Missing the Olympics to Training the Cultural Icons

Bobby Rich1:14

So, my intro was was my mom. My mom when there was no other family member growing up that got into it. My sister was into horses. That's that's that was her thing. That's her thing now. Um but me apparently when we used to have play dates and we talk him when I was like five or six years old. Used to come over and used to get this couch sofa pillows on the floor, WWF style, you know, off jumping off the edge of the sofa like you with the the the the top rope.

And I used to just love love wrestling, quite physical. And there was a judo club 5 minutes down the road. Six years old, five or six years old and now being a parent knowing whether it was a an active choice that she saw that I liked wrestling and I was physical and that would be the right thing to do. There was probably also an element of now I have kids it's like I I need to find things to do for my kids is you know just and you try everything right and you've got kids so you're just like you know what what's close by what can they do what can we you know fill up the schedule with fortunately there was a judo club down the road and um it was once a week once a week that I go and it was once a week for a couple of months but shortly after that I was two three times a week from the age

Of six years old and it just gripped me gripped me hard I absolutely loved it um and that was it that was from six years old that was my that was my outlet let's say I mean you know physically and emotionally did I know that when I was six seven eight years old emotionally but for sure it was you know I'm sure there was the you know the energy that you frustrations that you have as a kid you know you got them out on the mat.

But yeah that was that was all thanks to my dear old mum got me into judo.

Bobby Rich3:10

Yeah could have been very different.

Bobby Rich3:38

Listen boxing's judo's hard right it's physical it's you know I'm biased but it's me I think it's one of the hardest sports out there as an Olympic sport there's so many aspects of fitness that goes into it from aerobic anaerobic power strength muscular endurance. It's a hard sport. But, for me, I don't want to be punched in the face. I retired from judo at at uh 28, and after that I did one MMA fight, and uh I won.

Bobby Rich4:07

But, after that I retired. I was one and oh, I was unbeaten. But, you know, and I I loved it, and I I just loved the challenge, but I didn't like being punched in the face. I didn't enjoy that, but judo was my calling, and that's what I did enjoy. But, that was um you know, when did I win my first first title? I was I had some school titles, but the first meaningful national title I was 15 years old, British champion.

Bobby Rich4:31

So, you know, it was a good 10 years before I actually did anything, but then at the roundabout 15, there was like little things happening in competitions I was winning as a junior that kind of gave my mom some insight to, you know, my ability that actually we should pursue this as opposed to it just being like something for fun, and, you know, traveling around the country, but there's no hope in

Bobby Rich4:54

Anything coming of it. But, at 15, it was kind of like, okay, shit's going to get serious. And that was that was kind of the start of it. So, from the age of 15, got on to the team Team GB, and uh yeah, the rest is rest is history, really.

Bobby Rich5:23

Yeah.

Bobby Rich5:29

Yeah.

Bobby Rich5:49

Junior national team at 15. And you know, I'm still at school. But it's, you know, like I said, at that point it was this is my thing. This is what I want to do. This is what I what I want to pursue. So everything was based around that. My poor mom, you know, her weekends were spent you know, either at judo tournaments in like sports centers or like small stadiums as as time went on. Um or at my sister's horse riding stables, yeah. That's all she did, bless her.

But um that was that was all in everything. I was at school so you know, two, three times a week after after school in the evenings it was spent at the dojo dojo, local dojo. And then every other weekend there was a tournament. But uh as time time goes on, you know, I I finished school, went on to study in college. But that's when it started getting getting serious, you know, you're under 18. You start fighting men, right? They they still have youth programs so you're under 18 and under 21s.

But once you turn 18, you start fighting men, which um that in itself was quite interesting. You know, as a junior I was like I was crushing it. You know, I was you know, and as you do, you're a kid and you're like you believe your own hype a little bit and you're doing some damage and I never forget my first year in seniors was was tough. I lost every fight within the first minute in every tournament for like a year, you know, no less than a year, maybe more.

And to your point, it's like that's that's where the real comes in, right? That's like I could have been like I'm no good at it, I'm going to give it up. And you know, well that was like the first insight to you know, which way I'm going to go. Am I going to pursue this and mean it or am I just going to give up and find something else? So yeah, that year was that year was brutal, you know, cuz you're going you're going to tournaments and you're fighting you're 18 and you're fighting men.

It's probably 6, 27, 28, you know, and you've gone from dominating individuals to walking out and dudes just grabbing you and just like doing whatever they want with you. And it's, you know, judo is judo strength is is something else. Yeah. A judo player, world level judo player gets hold of you, it's

Bobby Rich8:02

It's it's tough, but Yeah, yeah.

Bobby Rich8:18

It's it's it's scary. I mean, there's been even times when I was a senior and, you know, I started doing some damage, but there were still individuals that I would I would fight with and, you know, they just every now and then they'd give you a glimpse of their the capability of what strength they had behind those grips and you're like, "Okay." But at the same time, I teach now a lot at jiu-jitsu clubs, so judo's my background and then round about 20, 21 years old, I started doing jiu-jitsu with Roger Gracie.

Bobby Rich8:47

Um when he came to London, he came and did a lot of stand-up with us. So, he wanted to improve his stand-up, so he came to judo. And then vice versa, I went to jiu-jitsu to improve my groundwork. My ground game was ish.

Bobby Rich9:00

Judo involved groundwork, so it's called newaza. So, that's groundwork, but it's like the easiest way to explain it, judo's like 90% standing and then like 10% groundwork, then jiu-jitsu's flipped the other way. But my groundwork was was was okay, you know, but there'd be times in certain tournaments I'd get someone to the ground and they'd be like, "Okay, like what are you going to do?" You know, so I I had to improve, so that's where I met Roger. And then fast forward 20 years to now, I'm now trying to implement some some of my stand-up knowledge from over the years into the jiu-jitsu world and helping, you know, a lot of competitors, but I'm also there's a it's it's a great thing, judo's with social media and and the um the growth of jujitsu has kind of also put a light onto judo as well.

So, I teach judo at the jujitsu club and uh it's a great fun time, but what I was going to say is you get we talk about the strength of judo players, but when I'm teaching some of these um newbies to judo or jujitsu like stand up to jujitsu guys, I equally get you know, someone can come out and they can grab you with force and strength like it's like [ __ ] that's like what is that? But equally someone can come out and they can grip you very relaxed.

They can just put your hand on you and it's the way they've done it, you know, and the fact that they're so relaxed and comfortable you're like this guy knows something that I don't, right? So, it goes it goes both ways.

Bobby Rich10:32

Screaming or shouting or something and then you have the guy standing there smiling you're like

Bobby Rich10:39

Exactly.

Bobby Rich11:48

Yeah, you get that in every sport, right? And it's I think that transition from junior to senior so weeds out those the natural ability and not weeds it out, but it kind of that's the bit where it starts getting serious where natural ability can carry you so far. But, when you start fighting men, coaches see it, you know, coaches who they recognize like something. It you know, it's it's like me now. If I if I see someone on the mat who's a jujitsu player and they're but they do some stand-up they might the way they move or the way they grip or their approach to it.

There's something that just goes, "Ah." It might be like, you know, you might see someone running.

Bobby Rich12:33

And you're like, they might be in that moment whether it's a technique or their mindset or something you're like there's something there. So, there's coaches there that see that and it you know, it's tough for a coach. But, as long as they're seeing some forward progression in some way, shape or form they stick with you. I mean, I was fortunate that I had two great coaches that Ray Stevens, Barcelona Olympic silver medalist and then I had Darcio Yanzi, French national coach. He was junior and European senior champion at the same time.

He was phenomenal coach. So, I was blessed with great coaches around me.

Bobby Rich13:18

A lot of it's mindset. You know, there was a lot of it obviously technique, you know, and it's judo is the learning curve for judo is so steep. Yeah, so steep. So steeper than it is jujitsu. Jujitsu is super technical very and there's there's so much to it not taking anything away from it in any way, shape or form, but judo is you've got all the dynamics of jujitsu, but you're on your feet. So all of a sudden you've now got to worry about your balance, your opponent's balance.

So there's that element to it. So the learning curve to judo is is super super steep. So your mindset is a huge thing, but repetition turning up, banging out the reps. So you know, it's it's a sense of feeling as opposed to thinking.

Bobby Rich14:04

Yeah.

Bobby Rich14:11

Senior level, it was actually around the time about a year after I started working with Larbi Benboudaoud

Bobby Rich14:18

Um he's phenomenal phenomenal um French judoka. He had great success. But his approach was you know, he's a European fighter, but he had beautiful traditional judo and movement as well. European judo is is quite strong is quite is a lot more physical. Japanese judo, you know, typically way back when it's very much stand up and a little bit more traditional based on what we call kuzushi like breaking balance. So it's all about being efficient. Uh European judo is a lot more physical, more wrestling style. And um that was my approach.

I had that wrestling kind of background hence the cauliflower ears as sticking my head in [ __ ] places it shouldn't have been in. But um Larbi came along and he opened my judo up a lot more. So there was a lot more movement um a lot more action reaction, creating moments and opportunities by movement with my opponent. So that was that was around about 2005 I won the US Open.

Bobby Rich15:19

Um that was kind of

Bobby Rich15:21

In America. Yeah, full loaded out. That was That was probably the first sort of major title that I won. And it's It's like anything. It's just that's the confidence. You know, you know you have the ability. So, it wasn't a shock that I won, but it was just It was what I needed at the time to then walk into tournaments to have that confidence and belief in yourself.

Bobby Rich16:13

But that's also a reflection of everything that you've put into it. Right? Like everything that you've put into it.

Bobby Rich16:27

To. The journey, right? So, that was for me it was a moment in time that was incredible and I know it's just a small part of the the big picture that needed to happen. After that, I went on and won the British Open uh Sarajevo Open. I won a few European titles um at big European events and that's kind of where it all started changing. So, yeah, it's been a It was a long journey. I didn't get to where I wanted to get to at the Olympic Games.

That was the um That was the pinnacle of any

Bobby Rich16:58

Yeah, so what you do is you have the Olympic qualifying season, which is give or take about 18 months. Once they decide the two players pretty much that are going to move forwards for the qualifying season, it's up to those two players in each weight category to qualify the weight group. So, you're you're there to qualify the weight group and then a selection process is made a few months sort of is usually uh springtime before the Summer Olympics at the um that the decision's made.

So, April time.

Bobby Rich17:36

It's based on so, you qualify the weight category, but it's also based on your own points and performances at the time. So, it's uh it's

Bobby Rich17:48

No, I mean it's Yeah, it's not I mean I mean I wish it was as simple as I beat that guy that went so, I should go cuz you know, but it's unfortunately it's not as not as simple as that because different styles favor different people. Just cuz I beat the individual that went to the games, you know, it doesn't mean that I was going to beat the people that he was going to fight.

Bobby Rich18:13

Style in terms of the what's happening on the mat, but just different different countries have different styles of fighters. So, like I was saying, Japanese is way more stand-up traditional. Russian or Georgian, it's very kind of like wrestling-based, [ __ ] you know, so it's it's all of that kind of stuff. So, yeah, it your my own way of fighting might have an effect on one type of player, but it might not have an effect on you know, he might have the answers to my game.

So, yeah, it's uh at the time you're like I can do that. I should be going there, but then you know, you you quickly you quickly realize it's not as simple as that. And by the time the Olympics come, you've done 18 months of literally every 2 weeks you're in a different country for a tournament and then for 5 days after that tournament, you're at an international training camp. And you're fighting you're fighting the same people pretty much Yeah, week in week out. for 18 months.

So, by the time the Olympics come, you kind of you know who's in the mix, who's doing what, and then you know, so it's it's not a huge surprise, but you know, it's it's a it's a tough pill to swallow.

Bobby Rich19:31

It depends on depends on the weight category, but for me it kind of it was the it was just where it fell.

Bobby Rich19:38

You know, it kind of where you where the cycle falls for you at the age. By the time the Beijing Olympics came, it was I was 28.

Bobby Rich19:46

Another 4 years at 28, that's that's a big commitment, right? That's to 32. I could have done it. I probably, you know, that's probably the max it absolutely would have been. But for me, I kind of chucked everything at Beijing.

Bobby Rich20:01

And I didn't, you know, it's I'm pretty happy with what I chucked.

Bobby Rich20:07

You know, everything in the kitchen sink to get there. Um and I didn't get there. Was I going to be any better in 4 years? You know, people can think what they want into that in terms that it's a defeatist mindset, but you know, I'm pretty honest with myself and and what I put into it, and I can look back and be like I did pretty much everything I could do with the circumstances I had, and and I didn't get there.

Bobby Rich20:43

And I think that's that's a that's a big mindset that sort of makes the difference between what people are doing, right?

Bobby Rich20:59

Yeah, I mean, I'm I'm happy with how it turned out, you know?

Bobby Rich21:05

It was before the Olympics. So, they make the selection

Bobby Rich21:10

Sort of April May time.

Bobby Rich21:12

Before the summer Olympics had happened, I was already, you know, in a MMA ring.

Bobby Rich21:17

Was like Cage Warriors. No, it was nothing spectacular. It was something like Cage Warriors or something in

Bobby Rich21:23

Maybe no, Battleground. It was something called Battleground. It wasn't Cage Warriors. It wasn't quite as big as that. But it was Battleground. It was in the middle of Middlesbrough Town Hall.

Bobby Rich21:32

Quite honestly, the audience was scarier than the individual I fought in the middle. But no, I just I've been around fighting since I was six. And I've worked in, you know, martial arts gyms. I've traveled all around the world and trained with, you know, I've worked in boxing, you know, I used to work with David Haye. I used to be his coach. So I've done all sorts of forms of striking, you know, and I'm not scared of being hit. So although I said I I don't really don't really like it, but you know, I'm not scared of it.

But um before the Olympics happened, I got approached by this guy. He said, "Listen, we've got promotion in 5 weeks or 3 months time. Do you want to be on it?" And I was like, "Yeah, sure. I'll do the one in 5 weeks." You know, and it was I was just like, "If I do it in 5 weeks, fewer people will know about it. I just want to go and have a challenge." I was the fittest I'd ever been, you know, 28 years old, just missed out on the games, and you know, I I'm sure there was, you know, looking back now, there was a you know, a a frustration that needed to get out.

And also just maybe just a just a challenge, one final challenge that I needed, you know, for myself. And yeah, that was

Bobby Rich23:23

I I'd signed up for this this event and they told me who was going to fight and I didn't want to know anything about it.

Bobby Rich23:32

Right. Just part from the location, the date, you know, kind of my lads we went up we went up in a big van. It was like five or six of us went up. And uh you know, this it was it was 2008. So, social media-wise

Bobby Rich23:46

It wasn't

Bobby Rich23:48

Wasn't huge and

Bobby Rich23:55

But less than that it was it was more to do with just like I didn't want to eat It was honest, right? It was why I was doing it was about me and what I wanted to I love a challenge. Yeah. I do everything once, right? I've done a done a triathlon, I've done a marathon, I've done horse riding, I've done everything once. I love a challenge. So, it was it was it was that. It was it was it was more of a challenge for me than sort of proving anything on socials.

But I'd signed up and um I didn't want to know anything about this guy at all. And then

Bobby Rich24:32

I'd done five five five weeks notice, right? To do this tournament. And there's nothing that I'm going to do in five weeks that's really going to you know, yes, your fitness you can improve, but I you know, I was the fittest like I was the fittest I was ever going to be.

Bobby Rich24:46

You know, I was I was trying to get to the games like, you know, judo S&C for judo fighters is some of the the best, you know, some of the fittest people I know.

Bobby Rich24:59

Physically I was physically I was like, you know, it's happy place and I knew there was nothing that was going to nothing was going to improve from the technical side of things in terms of like punching. I mean, I was well, like I said, David Haye is a their friend of mine and uh he's I don't know David Haye is a former world cruiserweight and heavyweight boxer. I mean very very good friend of mine. I worked with him closely and Adam Booth uh for the did Shane train him?

Uh no, he didn't train him. Uh Shane I can't remember I think he did some stuff with George Groves who was part of I worked with George quite

Bobby Rich25:32

He's a special guy. Send him my love. He's a very very special guy. Talented as a coach but he just like his by the way, his mindset and what he sees you know, is what I'm talking about where he will the nuances he will see and if I that that's that's super special.

Bobby Rich25:54

And it's it's the consistency which he's done it, you know, so he's phenomenal.

Bobby Rich26:00

I mean, that does it get any better than that? I um David Haye I remember I said I've got 5 weeks for a fight. He's just like, all you need to do is a haymaker. I mean, that was that was his line, right? But he was like, listen, you're going to go square to square in the middle of the ring with him. You'll look down. You'll look up. You're going to know where his feet are. You're going to roughly know how tall he is. Just swing.

Bobby Rich26:21

And uh

Bobby Rich26:22

It was literally what I did. So I did a I did a BJJ tournament before that and um I was a purple belt I think I was a purple belt at the time and I won my division and then I did the absolute and I won that. That was the week before.

Bobby Rich26:37

And the guy that I was fighting in the MMA tournament, he had apparently I only found out after after the fight on the stairs out the back he was like, I heard about the tournament that you did the week before. I knew about your jiu-jitsu skills. He was like, I obviously knew he was like, he did what I was trying not to, right? Like Did everything I He was like, his um I know about your judo and stuff like that. Unfortunately, that overrode everything. But, the night before the fight, I had stupidly gone onto YouTube, hit one five fights.

He was five and 0. He was a kickboxer. He had knocked everyone out, right? We were in the middle of a town hall. He comes out like to Kanye West Jesus Walks. He's like in the middle. He's got his hands in front. He's got his whole gym coming out behind him. They're walking like this. He's got a shaved head, eyebrow like that. He just looks just mean as hell. And I'm just like, I remember they were just like, you know, what what music do you want to walk out to?

Like, [ __ ] do you mean what music? I've got enough to worry about the ring. You just play whatever you want to play. I don't care. But, yeah, that that was terrifying. But, couple of minutes in, he was so scared of the grappling side of things. He nullified his own technique. His hips were out. He was too worried about going down too much in the clinch that he killed his own game. So, you know, it worked out. I managed to go in close, grab him, uppercut.

I felt his body just drop, and it was And I'll send you the fight, but it was just like it was just swinging, right? And I managed to catch him, and um there's this one picture where I'm over the top ready to like

Bobby Rich28:03

Everyone's like, "Oh my god, you look vicious. You caught him. You're going to take him down. He was out. You horrible man. Why are you going to" I'm like, "No, no, I wasn't trying to hurt him anymore. I was just I was more scared that he was going to get back up and [ __ ] destroy me, right? So, I was just like, "No, no, like" But, uh yeah, so that was MMA. But, I love a challenge, but for me judo you know, I loved the the the history of judo, the tradition, the discipline, um the mindset of a of a judo player.

So, and that for me was after after that MMA fight, it was kind of that was my time to bow out.

Bobby Rich29:05

The scenarios that you play in your mind to us. And that for me was, I think, the biggest thing, one of the biggest hurdles that I had to get over was my my mental preparation.

Bobby Rich29:15

I used to get so nervous.

Bobby Rich29:22

One time I walked into a fight without nerves. It was it was like a national tournament and you know, it was it was a trials for the national national tournament. So, it wasn't it wasn't a huge, but it was like the southern area trials to get points to get to the the British trials at the end of the year. And the guy that I was facing I'd beat him like five, six times that year, you know, at numerous other national events. Like destroyed him. Yeah. I get called to fight him first and I [ __ ] like it's cool.

Like I've got this. I was already thinking about the the next person that I might have if he wins and this and that. I walked out and he leveled me out in 10 seconds. And when I say he leveled me out, he hit me with a foot sweep. I was like four foot off the ground, like parallel to the floor and ceiling and I I was done. And that was the one time that I walked out with with no nerves. So, it doesn't serve you well.

So, when people say like, you know, I wasn't nervous, I'm like, "Get the [ __ ] out of here." Like, "Of course you were nervous. It's okay to be nervous. It's just how you harness that pressure and what you do with it." Um so, that but that was that was a big thing for me in terms of that physically, I was, you know, a bit of a beast. I was like

Bobby Rich30:25

Benching, you know, I was like my nickname in judo was Bobby Big Chest. You know, so I was I was benching some

Bobby Rich30:31

Some weight and some deadlifts and and that side of stuff I was strong, but it was it was the mindset that I really need to focus on.

Bobby Rich31:05

Which by the way is another layer to you know we were talking about whether it's social and people seeing and you go fight well that's another layer to have all of that pressure.

Bobby Rich31:25

An eerie place right? It's in the locker room before it's an eerie place.

Bobby Rich31:47

Yeah.

Bobby Rich32:16

Yeah.

Bobby Rich32:40

that you can do on that note. You know, there was times I remember like you know, I I was I was pretty consistent with how I trained and what I ate and my routines. But you know, there'd be weeks where you know, I was I was working. I was I was a coach, you know, the third space for you know, I I used to be up every morning for 6 7 years at 4:30 every morning to go and train some clients.

There was no money in Judo. So I had to I had to be up early. So there was weeks where you know, I had work was hard or relationships, arguments with girlfriends or whatever and just and you've eaten [ __ ] or you haven't slept well and you know, you just you turn up with this kind of you turn up at a tournament and your mindset's just like

Bobby Rich33:25

Like you just you're not thinking. You're just kind of loose. You're relaxed and you you've had a [ __ ] week but you end up you go out and you end up in the final because your mind isn't You you think like how much worse could it be? Like you know, you've just like I've had a [ __ ] week. I've slept badly. I'm this and that and you just go out and you're not you're not overthinking and I've ended up in finals or winning tournaments.

And then on the flip side, you know, I'm like I've slept so good. My training's this. My you know, everything has been perfect and in my head my mind is telling me like certain things of like how you know, perfect everything has been but you then start putting pressure on yourself and then you go out and you lose you lose first fight. So it hindsight is

Bobby Rich35:03

Yeah.

Bobby Rich35:25

As much as you're talking about fighting, it's something I like I did a marathon once. I we'll talk about it in a minute, but like

Bobby Rich35:49

Imagine you told yourself this, right?

Bobby Rich35:51

Honest with yourself.

Bobby Rich35:52

And that's when you can make changes.

Bobby Rich35:54

And that's I touched on it earlier, but that's when people, you know, that's how I walked away when I walked away cuz I'm like I I know I did what I needed to. And I still didn't make it. Well, that's it's when people aren't telling themselves the truth, then and they don't make the changes, then it's like, oh, poor me.

Bobby Rich36:34

But then you got the you know, the thing with that and what's what are the everyone's got their own thing that makes it hard, right? Like I think that what people don't know we touched on this I did an interview a short while ago. And like sometimes it's not the training sometimes it's not the lack of sleep, sometimes it's it's the the you know, the the other sacrifices you make of like you can't make this dinner, can't make that celebration, can't go on this holiday, can't go you know, and then you've got those external pressures of guilt that you couldn't show up for your family members or partners or you know, so that's you know, that was that was a big thing.

That's that's the thing that you also have to deal with on top of the volume and intensity of training and everything else like that. So

Bobby Rich37:52

Nothing.

Bobby Rich37:56

Yeah, that's the stuff

Bobby Rich37:58

Yeah, so that's the you know, that's the that's the stuff that people don't see.

Bobby Rich38:33

But that's where you need to turn, you know, you need to turn the volume down on those things that come in. And that's what sets champions apart, when they can turn down the noise, cuz I guarantee everyone's got that noise. But it's how you turn that up and then how you dial up that that focus.

Bobby Rich38:56

Well, it's just cuz it's intimidating in the sense of just like it's the anticipation, right?

Bobby Rich39:00

It's just

Bobby Rich39:04

But it's all anticipation. I mean, the the favorite part for me of the day it was like it was the first grip.

Bobby Rich39:13

When I gripped up, my first grip

Bobby Rich39:15

That's when I knew how today was going to go. Yeah. Not like, you know, I could never predict

Bobby Rich39:21

Like, am I going to get thrown here or that this minute or am I going to win or lose. I could certainly predict of like, "Okay, this is how I'm feeling today."

Bobby Rich39:29

There'd be some days, you know, you you've got all that anticipation waiting before off the mat. The minute you step on the mat, and everything just went

Bobby Rich39:37

And you feel your heart.

Bobby Rich39:38

And then you just feel that. But then you still haven't gripped up. You have to walk to the edge of the mat, you bow. Referee says, "Hey, Jimmy." And you grip, and you're like, "Okay, my arms don't feel like lead."

Bobby Rich39:50

I'm good to go, right? And then you're like, "Okay, or else they like they feel like lead. I'm fucked."

Bobby Rich39:57

Okay, so on this, right? You're talking about you're talking about judo and mindset and impress, you know, let's turn it on you for a second. But I did a marathon 5, 6 years ago. I did it in Rwanda with a good friend of mine. First marathon and only marathon I've done. But it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It was a terrible time. It was like 5 hours, you know, it was like the the temperature and the humidity was crazy. It was I remember coming out of the start line and the first sort of like 5 6 K were just like downhill.

I was coming out it was like high-fiving villages, people coming out. Someone was like, you know, you got to do this on the way back. I was like, oh [ __ ] you got to turn around and go back. You know, I had music, I had podcasts, I had I had curated like playlists to listen to and I remember like 3 and 1/2 hours in, I remember like taking out my AirPods and I ended up throwing them in like the forest in Rwanda cuz everything was bothering me.

I was just anyone that's doing like, you know, long-distance running, long-distance swimming, those individual sports. I'm so fascinated. I got a friend of mine William Gooch who's a endurance runner and he's just like, I'm fascinated what goes into that. Judo's reactive, right? Yeah. There's a lot that I have to deal with personally, but I'm also I kind of want to lead, so I don't just want to react to what someone's doing, but there's an element of like if I don't do something, you're going to you're going to throw me, you're going to choke me, you're going to arm bar me.

So, I have to do something if I want to win. But running, you have to put that leg that leg that leg in front of each other and keep going and that for me is just oh, I just and that for me I just find unbelievably more impressive than my own mindset.

Bobby Rich41:43

Yeah.

Bobby Rich41:48

Yes.

I did minimal training, but I knew I was strong enough or let's say stupid enough to know if I'm going to start it, I'm going to finish it. But Ken, that was that was by far the hardest thing that I've ever done. I mean, I didn't it was like part of the national like trials for African runners or whatever happened, but it was just like, you know, I didn't want to know anything. I did like a 10 K and a 5 K for for running, so it was no surprise at like 13 K and left calf flew up and I But, yeah, I I finished it, but that was by far the mentally, that was probably the toughest place I've been in, despite my career in sport.

Bobby Rich42:30

Out but that's upbringings and that's you're used to and what you're conditioned to, so yeah.

Bobby Rich43:32

Where did you grow up?

East London.

Bobby Rich43:35

Before it was cool. Before it was cool, it was a It was a rough place, which might have been why my mom got me into another sort of reason she got me into judo to look after myself.

Bobby Rich43:46

No, I I went to college, so I've got to college.

Bobby Rich43:50

Sorry, it's after. So, we have high school, and then you have college before in between that and university.

Bobby Rich43:56

So, I went to college. I mean, it was just at that point I was doing a lot with judo. So, it was how can I balance the two, and I I to stay in London where my judo club was, so I went to Greenwich here and studied sports science. That was That was that, and that's what led me into into coaching.

Bobby Rich44:17

Yeah, so I was his fitness coach. So, we talked about Third Space around the corner, the the gym around the corner. So, back in 2001 they opened the Third Space. They've got 12 or 13 sites around London now, but back in 2001 they opened up It was a 30,000 square foot uh fitness facility, but it was like the first of its kind really. This is 2000, and they had a dojo in there, they had a boxing ring, they had rock climbing, they had uh a hypoxic chamber.

They had They would just had a integrated medical center, physios, GPs. It It was just a phenomenal space. It was a It was a real sort of turning point in my fitness career, my fitness professional career, and also for my training. You know, I I was a coach, but I also met a great coach there in Phil Learney who took my S&C as well. Um I was perfectly capable of programming for myself, but I love even being a coach, I loved having a coach. Yeah, making me accountable.

Makes a huge difference. Huge difference. So, um that was That was a Third Space back then, but David Haye was He was also training out of the Third Space. They had a big boxing center there, and Adam Booth was the the head of personal trainers at the Third Space. So, that's how we met. And um but it was uh it was It wasn't for a few years after I left the Third Space that I got the call from Adam said, "Would you come on board and uh prep David for his next fight?" which was supposed to be the Klitschko fight.

Yeah. Which never happened. Um It had a bit of an altercation in Germany with David and Derek happened, and um that fight happened, and uh that was my That was my time in boxing, which

Bobby Rich45:56

Like a tough tough man. I mean It was funny, we were in Germany, and I didn't I didn't know Derek at the time. I I was actually I saw him a few weeks ago. And um but the first time I met him was in Germany when the the big fight at the press conference it kicked off. And despite being, you know, my grappling abilities, I'm strong and happy to to wrestle. When it kicked off, I found myself in between David Haye and Derek Chisora and literally like one in this hand, one in that hand and I'm like please don't punch me.

You know, I can grapple but I'm not taking a I'm not taking a punch off you guys. But that was That was my uh route into boxing. Whereas with Adam Booth for a few years, we had Andy Lee, ex-world champion.

Bobby Rich46:44

Yeah, so he was

Bobby Rich46:57

Yeah.

Bobby Rich47:01

He was a phenomenal character. Phenomenal character.

Bobby Rich47:05

Like he's coming to his absolute own, you know, he was working closely with Adam Booth. He used to coach him but there was something, you know, and then again, also, what we were talking about like seeing something in someone, you know, just his attention to detail in the ring, out the ring.

Bobby Rich47:27

Some of those images and I'm like, how did you like, you know,

Bobby Rich47:39

But that whole world between Andy Lee, George Groves, David Haye and Nathan Cleverly. So yeah, that was boxing. That's that's another That's another world. I mean, you're very familiar with that world. I just I was in it for a moment and it was like, wow, that was that was quite eye-opening, you know. I used to We used to have a gym in Vauxhall. Um that that David's HQ. And we used to have sparring nights there. Yeah. And I used to see George and Chris Eubank spar each other, you know, Deontay and David Haye.

And Deontay, you know, he was not what he is now. You know, he was kind of not no one, but like he came to the HQ on his own with no entourage of sparring nights. And it was just him being there. And I look back and I'm like Yeah, the world of boxing is just an insane world.

Bobby Rich48:33

Oh yeah, it's just I love Mickey

Bobby Rich48:46

No, it was actually

Bobby Rich48:49

Yeah, yeah, you know, I've been fortunate, you know, I've worked with some great people.

Bobby Rich48:54

So, Guy was actually everything really everything Judo was the start of everything uh for me, you know, I attribute Judo to my who I am today, how I carry myself, and and what I stand for. But Judo also also thrusted me into areas and worlds that I would never have entered if had I not done it. I mean, I was at the Budokwai was my Judo club. I mentioned Ray Stevens earlier, he was the Olympic silver medalist. He was my coach at the time. And it was we're talking like 2004, 5.

Um, Guy was heavily into Jujitsu. Guy's a black belt in his own right under Renzo Gracie.

Bobby Rich49:35

Yeah, yeah. So, he's he's a tough boy. He's a tough boy. So,

Bobby Rich49:40

No, he's from London. He's from London, yeah. So, at the Budokwai we had Judo upstairs. And that was the GB Judo team. We were training Monday nights, Tuesday nights, Thursday nights, Saturdays. And then pretty much at the same time in most of those days there was the judo club downstairs. Yeah. So, Roger Gracie sorry, the jujitsu club downstairs and Roger Gracie was coaching downstairs. And there was like half an hour at the end of the jujitsu guys downstairs used to finish half an hour before the judo guys.

So, the jujitsu guys used to come upstairs and want to get in an extra half an hour with the with the judo guys. And quite often we were we were standing which was great cuz Roger used to come up and like he'd do some standing with us. And if he came up and we were doing some ground work, he'd be like Hoja's going to tie you up like a you know, like a Christmas present with a bow on top.

Bobby Rich50:40

A smile and he's just he's horrendous to fight. Horrendous. He's just he's calm and like thing with Roger is just his fundamentals. It's like outstanding. Yeah, outstanding. Like his control and his pressure is just like

Bobby Rich50:56

Yeah, what and with Yeah, it's exactly. But they used to come up upstairs at the end of their session and they used to come and do some judo. And part of that crowd was got was Guy Ritchie. So, he he used to come up and um there's several fighters over the years that have been used in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Yeah, as extras or actors. I love it because they're all like, you know, with his cauliflower ears or broken noses. They're all like the the gangsters in in those films.

So, he'd use those. And he um he had said to Ray one day, he said um so, my assistant has turned producer. I'm just looking for someone that can can train me first and foremost. I want to get my fitness up, you know, someone that could do some fitness, some strength training, some um judo, some jujitsu, um but also could be my assistant. And Ray kindly at the time, was like, "There's There's a guy I think you should meet."

Bobby Rich52:02

Have no right I didn't really thought about that the time. He had just said like, you know, cuz I was I was coaching at the Third Space at the time. So, that was like between judo and fitness, that was my identity. And when I'd been introduced to it, it was like, "That's That's what I'm going to do."

Bobby Rich52:21

All of a sudden, I you know, I turn up to his house to start work and there's, you know, him and the you know, the ex, you know, I I'm at their house and I'm like, "Oh, like Madonna's 24, 25-year-old judo fighter, what what am I doing?" You know, I'm now assistant as well to to Guy Ritchie. But that's that's that's how I met, you know, but that was That was a phenomenal time. We were together for five or six years together and across numerous films.

You know, when he would be on production, I would be working with the talent that are on his films, um coaching them, prepping them for films, and keeping them fit during the productions. And um subsequently met Jason Statham through that through that journey and and worked with him closely for a year or so out in LA and, you know, working with the stunt teams and working with him and, you know, on fight scenes, you know, in LA with 87Eleven, which is like one of the greatest stunt stunt teams there are in the world.

Bobby Rich53:17

It was uh I'd like to give it a uh another go.

Bobby Rich53:23

Beautiful.

Love living there. I mean, I was there I'd like I said, I'd like to give it another go and do a little bit more of a fair fair try because I mean, I was still competing. You know, these guys I was working with Guy cuz he met me how he met me.

Bobby Rich53:35

He was beyond like He took so much pride in the fact that I was working with him that I was trying to get to the Olympics. Like he was beyond supportive on that whole journey, which was just like I needed so much time off and so much on it. And he was phenomenal. But you know, but he also kept me busy when we were when we were working side we had was was in LA but like always Jason was in LA but I probably didn't experience Yeah.

What you know, experience that the living the um LA as it should have should have been.

Bobby Rich54:20

Yeah. I mean I just I remember and Guy and I got on very well very quick. Yeah. And um he sort of opened his heart and arms and doors to his world, you know, so I mean these you know, we're in production meetings and he's at the head of the table I'm sitting next to him. I didn't I'm like who the hell is this guy?

Bobby Rich54:53

Yeah. I mean I was just in the film set I was I think it was RocknRolla Guy was my first film with Guy. If you look closely in the background I'm I'm a Russian bodyguard in one of the scenes, you know, I was trusted with no words but I was I was in the background somewhere. But I remember being on a film set and I remember being in I think we were like we were in East London one day with you know, production buses and offices mobile offices and you know, 100 odd 150 crew members and then you wrap and then the next day everything overnight is just gone and you're in Southwest London.

You know, and it's it's not far but like it's it I just I just had to move. You think about the logistics, the people and everything that goes into I just remember the attention to detail and I was just like blown away. They're fasc- fascinating world. Yeah, fascinating.

Bobby Rich55:45

Through Guy.

Bobby Rich55:46

Okay, Guy pretty much kicked it all off.

Bobby Rich55:51

No, there was a little bit there was a little bit in after I left Guy, I went and worked with Jason and then I came back. He was out there. We did a couple of productions. I came back and then worked with with David Haye. Um and then I did some other work with Guy and we met David on a on a commercial that he did and um and that was it. That must have been maybe 15 years ago or so and

Bobby Rich56:59

Yeah, you know, it's I guess that's maybe early doors working with Guy. I'm just being you know, sort of initiated into that world and sort of being open-minded and understanding. And you know, you take it back to performing when I was you know, it's it's as much as what you do off the mat, you know, all of those external stresses I was talking about, you know, so applying that sort of understanding to to clients and their lifestyles. I mean, you know, some of my guys that I've trained over the years, you know, that it's almost like the gym stuff is easy.

Yeah. The programming, you know,

Bobby Rich57:36

I've been doing that for 20 years, you know, you can program it, but you know, the amount of times I've had, you know, one of my guys or girls come in and off a flight and you know, 10-hour time zone different and, you know, they've been to Asia and they're back-to-back and, you know, that their eating's all over the place and

Bobby Rich57:52

They come back and they're willing to train, you know, David's a prime example, like he's always he's, you know, he is like coach's dream and just wants to, you know, always push himself. But there'll be times I'm like, let's go for a cuppa.

Bobby Rich58:06

Let's, you know, let's or let's do a motivational session.

Bobby Rich58:12

Yeah. You know, I mean, David's one of the world's greatest football players, you know, he will push himself. He needs to be told to stop.

Bobby Rich58:19

You know, so that's I think that, you know, that's what I took from my own training and understanding external stresses and taking that into my professional career as fitness trainer.

Bobby Rich58:33

No, no, he had just he had he had retired.

Bobby Rich58:36

Retired.

Bobby Rich58:41

Funny story, we used to um I used to go to Barry's Bootcamp.

Bobby Rich58:47

You know, there was me, Guy, there was a whole crew of us that used to go early doors to Barry's Bootcamp. And, you know, it's it's the programming, you know, like but I we used to just we used to love it.

Bobby Rich58:59

Of us that used to go 6:00 a.m. in the morning, bit of running, chuck some weights around, but it was the community and

Bobby Rich59:05

David was like, I'm I'm going to come down, you know, so we used to do that and then 6:00 a.m. class 6:00 a.m. class used to be quite quiet class, yeah. Then all of a sudden it's like, I'm on the waiting list, you know,

You're all on the waiting list cuz he's there.

But like I remember David came along and he's on the treadmill next to me and he he hadn't done too much training. I think there was a period of time where it was just you know, he'd taken it easy. He'd he'd put his body through Yeah. a lot, you know, he he was active on that pitch like Oh, yeah. kilometers that he used to cover. So, you know, and I did the same when I when I retired, I did that MMA fight, but after that I was like, you know what?

I'm just going to go and live a little bit and then you know, I'm not drinking crazy, but like if I wanted a glass of wine or a beer or

Bobby Rich59:45

Have a late night or eat a bit of cake or that, you know, I just and see some friends and just live life. That was me. So, um I remember one morning David comes in he's like, "I'm going to come." He comes down and he's running next to me. And I'm like, I'm not the strongest runner at all.

Bobby Rich1:00:02

But like give me a 100 m, give me 200 m, give me 400 m. My anaerobic capacity was pretty strong and I I'm I can push myself. You know, I remember here they cuz it's like they they do it like, "Right, 12.5 mph sprint. You're going to be like" And I remember David next to me and I'm like for I'm like killing it. And he's next to me and like you know, I'm I'm like beating him like he's doing the same pace, but feeling like and I'm I'm not very it's not an attractive sight me running at fast.

I'm just hanging on for dear life. He's the slim runner. He's like this, but I I just I just spoke to him on the running. He literally came back It must have been the next day or the day after. And that muscle memory or that drive, that mental thing, he just blew me out the water. And by the way, he was like it was like watching a

Bobby Rich1:00:46

A gazelle run a riot. It was just smooth. It was just and I was like, "Okay." I said to him on the pitch

Bobby Rich1:01:14

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:01:22

So, that's that you know so back to the point of you know there's those times that you know you have to stop clients. You have high performers, whoever they might be, CEOs or ex-athletes. It's like you know they're the they're the ones you have to slow down sometimes and like pay attention to like what's going on in your eyes. Like I say, "Hey Ken, how are you this morning? What's happening?"

Bobby Rich1:01:40

And I'm kind of listening to what you're saying, but I'm like I'm looking at your you know coloration of your skin. I'm listening to your breathing. I'm like how you're saying it, you know, and then then you kind of you quickly go "Okay, cool. Okay, we're just going to adapt this program. We'll spend however long, you know." So, it's yeah, it's uh it's been a journey, but an absolute pleasure.

Bobby Rich1:02:45

I just with IM8 it was uh super natural um partnership that came out of uh their first meeting. You know, you know, David's co-founder with Danny Young. Um and they had I don't know how many talks they had at the point that they came to me, but they're like, you know, we're interested in doing this. We'd love you to meet the team. This is This is your world in health and fitness. Uh so, early doors we we must have been like 2 years ago now, maybe coming on to 2 years.

So, you know, probably 6 months prior to the launch of IM8 I was out in Hong Kong to meet Danny Young and the Prenetics team and honestly the the team was just you know, it was it was refreshing. I was there for like four or five days and we really didn't talk too much about the product itself, you know, and about you know, what it's going to look like or what it can create and what it can it was more about it was I was going to say movement but without sounding like a cliche it was it was more about you know, changing an aspect in health and fitness for the good and for for the bigger picture.

Bobby Rich1:03:51

You know, it was it was talking about what they could do in this in this arena. I mean, I remember sitting at the dinner table once and we're going round the table here. I'm sitting next to Danny here. And there must be 10 or 12 people at the table. We're all meeting for the first time and there's some doctors there and some surgeons and some nutritionists and some incredible PR marketing teams there. But we go around the table and looking back now I'm like I wish Danny had gone this way, right?

Started with me, you know.

Bobby Rich1:04:23

I'd have been rich. I'm I'm a fighter. I'm a I'm a fitness coach. I'm a fighter, you know. But they went round the other way and um so we go around here. I'm last but before me sitting here is is uh James Green, Jim Green, you know, former NASA scientist of 32 years, you know. And then after I have to introduce myself to him but that was the kind of caliber of individuals that were brought to the table with iM8 and what they were trying to achieve in this in this arena with supplements was was really impressive.

Um so after that meeting went back fed back with the team of my thoughts and feelings and and equally lucky that they responded with my my thoughts and feelings and said we'd love to love to have you on board. Um and yeah, it it's worked out. So yeah, equally lucky on that front.

Bobby Rich1:05:32

I love what a person. I love her. I remember meeting Dawn a few times that I was like, she can't be real. Yeah. There's There's no one this positive. There's no one, you know, this can't be. And then, you meet her three times, four times, five times, and you're just like, oh, it's it's real.

Bobby Rich1:05:49

She is that incredible, right?

Bobby Rich1:06:01

Yep.

Bobby Rich1:06:14

But it's everything.

Bobby Rich1:06:47

But, this is the You know, so that's that's the kind of caliber of people, yeah, you know, um, and regardless of their credentials and everything they've done professionally, they were just some good people around the table wanting to make some change happen and do some good things. So, you know, it was an easy decision to jump on board, you know, and then with the business taking off, it's a it's a fantastic product. It's a beautiful looking product.

Bobby Rich1:07:13

But you scratch the surface and you're like, oh, they mean business.

Bobby Rich1:07:19

Yeah, yeah, he's uh you know, he's a

Bobby Rich1:07:26

Obviously my background in in combat sports. Dustin and I, we we communicate, you know, via MMA. Like, "Hey, what's up, buddy?" But we've not we've not met and he was I think he was going to come out but didn't for whatever reason. But I was super super pumped to meet him, you know.

Bobby Rich1:08:30

It. He drives it home in a really, you know, these guys that we have on board, you know, we've got people that you can sit there and they can just blow your mind

Bobby Rich1:08:39

With what they know

Bobby Rich1:08:40

About the human body and it it can absolutely blow your mind. But then on the flip side, their delivery of that information to someone that has no idea

Bobby Rich1:08:49

Is equally as incredible to me to, you know, for someone that's might be overweight or, you know, has no idea of this, you know, we're in this industry in health and fitness and we look after yourself. It's been part of our life for God knows how many years, but there's we're like maybe the minority. There's a lot of people out there that it they they don't know what's you know I mean you can quite easily say if it looks bad you know you should know if that what's on your plate looks bad or not but some people just don't know.

Bobby Rich1:09:19

There's a huge huge number of the population that have no idea.

Bobby Rich1:09:22

That right? So having the likes of Dr. James and Dawn and how they deliver that information to your average Joe is equally important and it's just phenomenal how they do it.

Bobby Rich1:10:14

I mean with Dawn there's like there's there's everything there's this glow there's this it's just I can't and I I'm not shy to when I see her I tell her every single time I just like Dawn you're amazing. It's her birthday today by the way. I think it's her birthday today so

Bobby Rich1:10:27

Yeah yeah.

Bobby Rich1:10:53

That's that's a big that's a big shift. That that's a huge shift because you can quite easily and and we did for a minute or have we did my partner she's huge into health and fitness and she she loves the gym. She you know, she's an absolute beast. Um but you know, kids happen, you know, and life gets busy and you can quickly put things aside and you know, certainly with our first kid, you know, it was just like you know, I'm slightly old now I'm 45 and you know, 3-year-old and a 6-month.

And I did I kind of just parked everything for a minute cuz I'm like this you know, I just

Bobby Rich1:11:25

This time I'm never going to get back. But you do you you have to flip that switch because you go okay, you could quite easily just slip into a new routine that is not going to benefit this pride and joy that you have on your lap which by the way is the only thing we live for, right? It's just that that's just my you know, thing these days I just like you know, where uh it's that's that's a whole 'nother podcast. But it's uh yeah, you you you're tired.

The days are long. There's you know, so but you have to make those sacrifices, you know, it's Okay, so I'm not working and I'm not working with someone else now I work for myself and do I need to get up at 4:30 or 5:00 like I did when I used to work in a gym before I had to go judo? No, but if I want to get something done and to make sure I can be the best version of myself for my kids and be there you know, like she dropped something or she wants me to jump up and run something I can do that without thinking about I have to get up at 4:30 or 5:00 to get my gym session in before the day starts cuz once that day starts there's no getting that back.

Bobby Rich1:13:32

Yeah, I mean I went to I got invited to she's 3 years old she's at nursery. Yeah, she's everything's exciting to her but I got invited to the school the other day just to teach her a 20-minute fitness class. And by the way, it's not fitness it was we did like an animal adventure. 20-minute party you know, fitness party class and um she's 3 so she doesn't quite understand, you know, like your 15-year-old but she was there.

Bobby Rich1:13:55

She was next to me. I don't know what she was just like glued to me. Yeah, and without saying it it was just that and I was just you know, it was it was it was a pretty special moment. But listen, you talk about your 15-year-old thinking you're cool. I see your you know, I can't run for [ __ ] My knee's blown and I hate running. I watch you in your videos and I'm like, "Shit, I want to run."

Bobby Rich1:14:33

She is uh I'm a lucky I'm a lucky dude. Um yeah, she's I mean

Bobby Rich1:14:39

Jovana. She's an absolute beast. You know, and I say that

Bobby Rich1:14:44

Compliment. Uh she's Bosnian.

Bobby Rich1:14:46

Is her background

Bobby Rich1:14:49

She She was never professional at anything. She um her And by the way, this is something we're going to adopt with her mom and dad in instilled with her. Um was there was nothing particular sport. I mean, she loved tennis and swimming.

Bobby Rich1:15:04

She She competed quite heavily for school, and she grew up in Kuwait. Um she bought

Bobby Rich1:15:09

Four kids off there, and then she moved it She was in Kuwait for 10 years and 10 years. So, she's She's had a very varied background, and then it kicked off there, then you know, she came back. But um her her growing up, her mom and dad was just like, "Listen, you're going to do a sport. Whatever Whatever it is, you choose it, but you're going to do

Bobby Rich1:15:26

And if it's not that, okay, cool, but choose another one. Yeah. And I I have huge respect for that.

Bobby Rich1:15:35

You know, it's She's And she's just kind of carried through and we're going to do that with our kids. You know, would I like them to do jiu-jitsu and judo? 100%.

Bobby Rich1:15:49

They might.

Bobby Rich1:15:59

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:16:07

On.

Bobby Rich1:16:16

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:16:24

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:16:26

Love you all, but hate you all equally. Ourselves.

Bobby Rich1:16:29

But it's Yeah, that was That was That was her growing up. It was just like, "Yeah, you're going to You're going to do a sport. Pick which one it is. You want to stop swimming, you can play tennis. You want to play tennis, you're going to do netball." Whatever Whatever it was. So, that was That was her growing up. So, she's always, always been active. Um she does yoga, Pilates. She loves her S&C work, you know, she's she's always chasing me, you know, she's just like, you know, I finish this block of training, get my next block ready for training, and she's just like I cannot fault her.

You know, I will set her something, she will do it to a T.

Bobby Rich1:17:03

Pre-pregnancy, post-pregnancy.

Bobby Rich1:17:11

We're [ __ ] right?

Bobby Rich1:17:19

But it's that, it's everything after, it's everything before. I'm just like I I it just can't say

Bobby Rich1:17:26

Enough good things. There's no point in starting. It's just wild. And we're so insignificant, you know, but it's um it was it's tough. I mean, but yeah, I say it's tough, but she handled it and like it it's you just you just fall in love.

Bobby Rich1:17:40

That's right.

You know, with the person she is, but then also the mother she is. It just just incredible, incredible.

Bobby Rich1:17:56

[ __ ] it's beautiful.

Bobby Rich1:18:01

Because of that, we've got that.

Bobby Rich1:18:25

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:18:27

It to you know, memories and I know you've created your children and the memories that you have with your kids and the whole package, you know, so I totally get you on that. I totally get you on that. Yeah, when

When she tells me certain things, she's just like, you know, how she was before. But I mean, she's like, she's back to where she was.

Bobby Rich1:18:45

Which is like, and then so part of it is just like, do you do you see what I see?

Bobby Rich1:18:49

But we're all like that. Nothing's ever

Bobby Rich1:19:06

Surprise me. But again, it's also the mindset and like, you know, she's got to do her mindset as well. So it's also just like, what am I going to do? Yeah, I'm not going to do it. That's not an option.

Bobby Rich1:19:19

Yeah, well we've got a company. Owners is our agency. Um, we do gym design.

Bobby Rich1:19:28

Yeah, yeah, pretty much. So we do So we our company, we've got three three verticals. So we work in partnerships in health and fitness advisory and then the gym design stuff. And that that's from different levels. You know, we work from early stage developers and architectural um, stages. So early doors, mapping things out to working with hotels to upgrade their zoning and their flow and equipment and procurement of new equipment and trends.

Bobby Rich1:20:02

We've got some good hotels. Um, but you know, it's also from my clients I've been working with over the years. We've been doing it for 15 years. I've done numerous private residences for my clients, you know, I'm fortunate enough that many of my clients they've got gyms in their own homes that we've been doing that. So but it's in the last few years. I mean, this in the wellness health and wellness industry has exploded in, you know, it it's constantly been like that. But in the last three to five years, it's exponential.

It's it's insane. So it's it's kind of all tied into that. But

Bobby Rich1:20:59

Yeah, of course. Of course.

Bobby Rich1:22:04

It's really interesting 20 years ago, right? When there was no socials, there was no like shouting about who you're training or you didn't. By the way, even for a long time when there was socials, you know, it was a lot of the individuals that I was training, they were you know, the early days of socials, it was they were still super private.

Bobby Rich1:22:18

And I would you know, I I would never, you know, scream and shout who I was training or what I was doing.

Bobby Rich1:22:27

And you know, maybe that's why I'm in the position with with the I mate team and David and, you know, them coming to me and asking, bringing me to the table as opposed to like fighting my way to the table, you know? So, it's uh yeah, I was doing that 20 years ago and it's it wasn't what it is now, but stuck with it and I you know, as I was doing judo and understanding the capabilities of and how far you can push the body um and mind and what you can do with that.

I just found it fascinating. And then I also I enjoyed this. That's why we're here and having a chat. I just I enjoy I enjoy this uh one-on-one. I'm not doing as much coaching anymore, you know, between the um the other parts of the business that we're doing, but, you know, I've got a handful that, you know, it's uh it keeps me in the mix and I just I just love I love coaching.

Bobby Rich1:23:49

I don't have any and you start deciding who you want to associate

Bobby Rich1:23:53

You can't marry By the way, once that

It's not easy.

It's not easy. Everyone wants that.

Bobby Rich1:23:59

Yeah, by the way, what are you going to do about it? And that's everything.

Bobby Rich1:24:04

What are you going to do about it?

Bobby Rich1:24:06

To do about it? What are you going to do about it? Once you get you know, what are you Yeah, literally.

Bobby Rich1:24:18

Yeah.

Bobby Rich1:24:19

And it's funny, by the way, what you were talking about your son and, you know, university. You know, there's there's many trades. You know, let's talk about like dawn and you know, that you need to go to university. You need to go to study. There's certain trades that you that you really have to. But we're in a position now, and I think, you know, obviously I I went and studied, but did I I didn't go to university.

I went to college. But my mother I I had found what I wanted to do.

Bobby Rich1:24:52

Sadly, there was no money in judo, right? There was no like so it's not like aviation you're talking about your son's interested in flights that you know

Bobby Rich1:25:04

But it there was literally no money here in judo back then. Different different now, you know, you've got partnerships and you sponsorships and all of that lot. But back then there wasn't, but she knew I'd found my my why and my want in judo. And I made it clear that that was that was the path I wanted, you know, so she said, "Right, you you still need to finish your studies, okay? And then after you finish your studies, you can decide whether you want to further those studies.

Um but judo was my judo was my uh was my focus at the time.

Bobby Rich1:25:38

You know, by the way, when you're in training camps, there's huge amount of time that, you know, you have your head stuck in stuck in books revising and studying, you know, in the downtime resting between sessions and the tournaments. But uh But yeah, I think as long as, you know, and that's one thing that we we always talk about my you know, my partner's done a master's and she she she went to international school. She's she's gone the traditional education route. But um always think about, you know, it's we we we I don't know.

When when we get to that point, what are we going to do? You know, if they find if our kids find that thing

Bobby Rich1:26:14

It's very different now, you know, there's so much access and you know, to reach out to someone.

Bobby Rich1:26:21

Yeah, but also just connecting to someone it's just like right, I want to connect to the CEO of so and so, right? Boom, boom, LinkedIn.

Bobby Rich1:27:15

Still places

To go.

That's right. You know, we don't stay complacent.

Bobby Rich1:27:22

Most likely Giovanna wouldn't put up with my

Bobby Rich1:27:29

Indeed. Indeed.

Bobby Rich1:27:38

Hit me up Instagram, Mr. Bobby Rich.