Above the bridge
Entertainment and conversation
Above the bridge
Episode 181 NATE YOSHIMURA ( Former MMA Fighter )
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
A lot of people love the idea of being a fighter. Far fewer can explain what that mindset looks like when the cage lights turn off and real life starts asking for overtime, tuition money, and patience. I sit down with Nate Yoshimura, a former MMA fighter who went from college wrestling to competing on big Hawaii cards and Bellator, and he keeps it honest about the parts nobody glamorizes: nerves, fatigue, getting rocked, and the weird calm you have to find when everything goes sideways.
We dig into the lesson wrestling drills into you for years, the one Nate’s coach summed up as “Do it anyway.” We talk about the pain of discipline versus the pain of regret, why mental toughness beats raw athletic talent, and how staying humble matters when you’re tempted to build an identity around being “a fighter.” If you’re an athlete, coach, or anyone trying to stay consistent, you’ll hear practical ways that mindset carries into the gym and into everyday decisions.
Then the story shifts to what Nate does now: working as a psychiatric technician at the Hawaii State Hospital while grinding through nursing prerequisites to earn his RN. We get into verbal de-escalation, professionalism under pressure, and choosing between med-surg skills and psych nursing quality of life. The conversation ends with a big personal update that puts everything in a new frame: Nate is about to become a dad.
If you got value from this one, subscribe to Above the Bridge, share it with a friend who needs a push, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part of your life needs a “do it anyway” mindset right now?
Welcome And R&B Party Invite
SPEAKER_05Aloha, welcome to another edition of the Above the Bridge podcast. I'm your host, Thaddeus Park. I want to take this time to thank you for tuning in. Um, whatever platform you're listening to this podcast on, please like, subscribe, tell your friends, and appreciate you very much for listening to our show. Uh wanna invite all of you to an RB day party, me and DJ Hoppleboy have been doing. It's gonna be May 24th at the Capitol Modern. And you can get your tickets at laidbackrmb.com. It's cool vibes. We got good food from Whiskey Smoke. Um, it's gonna be just a cool vibe. We do it every couple of months. Uh, laidbackrmb.com. Go check out their website because it's it's pretty cool. It has a lot of footage and pictures and video from the last two laid back. But we uh this is your invite. Go get your tickets now. It's probably gonna sell out. So May 24th, Capital Modern Layback RB. Aloha. Okay, this week my guest is somebody I was a fan of personally. He was a fighter, uh, MMA fighter, and I got to watch him compete, and I got to know him through the years, and we always did his fight entrance music. That's how I got to know him for Destiny fights, and yeah, he's uh he's a shorter fighter, so I always love short fighters because I was one of them. So uh Nate Yoshimore, welcome to my show, and I'm excited to have you here, my bro.
SPEAKER_01Thanks, man. I'm happy to be here too. First time doing this, so I'm pretty pumped, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's cool. I seen you at uh where were we at? Jolene's, and we were we took a bunch of shots, and I was hoping you remembered me asking you to come on.
SPEAKER_01Honestly, straight up, I that was the most I drank in like a couple years, and I didn't remember, I didn't remember, but I got your text and I was like, Oh yeah, I did I did talk to you over there. So I didn't, but then I did because you reminded me.
SPEAKER_05So okay, that's good. Yeah, we went in a little hard that night.
SPEAKER_01Right. The long like first time in forever because I've been so busy, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. Well, you've been uh not fighting for a while, but I wanted to get into your MMA career for a little bit, and I was always impressed with you because like honestly, I'm I was a fan, and the way you fought and how you held yourself outside of the cage too was always was cool. You're always a cool dude. And how did you even get into fighting back then and and like what started you off?
SPEAKER_01Uh thanks, man. I I never saw myself like that at all, you know, but like I I I didn't think people like were a fan of like what I did, you know. I just kind of yeah, I I kind of I don't know, I always, you know, Hawaii, we always like fight and stuff like that. And we grew up like garage training, and um I ended up wrestling in high school, my junior year, and then wrestled three years in college. And uh and then when I graduated, I still wanted to stay active and you know, do something similar to that, but you don't just find wrestling classes really for adults really in a lot of places, you know. So I started um I moved out to Cali and there was a UFC gym opening up near where I lived. And so um I got a job there and I just started training there for free because I worked there, you know, free membership. So I just started doing classes and um I just saw some of my friends getting into it too. So I was like, oh, it's something that I could learn how to, you know, defend myself a little bit better, and it's active and yeah, I just saw a lot of positives about it, so I just started doing it. Yeah, I just started training. No thoughts of ever really actually competing, you know, never thought I would just compete, you know. But I was like, oh, I'll just do it, you know, better myself a little bit, you know. Yeah, so that's kind of how I started.
SPEAKER_05Oh what your first competition was in the mainland or back h back here?
SPEAKER_01Um back home, over over here in Hawaii. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I I trained up there for like about a year. So trained up there for about a year and then moved home and then started working at a UFC gym in in Kakao area.
SPEAKER_05Oh, the BJ Penn one where pipeline used to be. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So when I came home, I was like, I need a job immediately, and that was somewhere where I figured I could get hired up pretty quick. Since I didn't really have much other plans at the time, I was like, oh, I'll just do here for something for money. Um, I'll probably get hired here because I worked at the corporate one in California. And so yeah, and then I get to train for free still too, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So that's and then yeah, I just trained here. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05How far after you started training or when you moved back home and you got your first flight?
SPEAKER_01Oh that's a good question. I I think it was that it was about like a year or two, or be in between the like one and two years. I can't remember the exact time, yeah, time frame, but yeah.
SPEAKER_05So what that was was that destiny or was um not destiny, but destiny fight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Um uh it was this um it was an event held by this guy, Justin, I forget his last name. Um he fought in the UFC, he had like three fights, but he was coaching at the end.
SPEAKER_05Oh Kimura, Justin Kimura? Was it Justin Kumura? Oh no, that's Dustin. Dustin, Dustin, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's like a big um big Holly guy with like um he looks like Spanish, and he has like um like a ponytail. Man, I can't remember his last name. I remember his name's Justin, and he he um he lived out in Cali, and but he moved to Hawaii, and him and Scott Junk were kind of coordinating that event. Oh and they asked me to to a fight on that, yeah. But I rem oh, so I remember I did a smoker at the UFC. Yeah, so that was like my first like kind of like I guess live action kind of experience, and then I did the then uh actual uh amateur fight. Yeah.
First Smoker And Amateur Debut
SPEAKER_05Oh, that's super cool. I didn't even know that UFC gym did smokers.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean, I don't know if all of them do it, but or if it was legal or whatnot. I don't know if they're supposed to be doing that, if that's a Hawai thing or what.
SPEAKER_01And then I remember they called it a smoker and I had no idea what it is, and but they were trying to they explained everything to me, and that's how green I was with like everything, like the whole fight stuff, because I didn't really um I wasn't really aware of like all these of anything really. Like they I kind of just jumped into it and I didn't really I don't have family that that does that kind of stuff, not even wrestling or nothing. Um yeah, they so I kind of was just figuring everything out as I as I went along.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, were you a fan? Like did were you did you used to watch like UFC and stuff like that?
SPEAKER_01Oh of course, yeah. Yeah, man. Like I love that stuff, you know. Yeah. I was a huge fan of BJ Pan and you know, and um this was before even Max was in the UFC, you know. There was we were watching it, you know. That was and I kind of jumped into it a little after Pride because Pride was yeah, yeah. So it was like when a lot of the old Pride Fighters came to the UFC, so I only knew them from the UFC, so when I kind of figured out later, like Hendo, you know, uh Silva, Vanderday Silva, oh yeah, uh Rampage, yeah, yeah. Rampage, uh, and then um a bunch of these jujitsu guys, yeah, that came over.
SPEAKER_05So yeah, did you watch Pride? Like go back and watch some of the Pride stuff.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05That stuff was intense, bro. Yeah, straight, straight punting heads, you know? Yeah, and those refs, they would let you die before they stopped the fight.
SPEAKER_01Pride was cool, yeah, yeah. No, it's cool, yeah. I wish I was like more aware of um all that stuff at the time because I probably would have watched watch, you know, when I was I mean, I was probably like real young when they still had pride, you know. Yeah, yeah. All my friends watched it, we were all kind of into it, you know, and that was when like tap out and all these company.
SPEAKER_05Oh, yeah. He was rocking all that affliction and all that, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was like, I'm not rocking this when someone calls me out, man.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. I see some scrubs walking around with tap out stuff.
SPEAKER_01It's like I didn't want to be that guy, you know. Yeah, I don't want to wear fight stuff, and I'm not even a fighter, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well, you became one. How was your first fight? I'm I know the feeling before a first fight, and it's kind of a wild, wild ride, and uh for me it was adrenaline dump was huge, and yeah, how was your first fight?
UFC Fandom And Pride Era
SPEAKER_01Um I mean, yeah, I was nervous for sure. Um but I always you know what kind of helped my mentality with all that was I always just tried to train and put myself in a mental space of like actually being in a in the actual ring, you know? And I even though I was nervous, I felt like I did everything and I took every fight kind of like this. I just I just took everything as like um mentally as I'm actually gonna be fighting at that moment, you know? And so I just pretty much plugged my head into what I did when I was practicing, if that makes any sense. Like the same mental space. And yeah, I was nervous. I just I don't know, I just tried to I honestly can't even remember exactly how I felt at that moment. I just remember I was nervous and I just went out there and yeah, I can't that's a good question. I don't even really exactly remember. I just remember I was just very nervous and yeah, that's understandable.
SPEAKER_05How has your discipline with wrestling helped with your transition to MMA?
First Fight Nerves And Focus
SPEAKER_01Because to be a c collegiate wrestler, like that's discipline, because I know the work you guys can put in and and that's no joke, uh oh yeah, that that's um I just remember yeah, so one thing that my coach said it when I was wrestling in college that really stuck with me was the days that you don't feel like doing it the most and you're just like beat down, that's when that day matters the most that you do well. You know, because it's almost like proving it to yourself that that if you can do it that day, then you can obviously do it on your best day. Because anybody can really do it on your best day if you think about it, you know, you're feeling great, you know, everything feels in tune, it feels right, your head space is good, your body feels snappy, you know, it feels it feels at its best, you know. Anyone can do that, you know. But it's when you, you know, you just finish your shift and you're just you know, it's a hard spar day and you're just beat down already. You have to, you know, you have to go in there thinking like you're not just gonna be a punching bag, you know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Like I'm just gonna take it easy today. I'll take a couple, you know. You know, it's like, no, I'm gonna win every round, you know. And and that's kind of how um that's one thing that really helped. And um, you know, my coach would always say he was like this uh Midwest guy, um, wrestled in D2 and competed in the NCAA D1 tournament. Oh wow, yeah, yeah. He back in the day, you could um if you if you won nationals at D2, you could compete in D1. You could I think you could chill in or something like that. But he'd always come in and he'd be like, Okay, guys, today we're gonna do it anyway. Yeah, you you time, man, you do it anyway, man. And he had this like little ring to his voice, you know, but do it anyway, you know. He's like, I don't care, man. You study for five hours, you come in, you do it anyway, you know. And so that do it anyway thing too kind of stuck with me, you know, and I could always hear, I could always remember how he said it too, you know, and that that's one thing that always stuck with me. And yeah, I came in, and it's you know, because there's gonna be a decent amount of days, especially if you work full time, you know, or you put in more than full time, you're gonna be tired, man. You're gonna be tired, and a lot of people don't realize that, you know. Yeah, that's something that it took away.
Do It Anyway Discipline Mindset
SPEAKER_05That's super cool. I I definitely can agree to that. And I would imagine when you're done with those training sessions, it feels a lot better because you know you mentally had to push through. I'm the same. Like the days I go to gym now, and oh, sometimes I just don't want to go. And I force myself and I push myself even harder. And then when I'm taking a shower before leaving, it's like, oh yup, I did that. I and it feels better, and then like you feel way more uh refreshed and charged. And knowing you conquered tired, tiredness is a is a a strong mental thing, and a lot of people it's easier to make excuses than to put in the work. And I always prided myself on like okay, this is the this is gonna be the day. I'm I'm not feeling it now. I gotta dig. And for me, it's been that way, so I could teach my daughter the same things like, oh, you don't feel like going practice, and she said, Nope, I'm gonna go. And it's it's that kind of mentality, you like you said, stuck with you through your fighting career, but I guarantee it's sticking with you through your studies at school, going to work, and when it when it's when it's tough moments in your life, it's like, okay, I dig my feet in the mud, let's go, and and that's that's something wrestlers are built with if you're if you if you're about that life.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. And it's funny that you say that, you know, it's like you just um yeah, you just have to apply it to everything that you do, you know, because I've met guys that with wrestling, like they can do it so easily. It's such a physical thing and they're natural at it, right? Yeah, but when it came to school, they were just like, nah, I'm not gonna do it this way.
SPEAKER_05That's usually a case it's either either or you're either gonna be an athlete or a scholar. It's hard to do both.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but I've seen I've seen guys, they're like they do both like really well, you know. And I've seen yeah, I've seen all ends of it, you know. And you can either I've heard this, uh, it's like a saying, it's you can deal with the pain of discipline or the pain of regret, you know.
SPEAKER_05That's a good one. Yeah, you don't have to highlight that.
Sponsor Break And Family Humor
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. Because I mean it's true though, you know, like how many times in your life, right? There's been everybody has a time where they're just like, oh man, I can't believe I waited this long, or I can't believe I put it off, or I should have done this, I should have done that, and it's just like, yeah, you should have. Yeah, you know, yeah, yeah, and then you know.
SPEAKER_05Okay, I want to take this short break from talking to Nate and shout out our sponsor. First off, we have Defend Hawaii, they've been our sponsors from day one, and right now they have a new spring drop that just launched. If you go to their website, defendhaway.com, and go take a look at the new stuff they have out. They asked, they also have a store in Wintermall called No One. But if you do go to their website, defendhaway.com, use promo code ATBPodaponCheckout, you'll get 15% off your entire purchase. DefendHuaway.com. Let them know Above the Bridge podcast sent you. Aloha. You seem to have a strong mental ment, you seem to have a lot of mental strength, and that obviously comes with wrestling and fighting MMA, but I like that phrase. You can either have the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. I'm gonna tell my daughter that that's gonna be good when she like trying to pass it on, pass it on.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. You know, yeah, that the the mental toughness comes from uh from wrestling, fighting, and having an Asian mom.
SPEAKER_05Oh yeah, you don't have options with that, yeah.
SPEAKER_01She's like, Yeah, you're gonna do it anyway. Yeah, like what? She pulls out the back scratcher. What? What?
SPEAKER_05Oh yeah, oh, what grade did you get in class? You know, like oh that's so funny. I just had the back scratcher, and I was telling my daughter, you see a whack with this. You never got whack with one of these. No, you get whack with anything. They're gonna quit your kids can call the cops on you. Yeah, and I've heard of it happen before too, you know. It's crazy. I'd be afraid to call my cop call the cops on my dad. DJ, he's gonna get out eventually, and then you're gonna die.
SPEAKER_01It's the music, man. Yeah, it's the music, yeah. And ours had like a hole drone in it, so it swang faster.
SPEAKER_05Oh, had uh less wind resistance, had that pop. Yeah, yeah. It's like a switch.
SPEAKER_01I I mean, at least I think I only got the hanger like once. At least I never got the hanger, so it's worse. You know, I would get the belt, bro. The belt see that's something that's way worse.
SPEAKER_05Oh, yeah. I used to try to wear extra beveries when I was uh yeah, there's no way around it, bro.
SPEAKER_01I put cardboard in there or something. Yeah, I've got no hot juice stones though.
SPEAKER_05It comes in the oh yeah, wear your football girdle or something.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, no, not working, none of that.
Career Timeline Then COVID Pause
SPEAKER_05Yeah. So fighting in MMA, how long have you done it? Like from when you started to to kind of now that you're not as competing.
SPEAKER_01Um so I started actually training in like the UFC gym in Cali. I would say around 2015.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01And then my last fight was 2019, the Bellator one. And I had one planned after, and then that fell through, and COVID happened immediately after that in 2020. So it's um, yeah, it just took a it took a I wasn't planning on not fighting anymore after that. It just kind of it just everything kind of fell into place the way it did with COVID, and then I met my girlfriend, and then I started working more overtime, started going back to school, and then that left time for absolutely nothing else.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01I started working evening shifts. So that was I got I used to be working on a morning shift, and this guy with higher sign already bumped me to evening. So I had to start. He to he wanted evening shifts, so I had to go evening, and everyone trains in the evening, right? So that happened, and then I started working overnight too. So I would work like 16 hours. Yeah, and and I'd go to school in the the morning time.
Hardest Fight Moments And Body Shots
SPEAKER_05So yeah, it's well, life happens, but uh we'll get it, we'll get into your uh what you got going on now. I um wanted to just talk more about MMA stuff for a little bit more. What um what was like your toughest fight, if you can recall? Like, what was your toughest moment in a fight?
SPEAKER_01Well, toughest moment probably was a time I got rocked that first time, though the Bellator fight. But I prior to that I was fighting uh this guy I used to train with Christian, and I remember we were kind of keeping like a really high pace the whole fight, you know, and then I remember just being gassed, you know? I was so gassed, but then I was just like, okay, I gotta keep stay a little active, you know. And that was that was tough because as even as hard as you train, you know, like if you're going full speed for and amateur fights are like nine minutes, yeah. By by the last round, I'd say like a minute and a half in. So that last minute half, I was like so gassed, you know. But I was trying not to look at the clock either, you know. So I was trying to stay focused and just fighting fighting through that that fatigue. I felt like everything was kind of moving in in slower motion, you know, because um trying to keep up with that. But um, when I got rocked the first time when I was fighting in Bellator versus uh Chaz, I remember I didn't think I would get rocked. I thought I'm I know everybody does.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then like I started doing like the the happy feet, the stanky leg, you know.
SPEAKER_05Oh, the sta yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. But it's weird though. At the time I didn't think it was gonna be my even when I was rocked, I wasn't thinking of it as my hardest moment, you know? It was more just like trying to fight through that, you know? And um I was trying to figure out how to get my feet back under me, but I was still kind of dazed. And then I remember I kind of came in for like a like a shot or a body lock, and then he put me on the cage, and I don't even remember what I was doing with my hands, but obviously I wasn't sealing sealing them off. And um he caught me with an elbow, but at the time I didn't even know what it was that he hit me with. So like I tried to when he right when I got caught with it, I felt myself get hit, and I tried to run, uh, get some space and then square back up. And then I tried to throw a little bit, got caught again, got put on the cage, didn't seal off the hands again, and then got put down. So I think that was like my hardest moment because I I just never was in that. Even in training, I wasn't in a space where I got caught like that, you know. Oh wow, yeah, yeah. Or like, you know, rock like that, you know. Yeah, I've been dropping like body shots during training.
SPEAKER_05That's the worst, bro. I'd rather get hit in the head than a body. If body shots will ruin your whole weekend.
SPEAKER_01That's how I tell people because yeah, you know, if you get knocked out, you don't even feel it, you know? Yeah, yeah, but like a body shot, you have to go through that pain.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and you're conscious, like you know you're hurt and you can't do nothing. Yeah, yeah. I take a headshot over a body shot all day.
SPEAKER_01Same, same. Yeah, and I remember um Kanan, you know Kanan, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. He's about to fight.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05He's actually fighting tomorrow. Tomorrow, yeah, for a belt, tough belt, right? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I was he would honestly he'll go easy on me because he would just like piece me up if if he would, he's he's special for sure. But he um I was like moving around with him, and I was just like, I remember telling him, like, you're going easy, like go harder, you know. And then I remember trying to throw a straight, and he's a south pole, right? So his power side is on the same side as my power. When I threw the straight, he just threw like a body kick and it landed so clean, like right on.
SPEAKER_05That's the counter. That's the counter to the straight, is the back league, back league round kick to the body.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, and it was like so fast too. And um, I remember it caught me so clean, and it was probably like two weeks before my fight. Not the Pellator one, it was it was before another fight, and he just dropped me. And I I don't know if you ever seen the grape stomp lady fell, and she's like on the ground and she's like, Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I was making all kinds of noises, you know. He was like, Oh my. He kind of like was like like freaked out. He's like, Oh, are you okay? And I was like, Oh yeah, I just got and I was like, Yeah, I just got the wing knocked out of me.
SPEAKER_05I was like, you're when you get the wind knocked out, you're so trying to suck air back in, but they always tell you like blow out, but it's hard to do it when it when it when you're going through it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean it's it's kind of it's kind of hard to even breathe back in, though, you know. It really is definitely you can breathe out easy, but you can't breathe back in, you know.
SPEAKER_05It's like it's like the and you're just weathering the storm, waiting, waiting for it to be done. Yeah, I hate body shots, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and it's like when even when right after you recover from you're just like exhausted because you're just like yeah, oh yeah, you know, you're just playing there for a sec, you know.
Mental Toughness Beats Raw Talent
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I'm definitely don't miss that. Yeah, but that that shows that you had mental toughness. I mental toughness. I always wanted to um I always ask this when I have fighters on. Like, what do you think, in your opinion, is strong like a more better attribute to have, like mental toughness or physical talent? Like what what do you think? Like, I I know physical talent's always good, and they always say um if you your like work ethic can beat physicality, but sometimes you fight people with both, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01No, exact that's tough. Yeah, yeah. I think mental toughness for sure. Um mental toughness with an iron chin, you know. I think that that's like because that's like you're just indestructible, you know. You have like you have a tough mind, and no matter how much you get whacked, you just keep coming forward, you know. Um, because I think that you can have all the talent in the world, you know, but if you have no drive and nothing pushing you forward, you know, because I've seen it time and time again with people, even with any sport, you know, they're so talented, but they just don't have the heart for it, you know. You know, and and I think there's certain skills that can be learned with a lot of perseverance and time and training, you know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01But you know, you can be really naturally talented, but if if you don't want to put in the work and you don't wanna, you know, and when when it comes down to being gritty and you can't get down, you know, because sometimes it's gonna be, I mean, you've seen fights, it turns into a whole slug fest, you know.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And if you don't have that mental toughness, then you know, then what good is your talent?
SPEAKER_05You know, I love that. I'm actually um dealing with something similar to that with my daughter's volleyball team. She has a a teammate who is by far one of the most gifted athletes I have seen of female in whatever she does, and she's lazy and don't put in the work. And for me, that's my pet peeve. Like when we were training kids for Taekwondo and kickboxing, I hated those kids. At least we had the benefit of pitting them to spar somebody that would light them up, you know what I mean? Yeah, teach them a lesson. Now like with with the with her playing volleyball, we can't do that, or like her coaches can't do that. But it's it's sad because I can see the potential, and it's like, oh, this girl could be D1, like she just gifted. Everything she does, she plays football, uh, flight football, volleyball, like just amazing, but lazy, doesn't put in the work, doesn't like come to practice. And when she gets to the a certain level, you're gonna be on the same playing field as a lot of talented athletes. There's a lot of talented athletes in this country, and when it comes down to it, it's gonna be who put in the work, who has that mental toughness. And oh, for sure. I'm super bummed to see it. And I I just was talking about it with some of my friends, and it's like, oh man, this person could be like it, like she could be it, and and she won't be, because like lay laziness is a choice, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, for sure, you know, yeah. It's like if you're willing to put in those extra days, you know, and they all stack up, you know. Yeah, it's kind of I've seen that too. Like, you know, I I don't view myself as anybody that had any type of, you know, there's some degree of athleticism, but not like just gifted, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I've seen guys that are gifted, you know. And yeah, you know, I've seen that too with um with like remember those old school, um now to me it's old school, but these football players when I was a kid, they're at Castle. It's like yeah, they were just so good, you know. And even when I was in school, there was there was guys that were just so good, you know, and I think they could have made it on a D1 level, but they got they got island fever and they got caught up in the local life, you know, and partying and all this stuff, and they didn't direct themselves towards you know, something that that probably could have got them somewhere, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and then they peek at high school, and yeah, yeah. And then they get all fat. And I swear to god, I see a couple of my classmates, I'm even gonna mention names that were like the ringers in high school, yeah, yeah. And I barely made it on the team, and and I see them now, and I was like, oh I could just run a rings around you now. Like what happened? Like you were the man had all the girls, all the sc like just the man, and now it's like fuck, I'm the man now.
SPEAKER_00Life doesn't end at high school, man.
Sponsor Break Then Real-World Confrontations
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah. And I guess that's goes for the best because it gave me a drive, you know. I mean, I had to work for everything I ever got. And no, exactly. I'm I feel like it would happen with you too. And yeah, okay, let's take a break. I want to shout out our sponsor, iRip Detail Supply. They're your one-stop shop super store for everything you need to detail whatever vehicle you have. They have two stores open right now, and they're set to open a new one on the west side. They have one at Temple Valley Shopping Center, also one in Las Vegas. And if you go to their website, iRep Detail Supply, and use uh promo code ATBPodaponCheckout, you'll get 15% off your entire purchase. Go to their store, go talk to the employees there. They're high, highly knowledgeable about their products and how to use them, and they're so friendly. iRepdetailsupply.com. Aloha. As a fighter, and like you're a smaller dude, have you been tested outside? Like, oh what, you think you're a fighter or you think you're bad, like that kind of stuff. Have you been tested outside in in like the bar or at a club or or on the streets or something like that?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but not because they asked if I was like a fighter or nothing. I don't really talk about it unless people like come to me and talk about it, like they specifically bring it up. But then I because usually when usually if I'm out partying and stuff, like I'm just like having a good time going around.
SPEAKER_05Definitely.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah. I'm a I'm a happy drunk. Thank you.
SPEAKER_05Yes, you are. I'm a happy drunk.
SPEAKER_01I'm yeah, I'm not, but I'm happy, you know. But I'll go. Um I've it's mainly it's mainly like super drunk people, you know, and it and they see like my size and they think I'm an easier fight. Yeah, you know. I know that's or and you know, I'm not gonna lie, like if someone comes up to me and they kind of start like they're like, what? Well, you you think you bad. I I'm kind of in a way an instigator because I just start acting dumb. I'm like, bad what? Dumb. Oh, dumb what?
SPEAKER_05So you're a provoker.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm just like, I'm just because in my head, I'm thinking it's just like it's so ridiculous, you know. Like, I'm just gonna be ridiculous bath. Yeah. Even though I could just be like, oh no, I don't, I don't want problems, you know. Like now I'm more like that because especially when I go out with my lady too, right? Like, I don't want no problems, right? Because I don't want to deal with none of that. But like before, when it was just like me and my brother, or we go out or me and my friends, you know, I'm just like, I don't care, you know, like your brother. If you want to do it, do it, man. You know, like, but now I'm like, okay. Before I used to run to fights to watch. Now if I see a fight, I'm just like, okay, I'll see you guys later.
SPEAKER_05Yep, that way. I forgot your brother used to go out a lot, he used to come to a lot of our events. He's a chef, right? Oh, yeah, or yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he's uh guy too. There's more of a party guy than me, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I used to think it was you half the time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we have the same face. It's crazy. Yeah, the stereotypical Asian brothers, they have the same face. Yeah, all my friends that like I met from work, and outside they meet my brother and they're like, You guys look exactly alike. He just has like a skinnier frame and is a little taller, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yo, it's your ears that I can tell the difference now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, the ears and then the tattoo now.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. At first I thought you guys are twins.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you know I have a twin, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I thought he was your twin.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Exactly.
Leaving Competition Without Losing Yourself
SPEAKER_01So it's crazy is I mean, me and my twin brother, we have like a pretty similar face, but more of our body structure is the same, our bodies are built the same, but my my face looks more like my older brother's. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's crazy. I'm like a combination between them two. I'm right in the middle. Yep. That's funny.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well, you transition out from uh fighting, and for me, when I stopped doing martial arts, I had a not an identity crisis, but I had uh an issue. I I was not scared, but I was confused to how things are gonna be. And it took a a while, and and I felt like that was my identity. This was Thaddeus, was this guy who competed, and this was all I was. And then I realized it wasn't, it was what I did. I don't I and and I had a lot of hard, I had a hard time kind of coming to terms with a bunch of it and navigating through that transition. Did that kind of happen for you or was like easy?
SPEAKER_01Um the hard the hard part was not training as much. But for me, that was like a hard part for me because whether I fought in the ring or not, I was I always just wanted to be there. I wanted to, I wanted to train more than anything. And I spent my whole life just being active from playing ASO soccer all the way at like, you know, from the from the moment you could join, I was there and played baseball, basketball, football, and active my whole life and then weight training from like freshman year and high school, barely missing any days, you know, never missing more than two days, really, all the way throughout my whole career, besides what being when I got injured, those are different, different times. But um, yeah, just having to stop that and just work mainly and go to school and not make time for training or have really have any time for training because I'm prioritizing something different, right? Yeah, so that was like the hardest part because it was just like I felt like I wasn't pushing myself physically to be the best I could be, and not having that shape was what bothered me the most, you know? Because fighting what I saw it as just like fighting was just something I did, like how you said you can't determine that, right? I kind of already was in that mindset from even when I was fighting, you know. I didn't really want to take on the whole persona of like, oh, I'm this fighter, I'm a fight. You know, and and I didn't really like telling people that, you know, like I didn't even really, I just didn't because I felt like I was just putting myself in a position when I said if I did say that, that like this is my l this is gonna be my career. I'm going all the way to the UFC. Like that wasn't even really I didn't even plan on going to uh fighting in Bellator. I didn't even plan on fighting to begin with, you know. I didn't even plan all of those things, you know. It was just something that kind of happened, you know. But I I always did it just because of that's just what I wanted to do at the time, you know. And yeah, and um you know, when I started winning my amateur fights and stuff, and I was like, oh, maybe maybe I can like go fight overseas, maybe I can do this, you know, maybe I should do it. But it wasn't something that I full on took on as like an identity, you know. It was just some yeah, and I I just didn't and also too, you're almost building up this expectation of we, you know, like I never committed myself besides. Like, if I knew I was gonna fight, I was gonna commit to that, right? I'll do everything I can that I possibly could to be the best I could be on fight day, right? I'm gonna commit to that, but career-wise, I would never commit to it, you know. Okay, like it, because I think like career-wise, like I was gonna be in the UFC or I'm gonna be this prize fighter. And you know, I I believe that a lot of people can do that, you know, if they really wanted to. Like, who's to say you who's to say you couldn't do it? You know what I mean? Like, I mean, I think if anybody takes it on fully, like, I believe they can do it, right? But I and if I really wanted to and I was serious about it, I probably would have gone to Vegas to Extreme Couture because a bunch of Hawaii guys did that. And and look at all of them, you know, they immersed themselves in it completely. They they put all they went all in with their chips, you know, and and like and I saw I was thinking of that to myself at the time when I was fighting. I was like, if I really want to do this as a career, that's something that I would have to do like now.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, and I even had had thoughts of just like, yeah, I'm just gonna move to Thailand for like a year and I'm just gonna do Muay Thai, you know. I really want, and honestly, that was when Tiger Muay Thai was getting like bigger.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, you'd see fight, you'd see stuff on social media, and then it's like the pad holders are like whacking them back, and I'm like, I want to do that, you know. Like I I was thinking about that, you know, and they're just like all beat down, and I'm like, I need that. I was thinking that, but yeah, I had a whole bunch, I had student loans, and I was like, I that was the thing that was kind of lingering that I had to take care of where I couldn't, you know, where in my head I told myself I can't I have to prioritize the student loans, you know, and yeah, but to get back to your question was about um when I stopped fighting. It wasn't um it wasn't too difficult for me in terms of like that was my identity, but more about um just having to stop the whole physical thing in general, like you know, expanding the lungs, getting the adrenaline pumping, r rolling on the mat, hitting a bag, you know, I miss those things, you know, and I really do. And I wish that there was more time in a day that I could set aside to do those things, you know, because you know, working 16 hours a day, you're done. You just want to go home, shower, sleep, and then you get up and you bang out another 16-hour shift, and it's like you really don't really have time for anything. And on my shift, I'm doing homework, you know, it's yeah, it's tough. Yeah, yeah. I miss I miss all that. I really do.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well, that makes a lot of sense of your identity as just a person because you never and we when we were working those destiny fights, we seen all of them, right? They all had to come and get their songs and all that. He's always super humble, like super cool, super chill. And me and Hoppa was like your biggest fans. Like, we were like always like, let's go, like and um it it just shone in the person you are, and then we come across all those like, oh yeah, I'm this guy, and oh yeah, I won three fights in a row, and it's like bruh, like I never caring for the other guy, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01Like I remember too, like I remember too when I first started fighting too. I almost didn't even want to post like the weigh-in pictures.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. Like I felt kind of shame because I didn't want to be like the local boy, you know, that's like that's like, oh, look at me.
SPEAKER_05I find you know, tomorrow gonna bang, tomorrow we're gonna bang.
SPEAKER_01It's like, oh, you're an amateur fighter, relax, you know. Yeah, you're not even on the big leagues yet, you know? Yeah, but I mean everyone's gotta start somewhere, right? But I just didn't want to come off as that person that it's like, hey, look at me, I'm fighting because it's like I never did it for anybody else, you know? Yeah, I always did it because I wanted to do it, you know, and I just wanted to better myself, and you know, yeah. And some people, you know, they do it because they want this like this big image of who they are. Because I mean, being a fighter and and fighting is you know, it's it's a pretty cool thing in general, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And some people just want to flex with that, you know. But I never wanted to be that that guy, too, you know.
Sponsor Break For Medicinal Mushrooms
Life As A Psychiatric Tech
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I can agree. You never never came across that way. Okay, guys, let's take a small moment to shout out our sponsors, Medicinal Mushrooms Hawaii. They are a locally based medicinal mushroom company, and they have five tintures of extracted musk mushrooms. They have lion's mane, chaga, turkey tail, red raishi, and quartips. And if you go on their website, medmushroomhigh.com, they will explain to you exactly what each one of these mushrooms do. I take all five religiously every single day. I've been extremely, extremely happy with the benefits it's been giving to me. And if you go to their website, medmushroomhigh.com, figure out what mushrooms you want, or go get all five. If you use promo code ATBPod Upon, check out all capital letters, you will get 45% off. So medmushroomhigh.com, let them know. Above the ridge podcast sent you. Aloha. Transitioning into what you're doing now. What exactly do you do now?
SPEAKER_01Um, so right now I'm a psych tech, a psychiatric tech. That's like the label for it at the Hawaii State Hospital. And so what that is, is we basically it's it's kind of like I would just call it a glorified security guard. You know, we basically watch the patients, we work directly with the patients on the floor. And then they have to do stuff like each unit has their own schedule and agendas that they're run. But the floor that I'm on, I just basically make sure they're they're all showering and they're we hand out their meals and stuff, and just basically like ADLs, like activities of daily living, make sure they're showing up to their classes, make sure they're doing their laundry, and if they're fighting, we have to break it up, you know. And yeah, and um it's It's pretty common where they, you know, it's like basically walking down Chinatown, you know, where you see people with they're like going through something in their head, you know, there's some kind of chemical imbalance and and they're either, you know, and it's not an easy place for them to be either. They're in a remote environment, they're around other unstable people, right? So yeah, there's you, you know, you definitely have to be good with your words at times too, like verbal verbal de-escalation, right? So you have to be able to un like be able to listen to them, understand them, try to communicate, you know, and um communicate as best as you can. And, you know, you have to lay down the rules, you have to be firm with it, but also, you know, a little bit in a way, you know, there's there's compromises sometimes, you know, that you have to make with talking to people that really don't even use logic sometimes.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's difficult sometimes, but I mean, going there to me every I work basically every day. Like every day. I bar I rarely take days off. So the the night you saw me, that was the first night I took off in like like like 50 days.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's what you were saying. You're like just no wonder you went hard. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00I wasn't planning on it, but I just seen all the boys, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. They're like, you take a shot. I was like, yeah, we do shots. You know what I mean? I was just so yeah, you got me to do two.
SPEAKER_01I don't even I didn't even remember doing two. I thought we did one. Yeah, yeah. And and of course, like I tried to drink like how I did when I was like in my 20s. And then my next morning must have been rough because I was like, I was down, and I'm not one and I had the day off, and I usually go in on my day off, but I was just like, I can't do it today.
SPEAKER_05I was sitting this and out, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I felt my age for sure, you know. I felt my age, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well that um working in the site uh units must be hard. I I have been in psych working in psych units, and I've dealt with people like that, especially in at Queens. I I would have to do blood draws in Coquella and Oh my gosh, try poking needles in these guys, bro. It's not the funnest thing in the world, and no man. Yeah, I had shit thrown at little, literally shit thrown at me where I'm like, oh, what is that? Like, that's doo doo like that happened to me too.
SPEAKER_00I got yeah, that shit actually hit my hand.
Wild Psych Unit Stories And Restraint
SPEAKER_01Oh yeah, I wanted to basically like get a new hat after it was pretty gross. Yeah, I've got shit thrown, I've got pissed thrown at me. Oh, I got false, yeah. Yeah, I got false too, yeah, multiple times, man. Yeah, yeah. And I you just have to show some form of restraint, you know. You can't if you retaliate, you're not gonna keep your job.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, and that's mental toughness, that's what you have, right? But it wasn't easy, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, oh yeah, for sure. Like, oh man, it's like I just want to batter this guy after he just like pull up side-blinds me, you know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, you gotta show some restraint, you know, some professionalism, you know, and and some you know, sometimes I'm surprised, like even when I get hit, like I don't even it's like I don't even take it personally sometimes. It's crazy. Like I just like tackle him, hold him down, put them in a chair, and then it's like done. And then I'm just like, are you good? I'm like, yeah, you know, but it's like sometimes I shock myself. I'm like, oh, I'm surprised I'm not mad about that, you know.
SPEAKER_05That's cool. Like, yeah, and I guess you have the skill to do it. I I guarantee some of these guys that try to test you don't don't know well, they're not all there, but yeah, like you you might you might come across as an easier target than some big Samoan guy that's working with you guys or something like that.
SPEAKER_01Oh, yeah, for sure. I mean, I'm I'm pretty fortunate, like for how much patients that I deal with, like that get discharged and come through, like a lot of them generally like they test me and stuff, like they don't listen or they'll kind of like eye me out, but like I don't get charged as often. Knock on wood. I don't get I don't get charged as often, you know. But I had another guy the other day, maybe like a couple days ago, call me a little bitch, and I was just like, Okay, all right. Tell me how you really feel, you know. You know, I was just like, what's that to you, you know? And he's like, I'm just saying, I'd hook you, then uppercut you, and I was like, hey man, do what you need to do. I just do what you need to do, man.
SPEAKER_00And he didn't do anything, and I was like, okay, you know, I was getting ready too. I was like, oh, is this guy gonna whack me or what?
SPEAKER_05You know, I know sometimes you get gotta get ready. I had well, I walked into Kel to Cockela one time, and I had my like my um my tray of uh needles and tubes or whatnot, and they have like it's double doors, and then you walk in, there's like a common area, like a like a living room, hypothetically. And across there's this guy, and he looked like Eddie Monster, and he looked at me and he just broke down and was just eyeing me down. I'm just standing there, I'm like, okay, what is he gonna do? Yeah, yeah. And I was thinking, like, okay, if he comes at me, he's gonna get this trade to his head. I was young too. I'm just like, I don't know what this guy's gonna do. And um fortunately he didn't do anything, but I was I will but I yeah, I seen some crazy stuff too. And I remember I was I was working as a CNA at um Aloha Healthcare, and they had a a guy there who used to box, and he he is older and had dementia, and I'm like kind of helping him put his shoes on, and all of a sudden he got all frustrated and he started like moving his feet and kind of pushed me away. I was like, Oh, I gotta put your shoes on. And then he's like, Okay, I surrender. I was like, Okay, and I I started to put his shoes on and I let my attention go, and he just straight bat me right in my forehead as hard as he could. I was like, Oh, like, oh, I didn't know what it had a lump on my head. I was so mad, and I didn't do anything back because I didn't want to get in trouble, but oh man, he's like, I gotta admit, I took away his dessert that night fucking pretty quick. Like, oh, you done with that? And I just took it.
SPEAKER_01Do you guys have chairs for them? Do you know if they have chairs for them in the yeah?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, so he went in the chair and stuff, or yeah, and they they restrained him and and that kind of stuff, but oh, he caught me on mean one, like not even paying attention, because he went, I surrender. I'm like, okay, yeah, and I started to put his shoes on, I was like tying it and not even paying attention to him. Yeah, and he cranked me one mean one, like I don't lump on it, yeah. And he used to box, right? These old guys can bang too, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01No, it's right, especially if they're a boxer, like the amount of like power they can generate in such a little space is like crazy. Yeah, I've actually that so it's I have like a similar experience, but I wasn't the one getting decked. So yeah, so we're I was what we're this was when like COVID happened. I was in like uh a quarantine unit. Um, this guy didn't have COVID, but I was one-to-one with him because he was like assaultive towards uh women, and he was like all strung out, like like he was gone. He was there, like he like he ain't coming back, kind of gone. But he uh he was uh I heard he was a boxer too, and he was just talking bubbles the whole time, and then he has he had like a cut on his arm. Um I think he was trying to like scrape it or something, but the nurse needed to change it. So I went in there with her, and um she as she was he was we told him to lay down on the bed. So he's on the bed, like over here, and then me and the nurse are like right here. And so while she's changing the bandage, I'm holding one arm, um, but I'm not holding the far arm. I'm just like you know, keeping it chill, relaxing, and she's just like looking down like nothing, you know, and he just kind of like sits up really slow, like pretty calmly. And I'm just like looking at him, and he's just like staring. I'm like, what's this guy gonna do? And then he like so fast, he just he from here he just goes wham, just like punches full on swings, and I and he kept punching the nurse, and I tried to like catch his hand, but it went like right past my hand and clocked her square on the forehead. It's it was so hard, it was so hard. It you know, like that that sound that knuckles make when they like that and she just is like and she like ran out and I grabbed him and I like like put him on the bed, and I'm like, what are you doing? And he was just he literally said, Oh, the string on the ground, the string on the ground, and I'm like, bro, what? And then like so I was just and then yeah, the whole cold went off. We had to put him in. And what the craziest part about that was like after he did it, he didn't even fight after. He just lay, I I kind of put him on the bed hard because I thought he was gonna fight. Yeah, and uh he didn't even fight, he just like laid there. So I kind of let off, you know. I was just kind of keeping my hands on him. I was like, just chew here, relax. And they brought the chair in, and they're like, Are you gonna get in the chair calmly? And he's like, Yeah, they're like, Okay, do it. Just gets out, like nothing, just goes there, sits in the chair. We strap him in. It was crazy. I was tripping out, I was like, no freaking way that just wild. Yeah, just like full-on heavy assault to just like nothing, you know?
SPEAKER_05That's crazy. I had the weirdest thing ever. I never talked about this uh air before, but uh I I was called into the site uh unit in the ER at Queens to draw somebody's blood. And I get down there and they have the ER text there, and they're holding this guy down, and I gotta poke a needle in his vein and get his blood. And this guy's going off, and he's looking at me and he's like, You can't take my blood. Jesus said you can't take my blood. And like he's going off, yelling at me. And in my head, I'm like, Okay, guy, watch this. I got this. And I put the tourniquet on, and yeah, this fat vein. And then um, I put the needle in and I put the tube in to um extract it, and the no blood's coming out. And he's going, I told you, God said you can't have my blood. And I'm just like, I and I I used to pride myself a little cockiness that I don't miss. I don't miss the vein. That's my yeah, and and the the ER tags are giving me shit. I was like, Come on, Fan, like what, Brad? I use the man. And I'm like, I don't know, I'm in the vein. Maybe it's a a fulthy tube or something. So then I took off the tourniquet, like got him good, and then I I tried his other arm. Same thing, fat vein. I um put the tourniquet, and he's same thing. You can't take my blood. God says you can't have it. And I I put the tourniquet on, I put the needle in, I pushed the tube, nothing. And then he just got calm and he looked at me, and nothing's happening. And he goes, Brother, you can have my blood. And right when he said that, the tube started filling, and I was fucked this. I got the blood, I put it in the they have a pneumatic tube system. I shot it up to the uh lab. I'm like, I'm not dealing with that. That's that was one of the first times I ever got freaked out. Like he looked me in the eye and he said, Brother, you can have my blood. And right when he said, and there is zero percent chance you can control your blood from flowing, yeah. And those tubes are vacuum sealed, so they suck it.
SPEAKER_00Hey, until that day, you didn't know that.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I don't know. That was some wild, yeah. That got me freaked out. Like, I had to go outside and just yeah, and and the ER techs too, because they seen it, so they're with me and they're like, what the hell was that? I'm like, bro, get this blood out of here. Like, this is some devil shit.
SPEAKER_01That's insane. Yeah, I mean like a crazy experience. I just yeah, it had me questioning myself after, like, is that really possible?
Nursing Prereqs And Raising The GPA
SPEAKER_05Like, yeah, how to do that, you know? That's wild, bro. But yeah, that happened to me. But um, to get back to you, to get back to you, so you're uh um a tech and you're going to school. What are you going to school for?
SPEAKER_01So I'm trying to get my nursing license right now. Um so nice. I'm not actually in uh nursing school yet, but I'm finishing up my prereqs. So I've been doing the pre-rex for part-time for about three years. So I'm slowly knocking them out. And um I went to college before, yeah. So I I got my degree, but you know, my GPA was kind of trash. It's like a 2.9 or something like that. So I'm trying to just redo classes, trying to keep I'm just doing a little bit at a time, but trying to get good grades. So yeah. You know, you need to be on it, you know. I was the type of guy I would shoot for A's and always get B's, and I'm like, what the heck? You know? But now, but now it's at like a do-or-die kind of thing. Like, I need to do it, like I need, I need to. There's no excuse. You just do it, you know. Like, all that matters is the is the result. Like just put in, put it in, you know, and put in the work and get an A. So I've been doing that for three years, going for my nursing license, and then I'm I'm basically almost done. I think I need like one or two more classes. So for certain programs, I need one or two more classes, but for the KCC program, I I have all my classes. So oh nice. Yeah, so I I'm gonna try to apply to that one within the next year. And then um, if not, just go like the more expensive route, HPU or Shamanat, or yeah, you know, or maybe even UH or you know, kind of just kind of play on my options. Yeah, like anything to get it done, you know. Yeah, even if it's more expensive, you know, just quicker I can get it done, the better. You know, just move forward with my career.
SPEAKER_05That's super awesome to hear. And you're taking it with a fighter mentality, where this is the only option, I'm gonna work for it. And that's the that's the same thing what we talked about earlier. It's the same uh mindset you had when you were fighting that you're applying to get this goal. And um you you seem very happy, like just talking to you, or when I see you at the gym, like you seem happy, you seem like you're doing well, and you're reaching your goals, which isn't easy to do, and a lot of people give up trying along the way, especially local people. Sometimes they don't follow through with their goals, and I I hate to say it, and and give up, or like life happens where they they fall short and can't, or something happens. But um, bruh, I can't wait to see you get that diploma and and get your get your nursing license. And for for one, I know for a fact that Hawaii needs better nurses. I know a lot of nurses, they they have a lot of complaints about co-workers and and how things are done. And I think that's every job. Yeah, I guess so. You're right. But yeah, maybe I'm just around more nurses than that.
SPEAKER_01No, well, why not, right? Every job you have, there's always like one or two people where they're like slacking or they're not doing what they're supposed to be doing, or they're just trying to get you in trouble for no reason, you know, to starting dramas, you know, and you're just like, bro, I'm just trying to chill, like work hard, make my money, and go home, man. Yeah, job well, go home, you know. But yeah, I know you said about people selling themselves short of their goals and stuff. It's like, yeah, man. I mean, it's I think in general, it's just a difficult like goals in general are just difficult to do because if it was easy, then everyone would would be a nurse, everyone would be a lawyer or doctor, yeah, or you know, or firefighter. I know one guy that took him like 10 years to get into the and he tried, he was actively trying for 10 years, you know, and but it was just something that he wanted to do, you know, and he stuck to it. And yeah, and then you know, some people they have kids unexpectedly, and you know, it kind of throws a wrench in their their plans, you know. So it's it's kind of um, like I get it. I get sometimes like there's always a way though, no matter what, you know, no matter what you're doing. It might not be the way you imagined it, you know, but there's always a way. And if as long as you're still breathing, there's a chance, you know. That's how I see it.
Choosing A Nursing Path And Pay
SPEAKER_05That's how I like that mentality, and that's definitely a fighter mentality. When you become a nurse, what kind of nurse do you want to be? A psych nurse, or you're gonna be um like kind of going mainstream, like med surge or telemetry or something like that.
SPEAKER_01So I I've been actually thinking about that, um, like here and there, you know, um, because one thing I like about working in the hospitals, like med surge and stuff like that, is that you actually use your skills a lot, your your practical nursing skills. You're constantly using them, you know. So in the event that you're out of work and you need you need to help somebody out in public, you know, it's like that's how my mind works, right? Is like your skills out, you know, how you can apply it outside too, you know. Like I would be like, that would be actually really cool to be able to do that, you know. And there's times where I mean, I've had people like working in a nursing home, right? Um, you know, about like when people are sitting, when old people are sitting down, the orthostatic um hypotension, right? You stand up to get easy, sit back down. Okay, you good? Okay, let's try it again, you know. But it's like I've had where I helped guys in public where they just like pass out, and then they're like, I need to get up. They I need to get up. I'm like, no, just sit here, take some breaths. And they're like, No, I'm gonna stand up, and I'm like, okay, man, up to you. They get up and they pass back out, you know. And I'm like, okay, you just passed out, just wait, you know, and then they they chill, you know. I've it happened to me a couple of times where like I was in public and I helped people with that, but then yeah, and I like I already know they're gonna pass out, so I'm just waiting to catch them, you know. But yeah, like so I I wanna do med like med surge kind of I want okay. That's one thing that I want to do because of that reason, but also I have it really good at the state hospital, and you know, I actually enjoy psych because I actually feel like this is a job where it fits me well, yeah, you know, and that I that I really thoroughly enjoy doing, like showing up to work, you know. That's awesome. It's not like oh you know, I would have never thought I would be at a psych hospital and doing that, but you know, it's something that I actually can go to work every day and like okay, I can I can do this, you know. Yeah, because I've had jobs where like I'm just like, oh, I gotta go to work. I I can't do another shift right now. Like mentally, I don't feel like I can, but I'm just gonna go do it. But like going to work for psych is like, you know, we're kind of just you know, it's a it's a little bit more slower pace until somebody acts up, you know. Yeah, then it's like zero, then we're going 100. Yeah, again, you know, like you know, for the for the most part for in the gist, that's what it's like.
SPEAKER_05But yeah, like psych nursing, you're not really using your practical skills though, like you're just passing meds pretty much, or cleaning wounds, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, um, talking to patients, you know, so it it's a more chill pace. And I kind of like that honestly. I just yeah, I just wish we could still use some practical nursing skills, like where, you know, you're doing Ivy, yeah, or you're you know, your um you're um like inserting catheters, or you know, you're doing they're doing more hands-on stuff, you know, where you're actually really, really using the skills that you learned in nursing school, you know. So that's like the pros and cons of both. And one thing I really like about the hospital is that since I'm already affiliated there, I'm very comfortable, like comfort, you know. And definitely and the types of benefits that they have there, like it's not as good of the state, that's why, yeah. Yeah, yeah. The pay is not as good as like a med surgeon or at like Queens, you know. Imagine they're they're probably getting anywhere between like 65 and 80, 85, or you know, they're making good money, you know, like that general that margin, you know. But I think like in the hospital, they're making anywhere between 45 and 65. Like that, and like I think when you start as like a RN2, I think you get in as an RN2. I think they're only making like 45 to 50. It's it's not really yeah, for a nursing license, that's not like that's on the lower end, you know. Like, you know, you're and especially with the economy here, it's like that is a that is lower end, you know. So like that's one of the things, but then RN3, I think you get like a pretty big jump to in pay. But the benefits, especially like if you have family and you just gotta like you gotta be able to sick leave and not need a note. Like that's the best. Like that's yeah, you know, like and you know, as much as you value your career and what you do, family is always first, right? Family is your number one priority. Like your daughter, just she'll always be your number one. Like, you don't give you like if something happens, you don't give a damn. Like, I'm leaving work. I don't care what you got. I gotta leave. I gotta be there. But it's like with state, like working with the state, it's just like, hey, I gotta, you can just call them being like, hey, I gotta take emergency leave. Boom, no questions asked. Done. Nice. And I and I really like that, you know. And if you have a thing and I gotta call in sick, we're allowed like up to four days of sick leave without a note. Oh, that's super cool. Yeah. Oh, that's that's a every job I had, if I was sick leaving, I just needed a note, like a doctor.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01For one day. You know, this is the first job I had where like I could actually take a sick leave and like not need a note, you know. But I mean, not that I really use it often at all. Like I'm always at work, but just in the you know, for family, for family.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, for the future. Yeah, yeah. So you you might feel that way now, but then once you get in nursing program and and work uh your internships and and work on the floor in different situations, you might find a love or a passion for something different in the in the nursing field, but who knows? Like, could do both, you know what I mean? Like, yeah, knowing you, you probably get a job at Queens and keep your job at the state, you know what I mean? I was actually thinking that too, which is crazy.
SPEAKER_01I was actually thinking about like, oh, maybe I can do my off days at Queens and stuff like that. And yeah, I was I was actually considering it.
Love Standards And Compromise
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Well, I see I see on your Instagram you spent a lot of time and pictures and stuff with your girlfriend, and you seem very happy. You guys definitely match. And oh yeah, yeah, I'm super stoked for you, bro. And and finding some special person in in this, not just this island, just in life is not the east world.
SPEAKER_01It's not, man. It's changed. A lot of things have changed, you know. Yeah, it's like social media and all this stuff. Yeah, it's it's difficult. I think it's difficult in general to find somebody that you have like a decent amount of similarities with, and they want the same things as you, believe in most of the same things as you, and they're just like you can trust them with you know with with your you know, you with your loyalty, with their loyalty, you know. So yeah, it's it's difficult, you know, for sure. And there's always, you know, relationships in general, that's uh there's always compromising to some sort, you know. Nobody you you don't build, you don't build your other half, you know. You find them as is. Oh, that's a good one. You know that's a good one. It's like you know, everybody wishes like, and it's not it's not necessarily like a bad thing where you're just like, that's not my most favorable thing about you. It's not it's just like something you prefer, and that somebody doesn't fit that standard, I guess, you know. And it's not like a negative thing, but it's something that you compromise with because you love them, you know, and and um it's funny because like some people they don't understand that, you know, when they date people, you know, they're just like, oh, they're not this, they're not this, and it's like I don't like them. And it's like, okay, well, you're gonna go run off and you're gonna go find somebody else that you're there's something that you're not gonna like about them. Yeah, yeah. There's always gonna be something, you know, and people just think that they're gonna find somebody that's just like my soulmate, you know. It's like it's perfect match.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's like it's not that easy, you know. Like, yeah, you're right though. You they gotta build some that you kicking knowledge, you're not gonna build somebody, yeah. You're how you want them. It's gotta give and take.
SPEAKER_01It's work, you know, and it's like there's just some things that you have to value, you know. They say you're negotiables and non-negotiables, and things that you really want out of your other half that you look for. And if they check pretty much all of the boxes, then it's a go, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Well, I'm glad you found that person, and like I said, you seem very happy.
Pregnancy News And Provider Mindset
SPEAKER_01Um, we've been going for over Oh, go ahead. Oh, I wanted to add, I mean, I don't know if it's too early to announce this, but then uh I found out she was pregnant that she's Oh shit.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. Oh that's super dope. That was gonna be my next question. Where do you see that going in the future? But now it is it's happening. Your boy's fertile. Let's go. Never doubted, not never doubted you, bro. Oh, that's I hope everybody knows everybody knows. I hope everybody knows before they see this, because I don't let your mom see it first on this.
SPEAKER_01And uh I told I told I told my mom. Oh, okay. Because I'm in school, right? Yeah. So um she was uh I like you know, aged moms, like school first, get your, you know, like typical like standard loving, caring mom. Yeah, and then I was like, oh man, my girl told me on Easter, and then I was just like, oh no kidding, huh?
SPEAKER_00And that's why I found out on Halloween, so we get holidays. Something about the holidays, man.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and you know, it's not it's not like I wasn't trying, you know. I will I was like, you know, I wasn't being careful because to me, I'm like, ideally, it's not the right like time financially and in my career, but I'm at an age where like I kind of want a child already. Yeah, and I'm like in my head, I'm like, even if I do, I'm gonna figure out a way to get what I want both ways.
SPEAKER_05Oh, yeah. Your failure's not an option when it comes to like I know your mindset, how you are with everything, and yeah, a kid is gonna be even more than that's how I was. Once I had my daughter, I was locked in to and cut out a lot of bullshit and locked into oh yeah, where this is this is this is what's up. Like, yeah, yeah. Anything else, there's no failure. It's yeah, yeah, it's win. It's just win or gonna win. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01No, exactly. Yeah, and it's like I'm gonna figure out some way if even if it's not my option A, it's gonna be B, C, D. I'm like planning, you know, and and it's more just about, and the cool thing was that like I've already been working towards, you know, my goals, and I've been putting that first over many things, you know. And so it's not that I'm gonna have to necessarily change my work ethic. It's more just about applying it to I'm just spreading it out to different things now, you know. So, because I I actually had one of my coworkers tell me, like, or ask me, Oh, are you like, um, are you stressed? And I was just like, nah, I don't even feel stressed. Like, I feel you know, like I'm not even stressed about it. I'm just kind of like thinking how I'm gonna navigate it. Yeah, I'm pretty, I'm pretty calm about it. Cause I I like like I just told you, I was that I'm not like I'm not really changing my work habit. It's not like I have to work more now. I already work more than I should, you know. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05So and and I'm already in school, and like well, you're just gonna have to navigate finding time because you're gonna want to be there for special moments for sure.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. Exactly. And so it's it's about working around that and then also being like a good other half, right? So and like trying to be there for her, and it's hard too because I know for her, like attention is like her thing, right? She does she's not really a monetary or like a materialistic person, which is one of the many things that I love about her. So it's like I don't need to buy her things or anything, but it's more just like, oh, you're working again. I want I want time, you know. And I'm like, yeah, but I'm I'm trying to like make this money so like you know, eventually you could get a house, you know, and it's like yeah, I'm thinking bigger picture, right? But for her, it's like the the little moments, you know. So it's trying to like balance all of that, you know. It's like, oh, I guess I can not work over time this day. But I'm thinking like, oh man, that's like that's like 12 hours of standard pay, you know.
SPEAKER_04But it's like you know, I have that's how I'm thinking.
SPEAKER_01I'm like, oh yeah. And so like I'm just giving up that to have for her, you know, and even more so now.
SPEAKER_05Money can always be made, but moments and memories, that's that's invaluable. And I think I think you're you already figured that out. And then once you have your have your kid, oh, I'm so stoked for you, bro. This earth needs people to have kids that are good people. This earth needs good people to have kids. That's what I'm trying to say. Yeah, that'll be awesome, bro.
SPEAKER_01Think about that a lot too, you know. It's like I want to be a good example, and I want you already are my bro.
SPEAKER_05You are you already are like you already are that guy. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I want my kid to be a very kind uh contributor to society, you know. I want them to, you know, more than anything, be a good person, you know, and and do well, you know, do well for themselves and others, you know.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, that's awesome, bro. That's some great news. That's probably the best thing that was ever announced on my show.
SPEAKER_01I was like thinking, I was asking my girl, like, should I say it when I come on? Because I told her I was gonna be talking to you.
SPEAKER_05Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Telling her, like, is it too early? Because eight weeks, you know, a lot can happen. But that's how I was saying, like, I was like, I think, because you know, um, in in Filipino culture too, you don't really announce it more than the first, I think the first trimester you leave it alone, then you come on. But I was like, and she's like, Are you trying to hide it from people? I was like, no, I'm just thinking about you, you know? And then she's like, Oh, if you want to do it, then do it.
SPEAKER_05And I was like, Okay, I tell the world now, I tell the world right now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, you know, and it's just like for me, it's like I want to tell everybody, I'm excited, like I can't keep it in. But I'm just the other part that makes me want to hold it is like I don't cut my chickens before they hatch, you know. I just let the process go out and I let everyone figure out organically, you know. But but like I don't know, I'm just excited, you know.
SPEAKER_05That's that's that's how you should be. And I would say go with your gut and how and like you're fucking glowing right now. That's fucking that's that's that's what's up. And yeah, I'm really soaked for you, bro. That's cool. That's hyper cool.
SPEAKER_01As more time goes by, I get more excited because you will, bro. She first told me, I was just like, oh, like I was kind of kidding, huh? But then I'll and then you see like videos online of like their other halves, like they pick up their ladies and like, oh my gosh, and they're all like happy. Yeah, that wasn't my reaction, and I'm just like, is there something wrong with me?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, you know, like my yeah, is it is mine was like, uh so what then? I'm I've literally told my girlfriend at the time, I'm like, well, I'm down if you're down. That's what I said.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's what I was, you know, and then my girl wanted a baby for real from the moment I would say within like a couple months of me meeting her, and I was just like, I was like, you don't even know me. I was like, I can be this horrible person, and then you want to have it with me. Like, I was like, I think you need to wait a little bit before you decide, you know, and so obviously she was excited, she's been wanting it, but the first like two and a half years, I was being very careful, but we don't use we never use contraception. Like I never ever like told her you need to take this because yeah, yeah, you know, like for her, I want her to if she doesn't feel comfortable, it's like you're basically putting things that mess with hormones in your body, you know. Like I don't I don't think like any man should be able to tell their woman what they're putting in their body, you know. So exactly I you know it's like hey man, just like pull out game, better be strong, you know, if if you really don't want to be on, yeah, you know, and so like that's that's basically how we were doing it for a long time. And then after a while, I was like, you know, I actually see myself with her in the long run.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So like after a while, I was like, I don't care, you know, to leave it in. I don't care, you know. Well it worked, yeah, yeah. Well, and you know what she told me before, like she tried before and like it it it didn't happen for her. So I was just thinking, like, okay, like she's she she calls herself like not as fertile, she can't get pregnant. So like to me, I'm thinking, like, ah, it's probably not gonna happen. Like, and then I and then it happened, and that's why I was like, Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04Like, I guess I guess you couldn't get pregnant, yeah.
Weigh-In Food Then Transition Advice
SPEAKER_05Yeah, well, congratulations, bruh. That's super cool. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, thank you. I'm stoked for you, man. Well, we definitely been going for over an hour, and um, before we get off, I wanted to ask you two cool questions. One was um about your fight career. What would be your go-to food after the weigh-ins? Ooh.
SPEAKER_01So from experimenting, you know, keep it short and sweet, I would say sushi. Okay. Some carbs, um, yeah, yeah. Because you got your protein and your carbs, and I feel like sushi always digested well with me.
SPEAKER_05Okay, and after the fight, what was your what was your go-to meal? Like, what was like, oh, yeah, you that's that's yeah, and sushi is always there at the fights, you know. Oh yeah, yeah. The shady green rooms, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01I love pizza. Like what pizza and sushi are like my favorite foods and burgers, so oh nice. That's why I didn't say burgers, because I actually, you know, before the um after weigh-ins for my bellater fight, I ate a burger and it it just like made me so bloated. It was like and and even the the next day, I was I still had like some kind of like indigestion where I was just like it just didn't it didn't digest well with me, you know. But but I'd say like sushi always like if if there was probably like three or four times where I ate sushi after uh way in it, and it always like sat well. Well and I think also it's not just what you eat, it's you eat it in increments too, because yeah, you don't just pound it, uh yeah. Yeah, because like you you're not used to eating that that big greasy bulk in one sitting. It's like you just gotta eat a little bit, wait like two, three hours, eat like some more of it, you know. So yeah, that was my go-to. So my go-to would probably be sushi for sure.
SPEAKER_05Nice, that's cool. And then last thing I would say is what advice would you give to a fighter transitioning out of their fight career into doing something um non-fight related or or moving on with their life? What would advise would you give them?
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm gonna make you pretend I'm talking to you and you're just transitioning out. All right. But say I would I'd probably I'd probably more like uh ask questions about what they're doing and why they're doing it, you know, because I think that if you because you did fighting for a reason, right? Like you you had you had your purpose, you know, and yeah, that was like your backing, right? But if you're obviously putting something before that, that must be pretty important, you know, like to shift your life around and to make room for it, you know. And and I I'd be like, you know, it's it's worth it, you know. And at some point you do gotta if that's not gonna be your career in the moneymaker, you know, it's there's not everybody can do that for a living and and be successful, you know. And it is hard, but you know, you need to do what you need to do to to to make your money, you know, and to to put your family first, especially if you have kids or you plan on having kids. And that is that is kids are way beyond you, you know, they're more important, you know, and they always come first, you know, and you have to sacrifice the things that you love for for your kids, you know, and and that's the ultimate form of love, right? Because that definitely, you know, you put something above yourself, you know, and you go out of your way, even if it hurts you, you're gonna do that for them, you know, and there's nothing more honorable than that. And and um and fighting is just something that you do, it's not I mean it it is a part of you, it's a part of who you are, yeah, and it'll always be a part of what you did and who you are, and it made you the person you are because you did that, right? But it's it's it's just a piece, it's not like whole wholly who you are, yeah. You know, there's other parts to you that that make you who you are, it's just a piece of you that will always be there.
Final Thanks And Closing
SPEAKER_05Yep. Oh, that's good advice. Well, I appreciate you taking time to to come on my show and talk about what you got going on. Like, yeah, man. Yeah, I was excited. Yeah, I was excited for this one, bro. Yeah, and I I think a lot of people can take um take some inspiration from from hearing you talk and tell your story. And yeah, it was definitely fun. I will have you back when you get your nursing license and see what you're getting into next.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, man. I dude, time flew by. It's like I thought it was gonna be harder.
SPEAKER_05Nah, no worries. I told you it's gonna be just like talkie star me. It's just we're we're not drunk and we're talking about like more like life shit. Yeah, yeah, hey.
SPEAKER_01I I like that. You know, I'm I'm part Portuguese, so I can talk.
SPEAKER_05That's the best, the easy for edit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right on, bruh.
SPEAKER_01Comfortable with all of it, man.
SPEAKER_05So right on, we'll shock us for the cameras. Right on, we're out. Shout out to the artist with network. Aloha. Thank you.
