WhozYourMama

PART 1 - Rising Above: Jon "THE COBRA" Crosby's Journey of Empowerment and Resilience

• Michelle Kreft

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What happens when a young boy from Los Angeles, inspired by legends and driven by personal battles, transforms his challenges into a mission of empowerment? Meet Jon "THE COBRA" Crosby, whose journey to becoming a boxing champion is nothing short of inspirational. Growing up in a single-mother household, Jon was motivated by his older brother and idol Michael Jordan to embrace physical fitness as a path to mental well-being. Discover how he overcame many hurdles through disciplined exercise and breathing techniques, drawing intriguing parallels to yoga practices. Jon’s story is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound interconnection between mind and body.

Jon's path took an unexpected turn when he stumbled upon a community center in Compton offering free boxing lessons, setting the stage for his illustrious boxing career. But his story doesn't end in the ring—Jon's commitment to giving back is just as powerful as his punches. Through a nonprofit organization and a kids' boxing program, he invests in the next generation, promoting self-love, self-care, and mental health. Tune in as we discuss the power of starting small, the importance of supportive communities, and the drive to stay committed to one’s goals. This episode is packed with inspiration for anyone seeking to improve their mental and physical well-being.

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Michelle:

Welcome to WhozYourMama, a podcast focusing on tomorrow's future, which are our kids, educators, teachers, parents, all encompassing with the goal of understanding that our brain is a muscle that we can exercise to control the speed in the direction that we want. Let's go, y'all. The time is now. I am here with John the Cobra Crosby. Thank you so much. Welcome to who's your Mama. So we very much have a passion for mental health, strength, wellness, all-encompassing, and how to be able to reach as many people as possible in all of those different areas. So, without further ado, let's just dive straight into it. So tell everyone a little bit about who you are. There's so much to dive into, so I think this could be multiple conversations, episodes, but a little background on your story.

Jon:

Well, I was born and raised in Los Angeles, california, right in the heart of LA, close to Eaglewood, off of Century and Western, not too far from LAX. I was raised in a single mother household, three, I mean two brothers, one brother, two sisters that's my mom. We all grew up in a nice knit family house, stayed in LA. My whole life Haven't moved. I've been winning anywhere else as far as living but I've just been in LA and I played sports in high school and what type of sports? Basketball why, basketball oh your older brother.

Jon:

Older brother. He's 10 years older than me and he played basketball all while I was growing up. We was big Michael Jordan fans and I wanted to be an athlete like him, so Basketball, as a side note, is my favorite sport.

Michelle:

I mean, I love many sports, but to watch on television and live there's so much with what it does for your, the, the hand-eye coordination, what it, I say, instead of triggers, sparks things and in terms of yes, many areas.

Jon:

So, yeah, it's like crazy. Yeah, it's nothing like a live game yeah it's insane. The only other thing that that tops a live game is a boxing match yeah, I haven't been to a hockey game. They say the hockey game in the playoffs is is equivalent to that, but um, I need to go to a hockey game, oh my god, so it's so fascinating.

Michelle:

You bring that up, I my daughter, for a few reasons, which is, I'm a single mom, as you. You know, it's not necessarily why I came up with the name who's your mama, but it is incorporated somewhere in that. And so my daughter and I went to our first hockey game live earlier this year, and the same thing I was saying, I mean watching that hand-eye coordination, you know, thinking on your feet, literally and figuratively, is crazy. And then now I know with you know, the start of what we've been doing together with personal training, with boxing, the same mentality, I mean there's so much growth in how we can stimulate our minds and our bodies through that.

Jon:

Yeah, and along the journey of me wanting to be on the basketball team, I grew up with asthma. So, um, yeah, I was born with it and um, I was in a hospital a lot of growing up. So, um, I fell behind on a lot of academic stuff or whatever, but um, to be able to catch your breath and and control it yeah, it was.

Jon:

It was. It was tough, uh, growing up with it and I didn't want to be able to rely on my inhaler, um, while I was playing basketball. So I really really uh started working out really really hard to help myself, not depend on my pub. So I did that for myself in high school. Is that when you were?

Michelle:

diagnosed with having the asthma to the level you did. You said it started when you were young but in terms of, you grew up with it but you started to learn how you could control it through exercise when you were in high school, if I'm understanding Exercise helped me not to depend on the thing.

Jon:

So I was just building my body as I was growing. You know, in high school you go through this big growth spurt, yeah. So as I was growing, that's when I got into fitness. It really just leveled up my body and that helped me a lot with my asthma.

Michelle:

What were some of the techniques that you instinctively adapted during high school to not be dependent on your inhaler?

Jon:

I just did a lot of cardio and with with, uh, basketball you know you gotta do a lot of running and sprinting and all of that stuff. So whenever he was doing it, whenever he was in practice, I made sure to not, soon as I was hard for me to breathe, not run to get the inhaler. I just learned how to breathe properly.

Michelle:

How would you describe breathing properly?

Jon:

from your experience, it's more of a yoga type, breathing Like inhale, slowly exhale.

Michelle:

Can you show me? I've done a lot of sorts but yoga hasn't been one of them. But I could probably do with it.

Jon:

So here's one of my tricks you put your right hand over your heart and you can feel your heartbeat. You can feel it more when you're, when you're like really into the exercise, you feel you can, even you can feel your heartbeat, you can hear your heartbeat sometimes, yeah, sometimes you want to.

Jon:

What you do is you close your eyes and you take deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth, but while you're doing that, you're focusing on slowing down your heart, with your mind and your breathing at the same time, and it just your heart goes doo-doo-doo-doo real, real hard and then it just calms down. It does exactly what the inhaler does the the mist from the uberitorol calms your heart down, calms you, calms your your chest down because it's really, really tight, so it just relaxes and calms it down. That technique. I've talked to many other people that had asthma and they helped them out.

Michelle:

So let me ask you this question when you breathe out, there are numerous people and just a disclaimer not medical professionals. We understand medicine and fitness and all of that, but this is not. This is more about sharing and learning, and what works for everyone is when you breathe in through your nose. When you breathe out, do you keep your mouth closed or do you open it Slightly? Slightly, yeah, and why the difference? Or does it matter in your experiences?

Jon:

Well, you can get a full, you can fully, fully exhale.

Michelle:

Oh, I see.

Jon:

Everything when your mouth is slightly open. Okay, yeah, you can fully like release everything instead of having it Three counts in, three counts out. See, the trick is with the eyes. A lot of people close their eyes because they can. I want you to imagine your heart literally slowing down.

Michelle:

It's a visualization.

Jon:

Yeah.

Michelle:

I mean, it's why people have Pinterest boards, it's why people it's you know sports, psychology, all that sort of stuff.

Jon:

Visualization is meditation of control of your mind and your body your heart just yeah, and and what you do is you focus. Just picture your mind and picture you're laying your actual hand on your heart and telling it it's gonna be okay, and you're slowing it down with the deep breaths and your heart will relax.

Michelle:

It's beautiful, well, so let's continue on this journey. So so, that was your bringing us up to speed in high school and basketball. And then where did this shift and why go into boxing?

Jon:

I always wanted to do boxing so I did taekwondo like reverse. I did taekwondo like reverse. I did taekwondo I was in junior high school, okay, for three years, and then I went into high school and then got right into basketball. I was on the basketball team, in the basketball team in ninth grade. So I went right into basketball, um, but growing up, um, my mom always had ties, always had Tyson fights and things like that. And then junior high and high school I was really up to, really took heed to Roy Jones Jr and he was the way he, how charismatic he was and how much he made boxing look super entertaining and fun. Again is why I fell in love with boxing even more and why I wanted to do it.

Michelle:

What do you mean by super entertaining and fun Like what does that look like to you? That was motivational.

Jon:

The way he came out. On all his fights he would rap to his own songs. He would come out and he would wear like really nice clothes. He was the first boxer to be sponsored by Jordan.

Michelle:

So the way he presented himself was professional, that he carried himself in a way that was respectable. I don't want to put words in your mouth now that I could. Is that what you mean?

Jon:

Yeah, and he was doing it his own way.

Michelle:

It was different, he stood out. He was different, he stood out.

Jon:

He stood out.

Michelle:

Yeah.

Jon:

He was doing things that people wasn't doing, you know, and as far as having entertainers and just all different types of things, he definitely stood out. The way that he would fight was like no other. He was super quick, super powerful and he had fun in the ring while doing it definitely stood out. The way that he will fight was like no other than no other he was. He was, uh, super quick, super powerful and he had fun in the ring while doing it.

Michelle:

So you know, all of that tied together the trifecta of all of that individuality, professionalism and having fun.

Jon:

Yeah, is that kind of yeah, yeah, so it just, it just attracted me to do it. And right after high school I saw I forgot how I found out about a gym that was in it was like a community center in Compton and that was giving out free boxing lessons.

Michelle:

Oh, wow.

Jon:

Free boxing classes in the facility, and then I went there and just started from there. You know, so it was it was. It just all fell into place timing is everything. I don't even know how I ended up over there to be honest it was was literally right across the street from the Compton courthouse.

Michelle:

Oh, wow.

Jon:

Yeah, so I don't even know how you end up over there, but it all worked out because I was able to hone in on what I really wanted to do.

Michelle:

I think that is part of what mindfulness is.

Michelle:

Whoever they are, they say know, we all say when, if you are in a place where to be open for growth, then you can receive it, and sometimes it doesn't matter the why's behind it and obviously the time was you were exactly where you needed to be and why, and open to gifting yourself to grow the way that you wanted to then and have can consciously continued to. So, on that note, I mean I know you, you have a nonprofit with, with your mom, that you, as I say mama, that is surrounding you, know underprivileged kids and encompasses more than that. And additionally, you're launching your kids boxing program. Before we dive into that, because we very much have a passion with who's your mama, it it will take on a life as, as we do as parents, uh, and go in different directions, but mental health and and wellness strength through kids, which are our future teachers, parents, terms of community focus, what, when you went to that gym in Compton and what made you continue to go, dive deep internally to reach the level that you did and continue to?

Jon:

Well, I believe that everything happens for a reason, and even though that I don't know how I ended up over there in Compton, I knew that this is something that I wanted to do. It goes back to what you were saying being at the right place at the right time and being open. Yeah, I don't know how I ended up over there, but what I wanted to do was right there in front of me. So I was like well, why am I turning down based on where I'm at?

Jon:

You'd go on your guides, so I just went and did it and kept going because the energy in there was good, it was welcoming and it was willing to help.

Michelle:

I'm sorry to interrupt because you and I have talked before we started filming about energy, because you and I've talked before. You know we started filming about energy and some people understand that to different depths than others. Some people don't understand that at all. What does that mean to you when you say energy?

Jon:

Well, if you go out into a place that's unknown and the people there is working and they don't have an open attitude to welcome you in, knowing that you've never been there before, you don't know what's going on, then it can turn people away. So their energy was warm and welcoming and they was willing to help. So that's why I continued to go and they was willing to help, so that's why I continued to go. Now, if they was mean and, you know, off-putting, then I would have found somewhere else. So when I walked in there and it was like, hey, how you doing this is. You know, this is a community center. We're here to help kids and this, that and this and that. And they didn't just only do boxing, they did a lot of different other things too. So it was just the energy and I really, really liked it.

Michelle:

And that's why I kept going back.

Jon:

So, and then what?

Michelle:

From there. It was a long journey. It was a long journey. I see multiple episodes in our near future. This journey because there are parallels that you might have discussed in the way in which we've met, and so the journey is such. The beauty is finding people that you connect with in life, so I definitely look forward to exploring more of the journey, how you met, your journey, mine, the scope of reach that we can have such a passion of the scope of reach, that we can have such a passion of, you know, helping kids, adults, educators, as you and I've discussed I think we're both in agreement like watering the grass for you stand at home base watering beyond spreading the fertilizer. I know that's super technical, but that's how you know we just let's, let's make a difference yeah, the the crazy thing is you said what's next?

Jon:

I'm gonna give you this. When, when I was training in in in compton, I was still living at home with my mom, so she saw how serious I was taking it was that.

Jon:

So she saw how serious I was taking it. How old were you when you saw it 20 years ago, 21 years ago? So she saw how serious I was with the boxing and she saw what it was doing to my body and how good of a shape I was in. So she asked me what I helped train her friend to get into her wedding dress because she couldn't fit it and I was like I never trained nobody before.

Jon:

But okay so I met up with the lady at my high school that I graduated southwest middle college high school, which was off imperial western still there. So we met at the track and I trained her.

Jon:

All I had was a medicine ball and a resistance band yeah back to basic and, um, I was able to create different workouts with those bands and the ball and using the bleacher steps and just using just a yoga mat. Yeah, and that she had and that's it, and I was able to train her and she was able to get into a wedding dress and from from then on, and once I saw her get into that wedding dress and how happy she was, that's what started my personal training journey and so, just to just so everyone knows like, yes, we, we, the internal beauty and external beauty are hand in hand.

Michelle:

but you feel good inside. That comes across outside and it sounds like, yes, you love to see her get in that wedding dress, but what you liked is you said she was so happy that you helped her get to her goal and that was the beginning of your motivation to see people help them reach their goals.

Jon:

Yeah, yeah, awesome To help, yeah, to start my training journey, because the feeling of that was Because before it was just all about I need to get in the best shape I can to be able to play basketball. And then boxing because you can't even use a haler inside the ring. At least basketball you can use it on the sidelines when you're on the bench, but basketball you can't use it at all because they consider it a steroid. That's a whole other conversation, wow it, so that's a whole other conversation so it to to.

Jon:

It was all about, you know, getting myself and building my body. Yeah, so when I was able to to help somebody reach their goal, like I did mine with the basketball and boxing, it just took everything to a whole nother level. The feeling of that I was like, all right, this is what I'm meant to do is to help others.

Michelle:

And that's that's so correlates has intertwined with why I wanted to do who's your Mama? And my background in psychology, but predominantly in cancer around the world. Genetic testing is how can I help? So the acts of service and so much of that is a mindset, and I'm not talking about holistic versus conventional medicine. That's not what this is about.

Michelle:

It's about what we can do to provide to help others get to where they want to go, and that's how we're both wired and, of course, it makes us feel good to be able to do so and that can make a difference without waiting for others to happen.

Michelle:

I mean, it's about community and powers and numbers and that is contagious in the most Incredible way and to see people achieve things that they're wanting to and know you made it different. That's not narcissistic, that's just loving and caring and kind, and I it's one of the amazing things that I have learned about you that really encouraged me to approach you with collaborating in this way is that shared feeling of wanting to make a difference, and so I'm really grateful. I'm excited about continuing on this journey before we end right now. Continuing on this journey before we we end right now, um, and look forward to the next time, if anyone is questioning, let's say that, oh, maybe I'm too small to do basketball or do boxing. I don't know where to turn, and are questioning not that you want to do something, but where to go In your experience, being back at that point at some point before you found the right place. What would you say to them at some point before you found the right place?

Jon:

what would you say to them? Just start at home and just start working. All I had was my brother's dumbbells. And well, really, you know, I saw LL Cool J and I'm a Love you Better video and I was like Amazing. This dude was with us in his late 30s at the time and he looked like he was about to hit the stage for a bodybuilding contest.

Michelle:

I said I remember that video.

Jon:

Actually I was like I was only 14, 15 years old I was like I need to get it together, so I just started doing push-ups and dumbbells and all that stuff, and people don't.

Jon:

People don't run people like if I'm going to post a picture of how I was Snoop Dogg skinny in high school and I just started doing push-ups and I started doing curls and stuff, and it all started at the house until I was able to actually get to the gym.

Jon:

So what I would tell people that that feel, you know, feel a certain way about themselves, is that it's all.

Jon:

It's hundreds of thousands of people that started off where you started, and so the whole thing is just to start, because you may be feeling, feeling low about yourself, but if you just start working out and getting around the right people, then you will find yourself and it's all about surrounding yourself around supportive people, you know, and it may not even be your family that may support you, you know. It may not be your best friends that may support you, and a lot of times for me, doing other things that I've done, um, it's been strangers, you know. So you want to just have the strong mindset of okay, this is what I want to do and I'm going to do it by any means. So you have to get up and just go and and make it happen, and if you can't get it in your family, you can get it around your friends. Go to the gym, go to the community center, catch the bus, walk, ride your bike, ride, skate there, get on your scooter whatever you need to do, just get around the right gear done.

Michelle:

Yeah, yes, because that is. That is not being selfish, that is self-love, self-care, your internal beauty you own. As I teach my daughter, who's 15, there are very few things that are free in life, manners, but it's manners to yourself which is self-love and self-care, things that no one can ever take away from you unless you allow them to, in this order, is your heart and your head.

Michelle:

This is your gut and, yes, easier said sometimes than others, but the mindfulness, the self-awareness to do things like you were talking about, do things that are within your control, and sometimes it's not going to be your family and your friends that are motivating you. Motivate yourself because those are lifelong skills and I look forward to us continuing this conversation yeah, and the journey 20 years old.

Jon:

I've done so much since 20 and and another thing I want to want to tell the, the kids or anybody just looking at this, that you have to have a strong mindset and you cannot fall under anybody else's spell when it comes to when I said a spell, that means they'll try to use manipulation, they'll try to make you feel bad, they'll try to put you at a disadvantage, to do things that you don't want to do or be in a situation that you don't want to be in. What got me out of the neighborhood that I was in and I was surrounded by three gangs. My friends was gangbangers. They was getting killed or being arrested. My friends was gangbangers. That was getting killed or being arrested.

Jon:

I had the mindset as I wanted to be different and I wanted to do things differently than all of my family and all of the friends that was around me. So I never was peer pressured into doing anything that I didn't want to do. If I felt like it wasn't right, I didn't do it and I stood on it it and I was respected for it by that, you know. So you got to have a strong mind they doing something you don't do.

Jon:

Hey, yeah, that's cool with me. Y'all doing no judgment here, but I'm not doing it. You know, and you have to keep your mind strong, because this journey that you're about to take and this journey that you want to take, no matter if you're a teen take, and this journey that you want to take, no matter if you're a teen, in your early 20s or 30s or even 40s, if you got to start over. You have to have a strong mind, because this world is insane but you're not, but you're not, you're not.

Jon:

If you're focused, you have to keep going to where you need to get to, because you won't have the people. The right people will navigate towards you.

Michelle:

And that's really, I think, a great place for us to wrap up on that positive note. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

Jon:

It's not easy at all.

Michelle:

It's not. No one needs to sugarcoat that. That doesn't mean that times can't be easy and times can't be tough. But having the tools within yourself, having a supportive network of navigating your mental health strength Because your brain is a muscle and knowing the constant positive times of I got this and my daughter will laugh, laugh and some of my friends have like sometimes the southern to me really comes out. I'm like I don't give a flying flip. It doesn't mean I don't care, it's mean I care for me at home base first and what's good for me is good for my daughter.

Michelle:

But that mindset of, like you said, of, at the end of the day it is self-accountability. You're not accountable for anyone else and you don't need to be influenced by anyone else. So the company we keep is incredibly important and that is part of our story and I'm thank you again, john, for being here. Here's your mama. I look forward to continuing this journey together, helping growth for so many others to learn from our stories. So thank you, thanks for having me. All right, let's go y'all. The time is now. Thanks for tuning into WhozYourMama I look forward to collaborating from a community standpoint for the next episodes.

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Michelle Kreft

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