Why 90% Quit:The Brutal Truth of BJJ & The Art of Emotional Stealth

Summary

In this interview, 52-year-old Conrad Spangler, a highly-ranked Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor and military veteran, shares his journey and insights into the sport. He discusses the mental and physical toughness required, drawing parallels to his wrestling background under legendary coach Dan Gable. Conrad emphasizes the importance of consistency in training and diet to maintain resilience and readiness. He also highlights the mental game of competition, advocating for a stoic demeanor to keep opponents guessing. His advice for those who have fallen out of shape is to create a daily habit of exercise and to enjoy the process of continual self-improvement.

Takeaways

• 🤼‍♂️ **Mental and Physical Toughness**: The sport requires both mental and physical resilience, which can't be replicated through other means.
• 🤝 **Camaraderie and Ego**: There's a strong bond among those willing to step on the mat, often putting ego aside to face challenges and learn from them.
• 🏆 **Competition and Progress**: Conrad Spangler emphasizes the importance of competing to test and improve one's skills, regardless of the outcome.
• 🎖️ **Achievement and Dopamine**: The thrill of victory and the recognition on the podium provide a significant dopamine rush, which is a strong motivator.
• 🤕 **Injury and Recovery**: Injuries are part of the sport, and it's crucial to understand the difference between pain and injury to avoid permanent damage.
• 🚫 **Emotional Control**: Hiding emotions during a match is vital as it prevents opponents from gaining an advantage or sensing weakness.
• 🏋️‍♂️ **Consistency in Training**: Maintaining a consistent workout routine, even when not actively competing, is key to staying in shape and ready for competition.
• 🍽️ **Diet and Discipline**: A disciplined approach to diet is essential for maintaining one's physique and health, especially as one ages.
• 🧗‍♂️ **Adaptability**: Recognizing when to push through and when to take a break is part of the mental aspect of the sport, and it's important for injury prevention.
• 👨‍👦 **Balancing Life Roles**: Conrad balances being a father, maintaining his physique, and staying competitive, highlighting the importance of managing multiple life roles.
• 🔄 **Regaining Shape**: If one falls out of routine, the key to getting back into shape is to create a daily habit that is enjoyable and sustainable.

Q & A

What is the sport that Conrad Spangler is involved in?

Conrad Spangler is involved in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and he trains at Henzo Gracie Houston.

What was Conrad's ranking in the IBJJF competitions before he was promoted to brown belt?

Conrad was the number one ranked purple belt in IBJJF competitions before his promotion to brown belt.

How long did Conrad serve in the military?

Conrad served a total of 29 years in the military, including 6 years in the Marine Corps, 11 years in the Army, and some ROTC time in college.

What is Conrad's approach to training and competing in BJJ?

Conrad's approach to training and competing in BJJ is to be consistent, cautious initially due to his wrestling background, and to always look for ways to improve and test his skills against others.

What is Conrad's view on the mental aspect of competing in grappling sports?

Conrad believes that the mental aspect of grappling sports is crucial. He emphasizes the importance of not showing emotions during a match to avoid giving the opponent any advantage.

How does Conrad manage to maintain his physique and continue training despite his age and other responsibilities?

Conrad maintains his physique through consistency in both his diet and training. He emphasizes the importance of understanding one's body, goals, and training with intention.

What advice does Conrad give for someone who has fallen out of their fitness routine and wants to get back into shape?

Conrad advises creating a daily habit that is enjoyable and can be easily integrated into one's life. He also stresses the importance of consistency and doing workouts that can be sustained over time.

How does Conrad feel about the camaraderie among people who practice BJJ?

Conrad feels a strong sense of camaraderie with people who are willing to step on the mat and put their ego aside, knowing that they will face challenges and eventually succeed in overcoming them.

What does Conrad consider to be his main weapon when competing in BJJ?

Conrad considers wrestling to be his main weapon when competing in BJJ, as it gives him an advantage in taking opponents down and wearing them out on the feet.

How does Conrad handle the emotional aspect of losing a match?

Conrad acknowledges that losing is a part of the sport and that everyone will face it. He believes in learning from the experience and not letting the fear of losing prevent him from competing.

What is Conrad's perspective on the importance of Jiu-Jitsu in building mental and physical resilience?

Conrad views Jiu-Jitsu as a way to build mental and physical resilience that is difficult to replicate in other ways. He believes that the sport's challenges help individuals develop discipline and the ability to face life's difficulties.

What advice does Conrad have for older competitors in BJJ?

Conrad advises older competitors to be smart about their training, avoid overtraining, and not to replicate the training routines of younger athletes. He emphasizes understanding one's own body and goals and training accordingly.

Outlines

00:00

🤼‍♂️ The Mental and Physical Demands of Jiu Jitsu

The script introduces the sport of Jiu Jitsu, emphasizing its mental and physical challenges. It highlights the camaraderie among practitioners who are willing to put their egos aside and endure the tough training. The interviewee, Conrad Spangler, a 52-year-old Jiu Jitsu enthusiast and high-ranking competitor, shares his background in wrestling and military service. He discusses the importance of approachability in coaches and the parallels between Jiu Jitsu schools and supportive communities. The transition from wrestling to Jiu Jitsu is also explored, with Conrad explaining the similarities and differences between the two disciplines.

05:01

🏆 Embracing the Competitive Nature of Jiu Jitsu

This paragraph delves into the competitive aspect of Jiu Jitsu, with Conrad discussing his journey from being ranked number one in the purple belt to beginning anew as a brown belt. He talks about the natural progression from learning to competing and the importance of testing one's skills against others. Conrad also shares his strategy in matches, leveraging his wrestling background to tire opponents out before taking them down. The paragraph concludes with his thoughts on the emotional high of winning and the necessity of dealing with loss as a part of growth and improvement.

10:02

😶 Controlling Emotions in Competition

Conrad shares his insights on the importance of emotional control during competition. He advises against showing frustration or fatigue as it can give opponents an edge. Drawing from his experience in wrestling and his admiration for stoic Korean wrestlers, Conrad emphasizes the need to maintain a straight face and control breathing to prevent opponents from gaining confidence. He also stresses the importance of not celebrating excessively, to maintain an image of resilience and consistency, which can be advantageous in future matches.

15:03

💪 The Role of Discipline and Consistency in Training

The paragraph focuses on the importance of discipline and consistency in maintaining physical fitness and training regimens. Conrad discusses the need to stay consistent with diet and training, even when not actively competing. He shares his personal commitment to continuous training, emphasizing that there are health and mental benefits to staying in shape. The paragraph also touches on the idea of self-imposed discipline as a way of life, encouraging the audience to adopt a consistent training routine to be prepared for any future challenges.

20:05

👴 Training Smart for Age and Goals

Conrad provides advice for training according to one's age and goals. He cautions against emulating the training routines of younger athletes and emphasizes the importance of understanding one's body and capabilities. The paragraph discusses the need to train smart to avoid injuries and the importance of recognizing when to push through pain or when to recover. Conrad also shares his personal approach to maintaining his physique and the importance of consistency, even when dealing with injuries or life's interruptions.

25:07

🔄 Returning to Shape After a Break

In this paragraph, Conrad addresses the challenge of getting back into shape after a period of inactivity. He admits that he cannot relate to those who stop working out completely, as it has always been a part of his life. His advice is to incorporate exercise into daily life as an enjoyable habit. He suggests starting with activities that one likes and can look forward to, making it easier to maintain consistency. The paragraph also stresses the importance of forming habits for long-term adherence to a fitness routine.

🎖 Future Goals and the Continuous Pursuit of Improvement

Conrad outlines his future goals, focusing on health, avoiding injuries, and continuing to improve in Jiu Jitsu. He expresses his pride in transitioning from being seen as 'just a wrestler' to a Jiu Jitsu practitioner. The paragraph concludes with a summary of the interview's key takeaways, which include embracing the challenge of Jiu Jitsu, the importance of not overthinking, and the value of continuous self-improvement. The interviewer also reflects on improvements for future interviews, aiming to create a more engaging and interactive experience.

Keywords

💡Mental toughness

Mental toughness refers to the ability to withstand stress, challenges, and setbacks without breaking down. In the context of the video, it is a key attribute for individuals engaging in physically demanding sports like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Conrad Spangler highlights that most people lack the mental fortitude to endure the rigors of stepping onto the mat, which underscores the importance of mental resilience in pursuing such disciplines.

💡Physical toughness

Physical toughness denotes the capacity to endure physical strain and hardship. The video emphasizes that BJJ requires not only mental but also physical toughness, as practitioners must be prepared for the physical demands of the sport. Spangler's ability to maintain his physique and compete effectively exemplifies the importance of physical endurance and strength in BJJ.

💡Camaraderie

Camaraderie is the sense of trust, friendship, and mutual support among a group of people. In the video, it is mentioned as a significant aspect of the BJJ community, where individuals are willing to step on the mat together, putting their egos aside and supporting each other's growth and development in the sport.

💡Ego

Ego, in this context, refers to one's self-importance or sense of self. Spangler talks about the necessity of setting ego aside in BJJ, as it is crucial for personal growth and learning from others. This concept is integral to the sport's culture, where humility and the willingness to learn from defeat are valued.

💡Resilience

Resilience is the ability to recover quickly from difficulties or to adapt to change. The video discusses how engaging in BJJ builds both mental and physical resilience, which is transferable to other areas of life. Spangler's journey and commitment to BJJ, despite the challenges, exemplify the development of resilience.

💡Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. The video centers around the discipline of BJJ, highlighting its demanding nature and the personal growth that comes from training in it. Spangler's achievements and experiences in BJJ are used to illustrate the sport's impact on an individual's life.

💡Competition

Competition in this video refers to the act of striving against others for a prize or recognition in the context of BJJ tournaments. Spangler discusses his competitive spirit and the importance of testing one's skills against others, which is a fundamental aspect of BJJ and many other sports.

💡Wrestling

Wrestling is a combat sport involving grappling-type techniques such as clinching, throws, and takedowns. The script mentions Spangler's background in wrestling and how it has influenced his approach to BJJ. His wrestling experience provides a foundation for his success in BJJ, particularly in takedowns and ground control.

💡Injuries

Injuries are physical damages or traumas that occur during sports activities. The video addresses the inevitability of injuries in contact sports like BJJ and the importance of understanding one's body to prevent severe or permanent damage. Spangler's discussion on injuries reflects the need for proper training and recovery to maintain long-term health in the sport.

💡Discipline

Discipline refers to the practice of training oneself to obey rules or a code of behavior, often associated with self-control. In the video, discipline is portrayed as a crucial element in BJJ and life in general. Spangler emphasizes the need for discipline in maintaining physical fitness and achieving goals in BJJ.

💡Consistency

Consistency in this context means maintaining a regular and steady course of action. Spangler talks about the importance of being consistent with both training and diet to achieve and maintain a high level of physical fitness. His emphasis on consistency underlines the necessity of a long-term commitment to BJJ and personal development.

Highlights

Sport requires mental and physical toughness, with a camaraderie among those willing to step on the mat and put ego aside.

Conrad Spangler, a 52-year-old highly ranked purple belt in IBJJF competitions, discusses his journey and insights.

Conrad's military background, having served for 29 years, shapes his approach to discipline and training.

Training under legendary wrestling coach Dan Gable at Iowa provided valuable lessons in approachability and coaching.

Approachability of coaches and a friendly environment are key in Jiu Jitsu schools, fostering a sense of community.

Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu share similarities in grappling, but have different rules and techniques.

Conrad's cautious approach to learning Jiu Jitsu, starting with a wrestling base, is recommended for beginners.

The importance of competing in Jiu Jitsu to test one's skills and the different paths one can take in the sport.

Conrad's strategy in Jiu Jitsu matches, leveraging his wrestling background to wear out opponents.

The mental game of competition, keeping a straight face and controlling emotions to gain an advantage.

The frustration of losing and the importance of embracing defeat as a part of the learning process.

Conrad's advice on maintaining a consistent training routine and the importance of not falling out of shape.

The challenge of injuries and the fine line between pain and injury in the pursuit of Jiu Jitsu excellence.

The parallels between Jiu Jitsu and life, building mental and physical resilience through discipline.

Conrad's future goals in Jiu Jitsu, focusing on health, avoiding injury, and continuous improvement.

The pride in being a Jiu Jitsu practitioner and the camaraderie among those who step on the mat.

Conrad's final thoughts on the importance of consistency, health, and the mental game in Jiu Jitsu.

Transcripts

this is a sport that people just don't

have the mental toughness the physical

toughness to come in here and I kind of

feel it's a camaraderie with people who

are willing to step on this mat and

people who are willing to put their ego

behind them because they know somebody's

gonna smash them and eventually

someone's smashing them enough you're

going to be smashing people after a

while

90 of people who walk through that door

isn't willing to do this not capable of

stepping on the mat and this just builds

mental and physical resilience that you

can't really replicate any other way

today we are interviewing Conrad

Spangler Conrad Spangler is a 52 year

old monster who trains at my gym and was

at the time the number one ranked purple

belt in ibjjf competitions he is no

longer that because he has been promoted

to brown belt where he's about to become

the number one ranked brown belt in his

division anyway we're going to learn a

lot from him because he is what I aspire

to be when I'm in my 50s so let's go

ahead and listen to this interview By

Conrad Spangler my name is Conrad

Spangler I'm 51 years old I'm turning 52

in August turning the corner I spent 24

years in the military six in the Marine

seven there of fours eleven in the Army

did some ROTC time in college so all

together about 29 years in the military

wrestled at Iowa Wrestled a little bit

afterwards for the Air Force

tell us a little about what it was like

training with Coach dang Google in Iowa

so a little more context with you guys

Conrad wrestled at Iowa and Iowa is a

legendary wrestling school so he was a

wrestler during the time coach Dan Gable

who is also a legendary coach was

teaching he was the assistant athletic

director at the time so Conrad is going

to explain to us what it's like to train

under such a great coach the first year

I was there was his first year as

working as the assistant of the athletic

director so he was in the room coaching

guys who were training for the Olympics

but I saw him around he would come give

me advice here and there

I mean

coolest thing about him is like he was

just so so chilled and how he kind of

approached people he you could you could

talk to him about pretty much anything

one of the best trademarks of a good

coach that I think Conrad just mentioned

is that they're very approachable

they're able to talk with you you're

able to talk with them about anything

and you have a really nice friendly

environment and atmosphere and that's

something that I've actually found was

pretty prevalent in all the henzo Gracie

schools in Houston all the professors

that Professor Brian has recruited very

approachable very friendly they care

about you in your training and your

development Jiu Jitsu and they also care

about your personal life because we're

all one big family and one big Community

what are some takeaways that you learned

from wrestling

Department

of just well wrestling is grappling just

like Jiu Jitsu is wrestling is different

rules than Jiu Jitsu

it's all grappling it's just a little

bit different positions it's a little

bit different point scoring

really what it comes down to is in

wrestling you're trying to put somebody

on their back in a jiu jitsu they're

trying to go to their back so when

somebody's falling it took me a while to

get used to how people were falling

because their knees kind of come up into

your crotch where you don't have to

worry about that in wrestling but when

it comes down to it's all it's all

grappling just a lot of the moves in Jiu

Jitsu are moves that are illegal in

wrestling

because they're trying to break your

limbs they're trying to choke you out in

a wrestling match you're getting a lot

of these positions and they they stop

you but I've also found out a lot of

wrestling moves are illegal in Jiu Jitsu

because I've done some wrestling moves

that have got me disqualified because

Jiu Jitsu guys it turns out don't like

their neck being touched that much

charges

well I guess the transition is I would I

four years kind of would go to jiu jitsu

MMA gyms find guys who just wanted to

work on their wrestling so I would work

on wrestling with Jiu Jitsu guys because

all the injuries I've had I didn't want

to be down on my knees I was worried

about him getting tweaked I'd see guys

in in knee bars and heel Hooks and I'm

like I don't want any part of that so

when I when I jumped in I was very

cautious I was kind of more like I'm

gonna try and keep it more wrestling the

more I got into it the easier it was I

got a little more comfortable with you

know their injuries are still going to

happen but I don't have to be as worried

about it as I did kind of first getting

into wrestling it's a good point Conrad

makes right he just joined Jiu Jitsu

only with wrestling background and he

played it pretty cautiously he didn't

jump in straight into Jujitsu full force

trying out different moves so why I

bring this up is if you're just coming

to Jujitsu for yourself without any

prior experience take it slow you don't

have to jump in super fast right away

and you also don't have to have a lot of

experience just take Jiu Jitsu at your

own pace and try the sport out it's not

something that's necessarily supposed to

kill you you're supposed to walk in kind

of like you walk in on the shallow end

of the pool to get to the deep end of

the pool it's a process you don't just

cannonball into the deep end if you

can't swim

I think it's just

um the natural progression that you want

to just test your skills so I mean in

wrestling the whole goal is compete a

high school College international

Olympic level the whole goal is to

compete you're always training to

compete so in Jiu Jitsu a lot of people

compete a lot of people don't there's

there's different paths so once I got it

kind of got comfortable with the rules

and the positions it kind of became the

next step that I wanted I wanted to

compete again because really

if you're doing this you're grappling

you want to test your skills against

other people and that and that's kind of

what it's all about to me

well I was ranked number one in purple

belt and since I just got brown belt I'm

back down to the beginning so I'm gonna

I'll be working my way back up at the

top and that takes a lot of time a lot

of training but I'll be on top of the

brown belt Vision within a couple years

you know I I don't know if there's one

one key that

um

is the key to success I do have a

advantage of being a wrestler because

every Jiu Jitsu match starts on the feed

if you look in practice well most people

start on the ground and a lot of

competitors they start on the ground too

so a lot of Jiu Jitsu competitors are

really uncomfortable being on the feed

so I try and take advantage of wearing

people out in their feet taking them

down to a good position on the mat so

wrestling is is still

my my main weapon when I go against

other people when we go down to the map

I'm getting better at Jiu Jitsu but a

lot of my Jiu Jitsu is very wrestling

based

you have a particular Mash that you

remember that uh

they all kind of blur together

[Music]

um I don't know if I think of any

matches you know what you think most

fondly of is and what gives you the

biggest dopamine release is getting your

hand raised at the at the end there's no

no replacement for that like when you

finish a match and you're tired whether

you went the whole time or you went hit

a submission when you get your hand

raised that that's the biggest dopamine

rush you can get in uh in anything and

then when you step onto the podium you

get the dopamine Rush again when you

when you get the uh get the gold medal

anytime they get like get a silver or

less than that it's it's not that much

fun

what

um I mean it happens everybody's gonna

lose okay we're gonna rewind that just

for one quick second so I asked Conrad

what his mentality was when it came to

losing right and this is something that

all of a lot of us need to learn because

it keeps us from competing we don't want

to lose we don't want to tarnish a

perfect record in reality what I've come

to learn is in order to get better in

order to win you have to lose a lot

personally I've been in mental blocks

where I've lost a match or lost a couple

of matches and then didn't want to

compete again out of fear for uh losing

constantly and it's a stupid stupid

mental block to put yourself into

because there's so much more to learn

from attempting to win and losing and

continuing to refine yourself but it's a

process that we all have to go through

as humans in various aspects of Our

Lives Jiu Jitsu and competing in Jiu

Jitsu is just one way to physically

manifest that learning process so let's

go ahead and Rewind find where I asked

Conrad what it's like to lose

what

um I mean it happens everybody's gonna

lose

every you're always going to run into

someone who's better than you

so you might just be crushing crushing

people and then you're gonna run into

somebody who's either better to you

better than you or has a better strategy

than you so you you always have to be

prepared that there's going to be people

that beat you you know you could have

your best day one day and you can step

on the mat the next day and people are

going to have a good strategy and

they're going to be in a maybe like a

better mental position than you so every

day every time you step on the mat you

don't know what's going to happen and

some people play a game

especially in Masters people will pull

guard hold guard and kind of hope for

the rest this is and go to a zero zero

rest decision and I've lost some matches

where people don't want to engage they

just pull guard and then there's a

pretty pretty boring matches and those

are kind of the most frustrating to me

when people don't want to open up and

show their skills they're basically just

trying to survive

[Music]

yeah

so to give you context

um Conrad will watch my matches whenever

I go and compete he gives me feedback on

how I performed there was one time when

I was really lackluster right I walked

into the match it was a Dallas pan AMS a

couple years ago and every time I got

taken down or finished an exchange you

can see the frustration on my face I was

like Breathing heavily rolling my eyes

Etc and it was all out of frustration

for not being able to beat a guy that I

felt like I should have beaten and

Conrad told me hey dude too much emotion

on your face you're showing too much of

your frustration

and that actually gives my opponent an

edge because then they're able to see or

smell blood and then go harder so I'm

asking Conrad this question so that we

can share it with you guys and this is

his reason for why you shouldn't share

your emotion when in a competition

it's all in it's it's a mental game

because you're in a fight with somebody

so anytime you're in a fight with

somebody you don't want them to see you

tired you don't want to see them seeing

your kind of posture bending over hands

on their head

um

that can give away whether you're

breaking somebody in in a sport where

you know you get submissions and you get

points but a lot of it is kind of

breaking somebody mentally until you can

kind of do what you want because it's

it's a fight and you see that a lot

people who are very strong at the

beginning in the first couple of minutes

but in the last couple of minutes they

just will give up positions because

they're tired or you've gotten

positions or points on them and they

kind of lose confidence in themselves so

I try and keep a straight face I I don't

I try and control my breathing either

I've been mastered where I've been dead

tired and I try to control my breathing

I don't make facial expressions like I'm

tired I don't bend over touch my knees

other people are looking for that if if

they're tired too and they're going to

be tired if you're tired everybody gets

tired if they think that you're more

tired than they are that'll give them

the energy to kind of push through and

get some points on you

your emotions out the door

well you don't leave your your emotions

you you really can't control you don't

want to show your emotions

um I when I watched uh International

wrestling I was always like kind of

mesmerized by the Koreans Korean

wrestlers because you couldn't tell

whether they were up 10 points or down

10 points they their facial expressions

didn't change they made no hands on the

hips No Hands on the knees everything

they did were they were just like robots

they're like cyborg Warriors they didn't

know they just kept coming they kept

going hard and it threw a lot of people

off because so many it is kind of an

emotional sport because there's a lot of

ups and downs you didn't see any emotion

from them and I think about that a lot

because I don't want my opponent to see

any emotion out there whether I win or

lose I barely show emotion I feel great

inside a huge dopamine release but I

never really want my opponents to see

even if I win win a big bash I don't I

don't celebrate that much because I

don't want to even give people who are

watching thinking oh it almost looks

like he was relieved to win that match I

want my opponents because your opponents

are watching you all the time your

future opponents on the sidelines and

they see you celebrating like I didn't

know if I was going to win that or or

lose that I'm so happy I want them to

see me as just somebody who goes out

there competes from from the belt or the

whistle and gives everything the whole

time so I don't want them to see any

weakness

this is pure gold this is so pure gold

what he mentions about Brazilian Jiu

Jitsu and wrestling being an emotional

sport is so true but the key is not to

show your emotion because what makes

zombies so scary in zombie horror movies

they just keep coming right it doesn't

matter how weak or how strong they are

they just keep coming and their lack of

fear or lack of showing emotions is what

makes them truly scary so Conrad's

advice to emulate that kind of tactic is

so smart because you're just not giving

your opponent any information to read

and it's kind of like playing poker when

you're playing poker you don't want to

show your emotions right or if you're

showing your emotions you're using it as

a tool to fake out your opponents so I'm

definitely going to take this advice

into practice whenever I compete in the

future I've done it a couple of times

and I'm very happy about it but um I

need to be more consistent

um yeah I mean Jiu Jitsu translates to

life I mean one thing I can say about

Jiu Jitsu is

you know 90 of people who walk through

that door

that 90 of the population can't isn't

willing to do this not capable of

stepping on the mat it's too hard

this sport is too hard physically and

mentally for most of the population to

come in and walk in that door so the the

life kind of experiences you can take

from Jiu Jitsu it applies to anything

that you have to do hard in your life

everybody is going to run into the

challenges of their in their life and

this just builds mental and physical

resilience that you can't really

replicate any other way what Conrad said

right there is the reason why I trained

Jujitsu in this day and age where

everything is easy you can get anything

you want instantaneous gratification

there needs to be some kind of

discipline that's instilled that I place

into myself I consider Jujitsu a

self-injected discipline it provides

structure in my life it allows me to

remember that life is supposed to be

difficult and that way I'm able to have

some semblance of uh sanity or or

control because we can't control how

things happen to us in life we can only

control our response and that's very

similar to jiu jitsu right whenever you

roll with someone else you don't

necessarily control how they react to

the way you roll you just only have

control of how you react to their role

anyway let's continue experiences you

can take from Jiu Jitsu it applies to

anything that you have to do hard in

your life everybody is going to run into

the challenges of their in their life

and this just builds mental and physical

resilience that you can't really

replicate any other way

um you're always going to be challenged

with injuries and your ability to

recover especially as you get older

you're going to have injuries you're

going to have things that hurt and

sometimes there's a fine line between

what's an injury and what just hurts and

sometimes I have to take some time off

because there's things that

hurt that may kind of cross the line

into you know maybe now I'm I'm injured

where I actually have to take some time

off but anybody who is in here on a

regular basis they're going to have

stuff hurt so I mean I had one of our

coaches at Iowa Jim zaleski always say

it doesn't matter how you feel so

whether you are tired or you're hurt you

still have to go out there and compete

so you there's a lot of days like I got

stuff hurting I'm a little worn out and

I have to know when to maybe take a day

off take two days off in days when I

know if I have a competition coming up

you have to push through it and that's

part of

you know the mental aspect of Jiu Jitsu

is you have to push yourself through if

you want to compete you know there's

there's there's different path to this a

lot of people want to come in and

they're kind of they just want to learn

Jiu Jitsu they want to get a physical

workout and then there's people who are

coming in who want to keep getting

better and test themselves and compete

and so there's there's a bunch of

different paths and if you want to

compete

you you're gonna have to raise the level

up a little bit with your training

Partners but you you have to know when

you're in a bad situation because if you

are too stubborn you're going to get

hurt if someone has your arm and you're

like well I have to keep going and then

you get your arm broken then you're out

for a while and you have a true injury

so there's there's things you have to

consider whether you want to just keep

pushing through it or in times when you

have to recover you have to realize both

and if you're an older competitor

don't don't look up like Cade Rotolo

's workout and try and replicate that

because you're going to burn yourself

out trying to train twice a week twice a

day six days a week you're gonna get

hurt like Conrad makes another great

point right here train for what your

goal is understand your body understand

who you are right so if you're 55 years

old don't be training like you're 22 and

if you're 22 you need to push it a

little more than than you would have to

if you're 60. so understand what your

goal is and train with intention

so I'm asking Conrad right here what he

does what does he do to maintain his

physique because obviously as you see

him right now he's built like a tank

this guy is

started out extremely muscular so how is

he able to compete be a father raise

kids and also maintain his muscularity

well it's consistency

um I mean I wrestled 189 in high school

197 in college

and I've taken many years off from

wrestling and grappling and because of

the schedule of the military being

deployed going on training exercises you

long work days so a lot of my time in

the military

you you just you just don't have the

opportunity to do it so you have to do

other things I've never in my life just

taken I'm just gonna stop working out

it's never happened

so a lot of it is you know when you get

older you have to be consistent with

your your diet and then being consistent

with your training so I mean those are

kind of the obvious things but

um you can't you can't forget about the

obvious things you still have to eat

right and you still have to even if

you're hurt even if you're not training

or a place where you can't train you can

still do other things to kind of

maintain so when you do come back to it

you're not completely out of shape and

you can get back to it quicker okay so

to recap what Conrad just said there's

going to be periods in your life where

you're not training Jiu Jitsu where

you're not grappling or competing but

that doesn't mean that you need to stop

training all together you still have an

onus responsibility to take care of your

body you have to continue working out

and continue eating healthy what does it

mean to eat healthy and what does it

mean to work out well that really

depends on your physique your structure

and what your goals are for example my

goal is to be in great physical shape

all the time I want to be at least at my

90 best even when I'm not competing I'm

working out five to six days a week

sometimes twice a day sometimes once a

day every once in a while I'll rest a

couple of days but I also never stop

working out because I know there's going

to come a time in the future where I

want to compete again or there may come

a time in the future where I'll have to

use my body to defend the country or

defend my family who knows but we always

need to stay ready stay prepared

Once An Athlete you always need to work

on staying an athlete I never approved

of the people who trained as athletes in

high school and college and then totally

stopped training afterwards that's

that's not the mindset that that you

need with the mindset that you really

need is to consistently train all the

time there's a lot of health and mental

benefits to training your body you live

longer you feel better about yourself

you look better you perform better even

if you're not constantly competing you

have an onus a responsibility to stay in

shape or yourself and for your family

and for the community because when

you're at your best you can be the best

and help other people okay on to the

next question By Conrad so what if you

do fall out of your routine and you stop

training for years you stop taking care

of your body you're currently out of

shape and you want to get back onto your

routine you want to you want to get it

back together what do you do to get back

into shape if you've fallen out of

routine for a long period of time let's

see what Conrad has to say

oh

that I I really can't help

um people who completely just fall off

and stop working out I actually can't

really relate to that too much because I

don't know what it's like to be like I'm

just tired of working out it's it's been

a part of my life it started out as a

routine to help me get better for

wrestling and get better for football

so it has to be something you work into

your your daily life to where it's

something that isn't something you feel

like you have to do it's something you

you want to do because you want to keep

improving yourself and there you have it

Conrad's number one advice to get back

into shape is number one keep your

routine and don't get out of shape in

the first place number two if you've

fallen out of shape and you're trying to

get back on create a daily habit do

something that is ingrained into your

life every day that you enjoy do so that

you can continue doing it because if you

do it and you don't enjoy doing it

you're just going to stop because we're

all lazy and we don't like doing things

that we don't have to do but if you make

it fun or interesting you're going to

continue doing it especially if you

create a habit habits take apparently

two to three weeks to form at least

that's what I've heard so if you can try

to consistently do something two to

three weeks consistently emphasis on

consistently you're more likely to

continue doing that habit so if you've

fallen out of shape and you're trying to

get back into shape consistently worked

out every day but do it at a degree that

you can enjoy doing it don't burn

yourself out if you go hard one day and

that causes you to recover for six days

it's not worth it instead go easy to

medium for six days and rest one day

that way you're able to continue showing

up

what's the future hold for congressman

you know always improving if I can um

number one for me I I you got to stay

healthy you got to be smart a lot a lot

of guys out here grabbing hold of your

knees and twisting on your knees that's

what I I got to avoid things that are

going to get me permanently injured so

my goal is next next tournament I go I

go win it and I keep winning after that

and nobody has to set backs and I lose

up at brown belt you know I'll keep

getting better and I'll know what I need

to do to keep getting better but I'm

gonna I'm gonna stay at it

um I I mean I always said I'm just a

wrestler and now I can say Hey you know

I do Jiu Jitsu now I'm finally uh past

the point where I come in here and tell

people I'm just wrestling I always say I

do Jiu Jitsu and I'm proud of it because

very few people can do this this is a

sport that

people just don't have the mental

toughness the physical toughness to come

in here and I I kind of feel it's a

camaraderie with people who are willing

to step on this mat and people who are

willing to kind of put their ego behind

them because they know somebody's gonna

smash them and eventually someone's

smashing them enough you're going to be

smashing people after a while

you guys

yeah thank you all right let's

do it

okay guys thank you so much for watching

so to summarize Conrad's last statement

up he's going to continue getting better

he's going to continue to compete to see

how he can improve win or loss he's

gonna keep going Jujitsu is amazing and

I'm so glad for this interview with

Conrad he's a mentor of mine one huge

takeaway I got from listening to Conrad

is stop overthinking just get it done

continue to test yourself and improve

don't take things too seriously

because if you do you're gonna freeze up

stop and not get better where's the fun

in that so screw it it doesn't need to

be perfect some of the things that I can

improve on for future interviews is

number one stop getting in front of the

camera number two mic myself up so I can

hear my own interview questions and

number three maybe instead of having two

angles on the person that's only being

interviewed put one of the angles on me

so it can feel like a two-way interview

and that way I don't have to create a

rack reaction video and I we can just

post the interview itself there you have

it that was Conrad spangler's interview

over at henzo Gracie Houston and uh

we're gonna have some more so thanks for

watching guys peace