The Early Climb
One of my goals this year is to enjoy the journey.
But it was tough in the very beginning. Mostly, because you’re not financially stable and there’s a lot of uncertainty in the future.
Fighting is so hit or miss, and you just gotta accept that.
Plus, I had student loans. I didn’t need to take them out because I’m Native American, but there I was at 18, signing those papers.
Those bills would come in and I’d ignore them.
Still, I got to do what I loved every single day. I was around my friends, and my teammates, and trained all day.
But Mariah had to work at this marijuana company with people she didn’t like.
So I’d come home in a good mood. Still broke, but happy. But Mariah would be in a bad mood from working all day with shitty people. And that would bring my mood down.
Back then, I was good at living under my means. I could still do it to this day.
I don’t mind driving a shitty car. That doesn’t affect my happiness.
I could’ve easily gone the safe route. I could’ve quit fighting. Get me a job and become financially stable. Make sure Mariah’s not stressed.
Sometimes, if you have a lot of responsibilities, that might be the right thing to do. Especially if you have kids. I talk about this with Marcus McGhee on the latest pod.
But I didn’t have kids. I didn’t have a lot of responsibilities. So I got the opportunity to go after it. I was okay with being broke for a while.
Looking back now, I would tell my younger self to not stress. Everything is going to be okay.
I know I sound like a broken record, but meditation helped me so much here.
It taught me how to be present and how to not be anxious about the future. That gave me the mental space to really enjoy and be thankful for what I have.
Thankful for my health, my loved ones, and everything else.
Anyone can do this. There’s a lot to be thankful for right now even if you’re not financially stable.
So don’t stress too much about the future. Try to enjoy and be thankful for what you have now.
Be Proficient Everywhere
Jiu-jitsu in MMA is gonna be different for everyone depending on their body type.
Long, lanky guys like Charles Oliveira or Sug, have so much flexibility in their legs. Even in full-guard, they can pull their shin across your face.
I think everyone needs to develop a guard. But guys like that can get real dangerous with it.
If you’re short with short limbs, there’s a good chance you’re not submitting anyone from your back.
For guys like this, I think your time is better spent becoming an expert at defending the back and getting up.
At the highest level, you need to be proficient everywhere. Especially if you want to be a champion.
You need to have a bottom game. You need a half-guard or full-guard.
Because there’s gonna be guys who are better wrestlers and will put you on your back.
So you gotta sharpen all the tools.
Play Mental Warfare Games
I’ve had guys talk shit to me in the cage and it did affect me, so I know it works.
I’ve hit guys clean in the body and thought I put some fear into them, but they would come back barking at me.
And I’ve even had opposing corners talk to me mid-fight. That’s why sometimes I do that because I felt the effects of it.
I remember one corner yelling, “Hey! He’s either coming with a hook or he’s gonna shoot!”
In my head, I was thinking, “How the fuck do they know that? That is my plan.”
So sometimes I like talking to the opponent. Make him think we know what’s going on already.
They can hear it loud and clear.
Who knows, you might hear me talking a little something in Miami.
Quick Hits From This Week
Red Hawk Recap Ep. 123
On this episode of the pod, I was joined by my buddy and UFC vet Rob Emerson.
Having Confidence In Combat Sports
I’ve always said that confidence is the most dangerous weapon for a fighter. Rob says someone who can put people's lights out is a dangerous person until the final bell.
Being A Good Coach
Loving your sport. Being able to explain different things to different people. I fucking love being a coach. It holds me accountable too because I can’t lead my students if I can’t even lead myself.
Dealing W/ Toxic People
Sometimes in jobs, you have no choice. You have to be around toxic people. Rob says mindset is everything in this life. We attract what we put out. So even if you’re around toxic people, try to manage your thoughts and emotions and stay positive.
Being Unwilling To Experience Suffering
It’s important to do hard shit and suffer a little bit. It makes the rest of life much better. That’s why people who are completely comfortable are always anxious. They create imaginary problems in their head when they have none.
TimboSugarShow Ep. 267
Suga Deleted IG & Twitter
Sug is locked in. We’re locked in. I read about a new app in a Tim Ferris book called FreeTime. You can set a time on each app and it’ll cut you off when the time limit is reached.
Marcus McGhee & Mario Bautista Performances
Our boys had incredible performances and got the job done. It wasn’t too long ago when Marcus was on my pod and we talked about how he’s close to being in the UFC. Now he’s on a 3-fight win streak. And Mario ended up breaking Ricky Simon. So fucking sweet to see.
Eckhart Tolle
Sug and I have been doing different meditations and they’re so good. He’s the one guy that if I saw him in person, I would love to get a pic. Stay present fellas!
Promoting A Fight Is A Skill
I know Jake Paul gets a lot of hate. But he’s so good at promoting his fights. Sug says a lot of people underestimate how hard promoting a fight is. It’s a skill.
Red Hawk Academy Patreon
Welcome to all the new Patreon members and shoutouts to all the OGs!
On Patreon, we’ve done a bunch of giveaways, podcasts, and vlogs.
We’ve been going 4 years strong with our Patreon. There are hundreds of videos on there, with new content going up all the time.
You can get exclusive access to technique videos, extra podcasts, and general healthy living videos.
I reply to everyone on Patreon, so if you have any questions, hit me up there!
That ends it for this week’s Red Hawk Essentials.
Hope you enjoyed this one. Give me a like/comment/subscribe below.
If you’re new here, welcome to the fam! We’re dropping gems like this each week.
Luv ya, talk next week.
Tim