[NEW EPISODE] Grindstone Mentality

Join Jeremiah and his guest, Wil Loushin as they discuss MMA and the entrepreneurial mindset.

Listen in to this energetic conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by clicking here.

Show Notes

Segment 1

Jeremiah has guest Will Loushin on today. The message of the week mentions how you need to position yourself so that you don't get knocked down, and this applies to MMA and business. Will is a gym owner, and he is an MMA trainer; he specifies that Grindstone Athletics in Virginia Beach gets you ready to fight.  After the short intro, the guys got chatting about their past experiences in some classes. Will was once a Marine and has plenty of combat experience.

Segment 2

Will is also a jiu-jitsu instructor, kids only. Will is originally from Colorado but ended up in Virginia. When he joined the military, he was 18, and after returning from combat, he met an MMA fighter. In 2013 Will's wife suggested that he get more involved in Jiu-Jitsu given that she noticed how much he loved it. He began by training kids and seeing how the jiu-jitsu provided income, opened his eyes to take the craft more seriously. 

Will opened grindstone four years ago but then covid hit and made things rough. Now things are getting back to normal, and their numbers are rising. Will was holding online classes for a while, via Zoom and he noticed that couples whose spouses didn't show interest at first are now training. As Will was setting up Grindstone, he luckily used the GI Bill funds to help fund the business. He made it clear that he isn't the sole proprietor; it's a group of them that own Grindstone.

Segment 3

Jeremiah wants to start an academy; he said that during the pandemic, he had a studio. Unfortunately, many schools closed during the pandemic. In Jeremiah's view, some that definitely should not have gone. He wants to open something that will mix fitness and martial arts. Everyone at the Grindstone gym is very passionate about the style they perform; Will says that the gym isn't a cookie-cutter gym. If there are people who don't fit Grindstone, the gym has the power to refuse admission. There is an old-school vibe to Grindstone; it's dirty and grungy. He emphasizes that he is passionate about MMA, not there to sell something. They are there to provide quality. Will says that when the uncertainty of the pandemic hit, that is when his Marine Corps training came in handy; instead of feeling sorry for himself, he was trying to find a solution.

Segment 4

Grindstone is the mentality of the gym, work hard. Focus and discipline are the two main things for Will that can be applied to many facets of life. Grindstone plans on moving to a bigger facility so that they can run multiple classes at the same time.

Transcript

00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:42.960 Jeremiah Fox: what's up what's up what's up party people in the House welcome welcome you listening to the entrepreneurial web i'm your host Jeremiah fox before we kick it off today when I mean kick it kick it.

00:00:44.670 --> 00:01:03.210 Jeremiah Fox: For I bring on my guest message of the week, this is something I just recently, many of you know and trading jujitsu and muy Thai for about just over six years now, but took my first MMA class last week proper ass weapon speaking of kicks.

00:01:04.710 --> 00:01:05.610 Jeremiah Fox: um anyway.

00:01:06.780 --> 00:01:10.620 Jeremiah Fox: This is something that the instructor said, and I am.

00:01:12.390 --> 00:01:16.740 Jeremiah Fox: venturing to guest my guest today will strongly agree with this, he said.

00:01:17.790 --> 00:01:27.090 Jeremiah Fox: If you want to win you don't come out and just try to win you don't come out and try to knock the other guy out you position yourself to win by becoming unbeatable.

00:01:27.930 --> 00:01:34.860 Jeremiah Fox: Then, your chances to win go way up applies in business as well don't let yourself get beat down.

00:01:35.250 --> 00:01:49.500 Jeremiah Fox: and your chances to succeed and whatever you're trying to do i'm going to go way up with that resume into Virginia beach Virginia day the place that I lived some 20 years ago welcoming to the show will machine what's up my man.

00:01:49.590 --> 00:01:51.780 Wil Loushin: hey what's up thanks for having me on man.

00:01:52.620 --> 00:01:54.960 Jeremiah Fox: So, what are your thoughts on that quote.

00:01:55.830 --> 00:02:04.140 Wil Loushin: I think it's an awesome quote if you're if you know that your defenses set so well that you don't have to worry about losing, then you can just focus on getting.

00:02:04.500 --> 00:02:12.600 Wil Loushin: The submission or the the knockout if you're not worried about an offense, then you can focus on the offense and you know the Defense is going to be there when you need it so.

00:02:13.980 --> 00:02:15.120 Wil Loushin: set yourself up to win.

00:02:15.780 --> 00:02:23.670 Jeremiah Fox: Exactly exactly so like I said I just you know, took my first MMA class and we're talking that hands those headquarters in midtown.

00:02:23.880 --> 00:02:24.420 yeah.

00:02:25.980 --> 00:02:28.560 Wil Loushin: Take your first class i'm good.

00:02:28.650 --> 00:02:38.220 Jeremiah Fox: I got six years of prep you know in in muay Thai and kickboxing and jujitsu but yeah I just was not prepared for those first couple classes and just.

00:02:38.970 --> 00:02:49.770 Jeremiah Fox: The you know they're pro fighters in there and just get her iceman even with the Shin pads and like nothing hurt it's just jarring you're just like yo I just got punched in the face.

00:02:51.840 --> 00:03:07.140 Wil Loushin: But there everybody's all pumped up after the who's number one championship, since we end and the UFC fights this weekend I mean it was an impact weekend of fighting so now, you get back in the gym and people ready to go yeah first start your class.

00:03:07.590 --> 00:03:13.560 Jeremiah Fox: And a lot of these guys have fights coming up there's a lot of a lot of stuff going down regionally throughout the Northeast.

00:03:14.040 --> 00:03:26.700 Jeremiah Fox: From now through December I these guys, some of them were in camps already and they're like they're taking every advantage it's like oh that's nice it's your first day it's Nice that you're 45 years old, starting MMA i'm going to kick your ass oh.

00:03:27.870 --> 00:03:38.790 Wil Loushin: yeah I mean we got the Novi world's coming up next weekend so everybody's everybody's training hard for that last last few a hard training session so we don't want to take any of that time off so.

00:03:39.810 --> 00:03:59.580 Jeremiah Fox: So with that we have to give everybody your background, I will hear as a gym owner is Jiu jitsu and MMA coach so give everybody, just a quick back story on on your spots and also a former trading partner, my bros Nino that one's shout out Jacob fox that pinch appaloosa.

00:03:59.880 --> 00:04:05.490 Wil Loushin: yeah so we got grindstone athletics in Virginia beach Virginia we're just a like.

00:04:07.350 --> 00:04:15.000 Wil Loushin: A champion level martial arts studio we don't it's not a jujitsu place it's a if you want to come to fight so we got more time we have to know ye grappling.

00:04:15.660 --> 00:04:21.240 Wil Loushin: pretty much if you want to become an MMA fighter, you want to become a striker or a rattler this great place to be, we also have the.

00:04:21.780 --> 00:04:27.420 Wil Loushin: All the strength and conditioning, that you would ever need we got all the weights, we got other stones and the kettle bells and.

00:04:28.350 --> 00:04:36.990 Wil Loushin: rollers everything that you need to become a full level fighter we don't focus on like the traditional style martial arts so we're not in a GI ever.

00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:57.570 Wil Loushin: we're not in I taekwondo or at karate D, we are strictly you put on the the sweats you put on the rash guards and we just we hit extremely hard so that's grindstone athletics in Virginia beach, and then I also trained under Scott oats were taken balls to train at Virginia beach.

00:04:58.770 --> 00:05:03.060 Wil Loushin: Virginia beach jujitsu right right down the road from grindstone so.

00:05:03.090 --> 00:05:05.910 Jeremiah Fox: Nice so grindstone is in and Kim spell as well.

00:05:06.390 --> 00:05:11.190 Wil Loushin: I know it's a it's just right down the road on princess and in which does so.

00:05:11.310 --> 00:05:22.590 Wil Loushin: Like which relief I dry I teach the kids class at Virginia beach at until six and I drive right over on teaching class at 630 at the grindstone so that's right there.

00:05:22.920 --> 00:05:30.150 Jeremiah Fox: yeah it's interesting because my grandfather owned a house on that that street just a couple blocks down from.

00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:30.540 Like.

00:05:31.590 --> 00:05:49.170 Jeremiah Fox: Like 70 years or something crazy like that close to I think he bought the House again maybe like 60 I think he bought the House in the 16th on princess and just you know going towards more from oh i'm like there was a two lane road with nothing on it and then like.

00:05:49.320 --> 00:05:53.100 Jeremiah Fox: And now yeah it flourish and for haha now, there was a half jujitsu.

00:05:54.270 --> 00:06:00.510 Jeremiah Fox: Yes, yeah I I trained, it was a kaizen still they still call it that.

00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:03.180 Wil Loushin: I know that's what so it started as kaizen and.

00:06:03.180 --> 00:06:03.570 Wil Loushin: Then.

00:06:03.720 --> 00:06:05.850 Wil Loushin: It got bigger became Virginia beach jujitsu.

00:06:06.090 --> 00:06:15.240 Jeremiah Fox: gotcha so I trained at it years ago when it was kaizen still just one time got a proper ass weapon and I it's funny I just gotta go ahead.

00:06:15.450 --> 00:06:19.710 Wil Loushin: Is a small little space, then right just that one small little space or didn't have the bigger.

00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:27.990 Jeremiah Fox: The bigger didn't know it had the bigger one so when you first came in, they just like kids classes on the small matt and then you go into the bigger room, but the signs still said kaizen.

00:06:28.050 --> 00:06:28.560 Jeremiah Fox: I don't know.

00:06:29.280 --> 00:06:40.530 Jeremiah Fox: If that was if that was a rap already but um it was funny I just gotten my blue belt like two weeks before, so I come in there and it was the first time I trained at another school I didn't know I started.

00:06:41.730 --> 00:06:44.250 Jeremiah Fox: I was like four I should have brought the white bouche.

00:06:44.310 --> 00:06:46.080 Jeremiah Fox: To that school yeah I mean.

00:06:46.290 --> 00:06:50.220 Wil Loushin: that's the that's the problem with getting promoted like you get treated like that.

00:06:50.520 --> 00:06:51.870 Jeremiah Fox: right away so right away.

00:06:52.290 --> 00:07:01.530 Wil Loushin: And you're like i'm gonna treat this like a white belt as soon like I don't know how much I don't know if you're almost getting ready for purple belt blue belt or you just got it so you get treated the same way.

00:07:01.770 --> 00:07:04.200 Jeremiah Fox: Everybody thought I was getting ready to get the purple belts.

00:07:04.230 --> 00:07:11.100 Jeremiah Fox: And they just I was the MOP head and they were the janitor and I got very familiar with the floor in there.

00:07:12.420 --> 00:07:19.170 Wil Loushin: So funny story when I was the general manager of Virginia beach Virginia, who do you just do we had a guy come in right and then he forgot it he didn't have a geek so.

00:07:19.770 --> 00:07:32.820 Wil Loushin: We had loner DS and then we just handed him our White belt he puts on the swype oh so everybody starts to roll they give the slap off and they're like kind of going Nice and easy trying to see what and he's a brown belt so he's just like.

00:07:33.600 --> 00:07:39.720 Wil Loushin: we're like whoa whoa whoa we got to catch up to this guy so I was like you know i'm not gonna do that anymore, so I take one of the white belts.

00:07:40.410 --> 00:07:57.120 Wil Loushin: I bring it home and I get some blue dye I get some purple dying and some brown eyes and black I put all the colors so now it's called the mystery dog so treat this guy like you don't know what he knows so nobody gets caught with a white belt who's actually a brown belt anymore.

00:07:57.660 --> 00:08:04.950 Jeremiah Fox: that's really awesome I earned it and hence I was before I started training there that a guy came in and forgot his belt and he was a purple belt.

00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:15.690 Jeremiah Fox: And they just like reached in the band and they're like well how many purple seals a blue belt and he went in training, he got promoted to purple belt again like oh good job come to the front, we have something.

00:08:17.970 --> 00:08:22.440 Jeremiah Fox: No, no, no, no, they were like good job you go now you're going to get heel hooks.

00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:24.960 Wil Loushin: that's great.

00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:33.090 Jeremiah Fox: So I noticed on your instagram feed we use like the heel hooks he was like to do the leg locks.

00:08:33.270 --> 00:08:43.380 Wil Loushin: yeah i'm pretty i've been on the leg lock game since way back so now that it's coming around it's it's nice to see everybody else kind of doing it as well.

00:08:43.650 --> 00:08:44.430 Jeremiah Fox: my brother still.

00:08:44.790 --> 00:08:46.200 Wil Loushin: surpassing when I know, though.

00:08:46.230 --> 00:08:50.730 Wil Loushin: So I was doing it when nobody knew, so it was easy now keen to can help.

00:08:50.760 --> 00:08:51.510 Wil Loushin: guide you.

00:08:51.990 --> 00:09:01.950 Jeremiah Fox: tell you what being in his room, even though Dan has moved on now there's there's so many guys that are so great at it um why my brother was not like the leg locks he was not like.

00:09:03.540 --> 00:09:04.230 Jeremiah Fox: I don't know.

00:09:05.280 --> 00:09:10.170 Wil Loushin: i'm not I don't understand people say it's dangerous but, honestly, like, I fear the Camorra, more than anything.

00:09:10.500 --> 00:09:10.890 Jeremiah Fox: Right.

00:09:11.790 --> 00:09:15.180 Wil Loushin: If I catch your heel and pinch your knees you're going to be like okay.

00:09:15.690 --> 00:09:23.430 Wil Loushin: yeah i've seen people fight tooth and nail on that Camorra and all sudden just pops up and drops behind the back and it's like.

00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:33.750 Wil Loushin: On one full force this way you're going full force the other way and as soon as you let go i'm bringing it behind your back in over your head before you can tap so it's right on scares me.

00:09:34.080 --> 00:09:44.730 Jeremiah Fox: yeah I agree i've gotten caught in a couple of those really quick ones lately, and I got I got choked unconscious recently to like fully i've gotten like really close but I wouldn't like out recently.

00:09:45.090 --> 00:09:45.720 Jeremiah Fox: And I have I.

00:09:46.470 --> 00:09:48.840 Jeremiah Fox: Have a new respect for the cross collar.

00:09:51.390 --> 00:09:55.800 Jeremiah Fox: Yes, it came on quick, I was cool I was like it was funny because I was going to tap like.

00:09:56.280 --> 00:10:03.990 Jeremiah Fox: My hands were tied up and I was raising my leg to do like the foot tats yeah I mean it's just there, I remember raising my leg and I never came down, I guess, and.

00:10:04.830 --> 00:10:12.450 Jeremiah Fox: I thought I fainted I didn't know what happened in there over me like shaking my legs and i'm like i'm like I passed out and like normal time it's not it's like.

00:10:14.370 --> 00:10:17.520 Jeremiah Fox: I know it's funny because it was such a great feeling like once I realized like nothing.

00:10:17.520 --> 00:10:23.730 Jeremiah Fox: Bad happened, I was so refresh I can't remember feeling that awakened alive.

00:10:24.120 --> 00:10:24.480 Wil Loushin: You know.

00:10:24.540 --> 00:10:30.360 Jeremiah Fox: Recent history, I was like there's time on the clock still let's go and they're like Okay, and I like hot I finished around.

00:10:30.540 --> 00:10:34.260 Wil Loushin: about that, like how did you feel I bet you woke up feeling.

00:10:34.260 --> 00:10:36.210 Jeremiah Fox: walking amazing.

00:10:37.110 --> 00:10:41.130 Jeremiah Fox: I felt like I was like 15 again, you know it's just like what.

00:10:42.180 --> 00:10:43.410 Jeremiah Fox: ric flair man.

00:10:44.220 --> 00:10:45.390 Wil Loushin: Up i'm like full look.

00:10:45.420 --> 00:10:52.470 Jeremiah Fox: yeah but there was that moment, where I was like that, because I, it was my third session that day I did I did the morning class at his.

00:10:52.470 --> 00:11:03.690 Jeremiah Fox: nose I did a park workout with some friends of mine, and then I went to gregory's I interviewed his business partner, and it was before the interview, and they were having a noon class sounds like okay I brought a GI hopped on.

00:11:04.440 --> 00:11:09.090 Jeremiah Fox: hour and a half in, and I was like I passed out I just like I overdid it and, like not.

00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.050 Jeremiah Fox: So once I realized that it wasn't that there was a moment of panic.

00:11:13.470 --> 00:11:14.610 Jeremiah Fox: You know where I was like.

00:11:14.610 --> 00:11:19.980 Jeremiah Fox: shit like an old man passed out there, like now, you did you old man didn't tap and I was like.

00:11:23.220 --> 00:11:24.000 Wil Loushin: talking earlier.

00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:31.530 Jeremiah Fox: Well it's funny because right before that I was I didn't know any of these guys, either because not my regular gym yeah I was trying to the guy right before that he was a blue belt.

00:11:31.830 --> 00:11:37.920 Jeremiah Fox: And he's trying to do like this, like a bow and arrow variation, but it was all off and he's yanked in and i'm just looking at him.

00:11:38.280 --> 00:11:49.500 Jeremiah Fox: And he finally was like aren't you concerned, and I was like well no it's not a joint lock I was like even if you had it worst thing that would happen is I go to sleep, but you don't have it and I we corrected it and I tapped and then the next round.

00:11:49.530 --> 00:11:59.340 Jeremiah Fox: He was like man I can't go into sleep, the next round I get choked out his eyes were this big when I came to he's like you weren't playing, and I was like nah man he'll he'll one.

00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:03.990 Wil Loushin: that's hilarious man good times good times.

00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:14.010 Jeremiah Fox: So before we go to our first break i'm curious, how did you end up in martial arts and we'll talk further about how it became like a profession, but what was the thing that got you I know you were you're a marine.

00:12:14.370 --> 00:12:18.450 Jeremiah Fox: I know, and you have some you have lots of combat background, was it something other than that.

00:12:19.050 --> 00:12:29.340 Wil Loushin: i'm not really I mean I wrestled in high school, I was a pretty decent wrestler I actually sucked like my freshman and sophomore year I don't think I want a single match and all sudden.

00:12:30.060 --> 00:12:40.470 Wil Loushin: Someone having my junior I started doing real good and then my my senior junior do really good in my senior year I did I didn't I was like 35 I know or something like that, so I went on.

00:12:40.830 --> 00:12:41.340 Wil Loushin: The corner.

00:12:41.820 --> 00:12:56.160 Wil Loushin: And then kind of just got into Judo a little bit to to help, and then I joined the Marine corps and I ran into somebody actually the guy who started kaizen I ran into him, he was a Staff Sergeant and I just got into the same unit and I went out and watch one of his fights.

00:12:57.180 --> 00:13:01.650 Wil Loushin: I want to do that he was an MMA fighter and just kind of snowballed from there gotcha.

00:13:02.040 --> 00:13:04.950 Jeremiah Fox: Did you grow up in the area or did you go to school elsewhere.

00:13:05.220 --> 00:13:07.050 Wil Loushin: Now i'm originally from Colorado.

00:13:07.230 --> 00:13:10.740 Jeremiah Fox: So Okay, and you ended up i'm assuming because of the military and.

00:13:10.920 --> 00:13:12.540 Wil Loushin: The military and.

00:13:12.630 --> 00:13:19.980 Wil Loushin: me up here i've been on here a few times there's a security force company that's out here that I been a part of a couple times so.

00:13:20.400 --> 00:13:26.310 Jeremiah Fox: Okay awesome nice cool so we're going to take our first break we come back we'll talk about more I like.

00:13:26.550 --> 00:13:33.780 Jeremiah Fox: It turned professional because a lot of people don't they're not successful were taking something like we just saw this we're passionate about it and you're like.

00:13:34.080 --> 00:13:41.370 Jeremiah Fox: Well, how do we make this legit how do I make money off of this, which is not always an easy task so hang tight everybody we're going to pick back up with that and just a few.

00:15:59.790 --> 00:16:06.510 Jeremiah Fox: Alright folks welcome back if you're just tuning in you're listening to the entrepreneurial web on your host Jeremiah fox today with zoom into Virginia beach Virginia.

00:16:07.410 --> 00:16:17.430 Jeremiah Fox: talking to will machine he's a gym owner there of grindstone athletics, which is the MMA focus gym he's also a martial arts instructor you still teaching at Virginia beach jujitsu.

00:16:17.790 --> 00:16:18.750 Wil Loushin: yeah just to kids, though.

00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:21.060 Jeremiah Fox: yeah so that's the sweet spot.

00:16:22.290 --> 00:16:28.080 Jeremiah Fox: Because they can do anything I love it I taught a bunch of kids at the last place that I was that I would teach adults and kids and the kids fearless.

00:16:28.290 --> 00:16:38.190 Jeremiah Fox: You can try to teach your break fall under like a 50 year old man he's like i'm doing it man like like backflip and into it and they're sprawls are amazing kids are amazing I love it.

00:16:39.060 --> 00:16:48.000 Wil Loushin: I agree, and I also think it takes them right person and it takes somebody who who knows how to break down their technique, all the way to the very, very anybody I gets.

00:16:48.420 --> 00:16:59.520 Wil Loushin: traded and then I use some of those little keynotes to teach my adult sometimes like I got a little theories like chasing the candy bar and, like all these little things did is that I give the little kids i'm like hey she's candy bar in the get it.

00:16:59.850 --> 00:17:00.180 Jeremiah Fox: So yeah.

00:17:00.510 --> 00:17:06.480 Wil Loushin: This one I teach my kids so if it helps you, and then a lot of people come on like to do that helped a lot like a 40 year old man Jason candy bar.

00:17:06.810 --> 00:17:13.110 Jeremiah Fox: Exactly no I teaching kids in, for I taught more kids and adults, you know when I would go into the adult class.

00:17:13.320 --> 00:17:25.920 Jeremiah Fox: You know you switch gears a little bit, but like sometimes you don't have to sometimes that little nugget from the kids class or we do these these drills and i'd be like yeah we totally got to make the adults to this because, first of all it's gonna be funny.

00:17:27.870 --> 00:17:34.200 Jeremiah Fox: But it's going to help them, ultimately, and just you know break down those barriers that prevented ones from.

00:17:34.710 --> 00:17:46.800 Jeremiah Fox: Being their best at jujitsu so we were talking in the first segment I you know you were in the military and marines ended up in in the in the marine that military capital, the east coast.

00:17:48.090 --> 00:17:53.100 Jeremiah Fox: And and and saw you started training, you had some combat experience saw some.

00:17:53.760 --> 00:18:10.260 Jeremiah Fox: Some live training system and then day I want to do that got into training and at a certain point you transitions from being just a student to to actually monetizing that passion um were you in like the military like young like a lot of people come in, like 18 1920 years old.

00:18:11.070 --> 00:18:11.490 yeah.

00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:18.750 Wil Loushin: So I came in, when I was 18 I just I went to the infantry did the inventory thing for a while, but then after.

00:18:19.710 --> 00:18:27.870 Wil Loushin: My deployments to Iraq with the invasion and then we went back and then I got orders out here to a training commands so I was just teaching.

00:18:28.260 --> 00:18:39.330 Wil Loushin: So op tempo went from like just slammed you didn't have any type of like social life to I got out here, I was teaching throughout the day but i'd be done by like 4pm so.

00:18:39.780 --> 00:18:56.160 Wil Loushin: I ran into a an MMA fighter, he was established already he was an instructor to so we just started training, together we kind of put together this little amateur team, so we just trained together we all did pretty well and then I and eventually went pro as an MMA fighter.

00:18:57.180 --> 00:19:08.610 Wil Loushin: While I was still in the marine corps so that's pretty much all the money, I made doing jujitsu are doing MMA for a while and then I went back to the fleet deployed a whole bunch more times and in 2000 and.

00:19:09.660 --> 00:19:16.470 Wil Loushin: was like 13 I think I got sent down to Guantanamo Bay, to be the operations chief so I was in charge of the fence line security but.

00:19:17.880 --> 00:19:29.910 Wil Loushin: My wife was like wow you're really good at jujitsu you love it instead of just training people here and there, why don't you like form like an actual school, so I actually went through like the Marine corps, like the.

00:19:30.990 --> 00:19:37.410 Wil Loushin: nw are so the morale welfare and recreation League and was like hey I want to do, I want to teach you jitsu I got all these are my credentials.

00:19:38.040 --> 00:19:48.450 Wil Loushin: So they started like they sign up kids we had kids class in adult Class three times a week and that's when I first started actually running a program and we actually had, I think, like.

00:19:48.960 --> 00:20:02.430 Wil Loushin: 20 some kids and about 15 to 20 adults at almost every class, so it was pretty it was That was my first experience running a program running especially something where money's coming in, so now, I feel obligated it's not even like hey guys want to go train it's like.

00:20:02.610 --> 00:20:09.900 Wil Loushin: yeah either now so that's what I that's where I started, and then I eventually retired move back up to Virginia and.

00:20:11.730 --> 00:20:13.350 Wil Loushin: I was helping.

00:20:14.850 --> 00:20:30.570 Wil Loushin: Virginia beach jujitsu while I was in the marine corps and then as soon as I got out like a higher is like their general manager slash kids combat or the the competition instructor and then did that, for a little while I learned a lot as just a general manager like i'm trying to learn.

00:20:31.860 --> 00:20:38.700 Wil Loushin: Through everybody else's mistakes and everybody else's business and using their money, before I like this is what i'm going to do so i'm like.

00:20:39.870 --> 00:20:51.210 Wil Loushin: I wouldn't do that I wouldn't do this, maybe I would be that differently, making a lot of little mental notes when it's everybody else's money and it gets played So when I start my thing I I knew what I wanted so.

00:20:51.840 --> 00:20:56.070 Jeremiah Fox: that's a good move I did a bit of that, but I still made a shit ton of mistakes along the way.

00:20:56.370 --> 00:21:13.020 Jeremiah Fox: yeah but but I had the same kind of training ground in terms of business, where I was the GM for a number of like small companies and got to see you know how they do things and like oh I wouldn't do that or that's a really good idea.

00:21:13.170 --> 00:21:14.820 Wil Loushin: yeah taking those notes.

00:21:15.060 --> 00:21:17.400 Jeremiah Fox: um so when did you open grindstone.

00:21:17.730 --> 00:21:20.970 Wil Loushin: And grandsons been open for about four years now.

00:21:21.210 --> 00:21:25.920 Jeremiah Fox: Okay, so i'm sure you open pre pandemic had some of that tree pandemic success.

00:21:26.250 --> 00:21:28.980 Wil Loushin: Yes, and then all sudden he was like.

00:21:29.790 --> 00:21:32.970 Wil Loushin: Oh yeah that was that was rough That was really tough.

00:21:33.090 --> 00:21:33.570 Jeremiah Fox: sure.

00:21:34.230 --> 00:21:44.100 Wil Loushin: For a while I mean I think we're doing well now but I don't I still don't think we're back to where we were i'm not 100% on the numbers but we're getting we're pretty much there but.

00:21:45.600 --> 00:21:57.630 Wil Loushin: Oh man I don't know where we would have been with like, where we could be without that that little pause but i'm just saying yeah that that's kind of over people are starting to not be so afraid of it so we're we're we're getting our numbers back up pretty well.

00:21:58.110 --> 00:22:11.970 Jeremiah Fox: that's great to hear it's been similar like the restaurant industry's been saying all and we're not quite back and there's the fear thing but man jim's got it worse, I mean, at least we could do take out, you know how do you do, how do you take out fitness.

00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:15.240 Wil Loushin: yeah well, we did it we actually did online classes for a.

00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:15.630 Jeremiah Fox: While.

00:22:15.750 --> 00:22:21.180 Wil Loushin: Well, we had people that were asking if we could so we're doing like almost like zoom meeting.

00:22:21.180 --> 00:22:21.750 Jeremiah Fox: cloud yeah.

00:22:22.890 --> 00:22:34.680 Wil Loushin: instructional so like I was just trying to do like what kind of drills would I do if it was just me, so I was, I had to like flip flops on the floor, and I was doing footwork with just some flip flops is my name is crazy we're.

00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:45.750 Wil Loushin: doing all sorts of creative things to try and get the work and people, people were like punching their little pillows or whatever they grab the cushion and punch out what is it was bad.

00:22:46.860 --> 00:22:57.060 Wil Loushin: spouses and finally got into it, that we were trying to like hey the husband would come in and train three times a week in the spouse will come here once in a while watching will jump on the mats and now.

00:22:57.630 --> 00:23:02.730 Wil Loushin: Since they were forced to be at home or like she's holding the the bad now she wants to punch it so.

00:23:04.380 --> 00:23:08.190 Wil Loushin: they've actually started we've had a couple of people where she didn't want it, and now she's in training.

00:23:09.420 --> 00:23:09.900 Jeremiah Fox: yeah.

00:23:10.890 --> 00:23:21.180 Jeremiah Fox: it's I mean it yeah we've been forced to find like silver lining like that and, and you know kudos to you for getting creative and and going after it, I know a lot of places that didn't do that.

00:23:22.110 --> 00:23:30.150 Jeremiah Fox: And that you know it has brought people in that normally wouldn't have or you got to see who was really dedicated like all the people that like.

00:23:30.600 --> 00:23:42.000 Jeremiah Fox: i've been I was with a group of like 15 or 20 guys through the entire pandemic, we were like we are training regardless like I trained a motorcycle shop, I mean I tried all kinds of crazy places.

00:23:42.360 --> 00:24:00.060 Jeremiah Fox: And it was just like no, these are the these are your this is your crew right here, this is your I don't know what would be the Akin in the military like your your your your yeah your squad like these guys got you know we got each other's back and and we got through it um.

00:24:01.170 --> 00:24:05.370 Jeremiah Fox: What was I gonna say um what you know, going from you being.

00:24:07.080 --> 00:24:16.860 Jeremiah Fox: Like the GM at at at Virginia beach jujitsu Trent transitioning to grindstone like how long did that take how long were you just working.

00:24:17.520 --> 00:24:30.960 Jeremiah Fox: At Virginia beach Jiu jitsu and and what was like not in terms of like actual dollars, you know, but what was funding like like really where you work in like an extra side job to like put money away, did you have money put away were you able to budget.

00:24:31.560 --> 00:24:43.620 Wil Loushin: yeah So while I was at Virginia beach jujitsu and then, as I was transitioning and trying to get grindstone the grindstone program up and everything we I was actually using my GI bill.

00:24:44.670 --> 00:24:52.560 Wil Loushin: Through so it's the it's I can't remember what it's called now but, basically, I was going to school, so they were paying me like 20 $500 a month, just to go to school.

00:24:53.010 --> 00:24:59.310 Wil Loushin: And I was not doing great in class, because I was just like I just need to have this on paper that i'm doing school.

00:25:00.150 --> 00:25:10.080 Wil Loushin: Well, that was my focus, I was i've missed so much class, because I was like man, this is just basically like a job that I don't even have to go to I already had a degree somewhere else on like.

00:25:11.220 --> 00:25:20.460 Wil Loushin: i'm just gonna bite the bullet and be like i'm gonna be doing really bad in these classes, so I did that that was where my income was coming from my wife she's got a pretty pretty good job so.

00:25:20.790 --> 00:25:32.790 Wil Loushin: We were doing well there, but we were able to and then just surrounded myself with the right people I got a great muy Thai guy got a great like so everybody there we we all own IT and it's so it's not just my business.

00:25:32.910 --> 00:25:42.030 Wil Loushin: Right, whatever the right people who also have the passion, the heart the work ethic the drive and and they also have their side things that.

00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:51.480 Wil Loushin: They don't take away from from what we need to need to do there's some people were you like trying to get into a business with them, but they have so much going on everywhere else it.

00:25:52.050 --> 00:26:06.360 Wil Loushin: I don't want that I don't want my business with you to be like your fourth year fourth priority so it's like it is my first priority and it's Your fourth then i'm going to be doing a lot more work and that kind of goes like I don't want to be in that situation so.

00:26:08.730 --> 00:26:23.340 Wil Loushin: It wasn't as difficult, I mean it was scary it was like a leap of faith, I guess, but um it was exciting was very exciting because it's first time I mean with the being in the military, it was everything was.

00:26:23.850 --> 00:26:30.900 Wil Loushin: Like directed like this is what you're going to do this, how you're going to do it, I can go find a manual and be like all right, well, I need to figure out how to do this everything's written down somewhere.

00:26:31.410 --> 00:26:44.400 Wil Loushin: You have to be able to find it, and now it just it was the same way, I always had Somebody tell me how to do the technique what techniques, I should learn I would give my curriculum to somebody review now it's like this is yours like good.

00:26:45.600 --> 00:26:53.670 Wil Loushin: Good luck take care of it it's like Okay, here we go so there's no more asking questions, it was kind of like I gotta I gotta do what I need to do.

00:26:54.420 --> 00:27:05.220 Wil Loushin: But at the same time, I know people in the Community, where, if I had an issue I could be like hey What would you do in this situation, but ultimately it's my decision so that's the that's the scariest part I guess.

00:27:05.700 --> 00:27:10.620 Jeremiah Fox: Now great great does it does some gems yeah I never got that entrepreneurial handbook either.

00:27:10.710 --> 00:27:11.010 i'm like.

00:27:12.300 --> 00:27:14.460 Jeremiah Fox: where's the net that's supposed to catch me if.

00:27:15.030 --> 00:27:15.810 Jeremiah Fox: I don't see it.

00:27:16.440 --> 00:27:18.960 Wil Loushin: right next to the one where they're supposed to give you when you have a kid like.

00:27:19.020 --> 00:27:19.290 This is.

00:27:21.060 --> 00:27:21.540 Wil Loushin: This the same.

00:27:22.650 --> 00:27:31.230 Jeremiah Fox: I think the kids the kids are scarier to me, then, then the businesses I open a business overnight and don't care anymore, but kids oh my God, I have another one.

00:27:33.720 --> 00:27:49.440 Jeremiah Fox: um it's almost like fighting to write like that that kind of like you don't know what's gonna happen yeah but you'd like you have to you have to find out yeah we're doing this anyways right I kind of I mean i've never I haven't I haven't hopped in the cage or anything so.

00:27:49.650 --> 00:27:59.070 Wil Loushin: yeah that clink of the doors shutting is like who here like walking up to the cage like Why am I doing this Why am I doing Why am I doing this, why did I do this, why did I do the whole time.

00:27:59.580 --> 00:28:04.440 Wil Loushin: And then you get in there and it kind of like no i'm This is my home so it's almost the same thing I gotta.

00:28:05.220 --> 00:28:10.650 Wil Loushin: go into that gym i'm like oh Why am I doing this oh my God and then I walk in the gym it's like this is home, I know.

00:28:10.950 --> 00:28:22.380 Wil Loushin: I feel safe, I feel comfortable like I i'm good here but it's that walk there or that walk up to it when you're like oh my God everything's everything's wrong who's gonna fall apart and you get there and it's kind of calming yeah.

00:28:22.440 --> 00:28:28.200 Jeremiah Fox: There I think they say, the first step is always the hardest, yes, yes, getting a momentum, and I agree, I have.

00:28:28.530 --> 00:28:42.300 Jeremiah Fox: Partners everywhere, I don't do anything alone strategic alliances and having that in really good workflow and we're all all of us are involved in so many things, but we know what to bring to what table.

00:28:42.480 --> 00:28:43.110 Wil Loushin: Yes, and it's.

00:28:43.290 --> 00:28:43.530 Jeremiah Fox: Okay.

00:28:43.710 --> 00:28:50.790 Jeremiah Fox: As long as that as long as you have that understanding you build this great foundation, and you can just keep you can keep going and going and going and.

00:28:51.450 --> 00:28:59.040 Jeremiah Fox: When that happens it's really go all right we're going to take another break everybody don't go nowhere we're going to get a fight back in a minute.

00:31:40.500 --> 00:31:50.910 Jeremiah Fox: Welcome back everybody again you're listening to the entrepreneurial web i'm your host here at my foxy Virginia beach Virginia today talking to grindstone athletics, yes I got it right.

00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:54.990 Jeremiah Fox: Okay sounds a lot of words in there was hard to remember all that stuff's.

00:31:55.710 --> 00:32:04.230 Jeremiah Fox: grindstone athletics owner will do she's also a martial arts instructor at Virginia beach jujitsu we talking about his time in the marines.

00:32:04.950 --> 00:32:20.400 Jeremiah Fox: transitioning from a general manager Virginia beach jujitsu into opening his own school which emphasizes mixed martial arts so you're not going to see any guys wearing pajamas and there was only going to be maybe some bare chested men's.

00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:27.480 Jeremiah Fox: And and some tight shorts and a mouthpiece and that was all you have to wear their.

00:32:28.320 --> 00:32:28.980 Wil Loushin: I will tell us.

00:32:29.790 --> 00:32:39.870 Jeremiah Fox: What the answer was I had to do that for Jacob bella's from the train with my brother um and and he came on our on our instagram live this or brothers odd cast.

00:32:40.620 --> 00:32:52.050 Jeremiah Fox: And we had a great time but always fascinated so the premise of this show is entrepreneurship, but if I can rope in fitness and martial arts and find a guy that does all of it full on that was.

00:32:53.100 --> 00:32:54.180 Jeremiah Fox: was touched my heart.

00:32:54.270 --> 00:33:07.230 Jeremiah Fox: trifecta yes that's where we're at today on so it's such a it's such a pleasure to throw it out there, like I just got out of a clubhouse i'm a business clubhouse room where I was the.

00:33:08.970 --> 00:33:23.190 Jeremiah Fox: topic of discussion for the day about food again like I I will open an academy like i've never said that I don't know if i've ever said that on the show, but for all of you like, I will open a school, one day, I have a studio.

00:33:23.430 --> 00:33:23.820 Wil Loushin: down.

00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:24.720 Jeremiah Fox: There yeah.

00:33:24.990 --> 00:33:27.990 Jeremiah Fox: No, I started a studio in the middle of the pandemic.

00:33:28.800 --> 00:33:35.130 Jeremiah Fox: Because there were guys that you know, not with the guys that I trained with before because we're all like the same level i'm not gonna like.

00:33:35.400 --> 00:33:47.340 Jeremiah Fox: It well that's that's kind of like not cool you know, so it benefited them because the money, I made from teaching beginners especially like mainly not so much Jiu jitsu but definitely more Thai and just general fitness.

00:33:48.000 --> 00:33:55.020 Jeremiah Fox: cover the cost of the whole thing and then allowed the other guys my my jujitsu seniors to come in and like just.

00:33:55.770 --> 00:34:03.870 Jeremiah Fox: Just come in and train and have fun, the whole point was just to keep it going, but now like there's so many schools closed around us, I don't know if the same is true i'm.

00:34:04.260 --> 00:34:12.360 Jeremiah Fox: in Virginia, but Jesus man who they were first of all, there were a lot of schools there's probably oversaturation schools and restaurants in New York, it was like it was bananas.

00:34:12.570 --> 00:34:14.190 Jeremiah Fox: And some of them left and some of them.

00:34:14.400 --> 00:34:22.140 Jeremiah Fox: should have gone and we lost some that should should not have some that were like like the school that I was at this is one of their old shirts, it was.

00:34:22.890 --> 00:34:32.100 Jeremiah Fox: Winter terrorist is a neighborhood was called son dojo five doors down from my restaurant, you know always just had a bag packed and ready to go anytime there was a free moment boom.

00:34:32.340 --> 00:34:40.620 Jeremiah Fox: i'm going into train and it was just such a great place for the Community, it was locally owned by a couple they were both black belts their kids went to school with arcades.

00:34:40.860 --> 00:34:50.580 Jeremiah Fox: Every like they were just amazing people I did just took the Community from here to here and like it would have kept just it would have gone so much farther.

00:34:51.240 --> 00:34:56.250 Jeremiah Fox: And unfortunately, was the second school that they lost they lost one to a natural disaster.

00:34:57.180 --> 00:35:12.450 Jeremiah Fox: Via sandy hurricane sandy back in 2012 they were like right on the water and the rockaways that's right now the second it's like how many meetings to take you know it's tough it's tough um and this had no insight and we'll get back to that in just a minute, but um.

00:35:15.330 --> 00:35:17.190 Jeremiah Fox: I forgot the point we remember, we need.

00:35:18.300 --> 00:35:26.040 Jeremiah Fox: That um but you know definitely Oh, I was saying, like like I will open some sort of you know.

00:35:26.850 --> 00:35:34.590 Jeremiah Fox: School that deals with fitness and or martial arts at some point so it's fascinating for me to talk to somebody that's already done it so i'm like.

00:35:34.950 --> 00:35:43.140 Jeremiah Fox: i'm learning from your mistakes that will you learn from other ones, hopefully, will help i'm kind of kind of stubborn so sometimes I don't learn I just.

00:35:43.830 --> 00:35:51.570 Wil Loushin: will also sometimes I think with like when I was a general manager, I was like ooh, this is a mistake, I don't know about this and then now like going back i'm like who's.

00:35:51.600 --> 00:35:53.280 Jeremiah Fox: That note, they were right, I was gonna say.

00:35:53.640 --> 00:35:58.230 Wil Loushin: yeah that was not a mistake that was very well planned out as I just didn't see that the time.

00:35:58.530 --> 00:36:02.970 Jeremiah Fox: yeah and that's growth in martial arts in training in general right.

00:36:03.420 --> 00:36:10.350 Wil Loushin: yeah I mean sometimes you're going to see like a dip in numbers because you make a change and you're like oh no that's wrong one and then all sudden it just shoots up.

00:36:11.550 --> 00:36:15.570 Wil Loushin: Maybe we got rid of the people that didn't need to be there type thing yeah so yeah.

00:36:16.770 --> 00:36:17.640 Wil Loushin: Our gym is like.

00:36:19.050 --> 00:36:29.910 Wil Loushin: Everybody they're super passionate about their not only their style are there, so I got more tie guy who loves more time he's fighting for lion fights like one of the one of the premier.

00:36:30.450 --> 00:36:46.830 Wil Loushin: muy Thai organizations, he he's got to fight in December i'm going out to the world, so we don't just teach it we're actually still doing it and it's not about making millions of dollars it's about being able to to express express our art and and deliver it to other people and.

00:36:48.180 --> 00:36:55.800 Wil Loushin: I think those type of places, you can tell when you walk in that the people there aren't just like trying to hey sign up for this lineup we actually have.

00:36:56.160 --> 00:37:01.020 Wil Loushin: clauses that are basically if we don't think you're a good fit our gym because we're not a cookie cutter.

00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:06.450 Wil Loushin: Just come in and pretend like you want to do, martial arts if you're not there to train or you kind of like.

00:37:06.960 --> 00:37:15.840 Wil Loushin: We hear like you're bad mouthing other students or your you come in and you just destroy everybody and you don't let anybody else training like we have a little closet to say you're not a good fit.

00:37:16.170 --> 00:37:22.410 Wil Loushin: We can say you can't be here anymore, so I think gems like that you can tell, and those are the ones you want to stay.

00:37:23.010 --> 00:37:30.030 Wil Loushin: There are not the ones who thrive, who are just making hand right, so this pandemic, I saw some gems who were.

00:37:30.540 --> 00:37:40.860 Wil Loushin: Like dang I can't believe they were gone, but it was it was one of those things where they didn't care about their numbers they cared about their quality over quantity and it hurt him when the pandemic kids so it was.

00:37:42.210 --> 00:37:43.380 Wil Loushin: Like everything's.

00:37:43.800 --> 00:37:50.010 Jeremiah Fox: yeah I know I think that is at least part of the reason why the school, I was that close because they were the same way and and.

00:37:50.280 --> 00:38:02.820 Jeremiah Fox: You know, they were still I was teaching there and they were starting to like on board me into like, how do we accept students and you know, I was so passionate about it and I loved it so much, I was recommended it to everybody.

00:38:02.970 --> 00:38:10.980 Jeremiah Fox: And they were like that that we don't want everybody, and I was like Oh, you know i'm like i'm a business guy and sales and i'm like come come to my restaurant.

00:38:11.010 --> 00:38:13.860 Jeremiah Fox: All of you, I want you all, you know, and they were like, no, no, we don't want.

00:38:13.860 --> 00:38:22.770 Jeremiah Fox: That and they were saying like if they didn't if you weren't if you weren't jiving with the crowd man, maybe, like all right it's time for you to go, and you know it's not like you're going to battle them.

00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:25.830 Wil Loushin: yeah exactly yeah.

00:38:26.160 --> 00:38:27.030 Jeremiah Fox: So yeah.

00:38:27.660 --> 00:38:35.040 Wil Loushin: We haven't really had to deal with any of that everybody comes in, is pretty pretty sure they kind of find their own way out if they're not.

00:38:36.150 --> 00:38:41.460 Wil Loushin: they're not this isn't there type of because I mean we have kind of like an old school by we we have like.

00:38:42.360 --> 00:38:58.350 Wil Loushin: it's not we have like sayings on the wall, we have people who just write military quotes or whatever all over our walls it's not like nice pristine it's it's it's a dirty grungy like get down and fights type of mentality.

00:38:58.350 --> 00:38:59.130 Jeremiah Fox: So I really.

00:38:59.370 --> 00:39:00.540 Jeremiah Fox: Really selling this one.

00:39:03.540 --> 00:39:06.810 Wil Loushin: Exactly not dirty it's very clean we clean it.

00:39:07.920 --> 00:39:08.160 Wil Loushin: it's.

00:39:09.900 --> 00:39:12.630 Wil Loushin: A little longer on G like it down in greedy.

00:39:13.500 --> 00:39:14.910 Jeremiah Fox: Already that's a good word.

00:39:15.030 --> 00:39:16.890 Wil Loushin: Really that's the word i'm looking for i'm not.

00:39:18.150 --> 00:39:20.580 Jeremiah Fox: Like like there was a warm on the wall.

00:39:23.280 --> 00:39:24.570 Wil Loushin: But yeah no it's it.

00:39:26.250 --> 00:39:36.330 Wil Loushin: That the passion, you can even tell when owners have it, and you can tell them they're just kind of their to a just just by this real quick and and whatever you need we'll we'll we'll tailor our.

00:39:36.690 --> 00:39:37.740 Jeremiah Fox: stuff to say.

00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:49.050 Jeremiah Fox: And everything degenerate when that happens, like instruction degenerate and mild instructor was hard fast against that he was, like you, are not moving this rock.

00:39:49.680 --> 00:39:57.000 Jeremiah Fox: It was it was great to witness that because it's you know, and I want to close after we come back from our next break with this, but it was.

00:39:57.480 --> 00:40:09.210 Jeremiah Fox: It inform my business sense so much, I mean it helped me a martial arts for sure, but like watching that operation helped me in my businesses, and I was like oh like this is not just.

00:40:09.660 --> 00:40:17.340 Jeremiah Fox: Training to our self Defense and and all that it was a it helps him some of the other aspects of your life, yes, you know.

00:40:17.580 --> 00:40:19.020 Wil Loushin: The discipline is huge.

00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:28.320 Jeremiah Fox: yeah and, and so what I do want to touch on with that, though, is like you know we talked about it earlier, like some of your solutions and some things you did when the pandemic set set in, but like.

00:40:28.770 --> 00:40:37.170 Jeremiah Fox: In terms of your internal dialogue like what was going through your head when they were like Oh, it just closed for two weeks, well, maybe four and like.

00:40:37.860 --> 00:40:51.270 Jeremiah Fox: What we're doing is the antithesis of social distancing i'm like I want to be as close to you as possible, I want to know, without you telling me what you have for breakfast this morning, yes.

00:40:51.960 --> 00:40:53.190 Wil Loushin: Still in your beard a little bit.

00:40:54.510 --> 00:41:00.750 Wil Loushin: yeah, so I think I think my time in the marine corps really helped right there because.

00:41:00.960 --> 00:41:09.240 Wil Loushin: When you're like boots on the ground, something happens you can't say you can't feel sorry for yourself like Oh well, this, this is the situation, the situation is not going to change.

00:41:09.540 --> 00:41:19.020 Wil Loushin: Regardless of what you think about it, so you got to find solutions to whatever the situation is I can't change like if I get rid of the pandemic, I totally would have but I can't.

00:41:19.320 --> 00:41:34.980 Wil Loushin: So my our mentality was like okay this, this is the issue we have now, this is the way it has to be so going forward, we have to do certain things, and obviously everybody was extremely worried so especially that first two weeks, we were we're all about it, like hey.

00:41:36.030 --> 00:41:43.620 Wil Loushin: we're going to need everybody to stay away we if you have a workout program already set up with our strength conditioning coaches will send it to you.

00:41:43.860 --> 00:41:49.860 Wil Loushin: And we'll try and modify it so you're not using any weights, let us know what you have and will modify it.

00:41:50.670 --> 00:41:58.290 Wil Loushin: On that note, we also had people come in and basically check out gear from her facility so like hey you don't have anything in your House.

00:41:58.560 --> 00:42:09.330 Wil Loushin: Come grab a kettlebell and a couple dumbbells and we'll check it out to you wipe it all down before you return it do same thing, so we were trying to keep because everybody thought was two weeks were like two weeks that's not.

00:42:10.200 --> 00:42:20.010 Wil Loushin: I actually was kind of I was beat down like I had so many tournaments in a row, and I was training for like almost two years straight, I was kind of happy, I was like.

00:42:20.970 --> 00:42:35.130 Wil Loushin: Like it's mandatory i'm not even allowed to go train so it's not even like well I shouldn't train but i'm going to it was like I can't so like I started actually feeling better my knuckles I can actually grab things have been working on my fingers work.

00:42:35.160 --> 00:42:36.750 Jeremiah Fox: For indoor dogs yeah.

00:42:38.940 --> 00:42:48.090 Wil Loushin: So um yeah, but I think the mentality was just like all right here's the problem figure out solutions, we could sit there and complain about the problem all day long.

00:42:48.960 --> 00:43:01.320 Wil Loushin: But we need to come up with solutions and then eventually it turned into like all right here's the here's the people we trust the most like you said, my squad and we're like all right well the gym is closed.

00:43:04.230 --> 00:43:04.830 Wil Loushin: closed.

00:43:07.020 --> 00:43:16.890 Wil Loushin: Too bad it's closed at 6:30pm on Monday Wednesday Friday and we were doing some some behind the scenes training.

00:43:18.090 --> 00:43:29.340 Wil Loushin: And then, but I mean, I think we had a pretty good mindset, we got a good group of athletes who we could trust also to train harder on their own, as much as we could we could allow it so.

00:43:30.720 --> 00:43:42.360 Wil Loushin: i'm sure there were some people were like here's your program and they're like okay cool and then do all the things, but most of the guys were like hey I need more like i'm used to training harder so good, but we were doing everything we could.

00:43:43.920 --> 00:43:55.110 Wil Loushin: We would do like I would I would use like my wife does jujitsu, so I would use her as like I, like my demonstrators, so I would teach them teach a class with just her, and then I would put it out on we had like a.

00:43:56.700 --> 00:44:04.590 Wil Loushin: Google drive so i'll just just throwing I do that anyway, like everybody who is my student, we have a Google drive and it's like.

00:44:05.400 --> 00:44:12.090 Wil Loushin: Half guard sweeps mount attacks, so I have stuff that I throw in there, so in case somebody missed the class I don't have to like.

00:44:12.660 --> 00:44:26.790 Wil Loushin: We teach that class real quick i'm like if you miss a class just please go click on the video because i'm probably going to add on or teach you the Defense to whatever I just taught, so we just add to that up to like the ninth degree Nice.

00:44:26.850 --> 00:44:40.200 Jeremiah Fox: yeah my my entire family trains my wife my daughters and I was doing the same like little I just sharp instagram and Facebook videos and i'll just grab whoever was walking by and, like my three year old like got for me and just.

00:44:41.460 --> 00:44:53.790 Jeremiah Fox: You know, it was great times by we're going to take one last break and come back and just straight up talk about martial arts mentality and then the will and the world's so everybody See you in a minute.

00:46:59.940 --> 00:47:10.560 Jeremiah Fox: Alright, everybody last round ding ding ding talking with will lose shane owner of grindstone athletics, a question why grindstone what does that mean to you and your business.

00:47:10.980 --> 00:47:17.970 Wil Loushin: grindstone is just this that's our mentality just grind it out get it to work and just grind.

00:47:18.030 --> 00:47:18.960 Jeremiah Fox: And nailed it.

00:47:19.470 --> 00:47:26.310 Wil Loushin: Everybody wants to wants to get in the cage but nobody wants to go through the grindstone to get ready to go into the cage.

00:47:26.670 --> 00:47:42.570 Jeremiah Fox: Well that's like what what Jamie said the MMA struggles, like everybody wants to win, but nobody wants to defend it's like you know you don't just like you don't you don't walk off home run your without the grind it just does not happen, you know.

00:47:42.750 --> 00:47:50.850 Wil Loushin: I mean, I see a lot of people they come in and they say, I want to be an MMA fighter and we're like oh that's awesome but let's pump your brakes a little bit.

00:47:52.200 --> 00:47:55.470 Wil Loushin: Do you not to train like how to train because.

00:47:56.520 --> 00:47:58.800 Wil Loushin: anybody can walk in the cage on fight night.

00:47:59.760 --> 00:48:04.950 Jeremiah Fox: He said, what do you want to get punched in the face a lot of times, like many times like.

00:48:06.180 --> 00:48:10.470 Jeremiah Fox: You just you just you just you just crack on as soon as it says.

00:48:10.680 --> 00:48:11.940 Jeremiah Fox: Like that'd be an MMA fighter.

00:48:13.110 --> 00:48:16.140 Jeremiah Fox: If they're like okay yeah no it's okay keep going all right now you're.

00:48:16.770 --> 00:48:28.590 Jeremiah Fox: Because God damn it just happened so me like i've been hit in the face before, but never that many times like repeatedly I just like five different guys and, like everything I did was wrong and I did.

00:48:29.190 --> 00:48:35.910 Jeremiah Fox: The worst part about it was that because I pride myself on my ability to stay calm under pressure and maintain my breathing.

00:48:36.210 --> 00:48:41.640 Jeremiah Fox: yeah Are you familiar with them two books this guy wrote it forgot on on combat and on killing.

00:48:41.970 --> 00:48:42.990 Wil Loushin: yeah Colonel Grossman.

00:48:43.230 --> 00:48:58.830 Jeremiah Fox: yeah so I read on combat and, like the whole thing about breathing I was like shit man, so it even like starting new schools, working with like black belt third degree black belt and ever traveled before Greece worries man I lost my breath big time I was like suck in when I was.

00:48:59.850 --> 00:49:00.450 Jeremiah Fox: When I wanted to.

00:49:00.570 --> 00:49:02.490 Jeremiah Fox: I wanted to send out, he was like no.

00:49:02.700 --> 00:49:03.120 This isn't.

00:49:04.410 --> 00:49:04.890 Jeremiah Fox: awful.

00:49:05.520 --> 00:49:05.820 Jeremiah Fox: By my.

00:49:06.120 --> 00:49:15.510 Jeremiah Fox: By my third class I got at least that I still got punched kicked in the face, that I was like whatever that's gonna happen anyways I didn't I didn't lose my breathing and I was like thank you.

00:49:16.050 --> 00:49:22.740 Wil Loushin: yeah I mean all it takes is the experience of like that interpersonal violence it's it's different than jujitsu it's not like.

00:49:23.490 --> 00:49:30.630 Jeremiah Fox: What and it makes all those techniques all that more valuable where it's like I just got got an amount, and this guy just started wailing on me.

00:49:30.930 --> 00:49:38.730 Jeremiah Fox: And the instructor said, you know you get down to the ground, you can do some work for a minute, but then what we were doing clinch work that day something back up this guy was not getting up he's touching.

00:49:40.770 --> 00:49:46.620 Jeremiah Fox: done so, I met i've never need bumped to a bridge so hard in my life I was like oh that's why we.

00:49:49.260 --> 00:49:54.780 Jeremiah Fox: didn't see like oh bumbling forward do it gently don't want to hurt your training partner, I was like I want to hurt you.

00:49:54.870 --> 00:49:55.350 Wil Loushin: I want to get.

00:49:55.590 --> 00:49:57.360 Wil Loushin: Out of me yeah soccer.

00:49:57.570 --> 00:50:13.800 Jeremiah Fox: It was crazy so perfect segue into like other benefits for like this kind of training, especially now that you're you know you're a fighter, but also a business owner, what have been some of the big takeaways for you from training that translated into running a business.

00:50:14.640 --> 00:50:23.340 Wil Loushin: A number one, so the two things I always tell me I tell my kids that I need from them focus and discipline those two things that I.

00:50:23.730 --> 00:50:28.950 Wil Loushin: took as a fighter as an instructor now and then, as a business owner, you need it's like you need to know.

00:50:29.550 --> 00:50:39.180 Wil Loushin: If you're trying to do a million things at the same time you're not going to get any of them done correctly, so you get to know what your focus needs to be, and then the discipline to do it.

00:50:40.110 --> 00:50:45.990 Wil Loushin: And sometimes the discipline, not to do something like I want to do this so bad, but it's not the right time or it's.

00:50:46.290 --> 00:50:55.320 Wil Loushin: there's a lot of things we have planned for the future, but i'm just I want to do it so bad, but it's like I need to have the discipline to not do it right now, because we have certain.

00:50:56.010 --> 00:51:03.600 Wil Loushin: Things coming down the pipeline and I need them all to work correctly i'm so excited about some of the software and we're going to do, and I want to like put it out, I want to.

00:51:04.050 --> 00:51:11.970 Wil Loushin: I want to advertise it now, but we're I gotta have that discipline and just hold back and trust our process and trust our ideas on what we plan on doing.

00:51:12.270 --> 00:51:26.910 Wil Loushin: So those the focus and discipline is a huge part of fighting and and then I think it translates to anything you do in life running a business or being a parent, whatever that focus and discipline do things or not do the things that you're supposed to you're not supposed to do.

00:51:27.930 --> 00:51:36.570 Jeremiah Fox: that's great wonderful like huge Mike drop, especially the part about not doing, and this came up in the clubhouse room, I was in because I was like.

00:51:37.410 --> 00:51:48.960 Jeremiah Fox: Where i'm at right now I can't move because, like there's I can't get staff back you know it's far getting people back money's great This is great I can't even market because I can't handle anymore business.

00:51:48.960 --> 00:51:49.350 Wil Loushin: yeah.

00:51:49.500 --> 00:51:55.500 Jeremiah Fox: You know, in terms of like what I have on my plate right now and and it's funny because some of the people on the panel, they were like.

00:51:56.040 --> 00:52:10.770 Jeremiah Fox: it's funny you don't seem stress you're not like I don't get this sense of like urgency or or desperation i'm like no that's not the case it's like I want to be strategic about I want to pave this road, because i've gone i've done the dirt road.

00:52:10.800 --> 00:52:26.640 Jeremiah Fox: like the ones we was grew up with in Brazil in the novellas and was not comfortable did not like that, so I don't want to do that again I want I want this one to be smoother and so i'm like I can't I can't make that move yet, but i'm like i've got my eye on it, I.

00:52:27.180 --> 00:52:27.870 Wil Loushin: want to go like.

00:52:29.010 --> 00:52:30.000 Wil Loushin: tactical patients.

00:52:30.120 --> 00:52:35.310 Jeremiah Fox: yeah Nice and I guess the military helped ingrained some of that as well yeah you know.

00:52:35.790 --> 00:52:38.430 Wil Loushin: pull that trigger until you are in the perfect position.

00:52:40.380 --> 00:52:41.670 Jeremiah Fox: So that'd be good.

00:52:41.850 --> 00:52:42.270 Wil Loushin: To.

00:52:42.330 --> 00:52:43.890 Jeremiah Fox: Go ahead, I don't know you I don't.

00:52:44.190 --> 00:52:48.930 Wil Loushin: yeah so especially like the sniper Community like there's plenty of opportunities to pull the trigger.

00:52:49.350 --> 00:53:03.780 Wil Loushin: But it can I pull the trigger not be seen and then evade so it's like I need to wait for the perfect moment not just well, it looks good for from here so that tactical patience is huge know when to attack and when to set set up the attack.

00:53:04.830 --> 00:53:15.780 Jeremiah Fox: Great great so that being said, you don't have to disclose too much what's what's your future vision for grindstone or your involvement in the martial arts community as.

00:53:16.350 --> 00:53:30.450 Wil Loushin: We definitely plan on moving into a bigger facility so right now, we have one large mat and then we've got like the the strength conditioning training area, so we kind of all have to fit our schedules into that one matt.

00:53:30.930 --> 00:53:41.550 Wil Loushin: But we're going to get into a position where we have separate mats so basically each instructor has their own map, so we can run multiple classes, at the same time.

00:53:42.630 --> 00:53:54.330 Wil Loushin: Even if it's the same class, but two different portions of the class, so we can do m&a stand up with with a are muay Thai instructor and i'll take some of the grapples over and then almost like switch.

00:53:54.690 --> 00:53:59.760 Wil Loushin: Go back and forth so it's not like here's your more talk less than that instructor walks off and then here's your.

00:54:00.120 --> 00:54:14.100 Wil Loushin: grappling class, so we can kind of combine a little bit better and we can search it in like the strength and conditioning so hey you got to three three matt round Robin on, so we can kind of tag team everything to make it much more difficult, I think.

00:54:15.960 --> 00:54:22.770 Wil Loushin: One of the big things that I want to do in the strength conditioning, the other strength conditioning coaches agree what I think what separates a.

00:54:23.610 --> 00:54:43.290 Wil Loushin: Lead facility versus I just the average facilities is your ability to recover so every gym has dumbbells has the ellipticals all that kind of stuff but who has the the saunas who's got the the cryo chambers, or even just an ice bucket where you can dump your you can jump into.

00:54:44.760 --> 00:54:54.870 Wil Loushin: we're looking maybe possibly getting massage therapist in like a sports massage therapist or a chiropractor into the facility so if you have you get the athlete package.

00:54:55.530 --> 00:55:08.880 Wil Loushin: You walk right off the mat you jump in the sauna or you jump in the ice bath you get out you get adjusted real quick if you come in early you get some of those knots that grind it out and your shoulders and your your back before you get on the mat so you're not.

00:55:09.900 --> 00:55:16.020 Wil Loushin: Further injuring yourself so Those are the things we're trying to try to put in place and get the right people so.

00:55:16.320 --> 00:55:17.520 Jeremiah Fox: you're giving me a semi bra.

00:55:18.360 --> 00:55:21.420 Wil Loushin: Would that be not awesome know to be like a mind shift.

00:55:22.590 --> 00:55:23.220 Wil Loushin: Report here.

00:55:23.280 --> 00:55:32.760 Jeremiah Fox: And some row I walk off and like COP on the F train and i'm like all tied up and then I do you know what I have I got the TIM TIM ferriss the hobbies besides guide.

00:55:33.060 --> 00:55:33.570 Wil Loushin: yeah but.

00:55:33.630 --> 00:55:39.180 Jeremiah Fox: I put that thing to work it's good but I digress I would love all of that that would be amazing.

00:55:39.450 --> 00:55:45.990 Wil Loushin: Yes, I think that's what sets people apart and, if you look at any of those major facilities, like the Olympic training facility you've got.

00:55:46.380 --> 00:55:58.890 Wil Loushin: weights they might look nicer but they function, the same way, but then they get a walk off and they're like oh that behind the scenes, is where the elite athletes have a different than the average so.

00:55:58.920 --> 00:56:02.100 Jeremiah Fox: And, and the old man to the old man needs that stuff.

00:56:03.510 --> 00:56:04.380 Wil Loushin: Without even training.

00:56:05.430 --> 00:56:06.960 Jeremiah Fox: I was gonna say, can I just kind of for that.

00:56:08.010 --> 00:56:11.010 Jeremiah Fox: i'll fight every now and then, but i'll be there, five days a week, just but.

00:56:11.340 --> 00:56:12.330 Jeremiah Fox: The cry of the sun.

00:56:12.840 --> 00:56:14.460 Wil Loushin: i'll be in five times to.

00:56:14.790 --> 00:56:15.120 Wil Loushin: Get the.

00:56:15.960 --> 00:56:24.960 Jeremiah Fox: Exactly i'm really don't man we're gonna have to wrap it up just want to go over a couple things real quick you're fighting I know yeah you're competing in the world's, which is when.

00:56:25.560 --> 00:56:29.160 Wil Loushin: I, it will be the seventh through the 10th of October.

00:56:30.000 --> 00:56:31.650 Jeremiah Fox: So okay so right around the corner.

00:56:31.680 --> 00:56:32.490 Jeremiah Fox: yeah mom.

00:56:32.970 --> 00:56:42.540 Jeremiah Fox: And you've got to go fund me, which is on grind stones I it's in the bio the link in the bio on grindstone and latics instagram page yep.

00:56:42.690 --> 00:56:49.770 Wil Loushin: yeah just help help pay for all that stuff that I need you to get out to the world's more expensive than I was expecting.

00:56:51.090 --> 00:56:59.190 Jeremiah Fox: Especially these days i'm also going to share the link everybody on my on my Twitter on my linkedin and my Facebook page and i'll make sure, and the.

00:56:59.490 --> 00:57:14.280 Jeremiah Fox: Post promo of this show which will go right up to about until that time i'll highlight I the grindstone athletics instagram page on instagram as well, so anybody that wants to contribute to wills championship matches.

00:57:14.400 --> 00:57:25.800 Jeremiah Fox: Yes, Sir, I please do so and give them a hand Thank you so much man really great stuff such good fodder for for the for the mind and.

00:57:27.000 --> 00:57:34.050 Jeremiah Fox: All these people listening that may be thinking man, I want to do it, I want to take that step that first step, I want to get in a cage and.

00:57:34.260 --> 00:57:38.910 Jeremiah Fox: Close close the door pull the trigger but have a strategy just.

00:57:39.690 --> 00:57:40.080 Wil Loushin: To see.

00:57:40.380 --> 00:57:42.390 Jeremiah Fox: Also to shoot your low like I do all the time.

00:57:44.220 --> 00:57:47.070 Jeremiah Fox: Was that got three kids I was doing too much.

00:57:49.560 --> 00:57:50.610 Wil Loushin: I appreciate you having me.

00:57:51.570 --> 00:57:58.320 Jeremiah Fox: My pleasure man i'll be in touch soon good luck in the world, and all of you, I see you next week have a great weekend peace out.