Have you ever met someone with a life story so compelling it sounds like a movie script? Mitch Aguiar is that person, and he's our honored guest, opening up about his transformation from a Virginia native into a decorated Navy SEAL and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. With a life marked by extreme challenges and profound insights, Mitch takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences—from the rigorous tests of BUD/S training to the mental strength carved out from competitive sports.
Diving into the depths of military life, Mitch recounts his Hell Week triumphs and shares tales from his travels, offering a unique perspective on the globe-spanning adventures that come with service. His journey is a testament to human resilience, and his candid discussions on the influence of military life on politics and societal thoughts during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic shed a revealing light on the transformative power of extreme experiences. As he dissects his political views and the pivotal moments that shaped them, we're reminded of the complexities of navigating governance and the freedoms we often take for granted.
But Mitch isn't just a soldier and athlete; he's a true entrepreneur. His story of brand-building, MMA fighting, and the innovative 'Adopt a Cop' program highlights the importance of community and the impact one can make outside the confines of traditional paths. His 'Violent Hippie' philosophy resonates with the need to balance peace and preparedness, offering a fresh outlook on the principles guiding his jujitsu academy. Mitch's vision and dedication to his values, both in and out of the gym, leave us inspired to explore the reaches of our own potential. Join us for an episode that is as enlightening as it is unforgettable, and follow Mitch's ongoing ventures as he continues to shape the world around him.
Have you ever met someone with a life story so compelling it sounds like a movie script? Mitch Aguiar is that person, and he's our honored guest, opening up about his transformation from a Virginia native into a decorated Navy SEAL and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. With a life marked by extreme challenges and profound insights, Mitch takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions and experiences—from the rigorous tests of BUD/S training to the mental strength carved out from competitive sports.
Diving into the depths of military life, Mitch recounts his Hell Week triumphs and shares tales from his travels, offering a unique perspective on the globe-spanning adventures that come with service. His journey is a testament to human resilience, and his candid discussions on the influence of military life on politics and societal thoughts during the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic shed a revealing light on the transformative power of extreme experiences. As he dissects his political views and the pivotal moments that shaped them, we're reminded of the complexities of navigating governance and the freedoms we often take for granted.
But Mitch isn't just a soldier and athlete; he's a true entrepreneur. His story of brand-building, MMA fighting, and the innovative 'Adopt a Cop' program highlights the importance of community and the impact one can make outside the confines of traditional paths. His 'Violent Hippie' philosophy resonates with the need to balance peace and preparedness, offering a fresh outlook on the principles guiding his jujitsu academy. Mitch's vision and dedication to his values, both in and out of the gym, leave us inspired to explore the reaches of our own potential. Join us for an episode that is as enlightening as it is unforgettable, and follow Mitch's ongoing ventures as he continues to shape the world around him.
Alright, guys. So today I'm going to be interviewing a former Navy SEAL, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt and business owner and the head of a Jiu-Jitsu studio called Violet Hippie, as well as a business owner and a charity owner. Explain all of his businesses as well as himself, and I want to welcome today to the show former Navy SEAL and Brazilian.
Speaker 1:Jiu-Jitsu black belt, mitch Agar. All right guys, so I am in the headquarters of Massive. It's very rare that I do in-person interviews, but I really wanted to get Mitch on for a very long time, so I came out of my lazy home to talk to the owner of Violent Hippie Jiu Jitsu. Welcome to the show, mitch. First off, mitch, I want to just get you to tell them what is and who is Mitch Agar.
Speaker 2:Agar. Everybody mispronounces my last name. So and and you know it's funny even amongst my family there's debate on like some people say it's aguiar. I always thought it was your last name some. You know myself, I say aguiar, just like two syllables aguiar and uh yeah. And then then I think my grandma, she says Aguiar and my dad says Aguiar. I don't know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I always thought you were related to Christina, the washed-up singer, christina Aguilera.
Speaker 2:So it's funny. In Bud's I had an instructor, uh, he was a vietnamese guy and um, he his english was not great and uh, one time I we were doing a drill uh, some iad drills and um, he was standing over me and I had maneuvered into this position and got in the shooting position, pulled the trigger and I had a dead man's gun, so I hadn't racked around in the chamber and he goes oh, christina Aguilera, dead man's gun, that's flight till you die. And flight was a punishment that we had where you had to run up frog hill, this, this really steep hill, and you had to run, uh, run up it carrying a metal pallet on your back and shoulders, and uh, so you had to run up there and, depending on, you know, however many, whatever the, the punishment or whatever your violation was you had, you know that's three. Whatever the punishment or whatever your violation was you had, you know that's three flights, that's five flights. And you know, and he goes, oh, dead man's gun. And he used to call me Christina Aguilera. He goes, that's flight till you die. That's crazy.
Speaker 2:So, so funny stuff, yeah, so.
Speaker 1:Funny. You grew up in Virginia. Is that what led you to buds like? What was like the background of like, why you wanted to, or why you became a navy seal?
Speaker 2:um, yeah, so I'm from virginia beach. Um, my mom and dad were in the navy, um, but I honestly had zero interest in joining the military growing up. Um, my dad growing up wanted me to join the military. He was kind of always talking to me about it as an option and I was just not interested and um, so obviously this area is very Navy heavy, but again, as a kid you don't really think about that too much or even care, or whatever.
Speaker 2:I lived here till about halfway through fifth grade. Then I went to Maryland and my parents were divorced and I ended up going to live with my dad for middle school, into high school, and then my mom had remarried my stepdad who was also in the Navy. They had moved to Ohio and I went and lived with them in 10th grade and ended up graduating high school out there and I was just, you know know, just graduated. I was roofing, I was working at they. They had like a deli slash convenience store that I was helping them at, and so I worked there part-time and then I was also working as a lifeguard at Kalahari, as a surf instructor on the flow rider and, um, you know, that was pretty cool but I didn't really like Ohio.
Speaker 2:I didn't like that area. I knew I didn't want to stay there. I didn't know what I wanted to do, um, I knew it wasn't going to be something in the academic world. You know I hated, hated, hated school, um, you know. So I knew I didn't want to go to college, uh, but just didn't know what I wanted to do and um, was kind of bored. You know, recruiter, walked in to, uh, my parents uh convenience store and and just happened to catch me at the right time. You know, hey, you want to join the Navy? Yeah, sure, why not? And yeah, you look like you're in good shape. You want to be a SEAL? Sure, sign me up.
Speaker 2:Which convenience store was that it was called Erie Trail and I believe it's still there they ended up. You know it's under new ownership, but yeah, I believe it's still there.
Speaker 1:It's in Olena Ohio, so Ohio is big, big as far as like wrestling. When I was growing up, did you wrestle in high school?
Speaker 2:I did not. I wish I did. I went to a wrestling camp in eighth grade with my brothers because they were into wrestling, but I just wasn't, I. But I did go to a wrestling camp with them and I actually ended up uh, like pinning one of the, the state champions at the camp and uh, the, the coaches there were like pleading with my parents, like he has to wrestle, he has to, and I'm like, nah, this is gay, I don't like it, it just wasn't. It wasn't that interesting to me, you know, and yeah, I just didn't like it.
Speaker 1:It's actually pretty funny because I did wrestle and my wrestling coach was in the Navy and then the other one was in the Army and then the other assistant coach was in the Coast Guard and they always used to try to push me to be in the military and I was like nah, you know my granddad was an Army vet.
Speaker 1:He was like no, I worked hard for you not to have to do that. And I kind of had the same thing. Like I just randomly one day it's like yeah, this is not working and my parents are paying for me to go to school. I think I'm a loser. And I was looking at all my friends. I was like why are they still asking me for money? We're like 19 years old. It's like I got to get out of this town.
Speaker 2:When.
Speaker 1:I went and joined the military, my parents were like, oh, yeah, right, because it took nine months. I was in the delayed entry program. Then I was like, oh, I'm leaving. They thought it I was gone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, yeah it's funny, my all my friends, my friend group in high school that you know, my closest group of friends they, they were all talking about joining the military and saying like, yeah, let's, let's all join and let's do the buddy program and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, hey, you guys have fun with that. That's not for me'm not interested, no, thanks. And then I ended up being the only one who actually joined and uh, became a seal and all those guys still are. Uh, you know, back home, back home, doing the same shit different day.
Speaker 2:Yeah and uh, yeah, I even I even ran into one of them recently when I had gone back there to visit um. And I had run into one of them and his fucking teeth were all methed out and everything and I was just like wow.
Speaker 1:Happy, you left home.
Speaker 2:I had that same feeling.
Speaker 1:I remember when I was in basic training, my whatever you call them RDC was a BM. He kept saying don't think about home, don't think about home. So when I got out of boot camp I was like I'm not going home. I didn't go home for seven years and then when I went home for the first time, this girl I used to date was working in a DMV and I was just like I was seeing everybody. I was like nobody left and then I was thinking do I come from a small town? I got to get out of here. I went going back to Virginia. Where was home for you? Jacksonville, florida. Okay, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So and then that's not really a small town.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but it seemed like it. But yeah, I mean, your world is small. You know wherever you are. If you don't venture out, you know, even in New York city you can live there. But if you're just amongst the same people doing the same shit, it's your world can be small Still. You have to broaden your horizons. You know there's definitely a lot out there, and that was the thing with with me. I was like you know, I'm only 18. And you know, even if I just do four years in the Navy, that's only four years I'll be 22. I can, I can go see the you know world and a little bit and get paid to do it, and you know. So I figured what was, what's the harm?
Speaker 1:you know what was, what was the Navy like for you, and what was buds like?
Speaker 2:So I didn't know that I had to go to BUDS. When I signed up, you know, I like called my dad. I was like, hey, I signed up to be a SEAL and he's like what? And I'm like, yeah, I'm going to be a Navy SEAL, like you know, the sneaky guys on the commercials, and my dad was a combat cameraman attached with Team eight and green team and dev group, so like he knew all about them obviously and deployed with them to iraq and uh, so he was like you, you know, you have to go to buds. And I'm like what's that, you know? And so he got the the buds 234 documentary videos and watched that. But before that, you know, my first, literally my first uh, anything intro to but or navy seals in general, was watching navy seals. I went, I've got the movie, you know charlie sheen and steven sago no, that's undersea.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, uh yeah, it was charlie sheen and, um, I watched that and I was just like, oh okay, wow okay. I guess they're like assassins type people or whatever. So I guess that's what I'm going to do. I don't know. And it's funny, there's like a scene in there in that movie and it's like these guys crawling through barbed wire and mud and there's machine guns going off and smoke grenades and there's people like spy rigging out of a helicopter flying over a lake, and all this is going on in the same area and the guy's giving this girl a tour and he's like this is buds.
Speaker 2:He's like you know, 90 of them won't make it blah, blah, blah or whatever, and I was just like, oh shit, that's what I'm gonna be doing I guess, and then obviously getting the 234 documentary was like a real depiction of what buds is. But again, it's a. It's an extremely watered down documentary. Even you know it's. It's a six-hour documentary on a eight-month process or school.
Speaker 1:You know, and uh, and the majority of that just covers hell week yeah, I remember seeing some of it and I but I've never seen like one, two and three. I just remember like bits and pieces and I remember the guy was like I want to be an officer and one of the ads like, oh, you think you're gonna leave me. He was like, well, I hope so and I was like yeah, no, it's.
Speaker 2:And, like you know, I think I had an advantage, um, in some ways going into buds, uh, so, unprepared in the sense, like I didn't make it, um, it just wasn't something that I had like always wanted to be, and this was like my dream and this, you know, I was literally like just like, all right, I'll do this. And it's a challenge. And you know, and I remember watching the 234 documentary and afterward I watched it with my dad. That's just like straight, we just sat down six hours straight and watched it and I was like, damn, that's fucking, that seems like a lot, you know, and I didn't know I had to do all that, you know, and I hadn't run further than a mile in my life, you know. So it was like man, four miles on the beach in sand and boots, like what the hell? Like that seems crazy. And then, hell week, you're like, uh, that doesn't even seem possible. But you know, and then afterwards my dad's like, you know, oh, so you think you got what it takes.
Speaker 2:And you know, it's that 18 year old cockiness. I'm like, yeah, duh, I can do it. You know, and that was my attitude. It was just kind of like this is a challenge now, and I already said I was going to do it. I told everybody I was going to do it. So you know, I'd rather die than look like a pussy. So I'd rather die than be a pussy. So, uh, that, that, that that's. That's the way we went.
Speaker 1:And when you, when you succeeded, how did? How did you feel like was it all worth it?
Speaker 2:And you look back now like yeah, for sure, like, looking back, I, you know I, I wouldn't change it, for sure, I would definitely do it again. Um, I think if I went through buds now, you know I, I would have a lot better time. Uh, you know, with my mentality now and just maturity. I mean, that was probably my biggest hurdle was going through Bud's at 18 years old, being one of the youngest guys in the class and you know the majority of people there are 24, 25, 26. That's a big difference between you know maturity level and from a 25, 26 year old to an 18 year old. Yeah, and a lot of life experience that I don't have, didn't go to college, you know just. But in a way, I think you know again, you have it's, you have perks and know disadvantages.
Speaker 2:So, uh, you know I was younger, more more mendable, but also kind of like used to like going straight from like school where you're kind of you know you have to follow the rules, you have to do this and that, and you know, and then going straight into boot camp. It's's kind of like that just more strict, and then buds that more strict, more intense. So I'm just kind of used to being told what to do and following orders or directions in that sense. But at the same time, again, I didn't take it that serious in the sense like where some of these guys were so emotionally invested in it, to where it's like if the instructor tells you you're a fucking turd, you're not going to make it, blah, blah, blah, and they're like taking that to heart and it's like, oh God, you know this Navy SEAL who I admire so much, and put on a pedestal.
Speaker 2:and you know, this dude is larger than life and he's telling me that I'm not cut out for the SEAL teams, like oh, and it like crumbles them, you know. And to me I'm like oh, this is a game, you know, like these guys are here to fuck with you and like that's their job is to be the gatekeepers, and you know so you can't really take like that shit too personally, you know, and I was able to separate that and I feel like that was like a big advantage, you know, yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's crazy because I think about. You know, I have a psychology background and I always think about how, like people are so obsessed with always coddling their kids and isn't this great? And oh, you're special. And and I just kind of laugh like nobody's special.
Speaker 2:That's how they get fucked when they get older well by, like, I would kind of disagree with that. I think you should. Um, you know I, I, you know, I truly believe that a lot of my confidence and um willingness to put myself out there and not being afraid, you know, to fail, I dare to be great. You know, I think a lot of that stems from, um, my childhood and upbringing. You know my mom particularly like you know my mom particularly like you know, putting me on coffee tables and sing.
Speaker 2:Mary had a Little Lamb, and you know, and me just going up there, mary had a little and you know, yeah, great job and encouraging me and you know, like, and that I think I grew up doing that shit and like you know, being told you can do whatever you want in life, you know, if you just apply yourself, blah, blah, blah.
Speaker 1:Like I think that's super important. Um, you know, it does mold your mentality, you know, yeah, see, my, my parents were similar but different. It was more of a. You're not special, so you have to do this. There are certain things you have to do. It's it's your duty, it's like the bare requirement yeah, no, that's, that's all that's for sure a thing too.
Speaker 2:But I think you should encourage your, your kids, to you know, push themselves to be great, to not be afraid to fail to try things to you know, and um, but yeah, no, I, I get what you're saying. Like you have to work. You have to put in saying Like you have to work.
Speaker 1:You have to put in effort, and it was.
Speaker 2:You have to make sure your actions match your ambitions.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we competed a lot Like it wasn't like a coasting off of your accomplishments. I grew up in the Episcopal Church and so it's a big mecca of churches. So if you are a good speaker and you can remember stuff, you have to compete in speeches against all the other churches in the region that's in church stops.
Speaker 1:You're having a speech competition and if you mess up everybody the whole congregation's trying to do. Did you not study? And so you just were learning? Like, oh, I can't fake the funk. Like I know stuff, I have to know it, I have to know how to say it with confidence. If you were a, a dancer, same thing. They have dance competitions, all right. Well, this person won from St Stephen's. Now you're going to go against the girl from St Mary's and you're like all right, let's see if you're really a good dancer. You're just the local, the local hero. So it taught me that, like, you may have certain talents, but if your talent is not trained, specific, constant, it doesn't matter. You have to work at it, you have to like some. You can get in the room with talent, but it's not going to keep you there?
Speaker 1:yeah, I mean, work beats talent usually yeah and so that's what I mean, like when my parents would be like you're not special, that's very interesting.
Speaker 1:I've never heard of like competitive church stuff, yeah Well because because in the, in that, like Episcopal tradition, they're more big into like what we what I would label now is like the social gospel. So, like in it, they used to actually say stuff like yeah, if you haven't done anything for humanity, you should be ashamed to be dead. And so it was all like oh yeah, Did you do this? Oh, you finished that stuff? Did you help your brother? Sounds like a lot of judgment. Yeah, you know, it was like what would Jesus do? I told my friend this. I said you know, I wonder if parents say this to their kids, you ought to be ashamed.
Speaker 1:I was like I used to hear that all the time you ought to be ashamed and I was like there's some stuff that I just don't do Because I'm like I'd be embarrassed for myself to even have to, you know, be in that. But I do think it's like a mix of both. Like, even when I went to school, I'm shocked by the amount of people that will be like well, that hurt my feelings, and I'm like who cares? Who cares, Because something's true, has no barricade of, like your feelings being involved in it, you know.
Speaker 2:And so. But I just think it's like.
Speaker 1:I think like what I call pop psychology, Like everybody was obsessed with, like I don't want my kids to beat this, I have to do this thing, and I'm like there's always a negative side to every coin. You know what I mean. And now you have everybody who's super confident and you're like you're mediocre, you haven't done anything. Like I take care of my kids. That's what you're supposed to do.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you're supposed to like why do you want me to give you a cookie for something that even animals do? But anyway, to get off that your proudest moment in the military as a SEAL and I know you traveled a lot, the best place you got to travel to, whether it was in CONUS or out in CONUS you got to travel to, whether it was in CONUS or out of CONUS, my proudest moment in the military, I guess it's hard to say.
Speaker 2:It's hard to say honestly, maybe graduating Hell Week. Perhaps graduating Hell Week even more so than getting my Trident, because to me I obsessed with Hell Week, the thought of getting through Hell Week, that was the biggest hurdle. And then, once I got past Hell Week, it was like, oh yeah, I'm going to be a SEAL. So it was different, was like, oh yeah, I'm gonna be a seal, you know so. So it was different. You know, um, you know. And then by the time you actually it's so long, I mean by the time I enlisted, to the time I got my trident was like 22 months. So that's a long time, you know it's a and uh, and even after you graduate buds, you got to go through sqt and you know there's just it's a long process and um. But again it's kind of like it's almost like you're anticipating that at that point, like once you've already passed the, the biggest hurdle there. Sure, there's things that can still stumble you or, you know, derail you or whatever, but they're're just not nearly as immense as something like Hell Week. But Hell Week was just this monstrous task ahead of me that seemed almost impossible Not impossible, but just larger than life and I obsessed over it and and I was a realist I didn't know if I was going to be able to get through it or not. Because, you know, realistically, I looked at all of these people that had dedicated their whole lives to this and have trained, you know, painstakingly hard for for forever, and you know these are not average people that I'm, that I'm in this class with, or you know, or that are ahead of me and I'm seeing attempt this and fail. And you know they put everything into this and are I'm watching 90 of them fail and um, so I was just a realist like man like this is obviously super fucking hard and I don't know if I'm gonna have what it takes. I obviously I'm trying and I'm gonna try and I'm gonna give it my all, but I I'm not gonna be delusional and say I'm going to give it my all, but I I'm not going to be delusional and say I'm going to do it without a doubt, you know. So that was like just this big looming mystery and like just challenged that laid ahead. So that consumed a lot of my thoughts, a lot of my energy, uh, you know so, when I but I knew, I knew, like two minutes into hell week, I knew that I was going to make it. So, you know, I I had a smile on my face the entire hell week. I could not stop smiling. There's I have pictures of me in hell week and every one of them I'm smiling, wow, and I mean I was so fired up I couldn't not smile. I was just because I knew I was going to make it. And then when I actually, you know, and even that, like I talked about how, after Hell Week, you kind of know that I knew I was going to get my trident eventually, you know, and it was just kind of a matter of time and I'm just like in waiting and anticipating it, it was almost like that, within two minutes into hell week, like I was like damn, I know, I'm gonna fucking make it. And you know so, maybe even that moment and I remember I was, I was, we had, we were waiting in the tents for breakout to start and uh, sunday, you know, sunday afternoon or whatever, and we're sitting around in there and then all of a sudden, the machine guns go off and the and the flashbang grenades, and they're, you know, yelling at you to go hit the surf.
Speaker 2:And we hit the surf and bear crawling back from, you know, from the surf down back to the grinder and all these guns are going off. And I'm looking around and it's just the same instructors that have been beating my ass for over, you know, a month or an hour and a half now, or whatever it is, and I'm like, oh, this is just the same shit as always that we've already been doing. Yeah, and you know, and I like I built it up so much in my head I thought satan was gonna like pop out of the ground and like lead log, pt or some shit. But when I realized I'm like, oh, these are, this is just the same shit, it's literally just gonna be the same thing we've been doing without any sleep oh, who gives a fuck. I was like man, I'm going to make it, like this is this is cause I'm going to make it, and I know that. And so I would say, at the moment when I realized that was probably my proudest moment, and then, yeah, that's good.
Speaker 2:Maybe getting the, you know, actually getting it done, getting the brown shirt and my pizza and Gatorade, and then I fell asleep in my pizza.
Speaker 1:So, and what was the the best place you you traveled to? Uh, whether you were in um states or out of states, and why?
Speaker 2:um, in the military, you're saying, yeah, in the military. I would say my favorite place I traveled while I was in the military was probably, probably, probably, greece.
Speaker 2:I've never been or you know, probably Greece, because I got to go to the battlefield of Thermopylae where, you know, the battle of the 300 Spartans took place, the last stand. You know I got to actually go there and go in the hot gates and you know, and the Spartans were like my heroes, you know, as far like they were like my idols, as far as warriors and that warrior culture, um and so, getting to kind of be there and like stand amongst them and you know, and I'm looking at big rocks and boulders and I'm like the fuck, leonidas probably saw that same fucking boulder, you know, and like, like thinking about all the blood that had been spilled here and just the history of it and everything was pretty fucking epic and um, so that was, that was really cool and um, you know, getting to like I went to like 13 different countries all over Europe and you know if you're asking like what my favorite like those were, those were cool, cool experiences. You know I got to go to Oktoberfest in Munich, germany, during the actual Oktoberfest, and see 500,000 people, you know, in lederhosen and the dresses, drinking these big beers and stuff, and you know that was like a really cool experience. Uh, you know, riding motorcycles through the mountains of switzerland, overlooking beautiful lakes, and, like I got to, you know, see a lot of cool shit, um, you know.
Speaker 2:And even afghanistan was, was, uh, had its, um, you know. And even Afghanistan was, was, had its, you know, unique and cool, like it's a beautiful country in some spots of it and and even being on that deployment like even though it was not the most fun at times, you know, and extremely dangerous, but but also cool, unique life experiences. So definitely got to go all over the world and see a lot of cool things and had a ton of fun and a lot of cool places just because I'm fat, ass um, who's got the best food?
Speaker 2:um, out of anywhere I've been in the world. Yeah, best food anywhere I've been in the world. You know, I'm um, I'm a pretty simple guy when it comes to that. I like america, you know. All right, I like american food, we're number one, you know. Steak eggs, avocado, sweet potatoes that's my jam, all right.
Speaker 1:So you got out of the military.
Speaker 2:Although I did have acai bowls for the first time in Hawaii, which is also America, but acai bowls are where it's at it's delicious.
Speaker 1:They have some. There's a company in Virginia that sells them. I used to get them when I was on post, but somebody else used to order them and I have no idea where they went.
Speaker 2:I ate pad thai in Thailand quite a bit. I had that like every day for like two weeks when I was in Thailand and then I got, I ordered some pad thai from this place and I don't know if it was the water or the pad thai, I don't know what it was, but I got a 24 hour bug and it put me down hard and and I was just like I'm not having any more pad thai since I'm here is thailand, is that where I saw a video you playing with an elephant?
Speaker 2:yeah, all right, cool yeah. Elephant sanctuary in uh chiang mai, chiang mai uh, thailand yeah, elephants my favorite chiang mai.
Speaker 1:Um, they're incredible, yeah so that's a that that sanctuary, that elephant sanctuary.
Speaker 2:So there's a lot of places in thailand where you know some people have elephants in their front yard and they keep them chained up and you know tourists will pay to take pictures with them or sit on them or ride them or whatever, and you know that's kind of fuckery, bullshit and animal abuse and what we went to elephant sanctuaries that had rescued elephants from people like that and stuff and um, you know, give them a great life in these sanctuaries. They're not forced to work, they're not, you know, whipped, um, they call it like. I think they call it like breaking the something, um like break their will or whatever they. They keep them awake and and whip them and all this shit and um.
Speaker 2:But at this place obviously they're all rescues. They get, they live a great life and you go there and you basically just spend the day spoiling the elephants. You make them bumble, like there's like a treat that they like and you know you get in the water with them and bathe them and on all that stuff and it basically just, you know, like a little petting zoo where you give them treats and and uh. So I really enjoyed that was a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:I had to ask you a question later about animals, but I'm going to close our military section now by touching like two little topics that I hear you talk about sometimes. If you were like young Mitch now I hear sometimes we will say, uh, people right now shouldn't join the military. I just want you to be able to express as much as you want and, um, why you think that that is.
Speaker 2:Uh, yeah, I don't recommend. I get asked all the time, obviously because of my background. You know, um, and people I'm pretty outspoken against about everything that I believe in. Covid really changed everything for me and my perspective on a lot about this country and really got to. You know, I was in a position to where I had time to research things and look them on board and, and you know, dissect them and digest them and, you know, try to remove bias and and um, you know, look at things not emotional but like factual and um, you know it kind of just changed everything for me, um, and looked at how our country is actually run and you kind of follow the money.
Speaker 2:You follow you know there's a lot of corruption and, like you know, people like to label things conspiracy theories and stuff like that to discredit them. But there's a lot of truth to these conspiracy theories and stuff like that to discredit them. And but there's a lot of truth to these conspiracy theories and you know, and that it became so fucking clear and evident when you see what's going on right in front of you and your eye, your own eyes, you're watching this shit unfold and you know, and people are telling you not to believe what you're seeing and not to believe what you're hearing. And and you believe what you're hearing and it's like it got so bad to where the point is like these aren't conspiracy theories, they're spoiler alerts, and so, and then when you start hearing it from more and more credible people, then it starts giving a little more validity.
Speaker 2:And I was in a position where I had time. I was, you know, completely financially secure. You know, independently, uh, you know I, I work for myself, I don't, I don't answer to anybody, so I was always able to speak my mind. You know, um, and uh, yeah, it's, it just led me down a bunch of like information that I wasn't previously privy to and didn't have an understanding of how all these things worked until you do.
Speaker 2:You know how things really were the war in Iraq and like the whole military industrial complex and, um, you know how our politicians are bought and paid for and corrupt, and you know lobbying and and these backdoor deals and, uh, you know advisor positions on boards of, you know these, these weapons companies. And then you look at how much money is, you know, involved with these wars and our tax dollars, and you know standing up the, the Taliban, and you know what I mean it. Like there there's just so much more, there's so many layers to it that you know you don't even realize what's going on. And then you know, for the longest time we all thought the news was real. You know, like these people on the on cnn and fox and msnbc these are credible like they can't just get on tv and lie to the public, like this guy's wearing a suit, you know, like this is on national television. They can't just lie to you and you don't realize that, like what you're watching is propaganda.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, and it is legitimate propaganda, not not like conspiracy.
Speaker 2:Shit like this is real propaganda. I.
Speaker 1:I tell people sometimes I say, do you want to see something? Wow, I say just Google, American Department of Propaganda, and I say that'll tell you everything you need to know.
Speaker 2:It's crazy.
Speaker 1:And then that organization still exists. It's just been renamed to be called something else, and you can figure it out from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you know, I think I don't think a lot of people, especially before Trump. You know, before Trump became president, a lot of people weren't paying attention as closely to politics. And you know, it was just this kind of big club that had all these insiders in it and it was kind of quid pro quo. You know, everybody knew how the game works and these people that are, you know, supposed to be your representatives and and like they're like conservative, these ones are democrats, but behind closed doors they're all at the same parties, you know, and friends, and and then they get out on stage. It's a fucking performance, it's, you know.
Speaker 2:And all these things are meant to divide and keep the public distracted and think like, well, the reason your life sucks is because white people. The reason your life sucks is because black people. The reason your life sucks is because republicans. The reason your life sucks because democrats. The reason your life sucks is because your neighbor, your neighbor, blah, blah, blah, and it's like they want you all pitted at each other when you have actually no fucking power at all.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, and it's really these fucking people in our government that have all the power and they're the ones that are fucking making everyone's lives miserable and they're pitting everyone against each other to distract from that fact, meanwhile just extorting and extracting our money through taxes, like it's in it, and then they're feeding it through all these bills and bullshit. And, uh, you know, it's just a big money laundering scheme. And you know, the military industrial complex is no different and they are 100. They are 100 happy and willing to send you to die for their fucking bullshit money laundering scheme. And you know, they will paint a narrative and they have everyone on the payroll painting a narrative and going along with this. You know, uh, bullshit lie. And you know, and they, they're happy to make you think that you're doing something just or whatever.
Speaker 2:Weapons of mass destruction, you're saving the world. This narrative. You're fighting terrorism, blah, blah, blah. There was, there's none of that, you know. And these wars are started with false flags operations. You know, the Gulf of Tonkin, like I mean, it's just. The list goes on.
Speaker 1:It goes on and on. And it's kind of funny too, because when I was first growing up I mean everybody knows, like you know, the episcopal uh church is kind of like a liberal church now, and I was like the george bush supporter, and so the story is, my teacher got me registered to vote and, oh you know, she just knew I was going to vote for john kerry and I was like oh no, you know, john kerry, he hates the troops.
Speaker 1:So I go and I vote for george w bush and everybody's like horrified, you know. I was like, oh you know, so I I was kind of that same. They hate us because I freed them. And so then I started to read and when I went to the middle east and I was in bahrain and just was like these people actually don't think about us that much they're, they're not.
Speaker 2:They don't think about us till we got here and they just want us to leave I remember, I remember being in afghanistan and like these people are so fucking poor, like they don't. They don't even you couldn't if you pulled out a map and said point to afghan, they have no fucking clue. And I'm like that's the majority of people there and it's like okay, so these are the people that flew a fucking plane into our building, okay, and these are the ones that are going to come kill your family, okay.
Speaker 2:And these are all like half. Most of them are nice people.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They're just little, you know, they don't fucking. They're poor people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, they don't fucking, they're poor people. Yeah, this is what was crazy, because around that time. So the backstory of me is I joined the military because I got somebody pregnant, so didn't want to be in the military, just didn't want to be like my parents are paying for my school. Now they got to pay for this baby too, so I'm gonna go in the military and be somebody.
Speaker 1:Well, we lost our daughter and so I was like, well, fuck, now I'm in this shit, I don't want to be in, just mad at everybody, mad at god, didn't want to listen to anybody. You couldn't tell me shit because I was doing everything I could to try to get kicked out and um got sent to the middle east and then just questioning everything and asking all this stuff, and that's when I started getting all these manufacturing consent books and you know, information, war and learning about all this stuff that happened in the past. And it's like, I would say, all these obscure college professors who are saying stuff but they're only saying it to a very small section of students and it's just like this little club. So they would say like, oh yeah, you know, we fund bin laden and that was the mujahideen, and yada, yada, yada and I just be like.
Speaker 1:This can't be true you know, and I'm reading this stuff yeah, we funded them to fight the russians, you know. And then so it was crazy because fast forward, so I got out of the navy in 2016. Covid happens. No, I no, I'm sorry I got out of the Navy in 2015. Covid happens years later. And what I say about COVID, it's like this weird thing where I hated it because I was still doing federal and state security at the time, so I'd have to drive through empty streets and it was so eerie, you know, and to see like DC with nobody in it, or virginia with nobody in it, and all these businesses I used to frequent closed and I I just remember being so frustrated and I used to say the audacity to tell somebody you're not existential enough to feed your family yeah, yeah that that shit was crazy and I was just like.
Speaker 1:I cannot believe that this is happening you're not essential and I'm going to protect these buildings that nobody is in.
Speaker 2:It was ridiculous. That was the craziest thing. It's like, oh well, who is essential? I mean, name someone that they claimed was essential.
Speaker 1:Like a police officer. Yeah, okay.
Speaker 2:So that police officer, he's got to get to work, right, yeah, okay, okay. So I guess we need mechanics if his car breaks down, yeah, and it was just All right.
Speaker 1:And then when?
Speaker 2:I need. Well, I guess we need truck drivers to bring the fuel for the trucks and I guess these people need to eat. So we all need the groceries, okay, but you know well, how are they going to get this? And it's like, oh, you mean, everybody, we're all fucking connected and woven in a society that everybody's fucking essential. Yeah, but it was just like and yeah, you're not giving me fucking money, you're not paying my bills, you're not doing this shit. So it's pretty essential for me to go to work and earn a living.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so and feed my fucking kids, you know.
Speaker 1:but I, but I say the, the other part of that, the like I said earlier, there's no positive that doesn't come with the negative. No negative. The positive part of covid. The only thing I saw was everybody I know was studying, whether they came to the wrong conclusion or not. Everybody I know was reading something well and getting pissed.
Speaker 2:Now I like to say covid was not a pandemic, it was an iq test and you know you, either you either passed or you fucking failed miserably in my eyes, like so and but.
Speaker 1:But my thing was I was happy that I started to hear people say stuff that I'd be like. Yeah, I learned that when I was in Bahrain this many years ago, and so I was excited because, like you said, I had already been in manufacturing consent. Chomsky talks about how in America they keep you propagandized by presenting the news people as if you're getting a healthy debate about ideas, but the ideas have already coming to you in a pre-packaged, approved message and nothing that is not already pre-approved is going to get.
Speaker 1:Get that bubble right and so then there's a college professor that has a concept when it comes to politics called the revolving enemy, and you know, and it's like, yeah, so you have to vote for us because they suck. And then you're like, yeah, you know, and it's like, yeah, so you have to vote for us because they suck. And then you're like yeah you know, and he's gonna do this, and aren't you, aren't you outraged and you're like yeah, and then the next year they're like you gotta vote for us, because what about this thing?
Speaker 2:they did like, oh my god, government is meant to just also be a roadblock. You know, and, and, and. Then they just blame us. You know, like right now, and it's like we're living in alternate fucking realities, where you know the republicans are looking at this open border and we're like you, fucking asshole biden, the day you got into office, you reversed all of trump's policies on the border and what was Trump screaming all the time that they were pissed about Build the wall. You know he's super hard on tough on on immigration, or illegal immigration.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, all of a sudden, you know he gets in day one we're going to open, you know, reverse all these policies. And then, now that you've got all these fucking people coming in and all the Democrats are, it's the republicans fault. It's the republicans fault because they're not passing this bill that would fix this problem that we created, even though this bill is giving the majority of the money to ukraine and all this other bullshit that we're funding, but we have a small section of it in here.
Speaker 2:That would put a band-aid on this problem, but the Republicans won't fucking let it go. I guess they just don't care whether our borders are wide open.
Speaker 1:That's what I mean this little game that they play.
Speaker 2:It's insane. I watched too when Trump got. It's an IQ test.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when Trump got elected, they were like Because at that time I was working at the department of social services. So they were like I can't believe trump is undoing all obama's policies. And I was like, yeah, because it's a game and what you think is going to happen the next time we have to put all those policies? I was like, and it will be 50. And I said and I realize we'll be arguing over the same shit I'll be 50 years old, talking about abortion. And I was like because they've given you something to fight for for the next 50 years and and then you'll get it back and then 30 years, they'll take it again. And I was like this is just something that happens because distract the people. Well, the whole thing is we've allowed politicians to define what rights are I mean?
Speaker 2:my opinion is the entire government needs completely overthrown and overhauled and just you know, it's literally our duty to do so and our constitution. It's our constitutional duty to remove tyrants.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And what I think is the. That's why we have the Second Amendment. By the way, it's not for fucking hunting, it's for keeping the government in check.
Speaker 1:I um.
Speaker 2:When a government fears its people, you have liberty. When people fear the government, you have tyranny. I also think it's when, when people fear the government, you have tyranny, tyranny.
Speaker 1:I also think it's when the people believe the government well, that's.
Speaker 2:That's the other problem that's so scary is that we have such a fucking lazy, empathetic population that is so comfortable being, you know, just told what to do, taxed to death, and you know, these, these uh regulations left and right put on them and restraints, when we're supposed to be a free fucking country.
Speaker 2:And that was the other super disheartening thing is we've never seen anything even remotely close to the kind of tyranny that we saw during covid and you know to where. You can't even go outside or you can't, you have to wear a mask, and that, like, is complete bullshit and we know it. And we have thousands of fucking doctors saying this is bullshit and pretending that we haven't had access to information. Like we don't have videos of Fauci saying the same fucking thing years previously. Like we're in a big charade and circus and it's like, am I being punked right now? Like is no one else seeing this? Like what is going on right now? Like is no one else seeing this? Like what is going on? And then it's like they created such tribalism and such emotional, weird ties to this.
Speaker 1:I remember my last uh year in security they tried to pull the. We had to get vaccinated card and we told them we'll just all quit, and then you guys can figure it out and they're like. Within a few weeks they're like no, you know, it's fine, you have to just take these tests.
Speaker 1:We were like no, because you have access to my private medical information yeah and then and I remember asking somebody and I I'm very like mild about stuff like that, but the guy was like yeah, you know, I was not, he was like by the way, daryl, uh, you know, are you vaccinated? And I was like, by the way, did your wife have an abortion?
Speaker 2:yeah, I was like it's none of your fucking business yeah, I was like don't ask me private medical information I was like I thought you were liberal he was like.
Speaker 1:I never thought about it that way.
Speaker 2:I was like yeah, you apparently stopped thinking yeah, it was like and they told people don't think, trust the science, trust us, we've got it, you know. Don't do your own research. That's silly, that's crazy. Don't take ivermectin, that's horse medicine. What are you? What are you crazy?
Speaker 1:but it's funny because, like from the psychological standpoint of it I should say, and I still believe americans from the way our education system works, even in the churches, in the colleges, we are like brand for this stuff when you go to a school absolutely.
Speaker 2:Schools are meant to create workers and they are meant to create people to take orders. Look at a jail, look at school it's very similar. Look at the military it's all very similar. And to answer to authority and not question authority exactly.
Speaker 1:And then I and I would, and I was telling, I started to say I was like when you go to school, you have one person up there, they, they're telling you what the truth is pass the test yeah and then your parents are reaffirming pass the test.
Speaker 2:We'll be proud of you if you pass the yeah and these people like and like you have to understand that, like, this country's not that old, you know, yeah, it's really not Like four generations, something like that. Like you know not that old. And these people that got into these positions of power first, you know they control everything, yeah, and you see that when you like and I got to experience this kind of shit like firsthand I grew up poor. I grew up, you know, like no one in my family has any money at all, like I didn't. I didn't get handed shit, you know. So I understand what it's like. My entire, even through the seal teams, I live paycheck to paycheck. You know, I know what it's like to have no money. And then you know, I started my company and you know, uh, check out massive supplementscom by the way, don't worry, we're gonna get to home.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I had I. I mitch is the only one out of everybody I ever interviewed that I actually wrote questions.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, but uh, massive supplementscom smashing greens gets you some. But you know I had started my uh companies and, uh, they've done very well, you know, and I was fortunate enough to make millions of dollars. You know and experience what life is like on that side of the fence and it's completely different. I mean, it is unbelievably different. How money is this immensely powerful tool, and you know it. And then, like I realized like wow, like you know, when I'm I'm doing investing and stuff like that and I'm putting money over here and it, just because I have money, is just making me more money and the bigger it gets, the bigger it grows, the faster it grows.
Speaker 2:And then you think about, like I used to, I worked at a body shop in high school, a car auto body shop, and I got paid 5, 15 an hour, $4.85 an hour for my time, my time doing labor. I got $4.85 an hour. Now I'm making. You know I've made. The most I've ever made in a day was $212,000. And in a day and not doing labor just because of other things I had going on and I was just like you know and I'm in that level of wealth that I was at is fucking peanuts compared to what's out there, you know what's out there, you know, and, and all these people have access to even more things.
Speaker 2:You know and you can. You can take that money and, you know, create a workforce and, like this, this thing that we all need in life to get things and do things is money, right? So everybody's after it. So when you have it, you people will do what you want for it in exchange, right? So again, you think about, like you take someone who's making $4.85 an hour and that's rich compared to a lot of fucking people in the world, these third world countries, and then you say here's a million dollars, do this, or this is how it's going to be, and, roger, that you know, and as long as I'm taken care of and my people are taken care of, because now our lives are changed, because now we have access to this thing that we all need, so fuck everyone else. You know, and that has happened since the beginning and it's happened at such a fucking big scale to where, like medical books, are written like no, no, we're gonna do this. The food pyramid we're gonna, we're gonna say it's this we're gonna.
Speaker 2:You know the pharmaceutical? No, no, we're gonna give you this pill. We're gonna do this. We're not gonna. We're not gonna cure things, we're gonna just mask them and we're gonna keep you on this trickle of a system that we have that keeps masking, keeps putting a bandaid on your thing. We're not going to treat this source.
Speaker 2:You know, and like I realized all this shit, like you know, this has been going on and it's just perpetuated to what it is today.
Speaker 2:Today, yeah, and not only that, but like you know, when covid was happening and hospitals, you know, I, my, my girlfriend was, was working in the hospitals as a nurse in the icu covid units, you know, traveling around the country, going to different, uh, you know things and and seeing this shit firsthand and seeing the hospitals are getting paid per covid death, so everything's getting labeled a covid death and it's all contributing to these covid numbers. And you know, and then it's like the emergency youth authorization act gets passed and so they can use remdesivir, which is five thousand dollars, a treatment where we can't say ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine are effective, because ivermectin has been around since the 70s it won the Nobel Prize it's only three cents a dose, whereas that Emergency Use Authorization Act is void if there is a viable option for treatment, so that's demonized. We can't use that. Then, ramdez, we're getting five grand a pot boy. Yeah, let's put them all on it and hold on.
Speaker 2:I know you want to talk, but I'm on a roll watch out for the butter and uh so you know these, these hospitals are getting money hand over fist and and I've always looked at hospitals like hospitals are good things.
Speaker 2:You said exactly what I wanted to say. Hospitals are good things, these are places where they save people, these are great things, these are, you know, but it's like no, no, no, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait, this is a business, this is a motherfucking business and business and business is good boy, and they don't want it to not be good. They're fucking loving this shit right now and it was just like whoa, like really mind-blowing kind of perspective shifts and really, looking at all this shit, it's like the literal fucking matrix, like taking the goddamn red pill and once you see this shit, you don't unsee it there.
Speaker 1:There is no fucking unseeing it, and if and if you can unsee it, you're a fucked up individual yeah, my, my thing is, this is like I used to tell, because me all my friends, when they would do, I'd be like oh, mitch said this and we'd be looking, maybe not and everything. But I heard mitch was this and I'd be like let me tell you something, once you start to see things, it breaks it down. And I was like the only difference between me and mitch is I'm just more cynical and I was like so when somebody's coming up with a solution, I'm like that's just that, I just got about my business and I was just like my grandma.
Speaker 2:You're also a little bit more muscular and better looking.
Speaker 1:My grandmother used to work at St Vincent's Hospital, a Catholic hospital in Florida. She retired from there and then I watched her go from retirement from St Vincent's Hospital to St Catherine's Hospital and see all these people that were supposedly on their deathbed. So she was the admissions coordinator. You know what she stopped doing? She stopped admitting them and she founded her home health care business and was like there's really nothing wrong with these people, they're bedridden. She took all the patients from the hospital and a lot of them lived for years that were supposed to be dead and she founded her own home health care business and she was like, no, they just want them there. So they didn't want empty bags. Yeah, and then that's when I started to realize, oh, no, like, even though it's like you're like, oh, saint captain's, this ain't, mrs sweet catholic hospital, just like, who pays for?
Speaker 2:that like all of these sick people. It all, every fucking thing comes down to money, it all comes back to money. It's like money is the root of all evil, you know, and it's, and, and I agree with that in a sense. But you know, money is a tool, yeah, and it's going to amplify who you are as a person. If you're a fucking awesome person and you're a generous person, you're a giving person and you're a loving person, you're going to be ample. All those traits of yours are going to be amplified. If you're a fucking selfish asshole, uh, you know that only gives a fuck about yourself and getting over on people and you're going to be that times 10. You know, whatever you can get away with, one, when I, when I unfortunately, that's a lot of people.
Speaker 1:When I said um, I was more cynical. It was only because I started off my life, you know, as a george bush republican, you know. And then now I'm watching fahrenheit 9-11 and I'm like michael moore's crazy, like they would never attack the government and 9-11 is inside job. And at that time my older brother, matthew, was in the air force, was like, yeah, they won't let you watch this movie on base and I was like what's the movie? He was like Fahrenheit 9-11.
Speaker 2:So I was like oh.
Speaker 1:So I watched it and I was, oh my God. And you know the government would do all this.
Speaker 1:I can't you know I didn't, couldn't believe it, didn't want to believe it, hack to the left and I was like, well, they're full of shit too, and so. So when I get involved in like politics, I'm like, yeah, been there, done that, been there, done that. You know where do I go? And so my my thing is I always say they get you to hate the guy on the left and they get you to hate the guy on the right because they don't want you to look at the guy at the top.
Speaker 1:And I always say, like my analogy is when you played monopoly as a kid, when the guy got all the money and started getting all the land and shit, was the game fun anymore? It was fun for me because I was getting all the taxing you for this and you go to jail because you stepped here and I was like that's what the country feels, like. I don't know when you guys are going to realize it. And so even people that I see on TV that I like, I'm like he's just a part of the game and my biggest thing is knowing what to do about it and also loving people, even though I know like, like, oh, they're wrong about, like, oh, yeah, I mean I most of my family is from massachusetts, so most of them, most most of them, are, uh, democrats or liberals or whatever.
Speaker 2:And even if you talk, if you talk to them, though, like especially on my, my mom's side, if you my, my mom, my mom's parents, my grandparents on that side, if you talk to them like you're like what do you believe this? That the third you know, as long you talk about policy whatever with them, they'll agree with republicans, policies 100. And then you ask them are you gonna vote for trump? And they're like oh god, no, he's the devil. And I'm like you are, you're a republican. Yeah, well, what are you talking?
Speaker 1:about. I think what it is, too is because I was I was telling somebody this little book I'm working on because we would always talk about can you be a christian and vote for this party? Can you be a christian and vote for this party? And so when I was talking to my friend last night who has a podcast called overpaymated, I said I actually don't think the christian can vote for either of these parties and I was like because I can find biblical justifications why they're both awful and I was like.
Speaker 1:But even that has become a problem because they figured out that religious trick you know, that's why we need uh vivek ramaswamy to run I was gonna, I was ask you he's by far my favorite person. I've ever seen. Why do you like Vivek over any?
Speaker 2:of the other candidates, I would vote for Vivek over everyone.
Speaker 1:Oh, even over like.
Speaker 2:Over everyone. Rfk.
Speaker 1:Everyone. I thought he was very impressive. I did like him for things like he was very young and a lot of the time he's incredibly smart.
Speaker 2:He is incredibly successful, incredibly driven, I mean, and extremely competent and just. He also is not super divisive, but he's. He's very blunt, he's very direct, but he doesn't attack people. He listens to the other side and will logically debate people and not go after them personally or their beliefs or whatever. He's respectful, which I think is important, especially when you're talking about emotionally charged topics. Did you like him in the debates? Loved him?
Speaker 1:I hated the debates.
Speaker 2:I've watched all the podcasts he's done, you know.
Speaker 1:I thought he did good as far as everything he was saying. What did you not like I?
Speaker 2:think the debates are all the debates. The way they set them up are completely ridiculous.
Speaker 1:I don't like debates like that. Can you believe?
Speaker 2:this is like we're talking about. This is essentially a job interview for the most important job in the fucking world, and it's like here's a topic, you have two minutes.
Speaker 1:Go.
Speaker 2:That's what I hate, and it's like okay, I have two minutes and I'm going to dance around One Vivek, obviously he is the only fucking person that answers directly and concisely and in a way that you can absolutely see his plan of attack and execution and that he completely understands the concept, whereas every other motherfucking politician, politician one doesn't answer the question ever. Two, every fucking other word is a lie and, like it boggles my fucking mind why they are allowed to literally just blatantly lie, even when you have like video evidence that is irrefutable. Like you said this on Tuesday, january 9th at, fucking you know, 4.04 pm, and it's me Da-da-da-da-da-da-da. No, I didn't. Okay, moving on, and it's just, that's okay. Yeah, and this is for the fucking like. I wouldn't do that for someone to work here, like at the front fucking desk of Violent Hippie or Massive. If you just blatantly lie or whatever, get the fuck out.
Speaker 1:You're fired. This is what I think. So, for one, what I say for superficial reasons. Like he was young, I think DC is too old and I want them all gone.
Speaker 2:But that's what's wonderful about. The biggest thing about vivek is you know, he literally said it when I become president, I am going to fire half of the government day one. I'm going to take everyone who has an odd number in their uh social security number that ends in an odd number. You're fired, and then we will assess and rehire the. The ones we need like. This is what the government fucking does, like job creation, like, okay, you one, you fucking forced all these people out of work during covid, then paid them like the the lowest amount of money possible, but still incentivize them to stay home.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You know, like well one I'm, I'm thinking about, like the, the, the, the COVID relief, like one time payment, bullshit you know, or two payments, whatever it was.
Speaker 2:It was like like what, two grand max or something like that Fucking ridiculous one which I didn't even get. But you know, they paid people like more money on unemployment than they were making at their regular job, so they were getting more money to sit at home and do fucking nothing for months. And then these lazy fucks got used to that and now they don't want to work. You know so. And then, like, there's all these job issues that they took away and then eventually give them back and call that job creation. And the other thing the fucking government does is like, when you know Biden needs to say we created, you know, 200,000 jobs, it's like, all right, hire 100,000 people to fucking dig this hole over here and then hire 100,000 people to fill that hole, you know, and it's like we created two hundred thousand jobs. Yeah, and you know the federal fucking government is the biggest employer in the world. Yeah, that's what I used all tax, fucking dollars funded.
Speaker 1:I used to sell people. They used to get mad at me. When I go back to florida I say you know, the military is just a jobs program, right, and I and I just think most of the a lot of the stuff that they do, you could do Like they hire you to be a storekeep and now you're making 50 grand when that's like a $22,000 job. Yeah, oh, I've never seen.
Speaker 2:I've never fucking seen more waste yeah, more waste than the military, but it's, and I was in the seal teams and you know, like, so it's, it's more than most, and in the military, like, and then you want to talk about, like crazy money, damn neck. Like you know, crazy fucking money, crazy waste. And it's like you know, I'm sure guys will get pissed, oh, shut up, you know, but it's true, no, true, no. They used to tell us it's unbelievable, they used to tell us.
Speaker 2:And that's our money, like that's tax dollars. You know, and that's the crazy thing too is military fucking paychecks are tax dollars funded, and then they tax, that Tax on taxes, yeah. Tax on tax on tax. It's still your property, it's still you, still got to pay taxes on it.
Speaker 2:Like what's funny is I watched Happy Gilmore for the. I used to watch that movie every fucking night as a kid, like I mean, I've watched it probably 500 times as a kid growing up. I used to just watch it every night and fall asleep. You know watching it and I haven't seen it in years. But I watched it recently, like a month ago, as an adult, obviously with this new whole perspective and mindset. And the storyline is this this guy's grandmother's house is being repossessed for back taxes that she owes her. His grandfather built the house with his bare hands, so like, built and paid for this house, but because she hasn't had the money, because she's old as fuck and can't work, hasn't paid her property taxes and they've accumulated to two hundred and twelve thousand dollars or whatever the fuck it was. And and you know, and it's like, oh, it made me so infuriated, like are you fucking?
Speaker 1:kidding me, that was the same theme for one of the friday movies. I want to say it was the second one. They had to get the million dollars because uncle elroy was behind on his taxes yeah, yeah. And so. But my thing is that's why I like try my best not to like watch movies. I'm always watching documentaries. It's like they're in on it. They just got you used to like, yeah, taxes right, yeah, it's predictive programming, you know.
Speaker 2:Television tell a vision, you know.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and so well, it's funny. We talked about like that shame thing earlier. When I used to go to watch TV as a child, my parents had a Bible verse on the top of the TV Thou shalt put no vile things before my eyes. And I'd be like, well, I can't watch this. So that was good. But now I want to get to something that was affected by this, so it's going to be the best transition. You never thought you'd be in this position where you had to do something, say something, but you also never thought that you'd have a business. So I want to circle all the way back to what was your first business. Where did you get your motivation? Where is it now? Then we got to talk about your second business. Where did you get your motivation? Where is it now? Then we got to talk about your second business and then your third, charity.
Speaker 2:We had a lot of work to do um, my first business uh, I mean like I would cut grass and stuff like that as a kid, but my, my first like business that I kind of, you know, took on as an actual business was Aquaman Mitch. And if you see, in the lobby out here over the fish tank, there's framed is a t-shirt that I had made from my first business, aquaman Mitch. So I got obsessed with aquariums and setting up and maintaining aquariums. That was my business. So I it would just came from a passion, hobby I would, you know, set up these aquariums and just love doing it. I loved the whole process and it was like kind of like an art, you know, that was living and you know, creating these homes for these fish and different fish, and I just got obsessed with them.
Speaker 2:And uh, and I was, you know, had all these fish tanks all over my fucking single wide trailer and my mom's like, mitch, we, we literally like can't put any more fish tanks in this in this house, like the trailer floor is going to fall through. You know, they're heavy and uh, and I'm like, fuck, well, I, I just enjoy these fish tanks, you know. And so I was like, well, I could probably start a business doing this for people. You know, like people's homes and like I figured, like you know, I used to sit there and watch them and it was just so relaxing to me, you know, I would sit there and watch them for hours and I just found it so therapeutic and relaxing and I was like, you know, these would be great in like lobbies, you know, know, waiting rooms and stuff like that. And so I went around to different businesses tattoo shops, you know, offices with with, uh, with waiting rooms, people's homes, that people that I knew. You know I'm like, oh, you know, you need a fish tank, you know that'd be great.
Speaker 2:And uh, and I actually got like eight customers and you know I was like I'll make these fish tanks for you, I'll design them, I'll set them up, I'll, you know, do it themed however you want. Like you know, I had a tattoo shop and I did skulls and all this stuff and and, and um, you know, black rocks with different colored, like little accents and stuff, and um, and I would maintain them every week. So I'm like all you got to do is feed the fish every day, you know, and um, so that was my first business, uh, that was aquaman mitch, and then moved um to, uh, you know, went to the military, all that shit, and then I ended up, uh, while I was in the Navy, started doing jujitsu and uh, you know, competing in jujitsu, and then ended up eventually started fighting MMA, you know, competitively, and uh, did very well and, um, you know, before I knew it, I was fighting for a championship belt and um, you know, and then getting getting a lot of attention and you know, and I was fighting for a championship belt and um, you know, and then getting getting a lot of attention and you know, and I was competing in jujitsu, like every weekend, and these tournaments, you know, are like 120 bucks every time you compete. So like, again, I was living paycheck to paycheck in the SEAL team. So it was, uh like I remember talking to Pat tozzi, who is a seal that I, you know, worked with and he also is an entrepreneur and owns green devil garage, um, and uh, and he was talking he's like, well, man, you should get a.
Speaker 2:You know, I'm like I'm bitching to him about this tournament. I'm like, fuck, I want to do this tournament, but it's 120 bucks. And I'm just like tight right now. And he's like you should get a sponsor. And I'm like, how am I gonna get a sponsor? And I'm like, how am I going to get a sponsor, you know, and I didn't have any social media at the time or anything. And he's like, well, you should start an Instagram. And I'm like, fuck, that Instagram's gay, I don't want to do that. And he's like dude, I know, I know, but you know it's it's like for business. You know, it's like pretty good and you could, you know, make posts for your sponsors or whatever. And I was like, I was like thinking, I'm like, well, he has a business. I'm like, well, you have a business, like would you sponsor me? And he's like, yeah, sure, I'll sponsor you for this tournament. And I was like, okay, cool, so I made an instagram, had like yeah, I had like three followers, you know, and went and did that.
Speaker 2:He paid for the tournament, went and did the tournament, won the tournament, and I just stood up there on the on the podium wearing his shirt and hat and I'm like, okay, cool, that was easy. And then I was like, well, who else do I know that owns a business? And I just started reaching out to all my friends that own businesses and was like, hey, do you want to sponsor me for this tournament or whatever? I got coming up this fight and they were all like, yeah, I'll sponsor you. I was like, damn, this is fucking easy. So then I was like, you know, because they more so, because not because they what I was gonna get them in return. You know, it was more because they just knew me, they liked me as a person, they knew my background, you know, as a SEAL, and they knew I was a good fighter and you know whatever. And so they just wanted to support. And you know I wasn't asking much from them, you know, and that's how it started. And then eventually, like I was going to tournaments and I'd win a tournament, and then I'd stand up down there on the podium and I'd take six different pictures where you know their t-shirt and their hat, and I posted all on Instagram like, ah, that's kind of doesn't look good, you know.
Speaker 2:So then, like I had fights coming up and I was like, hmm, I was like you know what I can do? Uh, I'll get my own fight shirts made and I'll put all the businesses logos that sponsor me on the back and I'll just like tell them like, hey, I'm gonna print a hundred of these shirts and for you know, 500 bucks, you can, you can have your logo on a hundred different t-shirts and you know, sponsor me. And I had 20 different companies doing this. Then I was selling tickets for my fight. So I was making five grand a fight as an amateur. And uh, and I was like, damn. And. And my Instagram started to grow and I remember having like 5,000 followers, which I thought was crazy. I'm like I don't even know 5,000 people. This is wild. And then people are like across the country are DMing me and they're like, hey, can you send me a shirt? And I'm like what? Like you don't even know me? And they're, yeah, but I want to wear your shirt, I want to support, and I'm like, okay.
Speaker 1:Everybody asks me every time I wear this shirt. They say I love that shirt and I say Virginia-based company. There you go.
Speaker 2:And so then, you know, that's how that started and I was like all, what's your address, I'll send you a shirt. And you know, put it in the mail and send me 20 bucks. And, like you know, it was kind of like an honor system kind of deal. So I did that for like the first 10 shirts and I'm like I got to think of something better and I got like a little website and you know, and it was like damn, I'm, I'm fucking basically Jeff Bezos at this point.
Speaker 2:And uh, but then I was like yeah, I want to do different shirts than my fight shirts and started with the mindset is everything shirt? And just, you know, obviously snowballed from there. And then my following kept growing as I was fighting and getting bigger and bigger. And uh, and then all of a sudden I've got 50,000 followers and you know, fuck, loads of people are wearing my shirts and the brand's growing. And, and you know, fuckloads of people are wearing my shirts and the brand's growing, and you know, and then that led into like the supplements eventually, and then that, you know, just blew the fuck up from there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so one I realized that I'm the worst sponsor on the planet because I don't care about when I give somebody money. They'll be like well, I'll put your logo on my shirt. I'm like not necessary, just take the money, yeah well, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 2:You got, you got some. It's like an angel investor, an angel sponsor.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just see somebody I know this kid's not parents aren't rich dude I've done so much of that for so many people.
Speaker 2:I've literally bought in several people fucking cars. I've done, yes, I've done a lot uh wait till I get to that chapter that.
Speaker 1:You know that I don't I don't post about that shit.
Speaker 2:I don't fucking. You know, the people that know and that are around me know about it and that's whatever. That's cool, but like that's not why you should do things exactly that's yeah.
Speaker 1:That's why that's what I think about it when I, when I'm doing it was in the bible it said don't let your right hand know what you're left.
Speaker 1:Well, well, it's also like when there's a, there's one where that I take to heart. When jesus is saying don't pray in public, they're getting the reward they want. They want to be seen. But when you do it, go in your closet and pray in private so that god sees you privately and reward you openly. So when I give somebody something, it's like giving it to you, giving it to you because you need it. I'm not giving it to you so I can be like look at me over here.
Speaker 2:You see me helping this guy?
Speaker 1:Yeah, but it's like no, I know you worked hard. I noticed the hard work, here you go. But I do think it's really cool that you have people that are like, yeah, I'll sponsor you. But you had people that were like, yeah, you know, I'll sponsor you, and then later down the line, you get to pay it forward you do the same thing.
Speaker 2:And so you started to make some shirts, and then that led you to what? And then, so then, you know, I had sold one hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of shirts my first year. And you know I was like, wow, ok, there's something to this, you know. And I was like, well, the correlation was the bigger my audience gets, the more customers, potential customers, I have. So you know, I was always just trying to grow my, my social media presence and you know so I was very consistent with posting content and, you know, writing captions I treat it like a job. And one day I just didn't have anything to post and you know so I was like, hmm, I'll just post my morning routine of, like my concoction that I do all these little super foods and make this powder drink, and this is what I use to cut weight for my fights. And so I did that and not thinking anything of it. And now everybody's just like, whoa, what? What is that? What are you doing? Because you know, I have a fucking six pack and you know, like I'm shredded. So people want to like, I want to do what you're doing. And I said, okay, well, this is what I do. You know, this is how I cut weight for my fights. And and then a lot of people started, you know, using this to lose weight. Just in general, my, my little brother, lost 110 pounds using the greens and, um, you know, and at the time I was a smashing frog, so my following started calling this concoction the smashing greens and uh, so that's you know.
Speaker 2:Eventually, I just was getting sick of asking or answering all these questions about, like you know, I, I laid it all out there and made it as simple as possible. Like you can buy all these products at Amazon or vitamin shop. I'm not associated with these companies. Like, this is what I do One scoop of each, you know. And uh, and I was just still getting bombarded with questions nonstop and I'm like, all right, well, it's helping people lose weight, so that's cool, so I'm about it. But I'm also spending a lot of time answering these questions and I'm not monetizing this time or anything like that. And, again, I'm not sponsored by any of these companies. So eventually I just like what? Took all that shit and went to a manufacturer and said, hey, can you put all of these in one product and just make it one scoop, you know, to simplify it? And he's like, yeah, okay, so we did that and the smashing greens were born. I was like here, here it is, you know, not thinking anything of it, really like sure I'll sell some, but I didn't think it was going to turn into what it did. And then, you know, we released them.
Speaker 2:But then what really sent us like to the moon was the challenge. You know where I issued the 10 day fasting challenge, and the reason that came about is I watched a documentary called fat, sick and nearly dead and it's about this guy that fasted um, just nothing but vegetable juice for 60 days and he was overweight, had some skin disease and, you know, was not not healthy. He did 60 days of juice, fasting only, and vegetables, and he ended up losing over 100 pounds. His skin disease like cleared up, his blood work was phenomenal and, like you know, just looked like a totally different person in two months. And I was just like, wow, that's crazy. And I never fucking considered someone like going 60 days without eating food. That's fucking wild, you know. And but I was, like you know, obviously I'm an intense person, I like to push myself, challenge myself. I was like, man, I'm going to do that.
Speaker 2:So I bought a juicer and, you know, went out and got all these vegetables. It's like $30 of vegetables every day to fucking make enough juice to feel full, and I, every day to fucking make enough juice to feel full. And I'm cleaning this goddamn juicer three times a day. My house smells like I'm carving pumpkins non-stop. It was just a pain in the ass and I was like there's got to be a better way. So found, and then you know that, remember that juice bar that was right next to the main academy. Uh, for years, oh, you never went there. But, um, there was a juice bar there and uh, so I was like, oh shit, this is perfect. They just have juice, you know, and I can just buy it instead of making it and going through all that shit. And it was like eight bucks a juice and they had all these ingredients on the wall and all their benefits, you know, the benefits of beets, the benefits of wheatgrass, the benefits of this. So that was like kind of what jogged my interest with it and I was like, oh, I want that, I want this, I want that, and you know, and, uh, wheatgrass was like the, the mac daddy of superfoods and you had to, you know, pay extra to get a wheatgrass shot, and they always were sold out of wheatgrass shots.
Speaker 2:I'm like why are you guys always sold out of wheatgrass shots? And they're like, oh, we just don't have it. I'm like how fucking hard is it to grow wheatgrass? So I googled. It turns out it's not that hard at all. And I went to fucking whole foods, got some wheatgrass seeds, got some paint trays and some soil, damped a fucking paper cloth, a paper towel over it.
Speaker 2:Two days later I have wheatgrass and I'm like I brought them trays of wheatgrass. I was like, here, make my shot, you know. And they're like, holy shit, like will you grow our wheatgrass? And I'm like, yeah, if you give me free juice, I'll grow your wheatgrass. And they were like, all right, cool deal. And I was like this is easy.
Speaker 2:So then I just started growing their wheatgrass and would get my drinks for free in exchange. They ended up moving locations. So then I was like back to square one. So I was in vitamin shop and I came across organic freeze-dried wheatgrass powder that you just add water to, and it was like a wheatgrass shot and I was like, oh, that's fucking sweet. And I was like I wonder if what else they have. I wonder if they have beets, I wonder if they have spirulina and chlorella and maca and all these things that I wanted. And they did. And I was like, oh cool.
Speaker 2:So I got all these different ingredients and made my little concoction that way and that's how the original formula for the smashing greens was born. And um, so I fasted with that stuff, you know, with that drink, and that's how I would lose weight from my fights and I still had tons of energy. And you know, um felt great and was still easy. You know, I made huge weight cuts. I'm I'm a big guy and I'm shredded at 205 and I would cut all the way down to 170. So you know, you know I would, I would push myself and, and these greens just made it easy. So that that's how it started. And so, anyway, now back to the challenge.
Speaker 2:Once I released the greens, I challenged people to take my greens and I said, if you do a 10-day fast just using my greens and protein shake, after you work out and take a before and after picture and daily weigh-ins and then just a review of your experience, like truthful review, I don't care what you say, just your experience. And I said you have to lose a minimum of 15 pounds, cause I knew that that everyone would, because I lost 15 pounds at least every time I did it. And I said, if you do that, I'll give you your money back for the product. I'll give you a hundred dollars cash and a hundred dollar gift card to my website. And I said the only thing you have to lose is weight.
Speaker 2:And at the time I had like 70 000 followers and I remember, you know, I literally was, was on a plane sleeping, woke up, had this idea and just typed it out and hit send, just sent it and my mom and everyone like called me. They're like what the fuck are you doing? Like you can't afford to. What, if, what, if all these people do this, like, what are you gonna do? And I'm like I hope everyone does it, what do you mean? Like that would mean that 70 000 people just showed that my product works. Like what do you think is going to come from that? And that's exactly what happened. A lot of people fucking did it and you know, and we did like 115 000 in a week and I was just like wow, I just like hit the lottery, you know, and uh, it was just crazy, and you know, and it just fucking blew up from there.
Speaker 2:And then, obviously, like I was like all right, well, I guess this is gonna, this is what I'm doing now, you know. And uh, and then from there it was just, it was just crazy, just rolling in, you know. And then it was like all right, well, if I take protein, why not make my own protein? You know, I take a multivitamin. Why not make my own multivitamin? I take pre-workout, I take, okay, I might as well make all my own shit.
Speaker 2:And I had an audience and they were buying everything. And I wasn't, you know, trying to fuck anybody over. I was like, everything I made, I wanted to make it super awesome because I'm taking this yeah, I'm literally, this is my product with my name on it, and I'm also using it. So, yeah, I want it to be the best, and I'm not even paying for it. My customers are. So why the fuck wouldn't I make it the best? Yeah, that was my goal with it, you know, and not to maximize profit, you know, because, like, if I wanted to do that, I wouldn't have made such high, good quality products.
Speaker 2:When I went to my manufacturer, I said I want the best, don't care what it costs, I want the best period. And you know that's a dream client for a manufacturer. You know, because they're used to people fucking fighting them tooth and nail over pennies, because at volume those pennies matter. You know they add up. If a formula is a dollar more and you're doing a million units, that's a million dollars, you know. And then on your your margins when you sell it, like you know you're making that. That's all money that could have been in your pocket. But I didn't give a fuck about that. I wanted the best product.
Speaker 2:You know, and that's one thing I did learn from the military and steel team is like your reputation follows you, you know, and I wanted my reputation with my products to be phenomenal. Like when you take his products it's they're fucking legit and they work and they're good. You know, I didn't want anyone to ever feel like they got fucked over or, you know, have that be a negative association with my name and my products. You know, and um, that's always been our goal and uh, that's like we've. We've spent 90 of our money on making that and that's why we're on our like seventh iteration of the greens. We're constantly improving it. And now they're the best they've ever fucking been.
Speaker 2:Their nsf certified for sport, which is the biggest fucking certification you can get in the supplement world. It's it's extremely expensive and you know it's the the most sought after. Like you know, olympic athletes can take this, professional athletes, college athletes. They test for over 270 banned substances. The claims have to match exactly what's on the label. They're USDA certified organic. You know they taste phenomenal and they're still the most nutrient dense greens on the market. There's nothing fucking close.
Speaker 2:And you know, and that's why I kind of talk my shit up there, like I'm like fucking Gordon Ryan with my greens, you know, like because you know. And he's like what are you going to say? I am the fucking best, I'm the king. And you know, if you, if you, if you doubt that comes, come say, come, prove it. You know, and no one can. And that's like where I'm at with my greens, like my greens are the fucking best, they are there. There's no one out there that will go toe-to-toe with me and put their product up next to mine and I'll gladly fucking do that with anyone. And there's a reason for that because I am that confident I know that my product is legit that's good.
Speaker 1:I I take, uh, some massive supplements. I have a bias so I'm not gonna comment they're. They're already in my in my gym locker.
Speaker 2:They're good right. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I was. I was sad when the creatine went away, cause that was like I got you.
Speaker 2:Oh, trust me.
Speaker 1:But when you, when you said you were going to take it, I came here, Cal gave me like three of them.
Speaker 2:It's just because, you know, because of COVID and all this bullshit, like, we took a major hit and you know, I lost my social media. My social media got up to three hundred and seventy thousand followers and was verified before it cost fucking ten bucks. You know, like my, my and my following was very authentic and engaged. And, you know, because these people had seen me go from that day I told you I created my Instagram. Some of these people have been rocking with me since then. You know, all the way and like to this point that was probably five years or something like that and saw the rise of the brand. I did everything transparently, in front of and with my following. I would go live all the time and, and you know, uh, ask for participation in designing shirts, you know, and so people felt very connected to the brand yeah, you know, it's crazy because I, I, um, I I didn't know you.
Speaker 1:I knew of you. I knew we had got our bluebells around the same time and I knew we had done two tournaments together. And then I was sitting next to you one time and I think you had like some seals together. And then I was sitting next to you one time and I think you had like some seals around. We were at what is that place called? It's like some, it's in Norfolk, it's like collegiate something, and there was a tournament there. And so it was me, you, mikey Sampson, we all were in the tournament. I just remember I was like man, this guy's funny, because Mikey had to wrestle a girl or juju jitsu with a girl. He was this. You know, he was young then.
Speaker 2:He was just like it doesn't matter, you go out there.
Speaker 1:And so I started to follow you then and then all of a sudden I just saw you disappear and it was crazy, because I'll be at the store, I'll have on one of the shirts and two. It's never failed. Somebody's like like what happened to mitch? And I'll just be like, oh, he's on there, you got to find him here and they're just like yeah, he just like disappeared and I, and that's the thing.
Speaker 2:Like, just you know, just for instance, the average person probably follows at least a thousand people, right? Or a couple hundred at the very least, like most people, like like on average, right. So just imagine if one of those followers or one of the people that you follow just got their account deleted, you wouldn't fucking know, you wouldn't know for a very long time unless you specifically looked for them for some reason. So you know, I couldn't tell you everyone I follow. You know and and I guarantee you, if, if, if, if 20 of them disappeared, I wouldn't, I wouldn't know it for a very long time unless I specifically said, wonder what happened to this person? And went to search for them and couldn't find them, so that every single day people message me and they're like dude, where you been?
Speaker 1:I couldn't find you and I'm like yeah they fucking crippled me dude.
Speaker 1:That made me, when I say like, it made me cynical. I was furious, so I used to. When I would go to the store, I'd always have on the Violet Hippie hoodie or one of the shirts, because I was just like. It just felt wrong, but I was just like. It just felt wrong, but I was just like, but I also noticed it because I wasn't on social media. So you would say something I'd be like I agree with this. I'm just going to reshare what he said, that way I don't have to say, make any statements, I agree here. You go.
Speaker 1:Then all of a sudden, people would be messaging me. They'd be like hey, do you post anything? And that's when I learned what shadow man he posts, and all this stuff and I was like they started to let people not see my stuff because I was resharing your stuff.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and then I went after me hard and I was like it was crazy, because I was like it's funny because all I share is other people's opinions and stuff I agree with or don't agree with. But I find interesting and and you know, I I'd even put up there sometimes going to listen to this later, and I'm sharing it Cause I want to see, even when I should tell people on my Facebooks like, all those articles I haven't read those, I'm sharing them so I don't have to look for it later, you know what I mean. And then I and I'd get down and be like this has misinformation. Your account is.
Speaker 1:I was like all right, I'm not even going to get up there anymore, I'm not going to play that game, I don't need social media, I don't care. But I never thought about it because my business model wasn't as big as yours. And then that just led me to like think, how does that feel, being that you were literally somebody that went around and did shit for the country, that a private business can, like, basically shut you down?
Speaker 2:It was. It was wild. I remember the day that my Instagram I mean cause my Instagram built everything that I have a multimillion dollar company, you know and my Instagram built everything that I have a multimillion dollar company, you know. And at the time I had fucking 12 employees or something like that and all of our sales came directly from my Instagram. All you know, I didn't pay for any advertising. I did. I was our biggest influencer. I didn't fucking, you know. Uh, it was all word of mouth, like we had built our company on our community and reputation and our following. And when it, I remember getting the phone call from Kyle and he's like hey, your Instagram is deleted and I was like what?
Speaker 2:And I went to pull it up and it was gone and I was like no fucking way and everything that I had worked for like I built that fucking page from day one from scratch, from like all the captions, all the and I, you know, would go deep into my captions and it was like a journal. You know as well for the last five years of like you could cause. You could go back into my captions and it was like a journal. You know as well for the last five years of like you could, because you could go back to my very first post and in like it was like a journal of five years of work.
Speaker 2:You know, and, and, and, just telling my story, you know, and then it was just gone. This like because, because I didn't agree with the narrative, you know me posting a video on a bullhorn saying the vaccine does not stop you from getting COVID, the vaccine does not stop you from spreading COVID, which is now obviously widely accepted as a fact, and true, but back then it was misinformation and delete, and true, but back then it was misinformation and delete.
Speaker 2:And like you don't give a fuck that, like I'm a combat veteran who served in the fucking navy seal teams and deployed to afghanistan and fought for freedom, quote, unquote. And you know, and that I, this is how I make a living now and this is how you know, 12 people feed their families off of my business. And because you don't agree with my speech about an opinion on this bullshit lie narrative, because I have enough time to research it and know it's bullshit, like you just are willing to cripple my fucking life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was crazy because it was during that period of time. You know, you and Mark are kind of alike, so Mark wasn't complying and so I was just tacitly going to practice doing my thing and I'd just be like this is all you know, bs. And then one day Taylor was like you sound just like Mitch. And I was like, oh, thank you. And I was just telling her this is how crazy it is. I only follow science podcasts at the time because I didn't want to hear any of the news stuff. I read a news article because it's sometimes more nuanced, and then I'll just can't be like well, this is crazy, because it's an obsessive habit I have from college work. So I'll be like where are the sources? There's no three source verification, obviously. It's not true. And then I was like well, all the scientists I like are vividly viscerally, so that means this is not. You know, I should be able to hear this stuff and make my own decision. Now my decision was already made, because I don't take medicine.
Speaker 2:I had gone to medical freedom rallies. Like you know, these conventions with hundreds of doctors who had, you know, thousands of peer reviewed papers and you know what I mean like are extremely credible and they're being silenced and threatened to lose their license and stuff. And you know, and like we're meeting up at these conventions and they're telling their stories and they're and they're presenting data and like resources and all this shit. And you know, so it's not like I'm just winging it, like I'm literally fucking, like I have the time and interest and resources to be able to fly to these fucking conferences and listen to these fucking doctors.
Speaker 1:It was crazy, I was scared for you at the time. I was scared for your businesses Only because I kept thinking when I was like I wish mitch was like me and it'd be like, because I'm just gonna not do it and I'm just not gonna say anything I felt like it was too important. That's that's what I, that's what I was gonna ask. I was. I was gonna ask you what. When?
Speaker 2:you knew you had so much to lose? Is that that was your motivation? It was your account deleted, blah, blah, blah. Because.
Speaker 2:And I'm like look, it is too fucking important not to speak up right now, because because I am in a position where I don't have the biggest platform, but I've got 370 000 people that are very much engaged with me and look to me as a leader and for guidance and this, and that we're in a time where we've never fucking experienced this level of tyranny before. And you know, it says all enemies, foreign and domestic, and it's like this shit is happening, this is really fucking happening. And this like free nation of ours, full of quote-unquote patriots like that would say you know, stand up to the government and fight for freedom. I'm not seeing it at all and I'm not seeing any of these motherfuckers with larger platforms than me that literally make their whole fucking living off of selling leadership and bullshit, like not saying a fucking peep because they know that it's going to affect their checkbook.
Speaker 2:And I was like you know what? This is too fucking important. Nobody's fucking speaking up and I'm someone that has some influence and a decent size platform, so I'm going to fucking do what I can to get enough people to try to rally people, to have courage and fucking stand up for what the fuck is right and what needs to be done. And fucking stand up for what the fuck is right and what needs to be done, because if everybody had the fucking balls to just say no and unite and the men in this country said fuck you, that shit would have ended abruptly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think the politics and we needed someone to fucking step up and try to lead that fucking charge and I got martyred. You know you did.
Speaker 1:You did and I think the politics because I was thinking the same thing. I think the politics was a distraction because it blinded people and it was crazy because it was like, well, if you were a liberal, you were going to wear a mask and if you were a conservative or a libertarian you were going to do this. But it literally hit medicine too. The liberals are going to take this, the conservatives are going to take this, and I was just sitting at home like you guys are fucking stupid.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like I said, it was an IQ test.
Speaker 1:But I was also like I was trying to when I was at work. I was telling people like, like I said I've always, because when I got in the Navy they just gave me so much this and so much that. But by the time I got out, when I have a really bad headache, I won't even take headache medicine, I'm just going to, that's it. I just got a headache. So the vaccine to me was like a non non-starter. And so all all the information that people were giving, oh, it does this. I could care less because I wasn't going to take any medicine anyway. But I was trying to tell people when they were coming to me, like, well, you don't know what's in it. And I say correct, you don't know what's in anything you take. So why are you going to take that shit right there? Why? And I was just like I'm not telling you to take it or not?
Speaker 2:take it, but I mean I, I will spend hours on this subject if, if you let me keep going, but I don't really want to but but it was, it was.
Speaker 1:It was crazy because I I felt, like all right people, that people are thinking, at least, but I was out, but I would. The other part of me was like but they want a daddy, they want somebody to tell them it's okay, they're wrong oh, people want to be told what to do and it's, it's.
Speaker 2:It's shocking to me how many fucking mindless sheep but but that's what I think about.
Speaker 1:Why, like your other business that I'm going to transition to, because what? What I always say is it shows you like that duality in people like, oh, yeah, yeah, you want, you know that something is wrong, but you want something to be right and you're going to trust that guy up there. It's just like it's right and but everything inside of you is saying it's not. But you want, you want some stability and you pay for the stability, but it comes at a great price. And I was telling people, when I left federal Protective Services, I was like you don't think I made good money, but the policies were so fucking stupid. I was like I'm tired of being the front face for all this shit that I'm really liking. This is dumb, you know, and we never have enough people because it's stupid and nobody wants to deal with it. And they're like well, what happened to such and such? They were such a good guy. Oh, he just burned out. No, he didn't burn out, he was about to shoot this fucking place up because it's getting stupid.
Speaker 2:And so when the covid thing happened, I just thought it was well that that's that's what like the covid did do that for I mean, I, I guarantee it did for people in the military, in the, in the police and these things like that we're not gonna do this shit, or, or you know, are just like fed up with this bullshit. And that's what happens in the military. Like you have good, competent people that you know that are like fuck this, I don't need to do this shit, you know, and that's why. And then it's like you get left with these dumb fucks that are just, yes, men, and it's like you. That's what the military becomes. It's not who's best, it's who's left.
Speaker 1:See, that's why, when you talked about the people who were supposed to be leaders a lot of the people that failed I was watching it from home. I was like, yeah, because they're all military leaders and they're so used to going along and get along. You know, this is a stupid ass war. You know this president is an idiot, but you're going to send your troops out there anyway and you're going to read all that bullshit and you're going to send people to die and you're going to be like, oh, he was a good soldier no, you're an asshole.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 1:You're a hero you know like, and so to me, we'll give you a military bearing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was nothing different than them coming out saying I'm just like yeah, they always have acted like. The state is correct that they've been doing it since they put that shit on their collar and they're gonna do it till they die. And so I didn't. I didn't look to them as leaders only because I was a military police officer. I watched a lot of really shitty people get away with fucked up stuff and I watched a lot of good people get burned for the smallest things that's everything.
Speaker 2:That's our justice system.
Speaker 1:I worked at a base where the literal guy that was over security was a pedophile and he got arrested and everything they did to try to cover up what he did was insane and it was just like no, what should have happened is we should have shot his ass and be like I don't know, he touched my gun. That's what should have happened. But I think what happened was they were like oh, you know, he's still an officer and respecting the quorum, fuck that. And so it was they.
Speaker 2:They kill you with the, the bullshit like that civility and all the stuff that they don't care about, but you have to care about it, like you you.
Speaker 1:You have to listen to the authorities and you have to and it's like, yeah, I do want to listen to the authorities, but you are not a correct authority that should have any power over me you know, I mean you haven't proven yourself, and but so, for the nuancedness of all of this, you, as a seal fighter, make this company jiu-jitsu company and you call it violent hippie jiu-jitsu. What? What is the theme behind violent hippie jiu-jitsu?
Speaker 2:and for everybody who doesn't know what is jiu-jitsu so I mean brazilian jiu-jitsu, is you know? If you don't know what the fuck that is, google it.
Speaker 2:I don't, I'm not even gonna explain that, like everyone knows what jiu-jitsu is at this point, and if you don't, I'm probably not your friend. But but uh now, violent hippie is the brand itself. You know, that's the brand because that's, you know how I kind of feel I identify as like I am a violent hippie. You know, I want peace and love. You know, and I'm willing to fight for it. You know, if, if people want to be assholes and and kind of in in impose their wills on others and and shit like that, you need people who are willing to be violent to keep peace. And you know that's why our motto is be kind or else.
Speaker 1:Be kind, or else I have two of the tie-dye rash guards and, like on the new one, it says on the back if you want peace, prepare for war.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it reminded me one of my favorite grapplers is a guy by the name of Tom DeBlas, and one time I heard him say something like if you don't know how to be violent you are not peaceful, you're just helpless. Yeah, and then I was just like true, it's like he's got a point. I was like no, you're not a peaceful person you don't have a choice yeah, you can't be violent, even if you wanted to, right you know, yeah, no, and it does.
Speaker 2:It requires someone, like, who's capable and willing to be violent in a situation where someone else is, you know, in order to protect people or keep that peace, or, you know, um, and that's where I'm at, like I've grown up always. You know my strength and aggression are a blessing and I utilize them justly. And you know I've always bullied, bullies and, and that's kind of where that you know, violent hippie mentality kind of comes from, you know, and also mushrooms and everything in my life that have helped shape my perspective and and mentality and definitely brought me closer and in touch with nature. And you know the fact that we are all one and you know this earth.
Speaker 2:We are all just bacteria on this earth. We're all just red and white blood cells on this earth, just like your red and white blood cells are not you per se, but they are and they make up you and they have a job to do and they have a role and you know, in in your body and and everything works cohesively and and like when you look at earth, it is that way. Everything is connected and you know um, so we are all one and uh, and the the sooner we like realize that as a species, the better off we'll be, I think, and uh, and being give their, the, the planet, the respect it deserves. And you know animals and plants and you know understand that these things are all necessary. You know it's kind of like how we talked about in the beginning with essential workers. It's like it's all connected. You know it's all interwoven and it's all part of this bigger thing and we're just all a part of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so that's kind of, you know, with that brand Violent Hippie, be Kind or Else it was almost like I'm going to put this out there because it's how I feel and identify and it's almost like a beacon, you know, to attract the right people.
Speaker 1:It really does.
Speaker 2:And the people that see it and that feel that way. They instantly see it, read it and they're like that's me. I'm a violent hippie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and when I wear that shirt, everybody's like oh man, I love that.
Speaker 2:I love that. I say yeah, Violenthippiecom, Pick up your swag there Nice.
Speaker 2:And so jujitsu, violent hippie jujitsu you know, that's the name of my academy and you know, because, again, I wanted it to be a beacon, I wanted it to be a magnet for people that felt that way and our motto be kind. Or else. You know, coming into this martial arts gym, you know, learning this, like jujitsu is, it's essentially a superpower, you know, um, it really is, and it's by far the most effective martial art. It's. It's a deadly martial art. That's why I liked it.
Speaker 2:You know, when you and there's things like we need to live right, we need air, we need food and we need water, you can go, you know, months without food and survive. You can go days without water. You can only go minutes without air and if I strangle you and get you in a chokehold, you tapping is saying please don't kill me, please let me live, and I could keep that in there until you die in a few minutes. And that's real, that's deadly. You know I could break your arm and incapacitate you and then take your back and choke you like it's a deadly martial art. That's always on you. You don't need any special tools, you are the tool. You don't even need your fucking eyeballs, because I know the human body. I know your arms connect to your shoulders, that are connected to your neck, that you're connected to your torso. Your legs are there, which your knees are a part of, and you go down your ankles. I can fuck you up anywhere blindfolded, just by touch.
Speaker 2:It's crazy, and the more you learn it, the more proficient you become, and it takes a long time. It's like speaking a language you know. And uh, and it's not just a guesswork, you're not going to just guess your way in jujitsu there's a system and it it's fucking proven and it works and um, so again, and, and it's one of the things that's like, it's a combat sport that you can go hard as fuck in, you can go a hundred percent with someone, and when they catch you in a submission you just tap. When it hurts, you tap and it's over. So it's kind of a gentle art, you know in that sense. So it's kind of like. It's kind of like by uh, that dichotomy as well, where it's, you know, almost like a violent hippie, you know I think it's great.
Speaker 1:I, I think it's great. I. I like the name, but I also like the people that I meet when I come over.
Speaker 2:And that's the thing is. You know, violent Hippie, be kind, or else. So everybody in here is kind and I'm the or else, you know. And if I'm the baddest motherfucker in this gym and you know most of the time I am fucker in this gym and you know most of the time I am if I can be kind and nice to everybody in here and helpful and you know it's good vibes, there's no fucking way I'm gonna tolerate anybody coming in here and doing anything but that you know it's crazy.
Speaker 1:I think this is a whole other conversation, so I'm only gonna go so far into. I think that's why people act the way they act outside. Sometimes they don't. They're not actually proficient at being violent. They have no power in the real world. So he's going to be an asshole.
Speaker 2:So yeah, you got a posture.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that girl at the 7-Eleven did something, so now he's going to go overboard. It's like she's not going to give you a higher check, bro.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And you're not going to. You know what I?
Speaker 2:mean and people you know, they know, and it's a lot of loud insecurity, fucking posturing, hoping this is going to back someone off. But they don't do that shit to someone Like one. They're going to pick that woman or someone weak Soft target. Yeah, like someone soft target, yeah, soft target, they're not gonna fucking.
Speaker 2:I don't ever run into that shit, no one ever fucking treats me that way because they know, just off of my posture and how I carry myself, the fucking intensity in my eyes. They, they know, like my physique, everything is like you know, and the and then the you know. Anytime I've encountered any kind of shit like that, it's immediately you know, responded to accordingly, and it's like this motherfucker is not joking, he's not afraid, he, you know, and and it's at that point. Do you want to roll the fucking dice with me? Because I'm not posturing, this is real.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I, which I think it's, I think it's great, are you? Are you um, because a lot of jujitsu people when they have their own academy, they eventually branch out. Are you thinking of like any affiliates in?
Speaker 2:yeah, I would love, I would love to uh open up affiliates again because it's a beacon, right and like a magnet to there's violent hippies all over the country. Yeah and uh, and I kind of want it to be like. My goal with it is to kind of be like, uh, 10th planet jujitsu.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean like that's exactly what I was thinking, yeah where 10th planet is kind of its own unique brand.
Speaker 2:It's its own, it's a brand. It's not. It's, it's a. It's a group of jujitsu practitioners. But there's no difference between Atos. Jiu-jitsu is no different than Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, than whatever. But Tenth Planet, that's a brand. You know, that's a unique brand and that's kind of what I want, like violent, hippie jiu-jitsu to be like. And you know our academy is different, like we don't care about cross-training, we don't care about the politics of jiu-jitsu, all the dumb shit that we've grown up in. That these people, loyalty is long yeah, only to you.
Speaker 1:But I don't do any of that shit. My thing is, I think it's good. So when I open my academy which I want to do it back home, but not back home, because I'm not going to do it in Jacksonville, florida, because there's actually a lot of good jiu-jitsu studios there I want to go to St Augustine, florida, because there's not a lot there. There's the right type of people that I want to go into the gym and there's the right type of people that I want coming into the gym. But I was like I want to take the stuff that's good, dump all the crap that I think is unnecessary.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's exactly what I did, and my wrestling coach was actually from Virginia. He just welcomed anybody, any and everybody. I remember sometimes we would get out of practice, get in a car with him, go to the next city because there was a school called Ridgeview that was in Clay County, but the kids there were good at this Greco-Roman style and you need to go over there and roll with him. You're not going to see him until districts anyway, blah, blah when I got to jujitsu and people didn't do that.
Speaker 2:I was like it's kind of weird, yeah, like what do you?
Speaker 2:what do you think you have some type of secret that yeah at this at this fucking day and age it's 20, 2024 do you think every fucking jujitsu technique, move or whatever is already on an instructional first of all? Or it's on YouTube or whatever. Yeah, like you're not. You're not holding, harboring some fucking secret move or something that's gonna, you know, be used, and it doesn't matter. I can tell you, you know, like I can tell you exactly what the fuck I'm going to do and you're not gonna be able to stop me anyway. Yeah, yeah, it doesn't matter, because that's what jujitsu is whoever's better at jujitsu is going to win jujitsu.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what I you know and I'll do that with my students and and with not just students other instructors here I'll fucking say like all right, with you, I'm only gonna do an arm bar, with you, I'm only gonna do a triangle, with you, I'm only gonna do a kimura. And that's good practice for me, because if you know what's coming, you know what you need to defend. And when I tell you that's the only move I'm going to do, it makes it a little bit more challenging for me.
Speaker 2:I like it, but if my jiu-jitsu is better, then you can't stop it. It doesn't matter. So what the fuck do you think? Someone the fuck do you think like someone coming and training a different academy is going to see your secret move or whatever, and it's going to?
Speaker 1:disrupt your shit like you're an idiot. Yeah, I used to think about that when I was, when I was.
Speaker 2:Let me say this if you have to fucking, if you have to force your students to not train somewhere else, it's because, like that's insecurity.
Speaker 1:You're an insecure little bitch like why don't you just make, like, why don't you just make your academy better? Why don't you just make your? I was just like maybe I just landed at the right, you know like location, with Mark and Taylor and Samson over there. It's like because Mark has always encouraged me, like go over here and check out Tidewater. You know, go do this, go do that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they have a great mentality.
Speaker 1:And then I and I was just like me personally, I know it myself. If anybody ever tried to let me, I'd be like. It's like walmart or target, I pay you, you don't exactly, and that's the other thing.
Speaker 2:It's like these are paying customers, like I'm a paying customer, you're gonna fucking tell me what I'm allowed to like, where I can and can't do what?
Speaker 1:shut the fuck up, I'm a grown fucking man. Yeah, it was. It was strange, but that's good.
Speaker 2:But it's also one of those I could understand there's some cult-like fucking gyms in this area that are fucking bizarre, and you have constantly people being kicked out of the cult once they do something that upsets the master of the cult, once they, you know, do something that upsets the master, yeah, and, and it's like you, and even when you're in the cult, you see this happen over and over and over and over and over and over and over until it happens to you, and then you're like god damn it.
Speaker 1:you know how did I notice this? But you know what is what's funny? What, what I, what I, what I said, what they, I don't know I, I, it's, maybe it's because I, like, have been in like religious sex, and I always say, like you don't see it till you see it. And then you back off and you're like, oh, my goodness, like how the hell did I? And so I have a two questions related, which is like me and me and uh, my professor did uh two podcasts when the crazy shit was happening in bjj and the brazilians were touching everybody. And so how do you protect your students from shit like that? And two, how do you make sure, like you don't become the cultish? You don't?
Speaker 2:become the cultish leaders that you, you know, don't want to be like. Uh, I think again, it's just like we knew that going into it, you know so, like we, like that's and a lot of people here are from the former cult, you know. So it's like we know that we certainly don't want to be that ever, you know, and we encourage our students to train other places, like and I've said I've gotten to train all over the world and like seeing different perspectives from every other. You know, like everyone has their own little flavor, their own little way they do things and stuff like that. And you might, you know, learn, learn 10 things and you might like eight of them and two you just toss away, whatever, keep what you like and don't what you don't. And you know my perspective on jiu-jitsu is only my own, I only know mine. You know you have a totally different experience and perspective. Obviously an arm bar is an arm bar, but you might learn a different setup or your body type might be different. And you know like there's all kinds of walks of life and body types and intensity levels, men, women, whatever. So everybody's different and, like I encourage, like all my instructors are very different. We have all different styles, you know, and it might work great for you, might not work great for him, but the way I do it might work better for him and not so much for you, you know. So I, I encourage the diversity, you know, um.
Speaker 2:And then, as far as like, protecting, I think women should be. You know, definitely, men and women are not the fucking same, and especially in a combative like scenario one. So, like always, I always tell the guys in the gym match females strength and intensity, you're, you're not just going to bully them or whatever, and like, for women to come into an academy, it's already, you know, they're already probably nervous in general. And then jujitsu is a very intimate type sport where you're, you know, rolling around, grabbing and touching and stuff like that. And you know, you know you don't like, you don't want them to feel like they're being groped or inappropriate or anything like that.
Speaker 2:And you know, luckily we just have not even come close to experiencing anything like that, know, um, which is nice, and you know, nor would it be tolerated, you know, and, and I think again, with that, be kind or else like that, that fucking beacon, that magnet, that's the type of people we're looking for um, and everyone's been like very friendly and like you know, you see it, here after class everybody hangs out like there's no, there's just no weirdness, you know, um. So yeah, I I don't know, but if you I'm sure you know you have people out there that that happens or whatever, and yeah because I just again psychology background, when I think we me and taylor talked about grooming we also have a lot of girls that train here, yeah, and, and they bring other girls here and girls.
Speaker 2:You know, we try to obviously pair up girls with girls because we want them to feel comfortable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's one one thing. I because I, we did one, and I specifically talked about somebody that I looked up to who himself did nothing wrong. Nor did the other instructor do anything wrong, and it was Cyborg and Wagner, and I was like but then another instructor did something wrong and they kind of tried to cover it up and I was like what the fuck? Yeah, you know, and I was like here.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can't do that and it was you know. They did make him leave the school, but then it was stuff like they were doing black belt only classes and he could come to the black belt only class.
Speaker 1:I was like no, you know what I mean. That's like a tacit approval, unless he's coming to the classes, because I want to beat the shit out of him every single time. I see him beat the shit out of them. Every single time I see them, you know, and the girl was like you know somebody that had been there since she was very young, so from like six to when they started happening, she was 14 and I'm reading, like the brazilians, and they're just like if she can walk, she can fuck, and I was like I don't even want to be involved in this, you know anymore.
Speaker 1:If that's like the mentality of like these people that I have watched do this for years, you know, and so now I like I'll see these people competing and I'm just like what a piece of shit, you know. And so that's kind of like what I'm always thinking, like I know I don't want to be culty and I know I want to cross train, but then it's also like I want to have a certain amount of professors who have different perspectives. And then I hit that wall of like I don't know these people and the the thing about these people that do all this stuff. They know how to hide in plain sight, they know how to take those. When I looked up the people that do it the most coaches, counselors, preachers, teachers I was like, yeah, everybody that you think wouldn't do this, you know. And I was like so what do I do with that, you know? And when I'm thinking about an academy, it's like I really want to intimately know these people as much as I can, so I'll see crazy things.
Speaker 2:Like I go to some academies and they have cameras everywhere. It's also like it can be sort of like a gray area, in the sense like because you know it is an intimate thing and people are together and relationships do form. You know like people find each other attractive they flirt, they, you know, they you know, hook up or whatever you you see that like and it's like, yeah, you're not supposed to do that in the workspace, but how many?
Speaker 1:how many times does fraternization happen or whatever it's like?
Speaker 2:you know I always say like, uh, you know, people are just fucking animals. You know, at the end of the day, like with hormones and you know sex drives or whatever, and it's like how do you get animals to fuck in the zoo? You put them in the same cage. You know it's like a proximity thing. That's a lot of people that's, that's, that's how that happens, you know, and and you can't, that's inevitable. I think like that's just gonna happen. If you have attractive people that are together in close proximity, eventually they're gonna you maybe have interest in each other or whatever. And you know I've seen that with some of my students. You know there's been relationships formed, there's been, you know, shit going on or whatever.
Speaker 1:And, at the end of the day, like people are growing people as long as everyone is consenting and you know, and it's not any kind of forced weird shit, everybody's a happy, willing participant.
Speaker 2:You know, like that's none of my fucking business.
Speaker 1:Luckily, I never had to deal with it, but I do have a friend that was at Marcelo Garcia's. He's a black belt now he's over with Tim Kennedy and he was just saying like, yeah, when he dated somebody at the gym and they broke up, he was like it was weird, Because now everybody invests in this relationship and then it ends. And you're like man, why is this guy rolling super hard today? And it's like, oh, Jen told him I was an asshole. And so he said when he started dating somebody else that was at his gym, he was like he just went to another gym. He was like that way. He was like if it didn't work, she didn't lose her gym, he didn't lose his gym.
Speaker 1:And I was like it is.
Speaker 2:You know, we've experienced that as well, Like couples that were here and then broke up and now it's like well, who's going to stay at the?
Speaker 1:gym, and then you're like thinking hopefully, or they can train at different train at different times, or something like that.
Speaker 2:But yeah, I mean, it's like you know, in a perfect world it wouldn't be something. But you know, people are people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we're, we're in the military we, we see how, all of a sudden, these people who aren't fraternizing but somebody got pregnant yeah my last. My last question and topic for you is this charity. You came up with Adopt-A-Cop. Why was that important? Why do you think that was needed?
Speaker 2:So I started Adopt-A-Cop BJJ right after George Floyd incident happened and you know, at that time I think that was like there was probably nine police shootings or something like that.
Speaker 2:and when I say police shootings, obviously I only mean white, white police officer shooting a black man, oh yeah, you know, because that's the only time that anyone gives a fuck you know, and uh, so, but, and in any sense like, and obviously I support police, but like in these situations you would see, like body cam footage or anything happens, and I, like most jujitsu practitioners, looked at these things and was like, if that cop knew a blue belt level of fucking jujitsu, this probably would have been avoided, right jujitsu, this probably would have been avoided, right, and like, just seeing that kind of shit happen over and over was like fuck man, like there needs to be police officers, need to be fucking training jujitsu. And there was nothing in place. And you know, my first thought was there needs to be a jujitsu professor and like mat room at every police academy across the country. I knew that that was like light years away from being a reality, so, and from being in the military and understanding how government works and everything is fucking worthless and useless unless your boss came up with it.
Speaker 2:You know, like, and good luck getting money for anything you know, unless you're a corrupt politician, um, and so I was like you know, like, and good luck getting money for anything you know, unless you're a corrupt politician. And so I was like you know what? Like I had sponsored, you know, samson, the past sponsored people in the past and like, and I was like you know, I could just sponsor officers, you know, and at the time I was doing very well, you know, with, with our business and, um, you know, and I used to donate money to the, to the, to the little starving kids in Africa and shit, you know and and they send you a picture and and you know, this is what your money.
Speaker 2:I have my, I have my yearly charities.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had my little adopted kids on the fridge. And you know that I sent money to and and I kind of had that idea one night while I was talking about this issue on one of my mid shows and I just was like you know what, if we adopted a cop you know like and you paid for their Brazilian jujitsu memberships and that way, like you know, cops could just this would be like a private thing that you don't have to go through the government or, you know, get approval or anything like that, because it's on their own time and this would be an outside thing. So I was like, yeah, and I think that's a great idea and I think a lot of people would get behind it. So I was like you know what? I was like, yeah, I'm starting this charity myself because most charities fucking suck. And you know like, you donate all this money and you don't ever see what it actually happens. And I was like you know what this could be like. You know, peggy donated 50 and sponsored officer fucking joe schmo and like there's, here's where your money went and officer joe schmo is learning jujitsu now. And I was like so if you support police and you want to see less shootings, or even if you don't support police. Uh, then you want to see less shootings? Like you should donate.
Speaker 2:And I was, like you know, before I even made it like an actual, like legit 501c3. I was like I literally had the idea on live and I said, okay, any police officer anywhere in the country you can sign up for jujitsu and I will pay for your membership. And again, didn't put a cap on it or anything like that. And the first, like I had 60 police officers reach out to me and I just put their membership on my credit card. And you know, and I was like like this is going to get like a proof of concept. You know that. And and I made it like an instagram thing. You know, like you have to check in on instagram doing your class so that I know that you're actually training.
Speaker 2:And it's an attendance based sponsorship, so, like you have to train a minimum of once, one time a week, in order to maintain your sponsorship. Initially it was one time a week in order to maintain your sponsorship. Initially it was one time a week. Then, when I started coaching and I was teaching fucking four classes a day, I was like you motherfuckers can train twice a week. You know, once a week is not enough, because I saw white belts coming in with no experience that trained once a week and they were constantly forgetting what they learned the week before. So I was like this is not enough training. You need to come in at least twice a week in order to make any kind of serious progress. And then you know in a timely fashion to where, like I had.
Speaker 2:You know, I didn't change that for two years. So I had people in the program that were white belts for two years and I'm paying for their membership every month. So I'm like'm like no, you guys got to train twice a week now and theoretically you should get your blue belt twice as fast. And you know, and if people are paying money for you to do this, like twice a week is not fucking. Yeah, breaking the breaking everything. Yeah, it's like and it's enjoyable. It's a workout. You need to fucking train anyway, like. So that's basically like how it formed.
Speaker 1:I just wondered because I had the same concept, like obviously it would be us at fps talking about we'd be looking at some of the stuff happening in the country and I just say, well, it's because that guy didn't know how to do this thing and it just became a joke to us, like, and I was like, but nobody's doing anything about, you're just gonna see the next thing happen well, that was me taking action.
Speaker 2:You know, like, like, don't talk about it, be about it, yeah, yeah that's good.
Speaker 1:That's good because I had some of the same thoughts, like my grand, my grandfather, which is who raised me. My dad died when he was 17, and so you know he was a police officer. He actually became the warden of the prison, so like it was one of those. He was a boxer. We knew how to. Obviously he did great if he retired from the prison system without getting fucked up, and so it was one of those. When I would see stuff. I was a wrestler. I thought I was going to be this model. So it's like I don't want to be a boxer, I have a modeling career to look up you know, wrestling was that.
Speaker 1:And so I would see stuff and I just think man if this guy just knew how to get inside control and hold the guy down and just say are you okay, man, calm down, and that, and that's the thing is like you know a lot of these shootings.
Speaker 2:it looked like we're out of fear and it was like due to a lack of training. You know, and you know. So they're going for their gun, whereas like, if I get an altercation, I'm not, I don't give a fuck about my gun, I'm going straight for you and like I'm dangerous. You know, with my hands, I know how to control especially someone that doesn't train, which the majority of the population does not train jujitsu. If I go hands-on with the majority of population, you have zero chance. You have zero chance and I'm going to control you and I don't have to hurt you. But I can control you. I can control the situation. I can keep you from getting to my gun and escalating this situation.
Speaker 2:So that's why our motto with Adopt-A adopt a cop is jujitsu saves lives, you know, because it's not meant to for the cop to go out there and strangle people. It's meant for them to feel confident going hands-on and and de-escalating a situation and ending it in a controlled fashion where no one is injured, like that's what I was talking about on jujitsu. You can just go hard as shit and control and that's it, like you submit them. But you know, that's where we're at and with that you know charity. We've been a charity for not even three years. We're in all 50 states. We're in. Over 1,000 gyms across the country are affiliated with us and flying our Adopt flag and a part of our program, and we've graduated like 380 people to bluebell nice yeah, that's great.
Speaker 2:Um, so that was my last and you can adopt, you can donate that was gonna be right you can donate at adoptacopbjjorg and on our website. Uh, you can go on there and look at the map and it's gyms that are affiliated with our program and you can zoom out and see all the red dots all over the country. It's pretty cool. Yeah, that's great.
Speaker 1:And that's just something that I believe too. Sometimes I stay away from police-type things because I just say I have a natural bias because that's where I spent most of my life and so, but a lot of times I don't think it's malicious, I think it's fear and lack of training. My last question that I want to ask is the fun question how did you start your love for animals?
Speaker 2:I've always loved animals. Um, I, I don't know, I I find like animals have a sense of innocence to them. You know like they're they, that they can deceive, they can, you know, lead on, and there's a lot of shitty people out there that do have that intent, you know, to deceive and harm or get one over or whatever. Animals don't and they're just, they are what they are, you know. And it's funny because I have a pet pig named Piggy Smalls and he, you know, constantly, is like trying to get into the food, or you know, like he and and like his behavior. It doesn't make me mad at all because I'm like that's his nature. He's a pig. What do you expect? You know, like you can't get mad at a pig for not for acting, for not acting like a another creature or something like that. Like it, it is what it is. But you know his intentions are never bad. He's just a pig, you know, whereas like, yeah, human beings, that's a choice yeah you know, to deceive or be a piece of shit or whatever.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I've always just and I like animals more than I like people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I kind of I love animals and I pray and I hope for people, and it's one of those things where I just say I love everyone. I'd like a very huge people. I've mandated to love everybody, but people are just very easy to not like and so, but anyway, guys, uh, mitch is actually a very busy man and because I am trying to lose weight, I'm going to leave here and go to the gym, because Mitch has abs at 205 and I don't yet. And I'm actually going to do my first set of greens this week and I'm actually going to do my first set of greens this week. Also, me and Ashley, who you guys heard on one of the previous shows I think that was like Southern Roots and blah, blah, blah. But before we go, I'm just going to ask Mitch is there anything else he wants to say? And I want him to plug all of his businesses and how to find him, and then we are out.
Speaker 2:No, thanks for having me on your show. Appreciate it. I know we've been talking about doing this. I've promised you an episode for a while, so glad we finally got to get it done. And thank you as well for helping covering some of the classes here while Will's out of town. Appreciate that. And yeah, I had a good time and I learned some stuff about you too, while Will's out of town. Appreciate that. And, yeah, had a good time and I learned some stuff about you too, which was cool. So thanks for having me on. Appreciate that. And for as far as the plugs go, you can follow me on Instagram at Mitch M-I-U-I-A-R and my businesses Massif Supplements, m-a-s-f Supplementscom, violenthippiecom, h-i-p-p-i-e for that, and then AdoptacopBJJorg and you can donate on there if you'd like. But yeah, so smash your greens, be kind, or else Talk to you later.