I Teach to Transform Lives: Forging Black Belts and Better People with Kyle Watson
I focus on how Kyle Watson built Watson Martial Arts and uses jiu jitsu to change many lives. I interview him about his path from early fights to the UFC and The Ultimate Fighter. He shares stories of his first fights, his time on Team GSP, and the hard work of competing and training. We discuss how he left a steady job to start and grow his academy, the systems he built, and the challenges of scaling. I also explore his coaching values, how he measures success by helping students become better versions of themselves, and his plans to keep teaching while balancing family and travel.
Takeaways:
- I described how martial arts shaped my identity and drove my competitive ambition.
- I recalled my first amateur fight in a smoky bar where I earned only a small medal.
- I explained the grueling Ultimate Fighter process including multiple fights in six weeks and strict dieting.
- I described building Watson Martial Arts from a modest start to a large community and affiliate network.
- We emphasized teaching with care to help people grow, change habits, and become their best versions over time.
- I reflected on leadership challenges, the need to adapt systems as the business grows, and the importance of delegation.
Links referenced in this episode:
Companies mentioned in this episode:
- UFC
- The Ultimate Fighter
- Danger Zone
- Matt Hughes Academy
- Bodog
- Spike TV
- Kaplan
- Watson Martial Arts
- DirecTV
- The Palms (Palms Casino Resort)
- WEC (World Extreme Cagefighting)
- Alton Gazette
- Hit Squad
Transcript
This is Adam Marburger.
Speaker A:And this is humans that build real conversations with real people.
Speaker A:Not just about what they've built in the world, but what had to be built inside them first.
Speaker A:No hype, no shortcuts.
Speaker A:Just humans doing the work.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people.
Speaker A:Real work.
Speaker A:Another episode of humans that Build.
Speaker A:This show is designed to share stories from people making an impact in their community and around the world.
Speaker A:Today I've got a gentleman here.
Speaker A:He's no stranger to me.
Speaker A:Many of you may know him already.
Speaker A:This gentleman has been responsible for me obtaining the rank of black belt in jiu jitsu.
Speaker A:Actually, this guy's given me every single stripe on every single belt, promoted me, has been my coach the whole way through.
Speaker A:Impressive record, fought in the UFC's, a fourth degree black belt.
Speaker A:I mean, that.
Speaker A:That's kind of a big deal on its own.
Speaker A:He was on team GSP for those psychos out there that watched every single season of the Ultimate Fighter.
Speaker A:He was on team gsp, which, I mean, I'm sure there were a lot of people jealous on Koscheck's team, Kyle.
Speaker A:And with further ado, I'm going to bring you in on the show.
Speaker A:Welcome to humans to build, brother.
Speaker A:How are you doing today?
Speaker B:Oh, man, I'm excited.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Thanks for inviting me.
Speaker B:I'm happy to chat, happy to share some information.
Speaker B:Hopefully I don't get too lost in stories.
Speaker B:I'm a storyteller, but I'm excited to be here.
Speaker B:I appreciate you inviting me.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, yeah.
Speaker A:So then you're a great storyteller.
Speaker A:So let's.
Speaker A:Let's get right into the MMA stuff because, you know, it takes a special human like jiu jitsu competition and mma, and I've had the opportunity to do them both.
Speaker A:I didn't do mma.
Speaker A:Nowhere near your.
Speaker A:At your level.
Speaker A:But like, they're very similar, but they're very different.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like, I remember jiu jitsu competitions used to stress me out way worse than ever.
Speaker A:Just getting into a ring and having to do boxing or kickboxing or doing mma.
Speaker A:But tell me a little bit about like, you know, because you got to have something a little off in you to get into a cage with another guy and try to fight your for your life.
Speaker A:I mean, I mean, not a normal human does that.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So my question is when, when and where?
Speaker A:Like where.
Speaker A:Where was that aha moment?
Speaker A:Where were you where you decided you wanted to even pursue this to begin with?
Speaker B:Yeah, I mean, my passion for martial arts, you know, kind of drove me in that direction.
Speaker B:And It's.
Speaker B:It's wild, though, because I've, you know, I might be roundabout with this question, but sometimes I kind of, like, look back and I kind of dig deep and, like, you know what?
Speaker B:You know, am I one of those, like, weirdos that, like, you know, wants to get punched in the face?
Speaker B:And I've just met so many people over the years that do mma, and I feel like there's many of them that I'm alike, and then there's many that I'm different than.
Speaker B:I'm, like, I don't think I was ever the type that, like, I wanted to be in, like, street fights, and I just wanted to be a tough guy, and I wanted the bravado.
Speaker B:I think I was more just.
Speaker B:Just competitive, and I wanted to be known for something.
Speaker B:Like, I wanted to, like, be able to, like, stake my claim on something.
Speaker B:I never was, like, overly athletic.
Speaker B:I wasn't, you know, anything, like, special in high school, from a small town, and.
Speaker B:But I just always had this kind of inner drive, and I think that actually helped is what helps me in business.
Speaker B:I think there's an X factor that I can't quite put a finger on, that, you know.
Speaker B:You know how it is being the entrepreneur that you are, that there's something in your brain you just cannot shut off.
Speaker B:And I think that's that part in me that is that same X factor for business.
Speaker B:I think it was like that with martial arts.
Speaker B:I think I just felt this drive them, like, what's next?
Speaker B:What's next?
Speaker B:How can I prove myself further?
Speaker B:How can I push myself further past the previously thought limitations?
Speaker B:And so that, I think, in that respect, I think I was different than a lot of fighters, but I have met several others like that.
Speaker B:But I just was never about the, like, oh, I want to be able to just tell my friends I'm a tough guy and I'm a fighter and stuff like that.
Speaker B:I mean, that's cool after the fact.
Speaker B:Yeah, it's cool to be able to tell people I was in the ufc, but it's really, really was never about that.
Speaker B:It was just really, really, like, proving myself to doubters and really just trying to push my boundaries, if that makes sense.
Speaker A:I love it.
Speaker A:Do you remember your first fight?
Speaker A:Like, can you remember it like it was yesterday?
Speaker A:Your very first mma?
Speaker B:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker B:It's crazy.
Speaker B:Yeah, I. I've told that story many times, but the really short version is that I just was seeking out places that, you know, allowed people to fight, and I came across this show called the Danger Zone.
Speaker B:And it was run in Fort Wayne, Indiana, I believe.
Speaker B:And it was run by one of the.
Speaker B:The UFC early UFC champion hall of Famer Dan Severn.
Speaker B:Dan the Beast Severn, who's still out there doing seminars.
Speaker B:Crazy, oddly enough.
Speaker B:But anyways.
Speaker B:But yeah, I just, I emailed them.
Speaker B:I just emailed them and just said, hey, can I fight on your show?
Speaker B:They just, I think back then it's like, I don't know how many people were just like, seeking it out, but they just sent me a message back and just said, hey, you know, what weight class, you know, whatever.
Speaker B:And I don't remember all the, like, the process.
Speaker B:I don't think you had to jump through too many hoops because I think back then it wasn't nearly as, like, organized.
Speaker B:I think it was just say your weight and kind of like what you're good at.
Speaker B:And that was about it.
Speaker B:And they matched me up with a boxer from Toronto.
Speaker B:I think he's from.
Speaker B:He's from Canada for sure.
Speaker B:I think Toronto.
Speaker B:And I remember it was in a bar, it was an elevated ring, and everyone was smoking.
Speaker B:I remember being like, oh, man, this is terrible.
Speaker B:And it just smelled awful.
Speaker B:And I always tell people the story.
Speaker B:I won, but en route to victory, I got punched in the face a lot.
Speaker B:And it was just like one of those things where, wow, okay, that is what a real, you know, like, what a close to real fist fight is like.
Speaker B:I mean, I've been in a couple of scuffles in high school.
Speaker B:Nothing like legit, so it's just kind of funny.
Speaker B:But I do remember that.
Speaker B:And I remember just Dan Severn, like, putting a teeny little metal over my, you know, just, you know, that's it in a handshake.
Speaker B:And it's like, okay, cool, there you go.
Speaker B:And it was like, you know, he makes money and you just get beat up for it.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:And the funny thing is too, you know, God, I would love to know your fight purse.
Speaker A:But like, back then, a lot of, a lot of people too, a lot of the human population don't realize too, how little, you know, we fight for, like, like especially your first 6, 8, 10 pro fights before you even get in the UFC.
Speaker A:And then even when you get into UFC, your first contract is not that sexy.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:I mean, we're talking hundreds of dollars to get in there and risk your life.
Speaker B:That first fight was amateur.
Speaker B:It literally what I earned was that teeny little two dollar medal that was around me.
Speaker B:That was literally all I got.
Speaker B:So, and, and, and I guess some experience, you know.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Do you have.
Speaker A:Looking back at, you know, just in the Navy, we'll get into some jiu jitsu, but like, do you have a favorite fight when you look back at your career, is there a fight that you look at that you're like, man, that was a night.
Speaker A:That was a night.
Speaker A:I'll never forget that.
Speaker B:This was epic.
Speaker B:Oh, man, that's tough.
Speaker B:I mean, obviously I hold it dear that.
Speaker B:I mean, that's farther in the, in the career, that's closer to the end, but I hold it dear, like winning, you know, in the Palms in front of my family.
Speaker B:I mean, that was really cool.
Speaker B:Like just fighting in Las Vegas in the Palms and, you know, I just.
Speaker B:That one I hold pretty dear and being able to win, you know, while, like my family and my wife were there and a handful of my friends that were willing to fly to Vegas.
Speaker B:So that one means a lot to me.
Speaker B:As far as the other ones, man,.
Speaker A:I had a lot.
Speaker B:I'm trying to think if any one stand out, you know, it's hard to put a finger on that one.
Speaker B:That maybe isn't necessarily the fight itself.
Speaker B:I don't think was anything to brag about.
Speaker B:But I did fight a guy, really at the time was a pretty well known jiu jitsu guy.
Speaker B:His name was Henry Matamoros.
Speaker B:And I was only a blue belt at the time, I think, and it was only like maybe my third fight or something.
Speaker B:And this kid had like, you know, 30, 40 fights, super tough.
Speaker B:And I was in this stage where like, ah, fuck it, let's do it, you know, and.
Speaker B:And it was a rough fight for the first round and a half.
Speaker B:I was beating him up, taking him down, you know, hitting him a lot.
Speaker B:And then I gassed and then his jiu jitsu took over and I was in every bad position possible.
Speaker B:He broke my nose from my back, he punched under my armpit, broke my nose.
Speaker B:You know, been crooked many times.
Speaker B:And I lost the fight by this or.
Speaker B:No, no, no, they.
Speaker B:They stopped the fight because I was bleeding.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:They stopped the fight.
Speaker B:I could have continued, but anyways, so that might not be like a fight.
Speaker B:You're like, oh, well, why would you be excited about that?
Speaker B:But fast forward a little ways down the road.
Speaker B:So I got my ass kicked by a really good jiu jitsu guy.
Speaker B:I was asked to do an eight man invite only grappling tournament and Henry was in it.
Speaker B:And I'm like, sign me up, baby.
Speaker B:I want some revenge.
Speaker B:And I beat my first match.
Speaker B:I had to fight three matches and I Won.
Speaker B:I beat a purple belt the first match.
Speaker B:I beat a brown belt the second match.
Speaker B:And then Henry in the finals was a black belt, and I beat him.
Speaker B:And I beat him.
Speaker B:I rag dolled him pretty good.
Speaker B:So it was one of those nice things where, like, that wasn't a fight, but I felt like I got redemption, you know, I caught up with him and more in grappling, and then I got a sweet belt and it was just pretty good redemption.
Speaker B:So although that wasn't necessarily a fight memory per se, it was kind of a redemption memory that I never heard that one.
Speaker A:That's a story.
Speaker A:I could have swore.
Speaker A:I've heard most of your stories.
Speaker A:I definitely did not hear that one.
Speaker A:So I got to know this, and I'm sure those that are gonna hear, listen, or watch this will want to know this too.
Speaker A:When you were on the Ultimate Fighter, obviously I want to know a.
Speaker A:What was it like when you got the call that you're on the show?
Speaker A:That's the first part.
Speaker A:And then what was it like fighting to get in and winning, then ultimately being on George St. Pierre's team?
Speaker A:So kind of talk through that.
Speaker A:I know there's a few questions in there, but just if you could walk through that.
Speaker A:That's what I'm interested in.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:So it was quite the process.
Speaker B:So I can't remember overall how many people apply per season, but I think all in all, between the people who send in tapes and actually show up for the tryouts and what have you, there's several thousand.
Speaker B:And then they kind of whittle it down.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:So I went out.
Speaker B:Obviously, it helped that I was at the.
Speaker B:I was at Matt Hughes Academy.
Speaker B:And, you know, I could say, you know, hey, I'm a jiu jitsu coach at Matt Hughes.
Speaker B:That.
Speaker B:That definitely.
Speaker B:That definitely helps.
Speaker B:But I showed for tryouts, and I had a buddy who was on the Ultimate Fighter previously.
Speaker B:So I called him, I said, hey, is there anything I should know?
Speaker B:And he's like, yeah.
Speaker B:He goes, make sure you seek out a good pad holder, because that can make or break how you look.
Speaker B:If a pad holder doesn't hold well for you, you can look like shit.
Speaker B:And I'm a southpaw, so it's really important because most people don't know how to hold for a southpaw.
Speaker A:I.
Speaker B:So also they said, don't try as much to just get finishes when you're grappling.
Speaker B:They're more interested in, like, exciting, like, movements and transitions than you just coming out and submitting the guy and then it being over in 30 seconds.
Speaker B:So that was all really important information for me to know.
Speaker B:And then another thing is they said that when they interview you, they're going to try to insult you and they're going to try to see how you react when they're trying to put you down and put you under stress.
Speaker B:So they said make sure that you, you blow it off and have some good comebacks.
Speaker B:So all that really, really helped and went a long way.
Speaker B:So I showed up for tryouts.
Speaker B:I went, you know, and a couple guys.
Speaker B:There was a guy from Belgium that went with me and a guy from Texas and we went out for the tryouts and everything just worked out perfectly.
Speaker B:And tell me if the story goes too long, but I, the guy I was.
Speaker B:They match you up in groups of 20 and they just say, okay, and you get like name badges and we go out and.
Speaker B:And I don't know if I told you the story or not, but all of a sudden.
Speaker B:So that night, the next night, there was going to be a UFC where Takanori Gomi was going to fight Kenny Florian.
Speaker B:Well, Takenori Gomi brought a bunch of guys from Japan with him.
Speaker B:And I see Dana White and a crew go over with a translator and they're talking to their group and all of a sudden they pull this little, just tree trunk Asian dude out of that group.
Speaker B:And he's not in our group of 20, doesn't have a name tag or anything.
Speaker B:And I'm like, oh man, don't tell me that's the guy I'm getting paired up with.
Speaker B:And guess what they call it out.
Speaker B:And so I get paired up with this random guy who just on the spot.
Speaker B:Takanori Gomi asked if his guy could try out.
Speaker B:So I grappled him and it couldn't have went better.
Speaker B:I kept the transitions going.
Speaker B:I didn't try to submit him, I just kept sweeping him.
Speaker B:And then I would like get on top and then I would almost let him get out and then I would do another move.
Speaker B:And so I dominated him the whole time, but never, never submitted him and wasn't really.
Speaker B:I was just putting him in danger, like mountain side control and then kind of let him out.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:So that was perfect.
Speaker B:And then I did go find.
Speaker B:I went to the group of tie pad holders.
Speaker B:I said, I ran over there real quick.
Speaker B:I was like, any of you hold for southpaws.
Speaker B:And everybody at the same time pointed to one guy.
Speaker B:He's like, I got you, man.
Speaker B:So he made me.
Speaker B:He like, he's like, we're just gonna do this combo over a couple times.
Speaker B:And so he made me sound thunderous on the pads.
Speaker B:And so that all went really well.
Speaker B:And then I.
Speaker B:And then I turned on the charisma and the stupid dad jokes during the interview.
Speaker B:And so that was that.
Speaker B:So now fast forward.
Speaker B:I remember exactly the call.
Speaker B:I'm like driving across the bridge because my wife and I moved out of the fighter dorms and we got a house, and a guy from Texas named Trey Penland was helping me go put some cinder blocks up on the roof to.
Speaker B:To get like, DirecTV or something.
Speaker B:I can't remember.
Speaker B:We're putting up, like, stuff so we can put a satellite dish on my new house.
Speaker B:And we're driving across the bridge and I get the call and Trey's in there with me.
Speaker B:And I'm just like, okay, okay, okay.
Speaker B:I'm like, I can't believe it.
Speaker B:I'm just like, so excited.
Speaker B:Right?
Speaker B:But it's not over yet because you still have to fly out there to, like, do.
Speaker B:Oh, no, sorry, I take that back.
Speaker B:I got the order off.
Speaker B:They fly out, a group of you make it past those first tryouts, and you fly out again to Vegas and do physicals.
Speaker B:And that's where they do background check.
Speaker B:And then you do a longer interview with the Spike TV producers.
Speaker B:It's like a 20 minute interview.
Speaker B:And that's where they were, like, pretty rude.
Speaker B:They're like, insulting you.
Speaker B:I remember one of the guys like, oh, man, he's like.
Speaker B:He goes, I don't know, you seem kind of.
Speaker B:You seem kind of dumb.
Speaker B:And I was like.
Speaker B:And I just laughed.
Speaker B:I'm like, dumb.
Speaker B:I was like, I'm smarter than all of you.
Speaker B:I'm smarter than every fighter in this room, and I'm gonna kick all their asses.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And that's what they needed to hear.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:So anyways, I got the story a.
Speaker A:Little out of order.
Speaker B:But then after that, that was all successful so that I don't remember.
Speaker B:The first several thousand got whittled down to, I think, like, 85 that flew out to Vegas.
Speaker B:I think it was 85, 75, something like that.
Speaker B:We flew out to Vegas for all that.
Speaker B:The physical, the background check, the next interview, and then I'm on the bridge driving with Trey, and that's when I get the call.
Speaker B:But still, that only gets you to 28.
Speaker B:You still have to fight to get into the house.
Speaker B:So I was super excited.
Speaker B:Cause I'm like, I'm on the show.
Speaker B:But 28 of you go out, and 14 of you go home.
Speaker B:So I flew out there.
Speaker B:You have no idea.
Speaker B:You're gonna fight some of the people there.
Speaker B:You knew their names because they had already flew, fought on the wec, this and that, whatever.
Speaker B:I get matched up, I win, I get in the house.
Speaker B:And that's kind of the long story of it.
Speaker A:Yeah, well, when you.
Speaker A:When you.
Speaker A:Which was.
Speaker A:I remember watching that season, I.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:It was an awesome season.
Speaker A:You are freaking hilarious.
Speaker A:That was before I got to train with you.
Speaker A:I got to train with you, and you got back, which was awesome.
Speaker A:But.
Speaker A:So when you were on Team gsp, I mean, was that the.
Speaker A:Was that the guy you wanted?
Speaker A:Did you.
Speaker A:I mean, was it.
Speaker A:Were you.
Speaker A:I mean, tell me about that.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, like, training with him and having his coach and what was that whole thing like?
Speaker B:Yeah, well, so one thing people don't know.
Speaker B:And, like, I only say this to, like, kind of help my ego feel better, but I got picked later in the.
Speaker B:When they picked teams, I got picked later on, and I was, like, one of the most experienced guys in the house as far as, like, having the most fights and the most, like, wins and stuff.
Speaker B:And I was probably one of the top, like, four guys as far as, like, experience.
Speaker B:Experience.
Speaker B:And so.
Speaker B:But a lot of people don't know that.
Speaker B:GSP came up to me, and he had this whole plan, which you did see work out, where he, like, wrote names on the card really big so he.
Speaker B:Kasha, could see him from an angle and made him think that he wanted.
Speaker B:Oh, God, I can't remember the guy's name, but somebody that Koscheck knew, the wrestler, he put him first so that Kashik would think that's who they wanted, but he didn't want that guy.
Speaker B:He actually wanted Michael Johnson.
Speaker B:Well, anyways, he told me ahead of time that I had fought on Bodog with.
Speaker B:With alongside GSP's original karate coach, Christophe Madu.
Speaker B:He's, like, a pretty famous French fighter.
Speaker B:Well, I knew Christoph, so we were kind of friends, like, acquaintances buddies, because we fought on Bodog together.
Speaker B:So George came up and told to me and told me that.
Speaker B:That he was going to pick me later on in the card because of that.
Speaker B:That scenario.
Speaker B:And I was like, so I'm like, whatever.
Speaker B:I'm fine.
Speaker B:But anyway, it was just funny when you watch that play out on the.
Speaker B:On the show, how he tricked Kashik.
Speaker B:He wrote really big on a paper and stood like this, and Kostya could see the name.
Speaker B:So Kostyak picked the Guy that he didn't want so he could get Michael Johnson first.
Speaker B:It was perfect.
Speaker B:But anyways, I went, like, ninth, and I was like, God damn it.
Speaker B:I was like, I should have went before this.
Speaker B:But I was like, all right, fine.
Speaker B:I guess I just have to prove that I'm better than ninth place.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker A:I mean, how.
Speaker A:I mean, how grueling were those pretty practices on that show?
Speaker A:I mean, how.
Speaker A:I mean, how hard?
Speaker A:I mean, you.
Speaker A:When you see it on tv, you kind of see it.
Speaker A:You get a glimpse of it.
Speaker A:But really, what were those training sessions like?
Speaker B:You know, it wasn't as it was.
Speaker B:It was tough, but it wasn't.
Speaker B:It was grueling.
Speaker B:Not in that way.
Speaker B:So what I mean is, we all know that Danaher is, like, an amazing tactician, and he is all.
Speaker B:He's so strategic, and not only just in, like, jiu jitsu, obviously, he was.
Speaker B:He was integral to GSP success.
Speaker B:If you see him in all his corner for all his fights, he's very.
Speaker B:He understands MMA very, very well.
Speaker B:And he just told us up front, he goes, hey, listen, we're not trying to favor, like, show favoritism to any of you.
Speaker B:Our goal is to make you better martial artists, and whoever wins, wins.
Speaker B:It's not.
Speaker B:We're not trying to, like.
Speaker B:So we're just.
Speaker B:Our goal is just to bring all these different coaches in to help you, all these different black belts and Olympic wrestlers and Muay Thai guys, just to have you get better along the way so that when you leave the show, even if you don't win, you're a better martial artist.
Speaker B:And then Dana, who was very, very strategic with, like, in the morning.
Speaker B:I can't remember what the order was.
Speaker B:Like, the morning we would do like.
Speaker B:Like.
Speaker B:Like conditioning or.
Speaker B:No, no.
Speaker B:How it was.
Speaker B:I can't remember.
Speaker B:We do four hours a day.
Speaker B:I just can't remember the order of things.
Speaker B:But I just know that when we ever.
Speaker B:We do grappling, which was more static, we'd follow it up with a quick, like, brief workout that was explaining explosive like medicine balls, just so we could, you know, keep our muscles, everything firing properly.
Speaker B:And then when we do striking afterwards, we would do something static like Olympic ring holds or something like that.
Speaker B:But the practices themselves were designed to just keep us sharp and keep us going without showing favoritism, because he couldn't say, like, oh, Kyle, you're really, really good at this, but you're bad at that.
Speaker B:So we're gonna make the practice work around what Kyle's bad at.
Speaker B:It had to be a kind of a general focus.
Speaker B:And because of that, like, we all.
Speaker B:And we also.
Speaker B:The grueling part.
Speaker B:Back to your actual question is you have to fight.
Speaker B:Most people fight.
Speaker B:Maybe if you're busy.
Speaker B:You fight three times in a year.
Speaker B:We had to fight.
Speaker B:Potentially, if you win, you have to fight four times in six weeks.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Four times in six weeks.
Speaker B:So you fight more than you do in a whole year in six weeks.
Speaker B:And so.
Speaker B:And I was a pretty big lightweight, so I had to constantly maintain really, like, deficit, like, calorie deficit.
Speaker B:You also had to pull back because it's like you wanted to, like, in practice, like, work and be as sharp as possible.
Speaker B:But if you showed all your cards, you're gonna be fighting those guys at the end.
Speaker B:So it's like.
Speaker B:Like show them all your best moves and they kind of know what you're good at and they know how to stop it.
Speaker B:So you had almost like.
Speaker B:That was.
Speaker B:The hard part is like, the dieting for six weeks straight, the fighting.
Speaker B:You're, like, beating up your body and actually literally going through the ups and downs of four fights in six weeks and the fact that you couldn't train at your full capacity and also with coaches that aren't your coaches.
Speaker B:So while I did have the best in the world, they don't know you and they're not catering to you.
Speaker B:Like, if I had a fight where I just had, like, mark fiore and all my training partners, they're.
Speaker B:Kyle, you suck at this.
Speaker B:And we're fighting this guy who's good at this.
Speaker B:This is what we got to work on.
Speaker B:You couldn't do that there.
Speaker B:So all that stuff combined made it one of the hardest things I've ever done.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:Mentally, physically, just a lot of people don't understand that part of it.
Speaker B:It's just like, there's a lot going on behind the scenes.
Speaker B:And then you're living with the people, like, so you have to see them.
Speaker B:It's like you can go and you're doing a training camp where you have.
Speaker B:You're watching them day in, day out, you know, and.
Speaker B:And you're around them, and then you go home after training, and everybody and some of the people live like pigs, and you don't want to, like, you don't want to be with it.
Speaker B:Like, you just want to, like, be able to relax.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:So could imagine, you know, before.
Speaker A:Before we move on from the ultimate fighter.
Speaker A:I do.
Speaker A:I want to bring this up.
Speaker A:What Was it like fighting the drunk kickboxer?
Speaker B:I'm not gonna lie, man.
Speaker B:That is like the number one ass thing.
Speaker B:Everybody, that clip has gone viral so many times, and this many years later, it'll still pop up and people will see it for the first time and they'll be okay.
Speaker A:What was that?
Speaker B:Was that drunk kickboxer like.
Speaker B:So that's number one.
Speaker B:It's always.
Speaker B:It's always.
Speaker B:What was the French kickboxer like?
Speaker B:Was Koschick really that much of a dick?
Speaker B:And what did you think of Bruce Leroy?
Speaker B:Those roles, the top three.
Speaker B:Those are the top three.
Speaker B:But it was.
Speaker B:It was interesting.
Speaker B:It was interesting.
Speaker B:I mean, we get along now and we've since kind of a Made of men's.
Speaker B:But, like, you know, I.
Speaker B:At the time, I was not happy with him because he came in there thinking he was there to kind of like, teach us some sort of some respect.
Speaker B:There's a miscommunication between George and him of why he was there.
Speaker B:And so his thing was he thought it was kind of like the contender and he was going to, like, beat us up.
Speaker B:So he only had gloves on and no shim pads or knee pads.
Speaker B:But when we were sparring, he was, like, hitting us, like, pretty full force.
Speaker B:Not full force, but, yeah, enough that I remember he hit me once, like, in the ribs.
Speaker B:And I'm like, I got pissed.
Speaker B:I'm like, I. I think I told you this before.
Speaker B:I threw my headgear across the gym and I'm like, this.
Speaker B:I'm out.
Speaker B:And I was like, so close to taking him down, submitting him, because I was just pissed.
Speaker B:I'm like, this dude's gonna ruin my chances, man.
Speaker B:If I get hurt, like, you're out.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:So I don't know, but I think again, it was.
Speaker B:It was a miscommunication.
Speaker B:I like the guy, and we've made amends since then, but it made for.
Speaker A:It really made for great tv.
Speaker A:So I want to kind of fast.
Speaker A:I want to kind of.
Speaker B:I don't want to say fast.
Speaker A:I want to switch lanes a little bit because you're an elite level entrepreneur.
Speaker A:And, you know, I don't know if you.
Speaker A:When you were a kid, you had dreams and aspirations of being an entrepreneur or if it just kind of happened to you, but I remember, like, yesterday, you know, you were at the Hit Squad, you were the head coach, and then they sold a new entity, bought it, you know, and then you went off and started your own on Forest Park Avenue, downtown St. Louis.
Speaker A:The beginning of Watson Martial Arts.
Speaker A:So tell everyone a little bit about that journey.
Speaker A:I mean, were you scared?
Speaker A:Were you nervous?
Speaker A:What was the thing that said, I'm going to bet on myself, I'm going to go all out and do this thing?
Speaker A:Kind of walk through the beginning phases of you building your business?
Speaker B:Oh, yeah, absolutely.
Speaker B:I would say early on, I was not, I didn't know anything.
Speaker B:My, My parents were both school teachers in a really small town.
Speaker B:I had no idea about entrepreneurship.
Speaker B:Didn't really know much about money.
Speaker B:When I was in college, though, like I said, I, I, you know, you, obviously, you don't, you don't even know yourself in college, man.
Speaker B:You don't even know your identity yet.
Speaker B:You're just still trying to figure it out.
Speaker B:And I thought I knew what I wanted.
Speaker B:I thought I wanted to be a veterinarian because I loved animals.
Speaker B:I was kind of like, I was into science, you know, So I was majoring in animal science and thinking I was going to go to vet school.
Speaker B:And I was, I was training on the side and I was just.
Speaker B:My passion was like, I mean, I love martial arts.
Speaker B:I love this so much.
Speaker B:And jiu jitsu, I just fell in love with that so much.
Speaker B:And I was always thinking to myself, man, is there a way that I could do this as livelihood?
Speaker B:But I always just had in the back of my head that I'd probably be like most school owners that have a day job and then just teach a couple nights a week or something like that.
Speaker B:Because I just never thought in my wildest dreams that me running an academy, like, on my own, especially at the size mine is, like, I never dreamed about that.
Speaker B:I just thought I'd be a veterinarian, teach on side.
Speaker B:And then, and then I just changed my major a couple times because I just, man, I hated organic chemistry and I hated, man, I just, A lot of things pushed me in different directions.
Speaker B:So I changed my major a couple of times in college.
Speaker B:But all throughout, I mean, I was, I was still training, and I actually did find a job I really enjoyed.
Speaker B:It was an office job, but I did find a managerial job because I got to work with people.
Speaker B:Along the way.
Speaker B:I just figured out, man, I felt like I was a good communicator.
Speaker B:I felt like I'm pretty gregarious.
Speaker B:I want to be around people a lot.
Speaker B:And so I found a job that allowed me to be a communicator and be around a lot of people.
Speaker B:And so I did enjoy it, but it was still, man, no offense, but wearing slacks and button up Every day instead of the typical flip flops and, and T shirts like I'm wearing now, you know, so.
Speaker B:But I, you know, it just, it just through fortune or good fortune and opportunity.
Speaker B:I mean, obviously I met it with hard work in the middle of it, but, you know, by God's grace as well is like, man, all these just different things happened that just couldn't be explained by coincidence.
Speaker B:And then I, you know, I was able to get.
Speaker B:They offered me to come down and open up the, the hit squad alongside the other coaches.
Speaker B:And it was just like a dream come true.
Speaker B:It's hard to believe, like, someone was asking me to leave this 9 to 5 office job to teach full time for a living and even being willing to match the salary I was making.
Speaker B:And I was like, wow, this is crazy.
Speaker B:And then it was such a hard decision because I was just uprooting everything I knew.
Speaker B:And I'd lived in Champaign, Illinois for 10 years, but it was like, man, this opportunity is never going to present itself again.
Speaker B:And then my current job was just like, hey, you're not burning any bridges.
Speaker B:If you ever want to come back, you may not have this opportunity, but we will always give you an opportunity in our company.
Speaker B:And I was like, man, that, that made it safe for me.
Speaker B:That made it as safe, as safe as it could be.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:So I made that leap.
Speaker B:And then, and then it was just like.
Speaker B:But the only problem is I got real comfortable with that.
Speaker B:Oh, man, someone's paying me to do this.
Speaker B:I don't have to.
Speaker B:I just have to do what I'm good at.
Speaker B:I just have to train and teach jiu jitsu.
Speaker B:And in the back of my head, I did.
Speaker B:There were so many times where I'm like, man, maybe I should have a plan B. I should have a plan B. I don't know.
Speaker B:This seems too good to be true.
Speaker B:I kept thinking that a lot.
Speaker B:That you know, things too good to be true.
Speaker B:And then it started to shape up that way and.
Speaker B:But I got so used to like, man, this is my job now.
Speaker B:I couldn't see ever going back to an office.
Speaker B:I just couldn't see it.
Speaker B:And I'm like, how do I make this happen?
Speaker B:I'm like, so, yeah.
Speaker B:So back to what you asked.
Speaker B:Yeah, I was scared to death.
Speaker B:I was just like, man, I don't know anything.
Speaker B:I knew what I could bet on.
Speaker B:I knew that I could bet on myself in the sense that I knew jiu jitsu very well.
Speaker B:I knew fighting very well.
Speaker B:I know people very Well, I knew systems very well because when I worked for Kaplan, I had a lot of great systems and I knew how.
Speaker B:I was an operations manager.
Speaker B:I knew how to do operations, you know, I mean, so that those things all combined, I'm like, I really think I can do this.
Speaker B:I really think I can do this.
Speaker B:But then the combine that with my wife and her support, I just was like, okay, I am gonna do this because I don't wanna go back to a regular job.
Speaker B:I wanna do this rest of my life.
Speaker B:I wanna impact people.
Speaker B:And then it became a thing where it's like, okay, that little.
Speaker B:That X factor I talked about before is kicking in where it's like, okay, this is just that new.
Speaker B:Pushing past the limitations.
Speaker B:I'm gonna do this.
Speaker B:And I've said this many times before and I still remember so many nights thinking, I will print out handbills and I will stand at a gas station and hand them out if I have to.
Speaker B:Whatever I have to do to support my wife and her, to not think I'm a loser, you know, I was like, I will.
Speaker B:I will, you know, live or die on this decision kind of thing.
Speaker B:And I just.
Speaker B:I did bet on myself and.
Speaker B:And I'm glad I did, you know, so.
Speaker B:But yeah, that's kind of how.
Speaker A:I mean, we outgrew the first location, Forest Park Avenue, when you went over there pretty quickly.
Speaker A:And then, you know, had to move to Laclede.
Speaker A:And now you've got.
Speaker A:And just.
Speaker A:So for those that don't know or listen to something, Kyle doesn't have a small little academy.
Speaker A:It's probably.
Speaker A:I mean, if I'm betting on one of the largest in the Midwest, you've built an army.
Speaker A:And on top of that, you've had several affiliates that have opened up their own locations that were still training under you.
Speaker A:So you built an incredible business, my friend.
Speaker A:It's been an honor and a privilege a just having you as my coach.
Speaker A:But just to see the growth within your group and all these other affiliates, I mean, we've proven putting a.
Speaker A:We put Jiu Jitsu on the map here in St. Louis.
Speaker A:I mean, we have.
Speaker A:I mean, if you really think about it, we just celebrated 15 years.
Speaker A:But 15 years ago, Jiu Jitsu in this area isn't what.
Speaker A:What it is today.
Speaker A:And I mean, we were the first.
Speaker A:And I know it was you, Josh, Ezra, there were a few of us, Nick Sanders, that were kind of open to cross training.
Speaker A:And we used to.
Speaker A:We were the first ones to really bring everybody together and be humble and Cross train.
Speaker A:And I mean, now look at it, you know, it's pretty cool what we've got here in St. Louis, you know.
Speaker B:Oh, absolutely, man.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:The 15 year anniversary event that we just had was, man, it was epic and I was really glad.
Speaker B:But the whole time, the whole day, as it went on and it pretty, it went on pretty seamlessly, I was so happy.
Speaker B:But I just kept thinking, reminding myself that like, man, everybody kept coming up and saying, saying, hey, congratulations on 15 years.
Speaker B:Credit is on 15 years.
Speaker B:And I appreciated that so much.
Speaker B:But without trying to be too cheesy, it's literally not possible without those students.
Speaker B:It's not possible without the community, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:And I just, was just so grateful.
Speaker B:Just looking around the room, seeing all the people and just knowing all the people that wanted to be there, that couldn't be there.
Speaker B:It's just like, man, just the years of support, it's just like we've got a great community, great culture and I couldn't have like, obviously, yes, I'm leading the ship, steering the ship and trying to, you know, have the, you know, trickle down, you know, things that like, I try to be a good role model.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:But it still comes down to the, the people like maintaining that culture and you know, trying to keep that vibe going out in the community.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Yeah, I mean you've produced some killers, bro.
Speaker A:I mean, you've got, I mean, we've got some savages on our team.
Speaker A:It's, it's, it's pretty epic.
Speaker A:What is, you know, what is it?
Speaker A:What about teaching jiu jitsu gives you the most joy?
Speaker A:I mean, what, what is it that you love about it the most?
Speaker B:I just think like I, I think a lot about trying to put myself back in white belt shoes.
Speaker B:And I just think about like what, what it did for me just not only becoming like I tell people all the time.
Speaker B:In college, I was literally deathly afraid of public speaking.
Speaker B:I was just petrified.
Speaker B:I couldn't talk in front of a group.
Speaker B:So that's one thing.
Speaker B:It made me like, I was confident as a person, I had high self esteem.
Speaker B:But just in a group setting or public speaking, I was just, oh my God, I was just terrible.
Speaker B:But so it just, it gave me that, it gave me the ability to be a better communicator, gave me the ability to be a better leader.
Speaker B:And then it also just changed so many other aspects of my life.
Speaker B:Just made me to a better lifelong learner.
Speaker B:Always striving for improvement and having more of a growth mindset and just always trying to become the best version of myself.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:All those things combined in more that I can't like maybe say and you know, sum up in a minute.
Speaker B:It just dramatically changed who I was a person.
Speaker B:And I was like, man, if I can what jiu jitsu and just martial arts in general gave to me, if I can give that back to as many people as possible, that is just a great.
Speaker B:That's, that's what gives me the most joy.
Speaker B:Now I know that's like a longer term thing.
Speaker B:It's like you can't just like walk in one day in one class and be like, oh, I changed that person's life.
Speaker B:But the cumulative effect of 15 years, of course, like we're like just even like a few years at a time, you can see people become a completely different person.
Speaker B:You can see them become more confident.
Speaker B:I've had so many people that did not come in necessarily for weight loss, but lost like 50, 80 pounds, you know, I mean, it just totally transformed because they're like, well, I want to be able to grapple better and if I sleep better, I eat better, I have better relationships, all that, like, makes my jiu jitsu better.
Speaker B:And so I just think all those things.
Speaker B:So that's what gives me the most, I guess, satisfaction and joy is seeing that I am in real time watching people become better versions of themselves.
Speaker B:If that makes sense.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Oh, it makes a ton of sense.
Speaker A:I can relate to that.
Speaker A:And you've grown.
Speaker A:I mean, let's talk about a little bit of your growth.
Speaker A:You know, you've, you know, you've got a lot of students, man.
Speaker A:I mean, and so you're, you talk about being disciplined, structured and systems.
Speaker A:I mean, walk through a little bit about is it easier now?
Speaker A:I mean, as the business continues to grow, because you have systems, systems in place, is it easier or, or what are some of your challenges that you, that you know, that are kind of, you know, that kind of get in the way sometimes to push you back, hold you back.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, I think it's.
Speaker B:That's a great question.
Speaker B:I think it's just like, like the, I know some businesses, like they might do something that then they have extreme growth and they just explode.
Speaker B:And other ones, like, like really plateau and then have little like, you know.
Speaker B:But I feel like mine has overall just been stair steps where like you get stuck this one number for a little bit and then you kind of shoot up and, and you stuck a little bit and then you kind of shoot up.
Speaker B:And so along with that, I think that the systems like they run into the same problems like where you'll, you'll have these growing pains where like you'll keep doing things the way you were doing them for the old numbers and you have to realize, no, now we've just grown a little more.
Speaker B:I have to modify the systems to adjust for those new numbers.
Speaker B:So you're really, your processes kind of have to stair step at least to keep up with, with that.
Speaker B:And that's been a challenge over time is, you know, something for me is just delegating has been a problem because I'm like, I'm not one of those, like, I don't breathe, I don't have a managerial style where I'm breathing down people's neck and I'm like bossy or anything that honestly, I'm probably the most laid back.
Speaker B:I bet my assistants would tell you I'm the most laid back person ever.
Speaker B:But almost to a fault in the sense that I try to take on too much and I, I have a hard time, you know, letting go of something, you know.
Speaker B:So I think the systems are huge and I think that's where people fail a lot.
Speaker B:When they open a gym, they think, oh man, I'm gonna roll out some mats and I know how to teach jiu jitsu.
Speaker B:The people will come and everything will work hunky dory.
Speaker B:And this is not how it works.
Speaker B:You really have to have, you have to be really strategic about it.
Speaker B:And that's why, you know, I've seeked out or I've like went out and found mentorship.
Speaker B:A lot of people come to me and ask me questions.
Speaker B:I'm still trying to figure it out, you know, but I do notice that a lot of the early on things that I, at my, my old job as an operations manager, many of the old systems, they translated well because basically what I was doing, I was selling instructional memberships and managing teachers, and now I'm selling instructional memberships and I'm managing martial arts teachers.
Speaker B:So a lot of the systems I had in place really, really worked.
Speaker B:But over the years as I've learned new things and this works better and this works better and talking to other coaches and having our little mastermind dinners and stuff like that, you pick up little tricks of the trade and some are huge levers, man, some, some swing, you know, you know, they, they, they give you a big upswing and then other things will like, be like, that helped.
Speaker B:But I probably shouldn't have focused on that for so Long, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:And so it's just kind of a, it's a ebb and flow process.
Speaker B:But I do think, I guess to sum that up is just that because I am like, you know, stair stepping up.
Speaker B:I just noticed the processes and the hiring and the staff organization has to kind of follow with that, if that makes sense.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, it makes a ton of sense.
Speaker A:And then I was always going to.
Speaker A:You know, I've always wanted to know this too.
Speaker A:Like, what is kind of your plan?
Speaker A:I mean, do you see yourself still coaching 10 years from now, 15 years from now?
Speaker A:Is that more of like a couple days a week or what does that look like for you, you know, in your future when it comes to coaching?
Speaker A:Because you do have elite level coaches working with you.
Speaker A:So at what point do you just completely turn it over and your business is just passive at this point and you're the leader?
Speaker A:Have you ever thought through that?
Speaker A:Is that on your mind at all?
Speaker B:Oh yeah, I've thought about a bunch, especially these last few years, more that I've been trying to spend more time with myself, son.
Speaker B:It's just been like way, way more top of mind.
Speaker B:But like two things that kind of, you know, to go along with that is like you and I know I, I just told you.
Speaker B:I recently went to like a, a business workshop and while I was there I was talking a lot of people and most of them it was just really weird because there's a lot of ways I could relate.
Speaker B:And then there was a couple ways where I couldn't, where like almost everybody there was like trying to scale, where they're like, like my whole goal is to scale really, really big and then sell my company.
Speaker B:And I'm like, that's not what I want to do.
Speaker B:So it's like it was really weird because I want to optimize.
Speaker B:I don't want to be like, bigger is better.
Speaker B:It's like instead of going like just up, up, up, I want to go kind of like more horizontal thinking more like I just really want to maximize what I have.
Speaker B:And if, yeah, if we have grow a little bit membership wise, that's fine.
Speaker B:But I just want to optimize what we have and grow this way and really focus on the members who really want to be there.
Speaker B:Just, just maximize things.
Speaker B:But as far as like my long term goal, I've also, you know, been around a lot of other school owners and I've heard them say, talk about the same thing, like I'm working on my exit strategy.
Speaker B:I'm going to sell the school and I'm just going to travel.
Speaker B:I'm going to do this.
Speaker B:I'm like, man, I can't.
Speaker B:I just, again, I don't relate.
Speaker B:I just, I do want to, like, I travel a lot as it is, but I want to travel more and I want to do stuff, more stuff with my, my family.
Speaker B:But I can't see myself never teaching.
Speaker B:So my goal as it stands right now, I don't know where my son's head is.
Speaker B:I don't want to make St. Louis's destiny, but I want him to know that whether he wanted to be involved in my real estate business or whether you want to be involved in the gym, he could be as much or as little as he wanted.
Speaker B:Like, if you wanted to do jiu jitsu and get to the point where he wanted to take over the gym, that would be great.
Speaker B:But I'm not going to make that his destiny.
Speaker B:St. Louis, you know, as a city kind of sucks.
Speaker B:So it's like, I'm not like, hey man, you got to, you got to be here the rest of your life.
Speaker B:But, but it'd be cool to keep it in the family.
Speaker B:Watts of martial arts just stays Watts of martial arts, you know, I mean, but so that's, that's a kind of open ended thing there where I don't know what's gonna happen there.
Speaker B:But, but what I can say is that I, I foresee myself until my body is not capable.
Speaker B:I will always teach in some capacity, but I just think that it'll be more of a matter of like, I only teach the classes that I want to teach and when I want to teach them and then the rest of the time, like, I'll enjoy life and travel and stuff like that.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker B:Does that make sense?
Speaker B:Instead of like, I just, I can't see, I can't see myself just like, because I even, I know how I am now when I go on vacation, even when I'm going somewhere really, really cool and like, you know, a couple continents away, after about five, six, seven days, I'm kind of like, man, I want to get back in my routine.
Speaker B:I want to see everybody on the mat again, you know what I mean?
Speaker A:So, you know, I'm similar in that, like, I make the decisions.
Speaker A:Like when I'm in town, there's two days my coaches know I like to teach on Monday nights and Tuesday nights and I like to show up on Wednesday night for open map.
Speaker A:But those are the nights I want to teach.
Speaker A:I don't want to Teach Thursday, Friday, Saturday, they know that those are my designated nights.
Speaker A:And I'm getting a lot better of kind of picking and choosing who I roll with.
Speaker A:Like I, I, I got to where I was getting beat up by some of these younger guys that are, you know, high level wrestlers going to, you know how, you know how it is, everybody wants a shot at the title.
Speaker B:But you should have never gave me.
Speaker A:My black belt, dude.
Speaker A:You should have made me life.
Speaker A:Because honestly, you know what it's like.
Speaker A:I mean everybody wants to try out new coach and, and so I, I have finally have standards when it comes and I talk to people.
Speaker A:I mean I'll work with anybody but I'm, I don't just hardcore roll with anybody anymore.
Speaker A:And that's keeping me healthy and where I'm training more, I'm, I'm able to train less injured which is, is a good thing, you know.
Speaker B:I love that, I love that.
Speaker B:That was, I agree with you completely.
Speaker B:And that was one of the things I've had a hard time this, this, these last like two years I've gotten better about that.
Speaker B:I just turned 47 and I'd say these last two years I've been way better about like not caring about saying no to people.
Speaker B:Like before I would, like it would bother me.
Speaker B:I'm like, man, I should roll with everybody.
Speaker B:You know, I remember, I remember being hungry for that.
Speaker B:Like I wanted to roll with Jack constantly, my old coach.
Speaker B:And I just remember that.
Speaker B:So I understand it.
Speaker B:I don't, I don't get offended that people want to roll with me and want to beat me up and try to take tap me in front of everybody.
Speaker B:I, I don't, that doesn't offend me because I was the same way.
Speaker B:But these last couple years I've gotten way more just realistic about like what I can handle and, and, and what my body can take and just what the risk to reward is.
Speaker B:Like I say that all the time and it's, even though it is a joke and it sounds funny, it is so true.
Speaker B:I'm like, I'm always like, I know I can tap you.
Speaker B:I just don't want to do the work it's going to take.
Speaker B:You know, it's like I say all the time, it's like, it's like, and I joke too.
Speaker B:It's like I probably even said that to you.
Speaker B:It's like, you know, you, if I tap somebody, it literally means nothing.
Speaker B:Like I've just, I've done this for, you know, 26 years.
Speaker B:I don't care I won't remember that I tapped you.
Speaker B:I just.
Speaker B:I don't care.
Speaker B:But if you.
Speaker B:If you tap me, like a lower belt taps me, they're running to the Alton Gazette and putting out a front page.
Speaker B:I got tapped.
Speaker B:Kyle Watson.
Speaker B:I'm taking his school, you know, you know, something like that.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:So I'm just like, it's not worth it.
Speaker B:It's not worth it, you know, and.
Speaker A:Funny what Here the reality is.
Speaker A:The reality in Jiu Jitsu.
Speaker A:It's everybody.
Speaker A:It's a journey.
Speaker A:It takes a while.
Speaker A:I mean, it's very.
Speaker A:It's the most complex sport in the world.
Speaker A:It's the most difficult.
Speaker A:My opinion, I think it's the most difficult wrestling Jiu Jitsu.
Speaker A:But, like, I could come over to your place on a Monday and have wars with Colin and Trevor and you or whoever.
Speaker A:I leave, like, beat up emotionally on the inside.
Speaker A:I cry like a winner on the way home on the inside, but I'm not hurt.
Speaker A:I don't.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker A:I don't get hurt.
Speaker A:But when I go with, you know, you know, the new blue belt, you know, or the new purple belt, it's like, somehow my.
Speaker A:My knee gets ratched, I'm limping, my shoulder's messed up for a week, and it's like, ah, it's frustrating, but it's part of Jiu Jitsu, so.
Speaker A:So here, I'm gonna.
Speaker A:We're gonna kind of lay in the plane because, Kyle, you and I could talk probably for five hours.
Speaker A:We're both storytellers.
Speaker A:We're going to finish this with a story so that this is, you know, for those listening.
Speaker A:You're not going to see Kyle's screen.
Speaker A:You can go to YouTube and all the Facebooks and all that and see the video live down the road.
Speaker A:But he's got the word killer cargo.
Speaker A:So, Kyle, I mean, if you want to explain.
Speaker A:What does it mean to be killer cargo?
Speaker A:Where does this come from?
Speaker A:What does it mean?
Speaker A:I'll let you start and then I'll.
Speaker B:Piggyback off of it.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Okay, so I used to always wear cargo shorts, like, all the time.
Speaker B:Like, and, you know, I thought they were in fashion.
Speaker B:You know, I thought they were.
Speaker B:Apparently, they weren't.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:But you put a lot of stuff in those pockets, you know, I mean.
Speaker B:But anyways, Adam would pretty much relentlessly tease me about wearing cargo shorts all the time.
Speaker B:And we got asked to do a charity pro wrestling event.
Speaker B:But the cool thing was, is, like, yeah, you actually had to get, like, you know, whatever you call it like certified?
Speaker B:Yeah, license.
Speaker B:Just like a pro MMA fighter blood work and all that stuff.
Speaker B:So we are technically.
Speaker B:That was one more funny thing I can add to the resume that I'm a real.
Speaker B:I'm a legitimate fake wrestler.
Speaker B:Like a real pro fake wrestler.
Speaker B:So anyway, so we had to come up with names.
Speaker B:And since we were going against each other and for this char fighting for autism charity, I was like, yeah, man, I'm always down to help out.
Speaker B:I love doing stuff, you know, to, to help in the community.
Speaker B:But since you, you know, you made fun of my cargo shirts all the time and I was going up against you, I thought, man, that'd be perfect just to do some kind of play on words for that.
Speaker B:So I became my, my alter ego Killer Cargo.
Speaker A:And I was, I was the Thousand dollar man.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker A:So I go out, I go out to the ring and I squirrel were up with Kyle.
Speaker A:I take.
Speaker A:I don't remember.
Speaker A:I took a fake phone call in the ring.
Speaker A:I was the antagonist.
Speaker A:Everybody suing me.
Speaker A:I'm throwing fake dollar bills on people.
Speaker A:And then in the end, somehow, some way, Steve Berger got into the ring and did a, like a legit elbow drop and actually kind of hurt me.
Speaker A:I was kind of mad about that.
Speaker A:Kind of got hurt during that whole thing.
Speaker A:That was hilarious.
Speaker A:That was.
Speaker A:Let me ask you, do you have any cargo shorts in the arsenal?
Speaker B:I mean, I don't, man.
Speaker B:I. I'll be honest with you.
Speaker B:I retired them all.
Speaker B:I mean, I like all the, the teasing over the years while I am, you know, I feel like a certified tough guy.
Speaker B:I feel like I was deeply hurt on the inside for years, mentally and emotionally scarred.
Speaker B:So I.
Speaker B:All of my cargo shorts have since been retired.
Speaker B:So now I just wear regular old boring two pocket shorts.
Speaker A:Hey, listen, so you don't have Skittles and you probably don't have a floss in them.
Speaker A:I remember I'd be in California, anywhere, anywhere I'd see a pair of cargo shorts.
Speaker A:I'd always take a picture and send them to.
Speaker B:You're like, look, these are on sale.
Speaker B:I can get five for you.
Speaker A:All right, I'm going to ask you one final question.
Speaker A:I'll let you get back to work.
Speaker A:I know you're probably going to head to the gym.
Speaker A:So what is Kyle Watson want to be known for in the world of jiu jitsu?
Speaker A:What do you just want to be known for?
Speaker B:Yeah, I think kind of piggybacking off.
Speaker B:What I said earlier is I want to be known for like improving the most amount of lives.
Speaker B:And I said, I've said this on.
Speaker B:On previous podcasts.
Speaker B:And it's just kind of like when someone I've been asked before, like, what do I want my legacy to be?
Speaker B:And I think it's kind of the same thing.
Speaker B:It's kind of the idea that if you set out to try to make everybody that walks in your door, if you treat them like they need the attention that any white belt would need, whether they're a white belt or not, and then your goal is to make them a black belt, every single one of them, you treat them, not treat them like a white belt.
Speaker B:Like, looking down to them, I mean, treat them like a white belt.
Speaker B:Like they need to be handled a little bit more with kid gloves and taken care of and really nurtured and try to make every single one of them a black belt one day.
Speaker B:Because like I said earlier, the thing that I said was most meaningful and rewarding was seeing people become better versions of themselves.
Speaker B:And if you stay with jiu jitsu long enough, or just martial arts in general long enough, I think using a black belt as kind of a standard is awesome because there's no way it's not possible to become a black belt without completely changing yourself many times over.
Speaker B:Not a bad way.
Speaker B:I mean, in a way that you keep becoming that better version of yourself over and over and over and over.
Speaker B:So that by the time you're black belt, it's not like the learning's done and everything's over.
Speaker B:It's just that, man, you've had many evolutions of your best self.
Speaker B:And so if I could take every person that walked in the door and treat them with the care they need to get them to fall in love with martial arts and stay long enough to become a black belt, then that thing that I'm impassioned about the most, that.
Speaker B:That is the most meaningful to me is that I will have taken all of those people and allowed them to, many times over, become the best version of themselves.
Speaker A:Yeah, I absolutely love that.
Speaker A:And then if you think of the ripple effect, too, because if you're making that many people become better versions of themselves, how many people are they making better versions of themselves?
Speaker A:That just spirals out of control, man.
Speaker A:I love that a lot, dude.
Speaker A:That's awesome.
Speaker B:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker B:And I see that, you know, extending past the.
Speaker B:That's a goal of mine, too.
Speaker B:Is.
Speaker B:Is.
Speaker B:Is.
Speaker B:Is have that ripple effect extend past the gym walls so that it goes out into the community down in the world.
Speaker B:Because, like, man, when you start Treating people the way like, you know, we are, like, you know, on the.
Speaker B:On the mats.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker B:Not.
Speaker B:Not in the sense of, like, beating each other, but submitting each other.
Speaker B:But just like that constant growth mindset.
Speaker B:You will extend that to a lot of the things, like I said earlier.
Speaker B:You'll.
Speaker B:You'll make your diet better, you'll make yourself sleep better, you'll make your parenting better.
Speaker B:You'll make your relationship with your spouse better.
Speaker B:And so there's so many other cool things that go along with helping these people inside the gym that will, like, expand outside of the gym.
Speaker A:Well, I'll sound off on this note then.
Speaker A:You know, I want you to tell everybody how to follow you, but you've been the best coach I've ever had.
Speaker A:I mean, there's no question I've had a lot of coaches in a lot of different sports, but by far, there's no.
Speaker A:No one even comes close.
Speaker A:You've always been there.
Speaker A:You're available, you're accessible.
Speaker A:I mean, even having the student base that you have, you're still accessible.
Speaker A:And you've changed my life, man.
Speaker A:So I'm forever, eternally grateful for you, my brother.
Speaker A:How do people find you?
Speaker A:Where do you hang out on social the most?
Speaker A:And if somebody just wants to find you, if you're in the St. Louis area and you haven't been to Kyle's gym, you got to go to Kyle's gym.
Speaker A:It's real close to downtown.
Speaker A:So where do people find you, Kyle, and get a hold of you?
Speaker B:Yeah, as far as website, it's just watsonbjj.com as in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Speaker B:Watsonbj.com as far as Facebook, I'm not.
Speaker B:I mean, I'm on social media, but I do it a lot, just mainly for the gym and family.
Speaker B:I'm not on there, like, a ton.
Speaker B:Facebook, I probably use a little bit more.
Speaker B:Maybe because I'm old.
Speaker B:I don't know.
Speaker B:I hear it's not as hip anymore, but we're not that old.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So just Kyle Watson on Facebook, and then on Instagram, it's Watson Martial Arts.
Speaker A:Awesome.
Speaker A:Well, Kyle, thanks for taking the time.
Speaker A:I know you got a busy schedule, so.
Speaker A:No, I don't want to say that.
Speaker A:I know you have a very productive schedule, so.
Speaker A:Love you, brother.
Speaker A:Thanks for hanging out.
Speaker A:Do me a favor.
Speaker A:Hang backstage with me for just a couple minutes.
Speaker A:I want to go over one thing with you real quick.
Speaker A:And for those listening and those that got to watch, hopefully you found some value for my boy Kyle.
Speaker A:He's an inspiration.
Speaker A:Lots of stuff.
Speaker A:Lots of stuff shared today.
Speaker A:Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Humans that Build, where the whole goal is to become a better version of ourselves today for a more promising tomorrow.
Speaker A:I'll see you next week, my friend.
Speaker A:Humans that build.
Speaker A:Real people, real work.
Speaker A:See you next time.
Speaker A:It.
