[0:00]Welcome back to the Aussie Grapp Media podcast. We're here with Rady at his gym 411. Ralph, good morning. How are you? I'm good. Thank you. How was your drive to the gym this morning? It was long. Uh an hour and 40 minutes cuz I live on the Central Coast, so there was a lot of traffic. sort of criminal operation going on the Eastern distributor, so it took me a little while. But I'm here. You weren't the criminal, were you? No. No. All right, so let's get straight into it. Um obviously we had Nick on last week, one of your students. Yeah. Come to you now. Things be a bit of a better podcast. Nothing to Nick. But um sort of talk us through. We'll get started at the very start. What what sort of got you into jujitsu at the very start? Um I was pulled into a gym by my friends. Um which I think a lot of people have a similar situation for how they started jujitsu. Um I didn't really know anything about it or wanted to do it. I just thought it was I kind of put it into the category of weird martial arts. Um but when my friends dragged me down to do it and I actually tried a class, I actually really enjoyed it. And then I started coming pretty sporadically, I'd say like two or three times a week, and then I really started enjoying the classes and the content and just the whole thinking aspect of it. Um and so I started coming probably like once a day, twice a day, and then yeah, just started getting into it full time after I started competing and doing matches in the key and Yeah. And then as a blue belt, late blue belt, purple belt, swapped to nogi. So you started in the G. Where was this? Was it? Yeah, Gracie Hamada in Alexandria. I started with my coach Chris. Um who's also one of the owners here. Yeah. And um yeah, I just really enjoyed it. And I still really enjoy the game to be honest. I think it's still really cool. Yeah. Um and when you first started, I said this last week, like did you see yourself coaching jujitsu or was it sort of one of those things where you're like, I'm just going to sort of do it and Yeah. Yeah, I think I just sort of started doing it. Um I I never really thought I was going to be a good athlete because I started late, but I just thought I'd give it a crack anyway and try and compete. And then like I did well at blue belt in the key, but then after that I wasn't really winning that many comps and I kind of had to make money coaching jujitsu and I saw myself going in that direction. I I felt deep down that I was better at coaching jujitsu than I wasn't actually competing, so I've kind of taken that approach and I think it's been going pretty well. So you've been coaching how many years now? Probably full time, like five. Yeah, probably probably more five or six years. Yeah. What were you doing before you coached full time? Um I've done a a lot of things. Um I've worked at the defense force. I've worked in corporate. Um I've played soccer. Um
[2:47]but really like before starting jujitsu, uh just before, I was working a corporate job. Um I was actually working at one of the big four accounting firms, we call it EY. Um and I'd done like this massive interview process to get in there and once I had gotten there, I realized I I despised working in a corporate environment. And that kind of prompted me to do something different, which was you know, really pursue jujitsu as a career. And so I'd spoken to Chris and said, oh, like I'm happy to just try out teaching some kids classes, teaching some, you know, helping assisting some fundamental classes. And I just realized I really enjoyed making a difference in people's lives and serving the community. So, Um I was like, okay, well, even if I'm going to make, you know, 80% less money, I'm happy to do it because I feel like it's serving a better purpose for people and actually benefiting, you know, people's lifestyles. So, I started doing that and then that's really how it led into competitive coaching and coaching athletes who want to do this full time. Yeah. And I think on that competitive coaching, now you've got a pretty good team of athletes behind you. I think so. Like obviously every team is biased and thinks they're their guys are the best and thinks thinks they're good, but you know, I think like considering I'm not like a well-known name in jujitsu and I haven't been coaching that long. I think like in the short amount of time, I think I've produced or helped produce some really good guys, so and three years is not a long time for a gym to be open, so I think like that speaks for itself in terms of, you know, how good the guys have gotten so quickly and, you know, a lot of people have come across from gee or from other countries, like Red and Serena and stuff and have made a pretty good turnaround and done pretty well considering really how much time they spend training noogie. Yeah. And I think like the biggest thing going back to like owning a gym was what was that risk for you like? I think I I listen to a lot of people open gyms and they say like it's a massive risk. Right. You were a guy who was in accounting, started coaching jujitsu and then you're like, oh, I'm going to open a gym. What was that? What was your sort of thought process and the risk behind that? I wasn't in accounting, like it was it was an accounting like they called it top four accounting firm, but really there they do a lot of stuff and I I I I worked in in finance, but um, Yeah, it was a risk, but I think it was less of a risk for Chris and myself because we had worked at many gyms. And when I say many, really two of two big uh franchises which were Gracie Hamada and I had worked at S J J.
[5:17]At the time coaching it like uh in Murrumburra and Zetland. And so I felt like when I had when when I had the the funds ready to open a a place of my own with with a business partner, I kind of already had a group of students ready to go with you. I don't want to say like, you know, ready to jump ship, but I knew deep down that a lot of them would come with us. Like and that's not me just saying, hey, come join my gym. I I I knew for sure we had like a a good following of people. So, in my head when we had done the numbers, we'd sat down, you know, at my house with Chris and we're like, okay, well, realistically, how many students do we need and how quickly so that we can afford rent.
[5:56]We knew it was a risk, but it wasn't crazy, you know, so it wasn't like, okay, we're going to go out of business in three months if we don't get the numbers. Uh, you know, we we had forecast that we can survive at least a good year and we're going to need like 40 students or 50 students in that year and we were like, that's pretty pretty doable. So, yes, it was a risk and you kind of like get scared seeing all your funds that you've worked so hard for and, you know, that you've kind of saved up go towards that rather than stay in your bank account for a rainy day. And I I think that's the that's the hard part is like just kind of going all in and taking the gamble, but, you know, to make a long story short, yeah, it was a calculated one. It was calculated, yeah. You weren't just like, all right, I'm just going to open a gym and not think about it. You guys sort of sat down and. Oh, yeah, yeah, there was a huge business plan that went on for like a good three months before we pulled the trigger and I mean, I say this story to everyone, but the hardest part is really finding a commercial space and like negotiating a lease because that's going to be your biggest overhead and if you can negotiate a good deal on the lease and you can take your time on that, then that's really going to help you make more money because if you're paying 150K versus 100K a year and it's obviously a massive difference. And a lot of people get stung like that and close their business because they can't pay their rent, right? Because that's the most that's the biggest overhead that most jujitsu gyms have because we need so much space for the mats and, you know, bathrooms and, yeah. Everything else, yeah. And you guys were always in this space. You didn't have a do you always came. Yeah. Um we were actually going to open on if you know where uh Waterloo is, um the MACC is at Waterloo. Oh, yeah. Yeah. We were going to open in the building opposite. Um there's an IGA there. If you're familiar with the the location, and in the IGA, there's like a basement that goes down and there's like a like a commercial space there that you can use. The the rent was like probably 60% less than what we pay here. The space was probably the room where we're in now, like the mat space. But there was one pillar. Yeah. We were kind of like, okay, what's the catch? Like why is it so cheap? And we couldn't figure it out. So we're like, okay, well, we're going to sign here because it's such a great deal. Um and then I spoke to a certifier because you need to get the space certified for the for the usage that you want to use it for. Um and the certifier said, oh, you know, oh, yeah, happy to certify it, blah, blah, blah. Are you um are you underneath residential? And so if you know the space, it's like an apartment block. Yeah. And he told us like that if you want to certify a space underneath residential that you need City of Sydney engineers to approve anything you want to do. And that's going to cost way more money because yeah, you need actual engineers rather than certifiers that come in and approve everything that you're using the space for, essentially. In in, you know, again, I'm just summarizing, but there's a lot that goes into building a fit out for a gym. And um we realized, oh my God, that's going to cost so much more money than we thought. Uh when we got the quotes down to us, that's that's really the catch. And so Chris was walking past this basement one day cuz he lived around the corner and uh he used to be a VR center and the uh guy was like, yeah, we're we're moving out and um Chris said, oh, can I take a look and then contacted the agent. And the agent was like, yeah, like uh you guys could move in here pretty easily because it's already certified as a recreational area. Yeah, so it was pretty easy. Like we just put the mats down already certified and we can move in. So, yeah, that's the story of how long, how we stayed here and why we've only had this place for three years. Yeah. It's pretty good. Yeah. Pretty good space. Um I think sort of for you, did you see, I think you guys have a pretty well-known name in like Academy 411 has a very good name. Yeah. Now in the Sydney space. Did you see when you opened that being the goal or did you see it was just being like, did you always want to be that big name or did you just want like, all right, if people come, people come? Um I think I'm a competitive person. Um and I my like I mean my goal is always I just want to be the best. And I want to provide the best space for my students.
[10:11]And really, when you open a gym, the the thing you have to consider is that it's it's not going to be about you anymore. Like it's going to be about the people that are in here. And you have to be prepared to sacrifice your desires, needs, wants for them. And um I knew that I wanted the best for my students and I wanted them to be the best and therefore I had to sacrifice not just being a business, but being a space where they could grow and improve. And that kind of routed Chris and I into the direction of building a competitive team rather than building I'm going to call it like, you know, a McDonald's where, you know, we turn in white belts and we get leads and market the gym and try and make as much money as possible. It was always focus on the product. Yeah. And what's the product? Well, the product is obviously the jujitsu and if you can make the jujitsu as good as possible, then the product will sell itself. Like you don't you don't need to market. And and I say this to all the boys all the time and and girls, obviously, sorry, is that it it's always about like the process of, you know, working hard and like trying to make the product as good as it can and the results will just follow on their own if if you can do that and yeah, that's that's really where we kind of got the idea of trying to make the team competitive. And to tell you the truth, it kind of like uh set in motion other people coming and just really enjoying the space and and I think one of the most important things that we have is not just like the product, but it's like the people. Uh, you know, I I like, you know, you take Nick, someone who didn't interview with, for example, I haven't met anyone in Sydney or the jujitsu scene that has like a bad thing to say about Nick and and truthfully, you know, it's like those are the type of people that you want in your room because they're going to attract more people because they're going to go like, okay, well, everyone's kind and everyone's very thoughtful and and nice here. You know, we do have assholes like and I have moments like, obviously, where I can be a bit of a dick, but it's like at the core like the people care. And so that's going to bring in students. So, the business sells itself, you know, I don't need to market anything like when people come in, they feel safe, they feel happy and they know that the product is good, you know, they get a good role, like a good round here. So, that's kind of how we went in that direction. Uh I think other question I have is, well, for you like obviously you originally were around this area now you've moved away. Yeah. Was there ever a point where you're like, okay, this is my business, but I'm far away at this point. Were you like, okay, this is hard because I'm away from my family so much. I know you have a little daughter. Yeah. What are you kind of like, is this really was ever a point after moving way that you're like, okay, maybe jujitsu coaching isn't for me or is it always something you were going to make a sacrifice? No. No. No, like I I I always knew that like I I can't do something that's like financially motivated. So, um I'm never going to do a job like corporate or whatever where my goal is to make as much money possible to provide for my family. I think you have to find a balance um where you are going to make enough money to provide for them where you're like, okay, I don't have to worry too much about the bills. But really, the goal has always been to better people's lives and to have a product that, you know, let's let's again use Nick as an example. Like when he comes here, like, is that going to serve him for the rest of his life? Like, is he going to be a better human? Is he going to learn from here how to run his own gym if he wants to do that in the future? What are lessons of, you know, not to sound cringe, but like what are the lessons in here going to teach him about being a better person in life? Off the mats. Yeah, and like and if he ever he wants to go work corporate because he doesn't want to do jujitsu anymore, like, is he going to be a better worker, a better human that's going to benefit society, like, because of that. And I think I've never thought, okay, I'm not going to be a coach for jujitsu, but I've always thought like I'm going to be a coach that's going to help people, you know, like it's not going to I don't want to talk about like being a life coach, but I think jujitsu helps me better their lives on the outside. Yeah, as much as it's on the mats it's off the mats as well. Yeah, like I I coach jujitsu. I sit here and I I do a lot of classes, but and and you probably see it because you come around the gym and you see me on the phone and stuff like that. Like, I would say like 80% of my job is outside the mats. Like managing the athletes who are young, you know, like because they are kids at the end of the day, a lot of these guys. And it's like I organize super fights for them or, you know, I help them with their travel or I don't know, there's a million things I can think of that I do on the outside that's not just coaching. So, I would say like people say, oh, you're a jujitsu coach, but it's like, yes, I'm a jujitsu coach, but I also feel like a dad, you know, to like all these guys. And I I think they would agree like that a lot is done on the outside, you know, like match study and you know, there's so many things that I can think of and I think that's really what I do different. And I'm not saying other coaches don't do this, like I'm sure they do, but I try and go above and beyond.
[15:08]Yeah, trying to go above and beyond on the outside than I do on the mats. Like, obviously, this is the main thing. Yeah. But there's so much more that goes into coaching, as you would probably know. Yeah. Um and I think for me, like, sort of continuing on with this, do you enjoy that aspect of it as well? Like being like, okay, well, I've got Nick here who I can get this match. You enjoy the sort of like more manager role. I I do and I don't. Like there it's it's like finding the balance. I I enjoy when I get the result that's going to help them or like that they're happy with. Right? Um I sometimes find it hard to work with young athletes which which is just normal. Like I'm and I expect that challenge and I know that it's coming. So, it's not something that I go, oh, fuck, I don't want to do this today. But it's like, you know, they want a certain way, they want a certain, you know, like everyone wants to fight for a title or for they want to win trials, or they want to win world. It's like, it's like, oh, well, I I don't have money to pay for this flight. Like I don't have, you know. So, sometimes it's hard because you have to bring them back down to Earth and go, you know, Well, this is what you want. Like, how are you going to get to here? Because a coach isn't a miracle worker, right? Like I can tell them what to do and I can tell Nikki's got to win matches or Serena or whatever, like, you know, and and every coach knows this, but it's like they got to go and do the work, right? So, it's it's sometimes difficult, I would say, to manage that aspect and that you are working with young people whose frontal lobes aren't fully developed, who are emotional, who also have other stresses going on in life, like work and uni and, you know, a bunch of other things. So, it's like really are you able to manage that? And then I do I do enjoy the managerial process, but I find it hard I don't want to say hard. I think the challenge for me is that everyone is different and how I manage them individually. The full-timers and even the other students that come part-time that want to be managed as well and want fights and want this and want that. Yeah. So, I think that that's really been the most challenging thing is doing that all. seconds. That's going to check. I'm still recording. No, that's all good. My phone is like, oh, okay, no, I am. My phone like I saw a notification. I was like, I hope I'm not like, that's okay. We could do it again. We can ask the same questions anyway, if it doesn't. Um I think as well, like, talking about the managing side of it now. We see a lot more shows coming up. Is it hard for you as someone who sort of manages these athletes to have all these different shows popping up and knowing where to put people and not or you just sort of like any opportunity for my athletes an opportunity in general? Okay, so my attitude now is, uh, any fight we take, like, it used to be and I know, I'll be I'll be honest and up front, at the start, it was like, how can I position the brand in the best possible way and that would be winning fights and not just fights, but like tournaments, you know, trials, whatever, like worlds. And so I would try and match the fight perfectly and do what's best so that we would get the win. And I think I did that was wrong. Like I think I I learned from that mistake that I just wanted, you know, X Y and Z to have 10 and 0 on their records or like to to win as many matches as possible. And I think that's the wrong attitude because this isn't boxing where it's like everyone wants undefeated records and everyone wants to be winning all the time. Um and I think you should take whatever fight is presented to you because at the end of the day, if you want to win those difficult tournaments like trials and and worlds, it's like, you don't know who you're going to face and you're going to have to beat them. So,
[18:43]Like, obviously, the only exception to that would be like, you know, if we have, I don't know, like say Serena gets given a white belt for a fight, it that's in South Africa and she has to travel there and it's like, well, it's not not worth it, you know, for her, but if I I think Nick Nick's fight with Jimmy is a good example. Like, he's obviously the underdog, um and, you know, people who would wage her on that match would say that Nick would lose that, but for us, it's such an opportunity for him to fight someone on paper better than him and like what better way to test yourself, you know? And I think people get so caught up in the right fight for the highlights on social media and like, you know, the record, but I think you should just be ready and willing to just take any match and not try and pad your stats. And so it's kind of, yeah, been the direction we've taken with that now with with everyone. It's like, okay, we'll just take the match. Take the match. Yeah. Just any match. Yeah. Yeah, just do it. And, um, you know, it's going to make you even if you lose, like, who cares? It's just a jujitsu match at the end of the day. And like you're going to just going to get so much better off it. It's just data. Yeah. Um and I think as well, like, sort of coming towards the end of this, like, this year, is it it's a pretty active year for the team. Um we've got M16 coming up with Nick and Serena. Are you going down to M16? Yeah, yeah, so I'll be in Adelaide at the end of the month. Uh, subversion in two weeks. Um, but, you know, I just want to put on the record that those shows are never the goal. Like for us, the goal really is to get a people winning trials and get us to the ADCC Worlds. Like that's always been the goal since we opened the gym and everything else is just preparation for that, you know, we don't care about belts that sit on the shelf. Like, we care about like how are we going to build these people's careers long term and that for me, maybe my opinion's wrong, that's that's the way it's going to be. So, that's what we're working for. Yeah. And obviously, the trials this year is a big one. Are you going you guys taking like a a decent-sized team or do you think it'd be a few athletes? I think it's going to be easier as well being in the Gold Coast. People are more willing to travel to the Gold Coast than Thailand. Yeah, I agree. Um, obviously, for you guys, you don't care if the team's small. You went to trials with Nick by himself. But do you feel for the Gold Coast trials, you've got a good energy in the room where people are like, okay, let's all push towards that. For the open being the day before helps. And, but yeah, do you see yourself taking big teams to these trials? Yeah, we got like 10, 10, I'd say, right now, 10 to 15 people getting ready to go. Um and again, like, you know, it's you don't expect them all to win. You know, it's so it's like there's only one winner in each weight division. And it's so, so difficult, you know, only such a small percentage of people will ever win such a prestigious tournament. But I think, again, like take the fight, like I said before, like you should really push yourself and just try, especially if, you know, those guys want to compete. Like what an opportunity you get to say like that in your life you got to fight against the best people in the world, like in any given sport. You know, I know we hear that a lot in jujitsu, like, oh, you can't you can go train with Gordon Ryan, but you could never shoot hoops with uh LeBron James or Michael Jordan. But, you know, what an opportunity to say you could, you know, fight against, let's say, you pull like, you know, I don't know, like Diky from Japan or something in the 66 division. Like what an opportunity to fight someone that's so good and, you know, have a wrestle with him. So, I yeah, I um I I say we we are going to bring a lot more people because we had so many injuries for Thailand so we couldn't bring people. But I'm I'm pretty keen for this one. And I'll just be coaching at that one because there's so many people and I don't want to be jumping on and off the mats competing. Yeah, so I'm I'm keen to just help everyone out for that. And then on that competing aspect, what can we sort of expect from your is your career, not career done? Like I think it's it's weird to say as like a jujitsu athlete my career's done but I think you're you're sort of taking that back step now. We just saw you compete in Serbia at trials. Are you going to sort of take the back step and be like, look, I'm going to be the coach now or are we going to see you jump in and out? Uh anything I do competition wise would just be for myself just because I want to. And I feel like competing and you know, I I I actually weirdly love the discipline and the of a camp. Like, you know, I I don't advocate for weight cutting. I'm kind of against it at heart, but I I like like, you know, staying on track with my diet, coming, training twice a day, having my whole team help me prepare. I love that atmosphere. And so I like doing that once in a while just to and and competing and I and then I I want to compete a little bit more on the coast just to put my name out there because I'm living there and, you know, I'm meeting a lot of people and making friends. Um so I wouldn't say it's like done, but it's just part-time part-time. Yeah, yeah, I'll just compete when I feel like it, but really my goal remains to my team and like coaching and making sure that they can be the best that they can be. So, that's like my 100% laser focus is just on them at the moment. You know, we got like five or six full-time guys now and I'd say most of my energy is allocated to them. And then, you know, it trickles down to the rest of the crew that are here. And, you know, apologies to the to the other members who feel like maybe they're not, uh, what would be the word like that they're not being looked after. Yeah, looked after. Um but you are, you know, I watch you and I know what you're doing more than you think and I know who's ready for promotion and who's not and stuff. But really, they they have devoted their life to this, so I I would be remiss if I didn't do everything I could to make them better. Yeah, to make them better. Yeah. Um and I think talking of trials and competing, how did you find that experience? Was that your first cut to 66 in a while? Uh in a while, yeah, but the cut wasn't too bad to be honest. Just the the water part is always shit and like no one likes that. And I don't like dieting, like, it's again, I like the discipline of it once I've done it, but I love food, so it's it's like it's difficult for me to, you know, walk past the bakery and not get a croissant. And but but like, like again, it's just like, I know I can do it. So, it's like, it it makes me feel better and more confident about myself. Um and I really enjoyed it was my first European trials. And I really enjoyed traveling to Europe with the team and competing and doing it with them and like just being a part of the experience and, you know, even though I lost first round, like I I was bummed the first 20 minutes, but then it's like I was like, oh, I'm just happy I made it out here and I'm still in a position with kids and a full-time gym and so much other stuff going on where I can just compete, you know, and give it a crack. So, yeah, I was pretty happy. Um and obviously, you were there. What was the whole debacle like at Serbia trials? The whole like mental health thing. Oh, yeah, I've heard like so many different stories. What was it what was it like being an athlete? I know I was going to write about this. Being an athlete that's like in a weight cut and you're just there and you're like, dude, I just want water. I just want to eat. Like, it's challenging. And I think you the hardest part is that you do the weight cut and you expect to weigh in at like a certain time. And you're like, if they tell you, okay, 5:00 is the way in and you're like, great, I'm going to weigh in at five and this is going to be fantastic because I'm going to be able to drink at 5:04 or whatever. But when you get there and then it takes like an extra three hours or whatever, that's when it's hard because you're the expectation in your head is like, I'm only got this amount of time left.
[25:39]But then they keep adding on time and that that was difficult for me. So, when when he means by the debacle in Serbia is that it was disorganized and that people weigh in very, very late and they were dehydrated and hungry. So, do you think that that touching on that, do you think that would have had an effect on some athletes' performance as someone with a background watching people cut weight and stuff? No, I I don't. I don't because, um, the brackets were terribly done. So, um, yeah, some people had 48 hours almost until from between the time they weighed in till the time they fought. So, I would have said yes, if they would have had to fight the next morning. I would have been like that's a huge disadvantage for the people that weigh in three hours late versus the ones that weigh in at, let's say, 5:00 with the example I was using. But because everyone was weighing in, uh, sorry, fighting the next day or the day after, it really didn't make that much of a difference. Yeah. So, and I think coming back to the whole weight cutting thing, as a coach, what is it like being watching your athlete like your athletes basically like killing themselves at a point. Yeah, yeah. What's it like being a coach and do you find cutting weight yourself more stressful or watching someone cut weight because you're sort of like in control of them and like you know what could go wrong. Well, I mean, we've been pretty fortunate that we've never had like a crazy weight cut for anyone. I think the the the the biggest one coming out would be like if Serena goes to 55 and decides to stay in that weight bracket, that will be a good like, I say the biggest, but it's not even that big a cut, you know, I'd say the person who cuts the most weight is me. Like I'll cut 10 kilos for 66 and I walk around like I walked around like 75, 76. So, I I'm actually not that stressed when I watch other people cut weight because I know they're going to make the weight because I'm like in my head, I have done so much worse than this. And mentally, you guys are a lot stronger than me, you know, you guys always perform better than me. So, I'm like, okay, there's no way that this is going to have a negative impact on your performance. There's no way it's going to be that hard for you because of how I was able to do it. Yeah. And I did way more way than you. Yeah. So, I think sort of coming towards the end of this now. Yeah. Uh we've got a few questions. And these are the ones asked me last week. Who's the hardest person you've ever trained with? The hardest person you've ever rolled with and like technically? Yeah. Or like the person that just gives me the most trouble. Most trouble one, but also technically, like you look at a person and like that is the most technical around that I've ever had. Uh the most technical around would have to be David, who's here now. Making coffee. Yeah. Like for me, I'm just like a massive nerd and like everything he does is so calculated and thought out and I just I just love like love training with him because it's just I'm just getting obliterated, not with strength or, you know, with with raw physical attributes. It's just like it's always it's always like I'm being outmastered in the brain. Yeah. In the brain. Yeah. My brain is getting out in the brain. Yeah. Always outthinking me 10 to one right now like a super computer so and I really enjoy that. And then obviously Jeremy as well who's like one of my coaches and like has had a massive, massive influence on my jujitsu like let's say career coaching and competing. And um he's like the same, like always outthinking me but him like just always way more physical. You know, like I'm just like I can't believe someone who doesn't weigh that much more than me can just like obliterate me like that. I remember rolling with him and being like, I'm a lot bigger than Jeremy. He was like he was like doing something. I was like, dude, this guy is so strong. Yeah, it's not strength. Like, you know, it's like it's just like the way he pure technique. Yeah, he just Yeah, outmaneuvers you so I I would say those two and then um I'm trying to think like who else that's like kind of famous in inverted commas that I've rolled with. I'd say Declan's passing was like, really crazy as well. Like I was like, okay, like I know you're much bigger than me, so it's hard to gauge, but I I thought his passing was like, really, really good. And I've trained with Joseph and all that. And his his passing was really good, too. It's just different, you know, it's like more side to side. Yeah, tripod and Declan, like more forcing me into North South and yeah. So, it's just different. But like I would say overall, my favorite, most technical, hardest roller is always David and I'm blessed that I get to roll with him every day. And then in the key, it would be Chris. Like, you know, my coach, like always has always challenged me and pushed me and has a real Ha Mendez style, like barambollos and he's really pushed me so hard like to get better at the start because he would just train with me 20 times a day.
[30:05]Yeah. So, like people never see me in Chris roll anymore. Uh cuz we don't really, like because he doesn't really train nogi that much and he's injured and, you know, he's getting on now with his career. But, uh when people say, who who have you rolled with the most, it's him. Like I've rolled with him so many times, like it's crazy. So, yeah. Um I think like two more questions. Of course. You're our dream match. I asked Nick this last week. If there's a person that like, say, you're like, perfectly find you the best camp. Like dream match, like, oh, if I fought that guy, like that would be the highlight. Like a professional or Yeah, yeah, like, uh, I would love to have one day, uh, Let me think for a minute. Like, so, can be Giy or Nogi, past or present. Okay, Nogi, I would love to have a match with Talison Suarez one day. Oh, okay. Yeah. Cuz I'm just think his jujitsu is so sick the way he moves and he had actually like a massive influence on my game. Um I would get obliterated. There's absolutely no doubt, but I would just love to see what it's like. And I've trained with him a lot. So, you know, in the past and done rounds with him, never in nogi, always in gee. Um, if I was in Australia, I and it would just talking about mates and stuff. Uh, we were talking about this on Saturday. I've never rolled with Jake Nickels. So, I would love to have a round with him. Yeah. Subversion match. No, no, no, just a round with him. Just a round with him. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I I told him, I have to come to your gym or you have to come here because we've never touched. So, like I would love to do a do a round with him. Yeah. Um and then the last one for me, um it's kind of a double-ended question. Yeah. Yeah. So, best bit of advice you've been given while training. Can be like about training, about life off the mats and then your advice for the people coming up. Um, like your advice for the future athletes. Best piece of advice I've been given while training. It'd be better than Nick's answer, don't worry. What was Nick's answer? Um, apparently someone told him just bring it back to jujitsu. It was really he went really insightful.
[32:09]The best has to be jujitsu wise? No, like can be just in the like best bit of advice. Okay, we'll go life. Best bit of advice in life. Best bit of advice in life is never kiss your mother on the lips the day after your dad's birthday.
[32:25]You were so fun. I'm glad to see it. Okay. Best jujitsu advice. Honestly, like if I'm going to be serious is it's just a jujitsu match. Yeah. It's just around. Like don't take it so seriously. Like like I know it's a cringe and so obvious to say like enjoy it, but like it was actually David that gave me that advice. He's like, just and Jeremy the same like just it's just a match, man. Yeah. Don't worry about it. It's just a round, you know? That's hilarious. Cuz Nick gave me that advice and tried to make it out like it was his advice. Oh, really? I I I I said that to Nick and to everyone. Yeah. Like whenever I think you said it to me actually. Yeah, it's like, you know, I say to everyone and I was like and genuinely it makes me feel better and I don't know if it made you feel better, but it's like people don't care that much, man. Like if you lose. Well, I think that was the thing you said to me in the lead up to subversion when I was like, I was always in my head. I was like, I've got to win this match. Like, dude, you're Nickels. Like, it's just a jujitsu match. Yeah. Like I think I took my I was taking it so seriously. I was like, oh, like I've got to win this and you've both just like dude. Who cares? Yeah. No one like you said to me today before the interview. No one remembers that. No one remembers that. Yeah. Yeah. And I had that I think I had a chat with with Serena um about I was like, man, like you've got a full-time job. You've got a great partner at home. You've got a beautiful apartment. Like you have so many things going for your life. If you lose this, it's not the end of the world. It doesn't affect you. Yeah. Like you have such a great life. Like there's so many other things you can look at with a positive outlook. I think not the same cliche again. I think it comes from that like because everyone sees like jujitsu as like a martial art. People like you MMA. It's like, oh, I get knocked out people care. But jujitsu, it's very different. Yeah, like I think that's where that mindset comes from. Yeah. Like I I I say this to white belts. It's like, I'll and I'll ask them like, they'll be like, oh, I'm scared to compete. But I'm like, and they really want to, you know, and I'll never force anyone to compete if they don't want to. It's like, they're like, oh, like what if I get what if I lose in the first 30 seconds? And I'll always ask them, like, what are what are my results as a white belt? And they'll be like, I have no idea. And it's like, no one is going to remember what you did at white belt.
[34:30]No one remembers what David or Jeremy or Nick or Red or certain like no one remembers what how they weigh in as a white belt. I remember having a similar conversation with you. You're like, dude, look at all the guys like Gordon Ryan, like, who knows what Gordon Ryan's doing at blue belt. Like, he wasn't always this good. People aren't always this good. Yeah. Um so and I think last thing for me is what can we expect from the 411 team in the next sort of two to three years? Like, obviously, title fights is there a goal for you? Obviously trials is a big goal. Yeah. Worlds as well. Yeah. Yeah, um more G. Yeah, yeah. I would love to add more G. Yeah, yeah, I would love to add more G. Um titles and, you know, a bigger G team. I would love to grow the kids team and have like a bit of a system where it's built from the ground up, you know, rather than we I think we we put a huge focus on and people get angry about this and they say, oh, you shouldn't poach and recruit. And I'm not saying I poach, right? Like, but it's like, what we did such a great job recruiting people to our team. You know, we've had like really good people come over like red from France or Serena from a key background from a different gym. Uh Kai, who you know, like, so it's like I think we've put such a huge emphasis on making sure that those people who are, you know, coming over here felt comfortable. So, again, we did such a great job recruiting. I would love to do a a better job nurturing from the ground up. And like bringing young kids, yeah, homegrown talent that we develop and that we have a system and that, you know, I've now coached all these guys. They can now coach the next generation and so on and so on. And then, yeah, obviously, like titles hopefully, fingers crossed, you know, if God wills it as they say and, um, we're extend our facilities and hopefully, you know, we can maybe two to three years is a bit wishful thinking, but hopefully the boys can have their own places where they can call their gym and they can coaches there. Yeah. Yeah. Like I would love that again. We've put in a process in place where they can now better their lives and they can make a career out of this and they can positively impact their communities. Yeah. Yeah. Sick. Well, thank you, Ralph. No worries. Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Thank you. That went way longer than I thought. I was like, looking at my watch. I was like, dude. Oh, that's good. Got lots of content. I did. That was a 36 minutes.
