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A
Good morning. This is the JP Donnell podcast, episode 139. I'm JP Donnell, and as always, I had Lucas with me. What's up, my man? How are you?
B
I am fantastic. I apologize to anybody for the mouth noise because I just got done with a workout, trying to. With baby number three on the way, I've decided that I really am in a spot where I've got to get back into shape and get serious about my. My workouts and stuff. So here I am. Especially since we have. We've just. We've heard that baby number three is a. Is a girl. So I'm joining the. The dad girl club.
A
Yeah. And so for those that did not just assume. And guess what Lucas was talking about for mouth noise. He was eating some food really quick after the workout. He knocked out. Yeah. Like, hey, I want to apologize for the mouth noise. I've got a baby on the way. We're working out.
B
Yep, that's. It's been good.
A
I'm.
B
I'm excited about it. Terrified, but excited about it.
A
It's gonna be awesome, man. Yeah, man. Having kids is just amazing. And, you know, boys are awesome, girls are awesome, and it's a blessing from God for sure, man. Man. I got a good amount of text messages last Friday about, like, our buddy Aaron Price. For one of them, he's like, dude, I'm crying, laughing, listening to the bedtime story.
B
Oh, so good. Then what I want to. I want more in depth coverage on the bedtime story, which maybe we can. We can get to because you gave us bits and pieces of the story, but now I think the. The new request, and maybe we need to make an AI that is just JP's bedtime stories, and we just. Oh, my gosh.
A
We can go to some other questions for sure. I mean, I like, I rem bits and pieces of the story, but I'm telling you, man, Ed just sat there, just going from one thought to the next thought. It was so random. But yeah,
B
but we did talk about your favorite MMA fighter last weekend, and one of the Diaz brothers was in the ring this weekend, and not that, like, we do. We do fight commentary. That was a brutal bout, dude. That's the bloodiest I've ever seen.
A
Yeah. I mean, I'm not a huge fan of Mike Perry, but I have some respect for him after that fight. And I don't know if Nate had to cut a bunch of weight. Like, it was just weird. He did not seem like the Nate Diaz that used to fight. But at the end of the Day, man, we're all old. Like, he's. He's older. He's been fighting. He's taken a lot of damage over the years. And so, man, I still think GSP did it right. He went out on top, just freaking. Did not take a lot of damage. It's still very healthy. Like, GSP definitely did it right now. Francis Nagano. Oh, do you see that knockout?
B
Dude, that was insane. And I'm surprised like, that that Lynn's lasted as long as he did, to be perfectly honest with you. I was not. I didn't know anything about that guy going into it. And for him to just be in the ring with that monster for so long and to take some of the shots that he did, like, he did a great job.
A
Well, you can take shots like that if you've never had shots like that, and I guarantee you it changes that guy's trajectory. You know, Aiden and I were watching that fight. Well, we were all watching it, but Aiden and I were sitting down next to each other, and they were just like, oh, my gosh. And I said to Aiden, I was like, I guarantee you, he's never been hit that hard before. Now, that's my assumption, and maybe I
B
should say, I think that's also a pretty safe bet when you're talking about getting hit by Francis Ngannou. I don't know very many people who have actually been hit by a truck. Dude, that's crazy. His. His punching power.
A
Yeah. Impressive athlete. And, hey, respect to all those fighters, man. I was really hoping the Ronda Rousey fight was going to be more than it was, but I'm also not surprised because if she gets close to getting an arm bar or submission, she's going to get it. And so, you know, you know, there's some people saying. Thinking that Gina threw it, but I don't.
B
I mean, come on, man, look here at. At the end of the day, if you had a Netflix membership, that. That is a free thing. And we all know that you didn't get your Netflix membership because of Gina Carano and Ronda Rossi. You got it for Stranger Things, and this was a bonus. So. But, you know, the. The other thing was, man, the story behind that fight I thought was so interesting because for both of them, they. Their friends, they wanted to do something where, you know, they. They've always kind of wanted about. Against each other, but they. They also. They wanted to do something to motivate one another in order to. To be better because of the situations that they were in and the things that they were facing in their life. They kind of hatched to this plan and then MVP and all these other folks got involved. But the story behind this, this whole fight, what turned out to be a really enjoyable night of fights, even if their fight was less than 20 seconds, that the amount of fights and, and the fighters that they got, the. The fights and stuff that they had were.
A
Were great.
B
It was a really, really cool card. And it's good to see. Hey, man, in. In America, we're all about the free market, and it's cool to see that other people are. Are putting stuff together, which is going to make everybody else elevate their game and. And I'm all for it. That's pretty rad.
A
It's gonna have to. Yeah, Yeah. I thought it was good. Good night of fun.
B
Did. Did. Watching something like that, right. Does it ever bring back that itch where you're just like, oh, man, yeah, 100%?
A
Yeah, every time. And then reality clicks back in.
B
Yeah. In the sense of.
A
It really does.
B
Yeah. Do you. What is the part that you miss about that the most?
A
The hard fight camp. And again, I don't. I only fought as an amateur, so that hard fight camp is relative to other pros. But, you know, I had some good cuts and good. But. But I can also say, like, my coaches, Jake Underwood, Zach Underwood, Joe Pass, Andy Urich, they. Whether you're an amateur or pro, like it. They trained you the same, which I love. That's why they had a lot of amateur fighters go pro. And those pro. Those guys are still fighting and doing really well. You know, those four guys were some of the best coaches. And, like, I really feel like if they would have just, I think, had access to. Well, not so much access because they had good fighters. And I wasn't going to say access to good fighters. I was going to say access to better resources. They could have coached fighters to a very high level, but it's very difficult in North Mississippi, Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee area. I don't understand it, but, I mean, they were phenomenal coaches. And the thing that I have a lot of respect about Jake Underwood is he stopped fighting and put coaching on the back burner when he got married and had a kid on the way, he's like, no, I, you know, I need to. I need to do the responsible thing. And, you know, instead of pursuing the professional fighting career, which he was an incredible professional fighter, I think he only lost one fight. Like, he was, I don't know, like 10 or 11 and one or something like that. Dang and, you know, and so he got a job and he's got a really good career and he's got a beautiful family and a beautiful house and he's got money and savings. He's got investment, you know, like, he's. He's doing it right and he. He did what he needed to do for his family. And I have a lot of respect for him for shifting his priorities. And same with all those guys. You know, Zach's coaching and training fighters, but also running a few fitness kickboxing gyms. And he's got his career. Joe Pass, you know, went into the reserves and is in law enforcement full time and married and, you know, a kid. And, you know, they all have kids and, you know, their things shift and change. But, man, those four. Those four guys were by far
B
the
A
best coaches that I could have been around because of the relationships we had. But they also understood how I wanted to be pushed and how I needed to be pushed, considering I started training and fighting when I was still active duty in the SEAL teams and then transitioned out. And so anytime I watch something like that, I always think about those guys. I always have that itch. But I also understand, like. Like that as a priority in my life is not probably something that would ever come back up. Like, now it's. I want to train and compete in Jiu Jitsu. And that's what I've been talking with Brett and for Mika and Trey about and Victoria and. And so this year I'll have some jiu Jitsu competitions and. But, yeah, I really miss. I miss the fight camps, man. Just the hard, hard training and the camaraderie behind it. And then, yeah, everything leading up to weigh ins and the fight was just kind of like, oh, this sucks. I guess we gotta go do this.
B
It is funny that, you know, they were. The commentators were talking about the guys who just show up really loose to the weigh in, that put in all the hard work and that. That everything from there on out was just kind of, you know, fun for them or that, you know, for them, they thought, like, the hard part's over. Which I thought was really. And at first I was like, man, it seems like the fight is the hard part, but cutting down, making weight, prepping, studying film, all of those things, those are the hard parts. The fight's gotta be the part that's actually enjoyable about the whole thing.
A
The hard part is literally calculating every single thing that you eat and every calorie that you burn to make sure you're on the right path. Like, the Last fight I had, I had a big cut, 217 to 175 in six weeks, and was able to do that and maintain my strength and had the guidance of my parents on that and my coaches, and I was able to. And I enjoyed it. I really liked that aspect of really paying attention to the details and everything being planned and calculated. So, yeah, I do miss that aspect of it, but it's just a different season of my life. And, you know, you're not making a
B
42 pound cuts, you know, just so you can go hang out at the beach.
A
No, no, not doing that.
B
Does that happen? I. I do have a question for you. Like, looking at that card, right? And then looking ahead at some of the other stuff that we've got. Like, if there was one person from the card on. Let's just go to the card Saturday night from the Netflix fight, is there one person there that, like, you wish or that you think. You know what? Hey, they would be fun to go like, one round with. Not like, like just a sparring round. Right?
A
Okay.
B
Yeah. Not like you don't. Not like around in the ring. Right. But they would be a fun guy to. To spar with or that would be somebody that would be fun to, like, say that you, you know, you went. You went around with at the gym.
A
Yeah. Nate Diaz or Francis, like that.
B
I've.
A
Look, because those guys are professionals and they're not going to hurt me.
B
I think Nate Diaz wouldn't hurt you intentionally.
A
I don't think either one of them would hurt me intentionally because they're professionals. They're not jerks. They're not. You know, I honestly, if they're like, oh, cool. Like, if they knew who I was and my background of like, hey, man, I was in the SEAL teams, like, TBIs, head trauma. Like, I'd prefer not to get, like, smashed by, you know, you multiple times. Like, can we do some light sparring and you help me with my movement? I've. I've sparred and trained with Frank Mir. He didn't hurt me. Yeah, I sparred and trained with Forrest Griffin. He didn't hurt me. Like, I've gotten to, like, train and spar lightly.
B
Right, Right.
A
I'm going hard. They're like, at 5% against guys that. Multiple guys that have fought in the UFC that, you know, and just because of relationships that I've had and gyms that I got to go to and, like, I only had one guy go full on hard on me, and at the time, he was the king of the cage. Heavyweight champ. And he was just an A hole. And like, I remember my dad was there watching and he said it was really hard for him to watch. But, like, I took it. I, you know, lasted all like, the rounds and it was fine. But other than that guy, like, every professional fighter I've ever trained with gave me exactly what I needed.
B
Yeah, they've just been cool.
A
Yeah, super cool. So, yeah, I would spar with any of those guys, knowing that they're cool professionals and they're not. Like, they don't have something to prove against me. You know what I mean? Like, none of them are going to come out of that. Be like, yeah, I beat some old dude that doesn't even train and fight. Like, yeah, okay, fair point.
B
Right?
A
You know, it would be like me going to the kids class at double five and be like, dude freaking was throwing those kids all over the place. That is literally what the skill level equivalent is.
B
Right? So the reason, I think that, the reason I said the thing about Ngannou the way that I did is because I've never seen him, like, let me rephrase. He does not go on the ground. Right. His whole thing is stand up. And so even if he wasn't trying to hurt someone, he has to have the intention to throw the punch. And I think if, if there was one punch thrown, in my case anyway, if there was one punch thrown, that is like, game over.
A
Yeah, that's it.
B
Because that dude is so impressive on his feet.
A
Yeah. But I will say, like, if he forgot what he was doing. Yes. I'm just saying, because I've sparred with very high level fighters and not one of them let loose on me. Not one of them. And like, we're at Jackson Winkle's. Jon Jones is literally right next to me sparring. Diego Sanchez is sparring. There's other guys in the ufc. Like, we're all in this room together sparring. And not one of those guys, except for that one dude. But he was just. That's who he was, I guess. And I get it. I was, I was the new guy. Nobody knew who I was at the gym, except for almost everybody else. Because I was introduced there just as a friend. Because my aunt CJ went to high school with one of the coaches there. And so she set it up to where I could go train. Cause I had a fight coming up and I was helping my parents move back to Santa Fe. And like, I'm just telling you, like, I don't think Francis or somebody of that caliber would let a punch Loose on someone like you and I. And I can just say that because I've been in those situations where high level pros and they like, I'm telling you, Lucas, the equivalent of me sparring against those guys was like me the other week when Victoria had me go against Renzo for Amiga's son. That is literally the skill gap. And I was just playing with Renzo and applying some pressure and, you know, just literally making him work for five minutes and I did almost nothing. And he was giving everything he had. And when I sparred against those guys, they did almost nothing and I gave it everything I had.
B
It's. It's crazy how much the amount of time this skill disparagement is evidence once you get on, on the mat, it's all that's. Once you put yourself in that situation.
A
Yeah, that's why I think it's so funny. Like guys and gals that'll watch these things and they, they actually think like, oh, I could do well against someone of that caliber. No, no, you can't. Like, not even to come close. At least I did. I'll just say I'll speak for myself.
B
Well, and you know, somebody with my level of experience getting on the mask with, with someone who, even somebody who trains consistently, I can feel the difference in someone who trains consistently versus someone who, who, like me, is, is inconsistent with their training or certainly from taking, you know, getting on the mats with somebody who is an upper level belt, like Isaac for instance, not just somebody who. Isaac's a good ex. Isaac outweighs me by a hundred pounds. And so he's bigger than me, stronger than me, he's more technical than me. I know that if he ever like turned it up that there's just no way. He's just playing with his food, essentially, you know. Yeah, he plays with a better way to put it. Yeah.
A
So he plays with me. And it's been really cool to watch Isaac's just skyrocket in jiu jitsu because when we first met, we were the same belts and we had some like good rounds. Right. Like, we were both going really hard and. But he still had the upper hand on me. And I got, I got lucky a few times in like a scramble or whatever. No GI. But he, you know, he like 99 out of 100 times always had the upper hand on me, but now when we roll, he just plays with me. And it's very impressive. Like, I mean, the dude's a black belt. He trains multiple times a week and, you know, sometimes at least Three, if not up to six times a week because he does the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday morning classes at double five. And then if he can, Monday, Wednesday, Friday noon class. Now obviously scheduling allowing and that changes, but the guy's Jiu jitsu has grown so quickly because he's been putting in the intentional time of training. And that's the thing. Like people, anybody that's good at their craft, when you look at these high level athletes, they are intentional with their training. Look at what Andrew Paul just did, another a hundred mile race. And then did you see what he did this weekend? Him and his training partner did a spartan race up in Big Bear Mountain.
B
Oh wow.
A
That quickly after a hundred mile race is unreal. And he's also done a high rocks and, and so Andrew is very, very intentional with his training and so that's why he's able to perform at a high level. I mean he got sick on that 100 mile race and the last, I believe it was 13 or 14 hours of it, he was dry heaving and throwing up because he had some stomach bug or whatever and still completed a hundred mile race, which is unheard of. And you know, it just, it's, it's impressive when you have people in your life that are that intentional and disciplined and dedicated to training to just see what they're able to actually do and, and achieve.
B
So there was a race that, speaking of these races, there's a race that Cam Haynes was just a part of. I don't know if you've seen all
A
of the, the one where he tripped and hit his head.
B
Yeah. So this, this 250 mile race, which is absolute insanity. And I don't know if you've seen the video clip of the guy who is like the last one finisher, the, the Cocodona 250, but the guy who's the last one to the finish line is literally like being carried by these, these. I say he's, he's being care. He's walking but he's barely like they're just holding him up. He's got his walking sticks and he's going and the whole crowd is cheering for him. But okay, he's, he's absolutely just done in, right? And he's, he's barely making. Judge just sent the video over to you. But he's, he's barely, barely making it. But then the reaction of all of the people in the crowd, the, the way that everyone is trying to do whatever they can to help him along, right. Like they're not finishing the race for him. By any stretch of the imagination, but just making sure that he makes it to the end because of the amount of, of respect and effort and stuff this guy's putting into it is, is just insane.
A
That's pretty impressive. But I mean, I guess that's allowed. Like some races, if you get touched by anybody else, you're disqualified.
B
Well, I mean, being, being the last finisher. And also they, they, they say that this isn't a race, it's a test of the human spirit. Right. Oh, so cool. So, yeah, I just, I just sent you that video on Instagram if you want to take a look at it.
A
I'd be pissed, man. I think it's cool, but I'd be really pissed if I'm that close to finishing. And like, I had friends come up and like help carry me across the finish line.
B
Really?
A
That's just me. Yeah, I mean, bro, like, and trust me, I will Never do a 250 mile race, nor do I have the desire, nor do I ever think I would have the capabilities. So I just want to put that out there for anybody that wants to like, take what I said and twist it like, yeah, go ahead and do it all you want. I'm very impressed by that individual doing all of that. I'm just saying. Me, I would be very frustrated with myself and I'd be frustrated with my friends by, by doing that. I don't know.
B
Yeah, maybe that's, it's a, it's a wild video. They're just barely keeping him.
A
Yeah, I, I saw that now that you're talking about. I remember that. That's. Yeah, I mean that's absolutely impressive to be able to do that. I'm just, I know that's a, that's
B
stick it out to, to that point. Yeah, I, I don't like. Well, the only thing that, that I think would even be comparable to that, that I've ever done is nothing. So I don't.
A
I was wondering what you're going to say. I'm like, bro, you understand?
B
Yeah, there's not even like, it's not even worth joking about to say.
A
What's cool though about what you said is the community of those racers and the people there, how encouraging they are. And that's what's so cool. Like, I saw a quote, it was about jiu jitsu and it says in, when you, when you start training jiu jitsu and you have a good gym that you're training at, you'll have people that were at one time like complete strangers and still Kind of strangers in your life that cheer for you more than other people in your life.
B
Yeah.
A
And it's just, I mean, that's the cool thing about the Jiu Jitsu community. And yeah, I know we have some more questions. I was going to go back to a thought I wrote down is,
B
you
A
know, the, we're talking about these professional fighters that fight at such a high level and do some incredible things in sports and professional athletes. You know, it just reminds me of, you know, connect the dots to what we teach at Echelon front about when it comes to leadership. Like, that's a big mistake that people make with leadership is they address it occasionally. And if you're wanting to grow as a human, as a husband, as a father, as a mother, as a wife, as a believer, as a leader, as an athlete, it means that you have to be intentional and actually put in the work every day. Like you have to work on these things in life every day, you know, and that's one of the things that I've been trying to do with reading my Bible. And actually studying the Bible is not just, okay, cool, I'm going to read the verse of the day. Like, I guess that's better than nothing, but that's not actually studying the Word. As I've been trying to get back into better shape. Like, I have to be intentional with not just my diet, but my workouts. Like, okay, cool, I can lose, I can lose weight by being in a caloric deficit. But who wants to be skinny and weak? Like, I want to be athletic, I want to be lean. I want, which means I have to be working out. And that's what you kicked it off at the beginning was like with baby number three on the way, being very intentional with all those things and you know, going back to again, my respect for these high level fighters, like the amount of intentional, disciplined work that they put in is absolutely incredible. And as leaders, we need to be doing the same thing with our growth and our development. We need to be reading, studying. We have to be intentional with what we're doing as leaders. And I think you could just take that and apply it to every aspect of your life and it's only going to improve who you are.
B
Well, and, you know, when we started off talking about the, you know, combat sports stuff, and I do think that one of the things about in particular jiu jitsu that's so different than a lot of other sports and stuff that people can be involved in is the way that it sort of is a reflection of life in the sense that, you know, if you look at most team sports, right, that it's, it's important on a football team that everybody that, you know does their. Does their thing and is able to do their job on a given play, but you could do your job perfectly and somebody else that's over on another area can mess up and, and the team still loses. Where Jiu Jitsu and those things are differently and where they're a little bit more reflective of life. Because, yeah, there's, there's parts of that in, in team sports, right? If, like, one person doesn't do their job on the team, then, like, everybody in the team can and, you know, you can draw your analogies and stuff from that, is that most of the time when we're judged on things, whether it's judged in the workplace on our performance, whether it's judged on our personal character and our interpersonal relationships and all of those things, like the, the thing that grappling sports in the Jiu Jitsu in particular has such an appeal for me. And especially, like, as we're. We're raising our kids and Kirsten and I are talking like, hey, what do we want to put our kids into? We've got some nieces and nephews that are in baseball and softball and all that stuff. And I'm like, you know, jiu Jitsu is amazing. She goes, well, what about team sports? I was like, it sort of is because you do have. Right, you get your individual competition that you're doing where you know that there's no one else out there on the map but you and your opponent. But as far as the encouragement that you get from the team, getting points for the team with your overall victories and stuff, and what that does for your school, the camaraderie and things that are there, I get more of that from Jiu Jitsu that I ever did when I was playing team sports and certainly ever more than I did whenever I was doing things that were completely individualized, like competing in bodybuilding and strongman and things like that, like, those things were all about me. The team sports were all about the team. And in Jiu jitsu and in, you know, my brother's got the same thing from wrestling. Kirsten was relaying this, like she got a lot of the same type of feelings and stuff from gymnastics is that there are these sports where you are judged completely on your individual performance, but you have a whole team that's behind you and, and working in order to try to make you better, that they, they can't Go on the mount the mat for you. Right. But before and after they're there with you, encouraging you the entire time. And so I want to know, like, why do you think in particular stuff like Jiu Jitsu, why is that so reflective of or so important, Let me just put it that way. So important to. To do. And let me land the plane on this. Why are these types of things important to do and how are they impactful in areas on and off the mat?
A
Well, as you were talking about Jiu Jitsu and asking those questions, one of the things I was thinking about that I love about Jiu Jitsu is when I show up to train. I'm training hard for my growth, but I'm also training hard for my teammates growth. And I love. There are a lot of times that when I don't want to go train or I'm too tired or don't feel like, you know, I'm going to make it a priority. I legitimately also think about the fact that, like, man, I need to be there for my teammates, especially when they have competitions. And there are times that I will go to Jiu Jitsu just to be there as a training dummy for my teammates that have competitions coming up. So it's teaching you that hard work ethic, but it's also teaching you the importance of being there for your teammates whether you want to or not. Like, you need to be there for your teammates, which means that you have to show up with a good attitude. It means that you have to show up and work hard. It means that you have to train smart. It means that you have to be taking care of your body. And it also means that you need to show up healthy and that if you're sick, don't show up. If you think you have ringworm or some staph infection, don't show up. Don't be. Don't be that person that gets other people sick or contaminates the gym. Like, so you have to really think big picture about the people around you so that you can take care of the people around you. And, you know, yes, I do train Jiu Jitsu for myself, but I also train Jiu Jitsu for my teammates. I also do it as a way to connect with my kids because we talk about it, we train. I love when I get to train with Aiden. Like, I absolutely love those, those rounds because they're hard rounds, because he's good and he's fast and he's strong and he's young and he's athletic and he has a Gas tank that never runs out. And so I have to be very smart when I roll with Aiden. And, you know, just being there for your teammates and giving them what they need, knowing that they'll also give you what you need, is awesome. You know, I had the opportunity a few weeks ago. I was in New Hampshire and Vermont for work, and I got to go cross train at my buddy Brian Vigilone's gym. And the way they teach is incredible. Extremely technical, Like a very, very technical gym. I love the way that they start class and how they run everything. And for me, and I were talking about the structure, they're also under Dudeco as well, so it's really cool to have that connection. But just being able to be at that gym and working with all these people that I had never met before, and to see their culture of just accepting me and as the new guy, nobody was coming for my head. Everyone was there like, hey, what do you want to work on? What do you need to work on? You know, it was just that. That. That humble culture, which was really cool. Very hard rounds. And like I said, those. Everyone there at that gym was very, very technical. And, you know, just spending the time talking with Brian and a few of the other teammates there, working on some stuff. Being able to bring it back to double five and implement it. Last week when I was training, because of that time and intentionality of drilling and training with those guys, being able to implement it into a round against another teammate who is a much higher level brown belt than I am, and being able to implement it and it worked, and then was able to implement it again, and then him go, hey, can you show me what you just did? Because he's like, you got that on me. Back to back, two different times. The first time, I didn't see it coming. Second time I saw it coming, couldn't stop it. But could you show me what I did? And I'm like, yeah. Boom. So we were working through it, and he was like, okay, cool. He's like, now try it. Boom. Okay, cool. That's how I stop it. I'm like, yeah, but you stopped it. The way you stopped it set me up into another sweep that they showed us. And he's like, dang, bro. But just having that ability real time to be like, cool. Hey, guess what? I learned this. Now I'm going to teach it to you. And now, which is only going to make him better, which means that I have to change up things, which is only going to improve my jiu jitsu game. And he's making our gym better. And that's what the Jiu Jitsu community is all about. Like, I. I love that, man. It just opens up your mind to where you can't be selfish. And if you're selfish in Jiu Jitsu, you won't last long at gyms.
B
Yeah, you tend to burn your training partners out pretty quick. And then being selfish also means that you're gonna get humbled really quick. So you either learn to be a team player or find a new hobby.
A
Yeah.
B
And both of those things are really good things to know in life. Maybe this isn't. Maybe this isn't for me, but there's so much about Jiu Jitsu that does reflect into every other area of our life. I have certainly enjoyed the time that we've gotten to roll together in a couple of occasions that we've got to and realized, like, how much, even as infrequently as I get to, to go to our gym these days is how much that community is built because of the investment that we have in each other. And I think if there's any one takeaway from me from this whole episode, it's this idea that you got to show up from for each other. Right. Like, it's the common thread. Your. Your training partners show up for you and vice versa. When you're in the Jiu Jitsu gym, you know, as much as the conversation was fun about the fights that happened last weekend, like, but the. The main thing was, is the headliner on the card was two friends that wanted to show up for each other, give each other a reason to get out, do something fun, and give other people an opportunity to win. And that is. I mean, when you're doing those types of things, you're really across the board helping people out. And speaking of folks that want to help people out, go check out what JP does day in and day out in the leadership training that happens over at Echelon Front. Most of what we're talking about is based on the Echelon Front leadership principles that are found in Extreme ownership, in dichotomy of leadership, in the need to lead by Dave Burke. They talk about all this stuff on the back to Monday Extreme Ownership Academy calls. Go check those stuff out, man. Once you get those things kind of locked in, maybe you're ready to compete. Maybe you've decided, hey, you know what? I'm 40 years old. I've never done a competition before in anything. Like, I want to get going in this. I want to try out Jiu Jitsu. I want to see what competing is like. Then go talk to Jonathan and ann over at first in Nutrition. Go to firstinnutrition.com jppod they'll help you get your nutrition stuff in order so that you can have the confidence to get out on the mat. Maybe it's for the first time. Maybe what you you need to do is to rekindle something from whenever you were young and you wanted to just see that fire again. Maybe you want to set the example for your kids. There's no way to do that if you're not putting in the work and going after something on your own. Make sure that you go check out Little Cattle Co or Littlecattle Co, which is down there in the show notes as well as on the path printing for printing apparel needs. America's 250th is coming up and I cannot think of any company that does fourth of July gear better than Origin. There are some really cool things that are about to drop. So if you go check out OriginUSA.com and look at the new stuff that they've got coming out, sign up for the Origin Insider list. Make sure that you're on the text messages. Make sure that you're in their Instagram message group so that you get alerts before anybody else. Because every year their fourth of July gear sells out incredibly fast. It's all limited run and they've got some special stuff planned for the 250th. Jocko feels also got some amazing things coming up as America celebrates her 250th anniversary. And there's no better way to celebrate freedom than by getting yourself a little bit of gear. Right? Thank you, Second Amendment. So go check out the guys over at Bruiser Arms. This jp, it's Leifis Jocko. They put together custom gear packages as well as custom training to make sure that you've got the stuff that you need to defend and protect yourself and and all the people around you so that you can every day show up for the people that are there around you. And JP, before we close out this episode, 139, you got any final thoughts? Man,
A
I mean, I've said it on multiple episodes and I think the theme from what we were talking about earlier that you have to be intentional, you have to be focused, you have to be disciplined. And you know when you have that discipline that you impart upon yourself, it's only going to help things in your life. And so you have to be intentional with your actions, with your words, with the work that you're putting in, and it's all rooted in discipline. Motivation is great, but it's going to fade. And that's why you have to build up the discipline in your life so that you can go out there, there and do the things that are needed. So I hope this episode has been a reminder for all of us to go do the work that's needed, to put in the effort to build your legacy and to never settle. This has been the JP Denal podcast, episode 139.
Episode Title: What Combat Sports Teach You About Leadership & Life
Date: May 22, 2026
Hosts: JP Dinnell & Lucas Pinckard
In this episode, JP Dinnell, former Navy SEAL and leadership instructor, and co-host Lucas Pinckard dive into how lessons from combat sports—especially MMA and Jiu Jitsu—translate to life and leadership. The hosts blend commentary on recent fights with stories from their own training backgrounds, emphasizing intentionality, discipline, and the importance of community both on and off the mat. Throughout, they highlight the grit, camaraderie, and relentless self-improvement that combat sports demand, and draw direct parallels to personal growth, family, work, and leading others.
Timestamps: 02:07 – 05:41
"GSP definitely did it right. He went out on top, just freaking. Did not take a lot of damage. It's still very healthy." (04:01 – JP)
Timestamps: 06:03 – 10:55
"My last fight I had a big cut, 217 to 175 in six weeks, and was able to do that and maintain my strength...I enjoyed it. I really liked that aspect of really paying attention to the details and everything being planned and calculated." (10:06 – JP)
Timestamps: 10:58 – 16:52
"I've sparred and trained with Frank Mir. He didn't hurt me. Yeah, I sparred and trained with Forrest Griffin. He didn't hurt me...every professional fighter I've ever trained with gave me exactly what I needed." (12:37 – JP)
"That is literally what the skill level equivalent is...Me going to the kids class and throwing those kids all over the place." (13:49 – JP)
Timestamps: 16:52 – 25:45
"Anybody that's good at their craft, when you look at these high level athletes, they are intentional with their training." (18:50 – JP)
"A big mistake that people make with leadership is they address it occasionally. And if you're wanting to grow as a human...you have to be intentional and actually put in the work every day." (23:55 – JP)
Timestamps: 25:45 – 33:20
"Anytime I watch something like that, I always think about those guys. I always have that itch. But I also understand...as a priority in my life is not probably something that would ever come back up." (08:36 – JP)
"If you're selfish in Jiu Jitsu, you won't last long at gyms." (33:20 – JP)
Timestamps: 23:16 – 37:12
"If there's any one takeaway from me from this whole episode, it’s this idea that you got to show up from for each other. Right. Like, it's the common thread. Your training partners show up for you and vice versa.” (33:36 – Lucas)
On intentionality and discipline:
"Motivation is great, but it's going to fade. And that's why you have to build up the discipline in your life so you can go out there and do the things that are needed." (37:12 – JP)
On learning and sharing:
"Just having that ability real time to be like, cool. Hey, guess what? I learned this. Now I'm going to teach it to you. And now, which is only going to make him better, which means that I have to change up things, which is only going to improve my jiu jitsu game. And he's making our gym better. And that's what the Jiu Jitsu community is all about." (31:00 – JP)
On support in the journey:
"When I show up to train, I'm training hard for my growth, but I'm also training hard for my teammates’ growth." (28:50 – JP)
| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------|----------| | Intro & catching up | 00:00-02:07 | | Recent MMA fight recaps & lessons | 02:07-06:02 | | Training memories & sacrifice | 06:03-10:55 | | Sparring pros & humility | 10:58-16:52 | | Training discipline & leadership | 16:52-25:45 | | Jiu Jitsu: Life analogies | 25:45-33:20 | | Final reflections | 33:21-37:12 |
This episode merges the worlds of combat sports and leadership through spirited stories, tactical analogies, and firsthand wisdom from high-intensity lives. With humor, honesty, and depth, JP and Lucas show that the same relentless, humble, growth-driven mindset that produces champions on the mat can make you a champion in life.