into the thing. So at the end of the 120 kilo bag, I was kind of pressing it up in with the tailgate. Anyway, I think it was like 35 seconds or something. Still too slow. So I don't know. I I felt like I did it all right, but still, I think second last. So then it's like, but that's where it's pretty close. I think I don't know what Anthony got, but it was probably around just under 30 seconds, like so. It's anyway, it's so quick. You gotta be fucking fast. It there is no saving you. I think a huge difference, which you know, whatever. I mean, I knew what I was getting myself in for, but in jujitsu, you could be in a hole, you could be losing the match, and this is a great thing about jujitsu and MMA. Someone could be down, like Leon, and then come on, Leon, you know, and then fucking boom amazing, like that's so exciting. It's not like that in strong man, really, other than coming out with like you you're kind of in the top four, and then you win the last two events, or you do something like that. Like, yeah, I uh zeroed the deadlift, it was uh 260 for reps, and I got a nothing. And yeah, that wasn't that wasn't a whole bunch of fun. And then on the last event, which was my preferred event, which is sandbagged shoulder, pretty good there. I um I should have just gone to 140 and done it because I I know I can do it, but I was like, nah, the sensible thing is to put 120 up in case I fuck up the 140 because at least I get some points. Right, yeah. I put the 120 up, I put my hand out, which is what you're meant to do, and I stood there for what felt like an eternity, and I honestly couldn't hear, I wasn't even, I just put the bag down, and then the referee said, I didn't give you a down call, do it again. And I just went, my fuck, please. And I fucking almost one motioned it, like the second time it came up ass just because I was so fucking pissed off. Not so much the ref, maybe myself, whatever, like, but it did definitely gas me. So when I got to 140, it was a fight, and then I didn't complete. Fuck. So lessons in that, right? People like, yeah, man, down course, man, fuck a down call. I stood there for two seconds, like it was clean. I didn't look the ref in the eyes, and maybe that's what the referee wanted. Like, yeah, look me in the eyes, and I didn't. So therefore, I didn't get a down call. And you know, I'm not, you know, I was coming in last place. I'm not trying to be a bit of a loser, which I fucking am. Um, it's just one of those things that it's very disappointing because like if I was able to do my best and lose, I'd be like, well, I did my best, and I did not. I did not do my best. And my mum came and watched, which she never came. My mum never comes to watch me compete, and I guilt tripped her into coming. She's like, see, this is why I never fucking come. And then she's and then she's giving me all kinds of fitness advice. I'm like, oh for real. Oh mum, okay. Thanks for coming. Fuck, so embarrassment, like it was just failure, it was complete failure. And so what can I draw from this?
SPEAKER_00Because I Which for the listeners, we've all tried speaking to JT about the good things to have been taken away from this, but JT's like, no, there's nothing good that comes from losing.
SPEAKER_01Well, no, I just don't. I I think that you know, people's like, oh, it's the process. Like, yeah, I mean, my whole life is the process, right?
SPEAKER_00I mean, you're still I love going to the gym.
SPEAKER_01I love lifting weights.
SPEAKER_00You're still the strongest guy I know.
SPEAKER_01Don't lie to me, Joe. You know stronger people. He's just saying that slip service is trying to make me feel better. Look, no, that's true. I think I the reason why I am um very disappointed is my practice leading up to this has been an incremental improvement. Like I have been getting better at this strongman's thing. Um, but I was able to see the pro level. This is a pro comp. And you know, I compete against the best guy, and he smashed everyone. And it's like he's the guy you gotta beat. So even if I go to another comp and compete and do well, and I go to Australia's strongest next year, I have to beat that guy. How do I beat that guy? That's a good question. It's a good question. Um, so I think the thing for me, which is which is a hard pill to swallow, which is I probably the juice the juice is not worth the squeeze. Even though I love competition for as an expression of intensity, I couldn't sleep that night. I was so angry, across at myself, disappointed, all of the stuff. And I don't know if anyone else experiences this. It's not shame, it's just like fuck it. Just so I didn't live up to my expectations, and I rarely do. But it this was just so it was such a bright hot light on USAC last, literally last. I thought I could make the podium, I could not. So you know, expectations meet reality, but it is one of those things that I believe that it's less forgiving than jujitsu in the sense that I've been able to build up success over time, as much as I had failures in jujitsu. I could work, even if you're in a bad spot, you could work your way out of a bad spot and maybe find some redemption in that. There's none of that. There's no, you know, you're either strong enough or you're not. So I think the big things for me was similar to yourself with Hunting Joe. I had friends who were doing it. I had a lot of help, I had lots of advice, I had a lot of support, but none of that really mattered because at the end of the day, it's on you to do the thing. And I yeah, I just felt like I was ready and I didn't perform. So, yeah, man, I'm uh I'm not a good loser.
When Competition Brings Out The Worst
SPEAKER_00So, question on that, you know, like so drawing that parallel between my hunting experience and your comp experience there. The thing, like, if I'm if I'm thinking about the hunting, it's like like the harvesting the animal and bringing all that back and sharing it. Like that's that's the that's kind of the goal in my mind. Sure. But the thing really is just being out there and trying to hunt. Yeah, you know, because I come back from those trips where I've gone on and come back empty-handed, and I'm like, ah, sick weekend, you know. Yeah, great process. Yeah, Matt, you know, got to see someone else be successful or sure whatever. It was a nice time, you know, sitting by a campfire with the fellas. Yeah. Um for you though, what is the thing with the strongman? Is it winning comps or is it doing strongman?
SPEAKER_01I I love doing strongman. I think strongman is an amazing sport, and I um yeah, I I I mean, I love lifting anyway, and I think strongman training is the best lifting you can do for BJJ. That's why I'm doing it. Because I'm like hefting a rock, it makes hefting a human easier. Um, yeah, it's kind of new unique, but I think the the realizations of all but but is it actually for your jiu-jitsu is just because you like strongman? No, it's but no, but I I I personally believe I mean I could just do powerlifting. I'd probably be a better power lifter than a strong man, to be honest.
SPEAKER_00There's no squatting, but that doesn't seem as fun. Like, you know, when you talk about the the events and stuff, it is seems a lot more fucking much more of a vibe than pushing a barbell in three directions.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, potentially. I look, I I think there's there's just anyway. Won't bore you to death with it. I think there was a lot of preparation for like the reason why I wanted to chat about this, and I just made this up in the back of my head because I'm just fucking making shit up here, folks. Um there's a lot of preparation for like a moment, right? Months and months of training, eating, everything, weight loss, I had to cut weight, etc., rehydrate, run the whole process just to show up for very few minutes of performance. In the same way, you, Joe, with like so much work for you to have a night.
SPEAKER_00Well, I think about Devontae. Right. Think about what you know, your experience in the States with him.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, him cutting weight, all that, and then has a terrible performance, and yeah, that's it, it's done. Yeah, and and you've got to just accept that, right? Well, I can't accept that. That's why I'm a terrible loser. And maybe competition is not healthy for me. Um, yeah, I don't know, man. It's I love strong men, I love the gym I train at. Um, I hate losing. I only like to compete if I can win. So therefore, maybe I shouldn't compete because you're gonna lose a lot. I hate it. I I like I I I don't know, you know, I'm sure there's people out there probably with a more stable, more well-balanced approach to it, but I don't give a fuck. I want to win. That's all I like about competition. Otherwise, I don't want to compete. There's no point for me. Like, competing as a process is not fun per se. Like, it's exciting if you go to worlds, it's exciting if you're in Brazil, or it's exciting at the highest level, you're fighting the world champion, something like that. But like, I didn't get that vibe. Like, um, I was pumped because I really want to do well, but like it kind of it's not that it left a bad taste in my mouth. It just made me realize that like how much post like you, whether you were successful in your hunt or not, had a great time. Not the same for me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, right. You know, anyway, all to the side, I feel like it's a very, it's a very insightful thing to share, though, right?
SPEAKER_01Like it's it's hard to it's hard to swallow because I think it means that I can't be a competitor. I think that's what it means. Because I'm not, it's it's me at my worst. It's absolutely me at my worst, and it's not fair to my wife, it's not fair to my family for me to just be this um it's it's kind of selfish, right? To be caught up in my own bullshit because of some expectation I had in my head, which is totally divorced from reality. So I think in that way, you know, I've never felt that way of jujitsu, even though I've had times where I've had, you know, success and failure and whatever. Like I always loved being at comp. And so I didn't feel this way about strongman. Why do you think um it's different with Jits? I think, and don't give there's a lot of camaraderie with strongman. I had friends and you know, I made friends, and that was cool. Um I don't know. I couldn't tell you. I'm not I'm not interested really to see any of my opponents do well. Like in str in strong man? No. Teammates, yep. Sure. And you know, everyone's cool to each other, and I'm not being uncool to anyone. Um, yeah, it's just I I'm not, I I've got to be completely honest, I'm not a, you know, I'm not a good, not a good loser, not a good competitor in the sense that like, yeah, it's it's and it's it's strange to me. I didn't think I'd feel this way because I I generally I you know I say I'm a competitive person, I like competing, all the stuff. And yeah, it was just one of those things that um it's not the same vibe, but I I tried to correlate it with times when I had losses in jujitsu, but I still I went away from tournaments feeling like stoked. Yeah, and that's not the case.
SPEAKER_00So can I ask? Um, last question, because I know we're going to go. No, we need to. Um I can't ask. No, you can ask. So no, no, no, we need to. Do you think that um like you've been elite at at a few things? You've been elite at Taekwondo? Yep. You've been elite at Jiu Jitsu? Yep. Um, do you think that part of it could be you've hit you've, you know, you you're elite at strength, right? In in no in in like, well, you are you are for normal people, right? Yeah. You've entered this elite realm now. This is like where you're not elite. Yeah. Right? Do you think that part of it is like, and and that you're like, fuck, I've met something that I'm not fucking excellent at?
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And maybe if you were 20, you'd be like, sweet, I'm willing to go, I'm willing to work to it's not even the time, to be honest, it's it's probably the drugs.
SPEAKER_01Because for a long time, you know, I've had this, you know, this natty stance and all of that. And and I, you know, in strength sports, it's depending on the sport, it's not against the rules. So it's not unethical in that way that you're breaking the rules, but it's that choice is like, do you want to go down that path? And you know, like I'm like, for fucking what? You know what I mean? Like, I mean, I I I for me winning. Yeah, but that's the hardest thing, right? Are you prepared to do what it takes? Yeah. And generally I would say yes to pretty much anything, right? And uh man, I just don't know. Like it's yeah, anyway, not to worry. It's one of those things that I feel like some people who've tried competition maybe in jujitsu. And that's the thing, usually your first jujitsu comp's terrible, unless you're Joe Worthington. Um, my first one was shit house. Oh, well, yeah, yeah. But I but even you know, like a lot of people are like, Don't worry, bro, you'll get there in time. I'm like, bro, I'm not 21, I'm 43. Yeah, like I've been doing this a long time. I think the important thing is to realize like there's folks who just love being around it for the sake of being around it. And and I I I full respect, I all my strongman competitors and teammates love you all to death. But it's just more about what it costs you personally, and I think that's the end
Another Shot And Final Laugh
SPEAKER_01conclusion. It's that maybe the juice is not worth the squeeze. I'm not out yet. Don't count me out. I got a comp in nine weeks, so I'm gonna give myself another chance to see if I can do better, but we'll see. I'm um less convinced at this point in time than I was before.
SPEAKER_00Well, I know I speak for the rest of the listeners when we say, uh, Bright, get on the gear and let's turn that frown upside down. Pew pew.
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