Running Towards Fear: Adam Brashaw on Pressure, Identity & Unlocking Human Potential

A deep dive into performance psychology, martial arts mindset, and building confidence when everything is on the line.

Most people avoid pressure.

Today’s guest runs straight into it.

Adam Brashaw is an elite stunt performer working on major Hollywood productions, doubling for actors in high-risk environments where failure isn’t an option. But behind the action is something deeper, a mindset built through years of discipline, martial arts, and relentless personal development.

In this episode of Unlocking Human Potential, we go far beyond the stunts.

We explore:

• What happens psychologically when the stakes are high
• How to stay calm, focused, and effective under pressure
• The role of discipline, martial arts, and identity in elite performance
• Why confidence isn’t something you’re born with it’s something you train
• How to build resilience in both your personal and professional life

Adam also shares insights from his journey into action design, fight coordination, and building his own brand through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, highlighting how performance isn’t just about what you do, but who you become in the process.

If you’re a leader, business owner, athlete, or someone navigating pressure in your own life this conversation will challenge how you think about fear, growth, and what you’re truly capable of.

🎧 Listen now and start unlocking your potential.

About Adam 

Most people run from pressure… today’s guest runs straight at it or jumps over it!.

Adam Brashaw is one of the film industry’s elite stunt performers doubling Ryan Reynolds in The Hitman’s Bodyguard and working on blockbuster productions like Avengers: Age of Ultron and Assassin’s Creed. When the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero… Adam’s the guy they trust.

But this isn’t just about stunts.

He’s a lifelong martial artist with a black belt in Kali plus a practitioner of  Jeet Kune Do, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many others….

That depth has taken him beyond performing into becoming an action designer and fight coordinator, shaping the scenes you feel, not just watch.

Away from Hollywood, he’s also the founder of Cuddle Club Jiu Jitsu building discipline, confidence, and connection off the mats as much as on them. 

And if you follow his journey on Instagram, you’ll see this isn’t a job… it’s a way of life.

Today, we go beyond the action… into mindset, pressure, and what it really takes to perform when it matters most.

Instagram  - Adam Brashaw

Cuddle Club IG

Cuddle Club website 

ikigai book

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Welcome to Unlocking Human Potential. With me, Andy Hosgood, a show dedicated to exploring what it really takes psychologically, behaviourally and practically to help humans thrive through conversations with leaders, founders, coaches, behavioural experts, and people shaping how humans perform and grow. Is this for you? But if you're a leader, a founder, a business owner, or an ambitious professional who wants to do more than just perform, they want to grow, inspire, and bring the best out in themselves and their people, then keep listening, because the mission is simple to explore how individuals and teams unlock potential in themselves, in others, and the organizations they shape. Every episode is a deep but relaxed conversation built around three core questions. How do you optimize yourself? How do you unlock potential in others? And the best advice for you, the listener. Now, over to the episode. Really hope you find it helpful and insightful. Just before we introduce our next guest, please make sure you press the follow button to keep updated with the latest episodes. Additionally, special thanks to 246 Photography and Pixel Mate brand for making this podcast a reality. However, the episode. So for our listeners, most people run from pressure, but today's guest runs straight into it or jumps over it. Adam Brayshaw is one of the films industry's elite stunt performers. When the stakes are high and the margin for error is zero, Adam's the guy they trust. But this isn't just about stumps. He's a lifelong martial artist, a black battle and Kaylee, plus a practitioner Jeet Kundu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and many others. That depth is taking him beyond performing and becoming an action designer, a fight coordinator, shaping the scenes that you feel not just watch. Away from Hollywood, he's also the founder of the Cuddle Club, the Jiu Jitsu brand, building discipline, confidence, and connection off the mat as much as on him. And if you follow his journey on Instagram, you see it isn't just a job, it's his way of life. Today we go on action into mindset, pressure, and what it takes to perform when it matters most. Adam Brayshaw, welcome to Unlocking Human Potential.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Thank you. Thank you for having me. It's uh yeah, nice to be on the show.

SPEAKER_00 3:07

No, it's it's been lovely, and Mr. Wiles will be very uh very happy that we've eventually you know made the connection and no doubt be uh reminding us of it for a long, long time to come.

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Oh, I'm sure, I'm sure.

SPEAKER_00 3:22

We have to get him in.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

So Adam, the theme of the you know, one of the themes that really sits in this podcast is always around curiosity. So we all our opening question is always what is something that you're curious about right now.

SPEAKER_02 3:40

Um I guess for me, you know, my my whole life is been about, you know, how far I can take it, you know, how far I can push it in my career, in my my physical sense, in the practical sense, like in every sense of the word. I'm like, I just I use curiosity as that kind of I guess idea to see how far I can take things in my in my life, you know. Um and it's and it's always career oriented, essentially. Everything that I do is essentially, you know, related to my career in some way, shape, or form. So that's kind of yeah, that's the driving force really for everything that I do.

SPEAKER_00 4:22

Lovely. Well, normally I don't have a curiosity question, but with you, I've definitely starting with one. How do you become a stunt man?

SPEAKER_02 4:34

Uh yeah, it's funny, it's funny you ask. I mean, uh a lot of people do want to know, you know, the the ins on how because it's quite uh it's quite a closed shop kind of industry in that sense, you know. Certainly from um you know, let's say an audience perspective, it's like, oh, it must be really fun, you know, being in the world of stunts. Yeah, and um, and to be honest, it's one of those where I have always been interested in it, in it. So ever since I was literally a kid, I would watch the classic, you know, Van Damme, Steven Segal, like all the Arnie, obviously, Schwarzenegger, um, but Wesley Snipes, you name it, all the action stars, but more importantly, Jackie Chan was my like massive inspiration when I was a kid. And so that for me was just like, you know, always uh always a driving force to to try and be like that in some way. So without even knowing what the stunt industry is, or you know, I had no connection, no, no in whatsoever. Um, but me and my friend, we would watch kind of action films and Jet Lee, Donna Yen, and literally go out and just kind of with my it started off with a webcam, and we would just recreate, you know, fight sequences just with you know, me and my friend, and we go, okay, what if we put the camera there? What if we put the camera here? And then, and so that was kind of the you know, the my my way of kind of living that dream in a way as a very young kid. And and then I got first, then after that, I then got myself on a uh like a a high eight camcorder where you insert the tape, you know, it's like an old-fashioned kind of camera. And then it started then becoming a bit more of a passion where I'd then you know film little fight scenes with my friends or and then bring it in to my like computer that my mom and dad got me, and I just like started to I taught myself editing, um, and I would then have to like you know play play um on the record on the camcorder and then hit record on the PC to try and you know feed it into the machine and then taught myself editing. Everything is kind of self-taught and just slowly one thing leads on to the other. But um, but essentially that to kind of just fast track all those years later, it led me into uh free running, parkour, gymnastics. Um, though I was very late to the gymnastics, I wasn't like a young kid. I think I started in parkour free running when I was about 18 or 19. And so very late in that sense. Um, but just kind of loved it and just kind of took it upon myself to just like learn the skills and train and and just uh yeah, push, push, push in that area. And anyway, again, fast forward another kind of 10 or so years, maybe more, um, after doing that for a career. Um, I then basically got a call to be a snatcher in Harry Potter. And the reason being is because they needed, it was um Death Be Hallows uh part one. And there is a sequence where the all the kids they're running through the woods and they're being chased by snatchers and death eaters and whatnot. And they they needed to cut down these trees and have like one of the sequences where Daniel Radcliffe, like Harry Potter, he runs underneath and and I then ran and I'm tic-tacking over him, um, above him, kind of thing. And uh anyway, the the sequence was very technical and um needed people that could do free running and parkour um in their kind of natural ability because you know there's there's people that are in stunts that may they might be more focusing on driving or horsework. And so you kind of they were looking for people that were kind of specialist in that field. Um, and so they basically branched out, and we were just, you know, we were at the the peak of our kind of parkour and free running career. Um, and it just every all the stars aligned, if that makes sense. So yeah, and got the got the call, obviously was available for it. And but it would it wasn't just like doing stunts, it was actually playing the character. So they needed, you know, it was like, you know, we need people that can do it on camera, because sometimes, you know, stunt performers they might not be the best in acting or whatever it might be. So that's why you get the stunt double and you get the actor. But sometimes what we want in the industry is that you want to find somebody that can do the acting and the performance and as well as the action. And that was the uh the kind of the first sort of position for me within the film, I guess, film profession, even though before that I'd done music videos and commercials and things. I'd been involved in the you know filmmaking and productions. This was the first professional, high-level, high-end um, you know, Hollywood sort of feature film that I'd kind of landed. And uh, and it was basically due to the fact that I could do parkour and free running and they needed somebody that could also act and do the character stuff. So just kind of one of those where just you know, all the stars aligned for me and I got that job and I feel like I did it, you know, best of my ability. Um, I'm a good per good person, I work hard, you know, um, and hopefully that was well, that was basically the in within the stunts because where the stunt industry is quite sort of um, it's kind of it is kind of closed shop. Yeah, it's hard to um just or just kind of call someone up and say, can I come on in? It's like there's a lot of uh um, it's a process to try and get in there. Um, and sometimes it is down to having a contact and just and they, you know, somebody that's in the industry, but I had none of that. And so it just so happened that they reached out to me um through a contact that that's in the industry that knew somebody that was in our group of friends, and it just was one of those where it just went, okay, yeah, I know somebody, cool. Can you give me their number? And then it kind of got to me, and I was just like, Well, this was my whole life, you know, dreaming about this, and it came true, you know, and it's just like, wow, like, you know, it things, those things do happen, and and that was one of those those moments, and uh, and so that it because it was the character part, but it was kind of heavily stunt related, I then was introduced to the stunt team and the stunt coordinator, Greg Powell, he's one of the biggest uh stunt coordinators in the industry. Um, he did all of the Harry Potters and he's done every major Hollywood you know action film you can imagine. Um, and so he was the stunt coordinator. He then, after that job, um, I feel like we, you know, developed a really good friendship. And from there, he wanted me to come along to uh work on his next film, which was uh Pirates of the Caribbean, which was I think number four, where it's uh Defly Hallows, no, not Devray Hallows, um On Stranger Tides, On Stranger Tides, which is like the fourth one. Um, and that was a great experience because it was like learning sword work for the first time. And it was an in, you know, again, another side of the job that I'd not really kind of experienced before. Um, where yeah, so that was and it just kind of went on and on and on. You know, it's like you do a good job there, then it's like, okay, now are you free for the next one? And next thing you know, it might be quiet for six months to a year, but then they called me up and then I got an audition to uh double Jeremy Renner in uh Avengers, Age of the Ultron and Age of Ultron. And so then I did the audition and obviously like shined in that regard. And then they said, right, we want you to be the stunt double. So then I was on core team to then do Avengers, and then from there they saw that I had filmmaking abilities and editing and visual effects that I would, you know, this is back 15 years ago, where I would then I was kind of one of the first, I guess, to introduce sort of incorporate the VFX within our pre-vis world, which is basically us creating the fight scenes, designing all the action, um, pre the film shoot. And so we would put it all together, we would film it, film the angles, do the action, then I would do all the visual effects, and and that was kind of our process. Then we would present it to the director and they would say, Love that, and we're gonna use that as our blueprint to to shoot the scene itself, you know, for the film. And so then that's where the stunt team saw that I had more to offer um within that, um, within the the industry. And so I then got asked to do more of that. And and then it's the and then it just it's kind of one thing leads to another, and that's sort of, but I guess ultimately that's comes down to the hard work dedication of everything that I did pre you know getting my first role was, I believe, always uh lead leading towards that goal in the end. That was always my mentality. So I might, you know, I remember having conversations with my my parents, and I'd be sat there, you know, with my high-eight camera and saying, you know, I I have a dream of working in films and you know, I want to I want to be a filmmaker, I want to make films, I want to be in films, I want to do stunts and action and fights, and you know, I just have this passion. And and they would just be so supportive and you know, uh just push push for me in in that regard, even though they all they could do really was just support it and just say yes, you know, even though they didn't really have an in, or if they were financially, you know, in in not the best place. So they could just give me their love and support, and that was basically all I needed when I'm there filming my little sequences and doing it all on my own out the front, you know, in the car park, and I'm doing little kind of crazy things like this, asking my mum if I could, you know, oh my god, there's some there's some funny stories where you know we my mum um she had she had this one car where she um I think the engine was kind of it was it was on its way out, basically. And I said, Mum, I've got an idea. And she's like, right. And I said, How would you feel? Because I know you're getting rid of the car anyway, it was gonna, it was gonna kind of go on Monday. So I'm like, okay, it's now the Saturday. And I said, How would you feel? I've got an idea. I said, How would you feel if you were to drive the car at me and I'm just gonna run over and jump over the car for an action sequence that I want to do? Bear in mind I've got no, you know, no experience in stunts at this point. And my mum's like, uh, okay, let's do it. And I'm just like, yes. So um, so my mum literally I said, right, let's do it really slowly. And I set the camera up on a tripod, and my mum would just kind of literally kind of put take the handbrake off and just slowly roll it down. And I just basically just bam, bam, bam, just ran over it. And uh, and I just had those ideas. I just wanted to, I just wanted to get, you know, the action was in me at that point, and I just wanted to do it. And my mum said yes. And it's that that's the support that I had for my parents. They would just say, Yes, you know, we support you. And I would have an idea, let's say, uh, a short film where you know, I I wanted like the characters in a mental kind of place where he's venting, and I wanted to like kind of smash something in the house, you know, because it's like I'm playing the character and I'm creating the sequences and the scenes and stuff, and I'm I've I've I've written the sequences and I kind of play the character as well. And I just it's all for my own exploration of filmmaking. And I said, Mom, um, I want to do this scene where I'm in my head and I just get really angry and I, you know, smash some things um, you know, off off the side. My mum's like, okay, well, let me find some things and you can do it. And so she would then find an old cup and all this, and you know, and and stage it for me, and then I'd, you know, play it out, and then I'd probably get my mum or dad to film it, and then I'd just go you know, and it'd like make a big crash. But they would go, that was really good, well done. And then I'd just like, yes, that's so cool. And then I'd put it in the edit, put it together, and just that process of just you know, trialing this as a as a well, just exploring really filmmaking and playing a character and acting. Um, all of this was way before I got into free running and got into uh doing any kind of action. It was purely just me trying to do that, you know, um as a young kid. And and filmmaking was a huge, huge passion for me back then and um and it still is it still is now. So it's kind of like I feel like it the dream came true, and it's still very much the dream now. I'm just now I'm doing it, but I'm ultimately still looking for the next thing and what that next thing is. And I'm just you know, the dream never, it just, it just it doesn't never goes away, it just changes in some way, you know, but it's still in the same direction. I guess you're just riding the ladder as you go up. But uh, but yeah, I mean, there's so many of these these funny stories, but ultimately it's like, you know, it's a dream that I had from a very young age, and uh, and I was able to just continue on with that belief and and and it and one thing leads to another. And I do believe, I do I do believe in things like the law of attraction, I believe in um, you know, the work that you put in ultimately will you know give you results, one way, shape, or form, whether you know, doing something, doing the action towards that goal is better than doing nothing, you know, and it's it's going to give you something, whether it's you know, the end result or or the next rung in that ladder or or a different direction, whatever it might be, but you but you have to have the dream, have the passion, have the goal, and and then and then ultimately work in ways that will will will will break it down into different good manageable goals, and then just slowly work from there. But it really just comes from having a passion in something and and and and not and not giving up and never and never saying that, you know, because I remember being a kid and you know, I had so many people say to me, you know, I'm living in a dream world um for wanting to make it in the films. And it's like that's most ordinary, that's the most common response because how do you get into films? You know, what it's it's not something that no one knows the in, you know, it's just like you watch films, you watch productions, you watch, you know, it's all it's all kind of like this this uh fantastic world that you just would love to know how it's all we love to know how things are made in the films, but you never really think that you're gonna be involved in that. You don't necessarily know how that's even gonna happen unless you go to film school, you've got some kind of financial, you know, backing in some way that can get you into film school, or you've got contacts within within the industry. And if you don't have any of that, then you kind of go, well, it you are living in a dream world, really, because there's no there's nothing tangible for you to make that a success. Um but I believe that you you know you you have to believe in that, even if it's just absolutely the most crazy dream, you have to believe it so much that it's that's all you think about. And you you you never take your foot off the gas, even though you might have to, you know, go off on slightly different roads because of let's say the the current job you in you're in isn't you know the right thing. And so you have to take a little side job or whatever it might be. You know, it's hard work, you know, it is hard work, and but ultimately always remembering that you're net like this isn't the end game where you're currently at, and I will get to where I want to go. Um, it's just going to take a little longer, you know, whatever it might be, and just never, never not believing in yourself, essentially. And that's and that's what I think is uh you know so important, really, you know.

SPEAKER_00 20:38

Yeah, uh I mean there's two things I took from that. One, uh I and I guess it would be good to explore, you know, what do you think sits behind that self-belief? Because, you know, that's quite a powerful, like you said, not knowing where you were gonna go, but still having that belief at even at a young age to keep going. I think it would be interesting to explore that. And then also what what I loved about that story was how supportive your parents were, because I think it's very interesting, isn't it? That you know, what age were you when your mum was running a camera at you and asking? She's probably gonna be like, Don't tell them that, I'll get arrested.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

Brilliant, you know, it's the one thing that's exactly it's it's the best, honestly, it's the best. And um, you know, I've got the footage, funny enough, and and I need to find it. It's on some old hard drive, you know, crackly footage from my camera and stuff. And you see me run over this car, and it's just like, what the hell am I doing? But you know, I was very passionate about films um from a very, very young age. Like I remember my first, I don't know if, you know, I think my I don't know if many people remember their very first film that gave them the the this feeling, a feeling in some way. Um, but I remember it very vividly, and and I must have been probably like five. Something like that. And I remember watching uh the first 1970s uh Superman with Christopher Reed. And I remember watching it and in lit literal belief that this man can fly and he's a Superman. And it was just like that was the moment that I was like, wow. It's kind of like my son right now, he is hugely into Sonic. You know, that's his that's his character, and he loves it. And he's got all the he's got all the uh, you know, the toys and the bed sheets and everything like that. That for me, that was Superman. But I remember watching the film and being absolutely just blown away and just being like, whoa, like this is this is a world that I wanna I want to do this. I don't know what it was, it was just but it was something that I always knew that from that point on, it was something that I just felt connected to in in in this world. And when I found out, obviously you believe you realize that it's a a film, it's not real. Okay, I want to, whatever that is, I want to be a part of that, I want to do something within that. And so it's almost like my parents will say this, it's like, it's almost like I've I've only ever known this as a passion. I've never I've never strayed off it, like even from a very, very young age. Um, and I think that's where they probably um saw that and was like, we'll support that, you know, because it's a passion and he loves it. It's something that we, you know, we don't know how he's gonna do it, however, but you know, we'll support his his uh like trials and tribulations within that and like you know, the the exploration uh in the journey will support all of that. Um, and and yeah, and I guess it's just one of those amazing things that it it you get there in the end. But yeah, I guess they they knew from a very young age that you know it was something that I wanted to do and um some way, shape, or form. I remember being, I think, I think I was about 15 and I where I'd done all the like teaching myself how to do editing, I wasn't necessarily in the physical side. Now I'm going into the editing side. So I'm like, okay, I'm filming, putting in, putting it in the computer, figuring out how to edit, like all from there was no YouTube back then. There was like 56k modem, yeah, you know, like you know, waiting for the dial up and get off the phone, you know, it's like that kind of thing. And I'm like teaching myself how to do editing, um, VFX and all this kind of stuff. And then, and so that became a huge part of my life. Um, and and so I would then I at the time I kind of wasn't in shape. I kind of, if anything, 15, 16, not really exercising, kind of put on that sort of that baby kind of chubby, chubby weight. And so I thought at that point, I'm like, well, I'm I'm gonna be a filmmaker then. Like this is one way, shape, or form. I'm going to do something within the films. I'll be a filmmaker, I'll be an editor, I'll be a VFX guy, I'll do 3D animation. I don't care. Like, this is a world that I love and I'm passionate about. And you know, I watch every Friday at the end of like a I used to cut uh fit carpets with um when I was younger as an apprentice and actually later on became a carpeter. But you know, that's just kind of a story in itself. Um, but um I would every Friday I'd get my money and I'd go down to the supermarket or the shop and I would get a DVD, make sure there's a two discs, so I'd get the special features on one disc, and then I would just watch it like four or five hours of special features, and I'd just be obsessively watching it and just like you know, taking notes, watching how they make it, you know, the ins and outs, lighting, costume, you know, design, stunts, you name it. And I would just have this huge passion for for filmmaking and uh, you know, and then the Matrix one that came out, and that was one like I remember the disc. Uh it had like hours and hours of special, special features on the on the uh the disc. And I would I would watch that religiously because it had so much good content on teaching you the ins and outs of filmmaking and the process, storyboarding, you know, script writing, you name it, like you know, costume design, set design. Um it it literally showed you so much and it was so like informative to me. And um, and then so it's kind of like, yeah, I would I would just see it all as like this kind of I'd act as a sponge and just trying to absorb as much as I could. So then when it when the time came, I would be, you know, way more um have an understanding of the whole process. And you're not just going in my first day on fit on a film set. I felt like I felt like when I stepped on Harry Potter, it felt like a world that I was so familiar with. It was like I just it didn't feel alien to me. It wasn't like, oh, this is well, don't get me wrong. I remember the first day and Harry um Daniel Radcliffe came up to me and he's like, You're right, Adam. I'm like, you know, he obviously knew, saw, saw on the trailer my name and da-da-da. And he's like, Yeah, and he's talking about it, and uh, you know, the the set and the scene, sorry, and you know, we were just chatting. I'm just like, okay, this is actually unreal right now, you know. Um, my first day, you know, and I'm talking to, you know, Daniel Radcliffe, and and he's just such a legend as a person, he's just so so approachable and very kind, very, you know, um, yeah, very, very, very nice man and and made the process so nice. And, you know, because you do you do hear stories of people where you know, actors, they they're they're in the zone, they don't necessarily, they're not approachable, they might be doing their thing, and that's totally cool, you know. But um, but he was the opposite. He was so just chatty and and made the experience really nice. And um, and but uh but ultimately on set, I didn't feel like it was an alien or like a brand, like a place that I wasn't familiar with because I was so ready for it. I was so, you know, prepped um in my head, even though I had no idea, you know, about the stunt industry at all. Um, it felt very familiar territory, if that makes sense. So um, so yeah, it's kind of like, you know, that young age just kind of one one thing leads to another sort of thing. And I guess that that's a f familiar theme there. But um, but yeah, it's um my parents were very supportive. And obviously for them, they couldn't believe it. They were just like for you know, telling everyone, families and everyone, you know, Adam's gonna be in Harry Potter and it's gonna be amazing and all this. And even now, they still kind of, after everything that I've done in my career, they still kind of say to me that, you know, it's still crazy that they that this is this has happened, you know, and it's like you're doing what you're doing. And we still have to think, you know, about that, you know, we still kind of remind ourselves that you know you were, you know, just somebody that had no training, nothing like that, and you were, you know, now look at you sort of thing. And they're still very, very proud, you know, very, very proud.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Well, I think it, I think what I'm picking up from that is that you know, your passion, they've obviously seen that, haven't they? And that still comes across to this day, doesn't it? You know, listening to you, you can feel that through the screen, you know.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

You can feel that passion and the excitement in your voice when you're talking, I think it it you know, it's quite and I I feel inspired listening, you know. So I think it what's really love about that, and I think I go back and I'm thinking there'd be parents listening going, you know, oh you and I think parents sometimes can, you know, go, Well, how are you gonna do that? You know, that's impossible, and put barriers up for kids. Well, it's what I loved about your story. Mum was like, Yeah, come on, let's give it a whirl, or you know, if you want to smash something up, no problems. Let me go and find some old stuff though, don't use the best stuff on me.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah. But again, you know, go on. No, I was just gonna say that they were like, Well, we can, you know, chip a bit of the wool, we'll just get some filler and paint over it. It's like they really didn't like put any strain or or on the ideas, they were just like so supportive in that way. And I think as you're probably getting to, is that you know, the if you if there's one thing you could take away from a from a parent perspective is just give your child 100% support, regardless, you know, and and that's like so powerful because it's not about whether you have, you know, a big financial support, it's just about just that love and support in anything that they want to do, even if it feels like an impossible task, you know, um, just allow them to explore it, you know.

SPEAKER_00 30:20

Well, I I I see it as I think a lot of kids have got this kind of very open growth mindset, don't they? You know, you said you wanted to be Superman or you, you know, you love that when you know, and and you're probably seeing it your you know, with your son, is it you know, you know, yeah, he probably might not want to be Sonic, or he might be wanting to be Sonic, but what I'm saying is this there's this thing of going, there's we have these as kids, don't we? And then normally as we grow up, we kind of get someone well. Normally someone puts that on us, doesn't he? And go, you're never gonna be that shut up, stop being dark. Which one I loved about that is, and it's still sound like it, you know, you were saying before how I haven't I haven't even I feel like you've not even hit the level of where you want to be, you just want to keep pushing and pushing and pushing and pushing. And it sounds like that growth mindset, if you're to put it a kind of term on it, has been you know, almost harnessed. You've had it naturally, which I think a lot of children do, but being in an environment which you know has just allowed you to go, okay, that's cool, let's see what you can actually do from this, and if we can support you in any way. I think you know, don't get me wrong, your career's brilliant. And you know, before this, my daughter we you know has been was fan proper, fangaling you on Instagram and checking out on, you know, and your career is immense and you've done some amazing things. I think the biggest thing I've taken away from this at the moment is just that you know, your parents and the environment they allowed you to flourish on, and you know, has just allowed you to go, uh well, I can do this because even my mum and dad are you know encouraging me in doing it, and that you know, the word self-belief, you know, seems to really come through this. And you know, this podcast is based on three things. It's based on you know how we unlock potential in ourselves, you know, and and what's interesting is it's it and then how we unlock potential in others, and then what advice do we can can we take from our our journeys and then to listeners. And what's interesting when we listen to a lot of people that through their developmental years or their early years, they've been put barriers in place. So now as adults, or when they get to adulthood, they've got limited self-beliefs, they've got self-esteem issues, they've got all these kinds of things that they've then had to overcome to achieve stuff. But what I love about you, and I'm you know, challenge me if you think I'm wrong, but it just feels like you know, you had this passion and dream. And don't get me wrong, the fact that you were young and you were taking fight scenes and then you were watching all the special effects, you know, it shows for me that not only were you passionate about it, but you were determined enough to go, well, I need to understand this well enough. And I'm gonna put the hard, and that's the thing, isn't it? I think you know, you're putting a hard graft in at a very early age. I love the fact that you're saying you and your mates practicing fight scenes, you know, I'd love to see that footage of brilliant.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

I mean, you know what's interesting is that you know, it sort of sounds like the hard graft, but it actually was just the most fun, you know, because it wasn't it didn't feel like any work or any any effort, you know, it was just a and uh like a thing that's inside of you that just says, I want to do this, or not even do this, I'm just I'm passionate about it to the point where it's like you just you absorb it and you're just like, Yeah, again, do this, do this. And you're you'd happen you'd happily do that thing for hours and hours and hours. Um, and it's just because you love it. It's not because it's I wasn't only doing the mindset of you know, I'm doing this because I want to make it in that industry was there, but it was in the beginning, it was doing it because I just love it. And I didn't even know if I didn't, I didn't know, I didn't know that that was on the cards at the time. I'm just doing it purely from a love and uh, you know, uh something that I found that has just like taken me, you know, similar to jujitsu, really. It's like you know, when you get into jujitsu, you're like, it's either you get the first first kind of few weeks, it's like I love this. And then you either you either make you or break you, and some people you never see again. Others they go, oh my god, I love this. And then it's when it's when you can't sleep at night because you're thinking about the techniques, you know, you're like, okay, how can I improve this? And you're going through, like, I remember the first, you know, first kind of well, first months, few months of of training, after a heavy, good training session, you'd come away and you'd just be processing the technique. And how do I, how do I better myself? And how what do I need to do to to stop that from happening again? And you replay it and replay it. And it's like a passion. You just like you do it because you love it at that point, as opposed to you know, being like forced to, or you know, oh, if I keep going, I'm gonna be a black belt. That's got nothing to do with when I first start out. I'm doing it because it's like it's gripped me, something's taken me. And it's the same with uh parkour and free running that came into my life at the time where I was just like, I it it just I needed it, it just appeared. And and I was doing all these fight scenes and free running, and um already I was doing me and my friend, we were, as I said, we were watching, say, the special features. Um, and one of them specifically was Romeo Must Die with Jet Lee. Yeah and in the special features, there's one of these, um, one of the comedians, um, that one of the actors that played one of the guys in there. You could see there's like a fly-on-the-wall camera, and he's talking behind behind the scenes on set, but they're not rolling, they're not acting or anything. He's just having a conversation. You see him, and he does this kind of stunt fall, like a flip to his back. And me and my friend were like, I mean, he was a big guy, and we were like, and he made that look so easy. And we was like, What the hell? And and so my friend, we were like, Do you reckon you could do a front flip? And bear in mind, we've got no no background at this point whatsoever. Literally, no, no background whatsoever. But we are doing a bit of filmmaking, a bit of fighting and stuff. And we're like, my mate was like, Maybe I think so. And it's like, should we go and try? And it's like, okay, so we went out the front, we got this little patch of grass, and my friend went first. Bear in mind, he actually did do a bit of gymnastics when he was way younger, but not in those recent years. So he he'd done something. So he ran up, threw the front flip, landed on his feet first time, and it was just like, I couldn't believe it. Well, then I saw my friend do it, and I'm like, well, he made that look really easy too. So then obviously I've got zero, I've never done a front flip in my life. And I was just like, okay, let's do it. Ran up, bang, threw it, landed on my feet. Bear in mind it was low, but I landed on my feet, and I was like, I was like, oh, no way. And my friend was just like going crazy as well. And we were just like, we've just done it. Like just trying something at the right point in our lives where we just didn't have this kind of, you know, as you get older, you start thinking about, oh, I've got like a mortgage to pay for, and oh, do I really want to be doing that? You know, it's like, you know, when you're a kid, you just go, let's throw it, you know, and you do that. And um, and so we then started, and that's kind of literally how how throwing things and doing flips began. And then I would say about six months after that, um, free running and parkour, like the this thing came up where there was a uh jump London and all of this. And we were like, we're already kind of doing this, we're like jumping up walls, we're jumping off, we're doing front flips and learning tricks and stuff. And uh we were like, This is, and we were again, it was like free running and parkour just seemed to just hit me like a ton of bricks. And it was like, okay, this is the thing, this is the next thing. And I was waiting my whole life for something like this to happen, where it just take me and and I'm just obsessed about it, and I train, you know, and I just started doing it. Now we know what we're it's kind of within a box where we go, okay, this is this is a vault, this is a side vault, uh, you know, all of these things. We now know some we have something to kind of uh work towards. And and then because of free running and parkour, it then got me into shape, it got me agile, it got me flexible, it got my body, um, mind, mind-body connection. I was able to use my body in a way that I was never able to use it before. And and then, and then I we funny enough stumbled upon uh a group of friends uh that weren't friends at the time who were also practicing parkour free running. We were like 18, and we're coming back from town, and my friend just saw these legs appear upside down, past like over a hedge, and he's like, Oh, come running over. And we we we we get inside this little garden. Um, it was like a park kind of thing. And uh there's these about five other guys that are in there, and my good friend Chase, my good friend Nathan, that we with Cole, we've got so many like you know, good friends within this uh this group. Um, and they were basically saying, Yeah, we do free running. And we were like, so do we, and we was like, this is crazy. So then from that point on, we started a really good friendship. We then created a team, uh, a parkour and free running team. Um, and then we started a YouTube channel in 2006 and then started to kind of push for that and we grew that, um, which ended up, I think we got to about two 250,000 subscribers. We were making videos uh that were getting millions of views in the early days. Um, we we kind of did uh David Getter music video that was one of our biggest kind of you know things that we did back then in 2005 or whatever it was, and then you know, we got music videos and and more music videos, commercials, and all of these things. So it's kind of like just when you find something and it's passionate, you kind of go with it. And because of that, I would say parkour and free running gave me the agility. Um, and at the same time, I was doing martial arts as well. So I did, you know, find capoeira boxing, kickboxing. It's kind of all happened at once, if you know what I mean. The movement, the movement kind of happened at once. Um, and yeah, so then we kind of had this kind of crazy career in parkour and free running, which then led to obviously working in films. But kind of my point was that when you find something that takes you, like you don't even think about it. It's like a it's just it just pulls you in that direction and you just love it, you're passionate about it, and it never feels like work. And you'd happily, you know, wake up early in the morning and do it, you'd stay up late doing it. Like I would do editing and filmmaking, and I'd we'd go out with our cameras, do our film uh like parkour free running days, come back and I would edit and I'd literally be up till like three, four o'clock in the morning just because I'm just like I love it so much, you know. And uh, and and it's just that passion and and drive, but it's just it was not work at the time. I didn't feel like I was grafting, it just felt like it was easy, you know, and I was just following a dream, following a passion, and um, yeah, that's kind of was was that I think and it's an it's an what I love about that mindset, and I mean for you, it it almost says like you think that's natural because when you're passionate about something, you just follow it, right?

SPEAKER_00 41:26

But there's gonna be so many listeners that go, oh wow, really? Because I think a lot of people, you know, start off with a passion, you know, one of the things uh you know the the word almost obsession comes into mind a little bit, you know, with yeah, which which I think sometimes you have to be, don't you? I think if you want to be the best you can be, you know, one of the things I'm listening to you is, you know, um I have to ask you this question now because it's plain and you know, your appetite for risk seems really high. If you know what I mean, it's it's like you know, there's an element of going what I love about it is how you I keep going back to the car thing with your mum and how your mum embrace your appetite for risk, you know. Don't limit yourself when you go out. Yeah, get it. I'm not driving the car at you. No, you know, it's going, yeah, cool. I'll just drive it, just drive it slow, just to make sure.

SPEAKER_02 42:23

We'll go slow, but you know, don't die. I'm like, okay.

SPEAKER_00 42:27

I like that instruction. Yeah, just don't die. Yeah, only because she wants to get rid of the car, it's just a responsibility of that.

SPEAKER_02 42:34

I don't need this on my conscience, you know.

SPEAKER_00 42:36

But um, but yeah, it's um but so where where how do you you know for people that don't know what parkour or free running is, can you just give I'm familiar, but I guess just explain the kind of stuff that you would be doing.

SPEAKER_02 42:51

Sure. Um, so basically um parkour and free running, it's kind of it's it's an art form where you know, like similar to skateboarding or you know, beer mixing, you kind of you're extreme, you're outside, you're you're you know, you're doing you're jumping over, like let's say if you're doing beer mixing or skateboarding, it's kind of it's on the streets, you know, you're going down, you know, concrete stairs, you're doing flips and tricks with your bike or your skateboard. Well, parkour and free running is basically that, but just with your body. It's like it's like urban gymnastics, you know. I'll probably get you know told off for saying it, don't ever say it's gymnastics. But it's like to describe it, it's basically that. You know, you're you're you're doing um, you know, you're running, your efficiency. Parkour is basically getting from A to B in the most efficient way as possible. And it's like, you know, if you were to run in a straight line and there's uh there's blocks in your way, there's walls, there's all these things, you would literally vault and s and move so efficiently over them that they wouldn't, you know, stand in your way. You'd be able to just flow over it. Um, but then free running is kind of like you would. Express yourself in a way that you could just do a backflip off the wall. You could run and do a trick, round off and do some backflips, and you could, you know, flow in a way that's just creative for your body. Um, so there's no real boundaries from that point of view. And so you'll see a lot of videos where you know people are jumping across rooftops and they're doing, you know, big kind of big tricks, I guess, with their bodies. And that's essentially what what it is is it's uh using your body as an art of expression, essentially.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

And the reason why I asked you to explain that because again it comes back to risk that you are jumping off stuff and you are doing backflips off stuff, and of course, the the the always that for most people what it's the what if it what if it goes wrong or what if I missed time this. Now I get the impression the first thing you didn't do. Well, the fact that you just did, oh, can we do a front flip in mute in my garden? Let's just work it out, kind of thing says you probably have got a little bit of oh, we'll just see what happens in you. Um which I think most people listening are gonna be like, holy bully. Where do you and is that just because this drive to become better? Is this this drive just that where's that? Where do you think that's come from? Is that just something natural in you? Do you think it's something?

SPEAKER_02 45:24

Yeah, I mean, you know, it's one of those where you know, I kind of it's sort of when when I say that, you know, that something takes hold of you, um, you know, you kind of embrace everything that it is, and you know, you look at let's say things and inspiration. And I guess that's for me is probably the biggest driving factor because you know, I'll I would watch um high-level um martial artists, let's say, um and high-level fight scenes and high-level like Jackie Chan, for instance, he's like biggest inspiration because he basically pioneered um screen fighting, you know, in in like his whole career is just is insane. Um, and so it's like following in inspiration, which then if you see somebody do it, it's like you know it's possible. So it's it it kind of it takes the it takes the the the kind of the the extremeness the the risk uh out of it because you know that it's possible. Someone else has done it before. It's not like you're going in, you know, blind. You're you you you know what the parameters are and you can say I can I can do that. I'm I'm human like anyone else. Like it that person who did that thing is human. So you kind of where you know that and you're inspired by somebody, they they've done it before. You can then just do that too, or at least you imitate. That's just that's kind of what it is. And you go, okay, yeah, and it's very self-analytic analytical because I'm, you know, I definitely have this thing where it's like imposter syndrome, um, where I feel that, you know, oh I'm I shouldn't, you know, I should be better. I should always be better. I should, I kind of I'm quite hard on myself, I guess, when it comes to that. And I know that my, you know, um I get told that, you know, by people, it's like, don't you say, oh, you're really good, you're really talented. And I'm like, no, but I know myself I can be better. And I should, you know, I need to put the time in to make myself better, you know. But it comes from looking at others and seeing how amazing they are. And it's like, if if they can do it, then I so so can I, but or at least if I can't do it, I'm gonna try really hard to to get somewhere near, you know. Um, and so that inspiration is is huge. Um and so yeah, it's like the risk is is kind of out outweighed by the the drive to want to just be better. But you know, like like any risk or like it, like like anything, you start from you know, low, like certainly with parkour and free running, let's say as an example, and it kind of in in every in any sense really, but like you start small and then you build. And that's kind of the same in in stunts, same in any career. It's like you start off at the beginning, which is kind of like dipping your toes in, so to speak, and then all of a sudden you build that tolerance, you build that, you know, the expectation, you you get familiar with that, and then you you kind of go in a bit deeper and a bit further and you push. And it's the same when you've never done a certain movement in parkour free running, is like I've never done that specific trick, but I'll do this instead. And then once I've got that, then then I know that I'm very close to that because I'll just then slowly build and baby step, baby step, and then you get to that trick in the end. And it's the most fulfilling thing, you know, I I've ever kind of gone through, I guess, where you know you're you're relying on your own instincts and your your body, um, your awareness, your spatial awareness to to put it together and be able to do the most, the the hardest trick that you think is is difficult at that time. And when you when you go through those steps and you finally get that trick that you was dreaming about, you know, like I when I said, you know, you stay up all night when you're thinking about jujitsu and those moves. I had that with um filmmaking, I had it with um free running the parkour, where and and you know, anything that I'm passionate about, it will be in my mind. And I'm like, I can't stop thinking about it. And it's like, let's say there's a move that I would love to have. Let's say I remember a wall flip where you have a wall and you kick off the wall, you do a full backflip and you land back on your feet. Like that's that was I remember that being a specific thing, and that I was like, Wow, man, that was that's gonna be difficult to learn, you know. Um, but I wanted it so bad, and then I just slowly basically I just started doing a backflip in front of a wall, just doing a backflip, and then it's like okay, then I'd try and spot the wall, and then I'd slowly build and slowly build, and then I you you build it and you get there, and it was like, whoa, I can actually now do that, but that was so far away from me at one point, and then I just kind of just worked on it and and um you know built in the the kind of conditioning, so to speak, to get to there, to get to that point, and um and so yeah, it's like the risk factor kind of gets taken away when you when you slowly but surely build it over time. Do you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 50:14

Um yeah, I mean well, I think what I've taken from that is that what I what I love about that, you're very you seem to be very clear of what you're looking to try and achieve, and it and it always seems to be out far of your reach. So then you go, okay, so let's work backwards and go around. I want to be able to achieve that. I don't feel like I can achieve that. So instead of just going, let's try that and hurt myself, let's work out all the little steps that I need to do to get to that point, and so they build that confidence up to get to that. And I think there's a real big lesson there for people, isn't it? Because some people feel like, okay, there's this thing over there that looks cool, I'd love to be able to do that, but I'll never be able to do that. Which is what I love about your mindset, it's like I want to do that, I'm going to do that. So, what what what how do I work backwards to work out what I need to do to get there? Yeah, and the other thing that was interesting about it is you use the words imposter syndrome and how you're not good enough. But I get the impression that inner critic, which is kind of my interpretation of it, is that to be a motivator. So some people run away from the inner critic going, I can't do this. You're right, you can't. Let's bail. You'll turn around and go, I can't do this. But I want to do this, so actually, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna lean into being the critic, and I'm gonna, yeah, but that also is that the piece of going, is that part of the motivator? Because you I think you said, I just don't think I'm good enough, or they're better than me. So it's then you know, that inspiration of going, you look at Jackie Chan as the ultimate to say, Oh my gosh, does all his own stunts, I don't know what he do, you know, he's still doing stuff, yeah. You know, and you think, okay, so if he can do it, that means it's possible in the world. So actually, what do what do I need to do? What's the baby steps or the little you know, steps of the ladder to get to that one? I love that. I think it's a really powerful message for people listening.

SPEAKER_02 52:11

There's I I've always said that there's there's never, you know, like don't ever sort of but don't ever doubt yourself in the or do or put any idea, no how big or small, like even if it's the biggest dream, um, like allow yourself to go with it, you know. And and I think that you know, you'll be surprised, even if maybe the end goal you don't get to that dream, but just pursuing it like will get you it somewhere that you never dreamed of, I guess, because you would never have achieved anything if you hadn't even got on that on that path. Um, and so I was yeah, a heavily, heavy believer in at the time, um, I think yeah, many, many years ago, and I've I watched um like a thing on law of attraction, and it basically, and this is quite interesting because um obviously at the time I went from just doing it through passion and love and everything like that, and just that drive. Um, but then I found the law of attraction, and it was just like, okay, I'm gonna harness the thing that they call the law of attraction. And it's not like this kind of dream world that there is some people who would think that it's just a dream world type thing, but what I what I see it as is you're putting your ideas like almost on paper as a as a tangible thing. So you say that this is not just a dream, this is actually this is goals, you know, this is like actual goals that I'm going to work towards. And and what what it what there was one thing that kind of was very uh surprising to me, and there's this um one of the things with uh law of attraction was that you had to make a dream board, and so so on your dream board, and it's you know, it it's very personal to you, you could literally do it however you like, and um, and I made a dream board, but I did it through the computer. Um, and I just put I found all these images online that you know was my inspiration. So obviously, you know, Jackie Chan's on there, like filmmaking, skydiving, like you know, a big a big house. Bear in mind I'm like young at this time. So you just like whatever, whatever it whatever means something to you to give you that inspiration, um, it doesn't matter what it is, it literally can be anything, you know, it could be whatever, a cat, a dog, whatever, whatever it is, you you put it on your own dream dream board and it means something to you. But um, but yeah, I remember specifically, now this would have been back in like 2000 and I don't know, nine or ten or something like that. Um, and I made my dream board and on on there specifically, and bear in mind at the time, I'd done I'd done a film, so I'd done Harry Potter, I think, at the time, but very new, very new in the game. So I'm not like I'm not, you know, excelling to the point where you know, I I will eventually get to, I guess, and and what you know, have more and more work and more jobs will come in. At that time, I've done I've done Harry Potter and it's great. And now I'm like just living my life. I'm just uh, you know, back to being an not that I wasn't any, not like I was something when I was there, but you know, just back to normal life. And um, I did my dream board and very specifically on there, um, I had Ryan Reynolds and I put Ryan Reynolds on there. And so this is back in like 2010 or whatever, I can't remember, around that sort of time. And then lo and behold, in 2016, I get asked to stunt double him and not once, but twice. And I'm just like, and I look back on the dream board and I basically ticked off so many of these things. And if I look at it now, I'll probably try to find it. But I would I wouldn't be surprised if I have ticked off a lot of those things, just in nature of growing, maturing, you know, getting a house now eventually as you get older and have kids and all that. Um, but at the time I didn't have any of that. And so, but then to fast track five years later, not knowing how my life is going to go, not having any control over it whatsoever. Um, I actually ended up doing like the one one of the major things where I'm just a kid from Basinstoke and I've put right Ryan Reynolds on a dream board, and I end up getting the role to double him, not once but twice. And I just think like, wow, like isn't that incredible? Um, where you know, you just think, you know, like how is that even possible? But that's where the hard work, dedication, and just pursuing the dream and passion, um, where I guess things align. And that's that's where, that's where I guess the magic can happen, where it's not like, you know, it isn't magic, it's you putting in the hard work and dedication and looking at the goals and breaking it down into manageable goals and you know, find going down and down and down to the point where I can achieve this little thing. And if I do that, that's going to get me to the next thing. Um, and you have to know what that is, you have to know what the you know the system is that you're you know you're building. Um, but the fact that it's that that it happened and it's it to me was just like a big wow, you know, and and so I believe in that. I believe in goal setting, I believe in, you know, even if it's massive, break it down into those smaller goals um and and just start working on it. And nowadays, you know, we didn't have YouTube back then. Um we did when we was 2010 and whatnot, but when I was really young, it was all kind of like going on a forum, trying to find information on on how to edit on like a website, you know, all these things. But now the YouTube is insane. There's just no you anything online, obviously with AI now, it's like you literally can get a whole entire blueprint designed for you like that at a click of a finger with AI. You know, there is like it's it's there's no excuse in this day and age if you have such a an in you know an in uh an important goal or dream, you know, there is no excuse to you know be able to put the the wheels in motion and and and create a manageable um kind of blueprint for you to actually achieve it, you know.

SPEAKER_00 58:09

I love that. If it's any if it's any help, my dream board's here to the right.

SPEAKER_02 58:14

Hey, there you go.

SPEAKER_00 58:15

Nice, love that so I have it, so always have it on my right hand side. So when I'm it's always there, it's always there, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 58:23

So it keeps you there.

SPEAKER_00 58:24

That's why I was smiling because it's there, it just keeps me, but I think it keeps you focused. And one of the things I've certainly taken a lot from this conversation is you know, you are laser focused on what you want, and and I think it's you know, I love that. So I guess one of the things I'd like to touch on, I'm I'm conscious of our time, so I just I'd like to touch on just one thing is and then around trust. So obviously, when you're doing you know, as part of the fight coordinating fight scenes, you know, when we look at it as a fan and we were sitting at home in front of our tellis or in the cinema watching a movie scene, you know, some of it is quite you know, the coordination, you've got to things look, we all know it's kind of if we really look closely, we probably we know, don't we, that it's not real, you're not really hitting people dead hard. Okay, but in the moment you don't know that, do you? It looks like it does. So, how do you build, you know, you walk on set with you know, you've got you've got some of these quite big actors that you've you've already mentioned to work with. Um, and I'm assuming how do you build trust in teams? Because I think that's one of the things I think trust in on set, if you're doing a stunt. I think I read an article of you having to jump down a building or something and you had a wire on you or something like that. They were saying, you know, you've got to trust that people are that's connected well, you've got to trust that everything's set up well. So when you're doing a stunt and you're jumping, you know you have to trust your mum wasn't going to hit the floor at 40 miles an hour.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:03

How do you build trust in a team?

SPEAKER_02 1:00:06

Um, essentially, uh, you know, the whole the whole kind of game in in the film industry, it's it's all about teamwork. That that is that is essentially what it's all about because there's so many different departments, and if none of the departments work together, it's very kind of disjointing. And um, you know, you you definitely notice it because it's like, you know, oh one department isn't helping out the other, and so you just kind of find it difficult to say get the job done in some way. But but these days, usually everyone works well together, and and that a lot of the time when it comes down to you know the script, we'll break that down, we'll figure out okay, how do we how do we make sense of what the script writer has has written? Sometimes it might not be anything specific, sometimes it is very specific, and it might be specific to the story itself. Um, and so we would then break that down and figure out, okay, how are we going to do this uh, you know, practically, um, from an idea to a practical, how do we do it safely? How do we do it, you know, repeatable? Um, and so we would then, you know, go and create, design the sequence. We would figure out ways to prepare it um correctly. Um, we would whether we need a wire team, we would then bring in um a rigor to you know create the wire correctly. Um and so we would basically it's all about kind of bringing in the right people for that job. And and then we rehearse and we we do that. We build again as baby steps, you know, we start from the ground zero and then we slowly build to the point where the what you see um on set and the the sequence might be like a an incredible like wow factor sequence. It's actually done meticulously, you know, from start to finish. And what we see on screen is like hours, weeks, months of preparation, which will then you know give us that on screen, you know. And again, every department you have, let's say there's an explosion involved with a wire gag. You're gonna have all departments working together, and and that's kind of that's yeah, it's an accumulation of all of those things. And again, weeks, months, days, hours of prep that of of rehearsal time and building it in and slowly just building up to the point where we is what we see is what you get, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:34

So it's very much like you're saying it's we know what we want to achieve at the end. So what does that need to look like and what's all the little steps that comes back? That's certainly something I've really taken away from this conversation. I know we're running out of time. If you've just got a couple more minutes, you know, I we have to certainly turn around and go, okay, so why do we start Cuddle Club?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:53

Yes, yes. Um, well, that was again, it was something that um I've always uh I've always had in the back of my mind where I'd love to create a brand, a clothing brand. And I just never knew how or, you know, or really had the inspiration for. I always thought it would be a cool thing to do. Um, and I remember I was uh heavily involved in to jujitsu and and I just thought to myself, like, actually, like some of the brands, like not knocking them at all, but they're very, you know, black and white, they're you know, hard, it's kind of like tough energy, like, you know, like that kind of thing. And and I thought, wouldn't it be fun to like not take it so seriously and just have fun colours and fun rash guards and just create something that's actually sort of fun and you know, a slightly different take and not to be taken too seriously ultimately. And and so that's where it kind of began. And and I thought of the name Cuddle Club, and I thought actually that's kind of brilliant because it's like it's a play on the whole thing. Yeah, um, and yeah, then I just started designing the again, never having any experience, you know. It's like this is wow, I really want to do this. Okay, so where do I start? You know, and it's like so. Then I had to learn Adobe Illustrator and I started to do my own designs and figure that out. And then it's like, okay, now I need to find, I've got some designs, trial and error, trial and error, and now I'm happy with this specific one or whatever it might be, and then find a manufacturer, and you go through that process, and then you know, they send you a sample, it's not right, they do another one, it's still not right, the fit's different. You start going back and forth, back and forth with these kind of manufacturers and stuff, and uh it's a bit of a process. Um, that's one thing I've noticed is that it's not something that it's quick, it never is. And it's if anything, I'm like, how are we how are we still here? You know, and I still don't have the design yet or whatever, but it is it's a process. But when you get there and you go, okay, cool, I love this. Now we can bulk order it, and then and then we get that, you know, get get the process going. Then it was okay, how do I start the website? How do I, you know, um, again, it's fully just self self-taught, essentially, just trying to do it all myself. And I realize actually I need I need a team, you know, of people to try and run this because it's actually quite difficult, certainly when I'm busy anyway, because I essentially just do it all myself, you know. Um, but uh, but I think yeah, it's cool. And I've had such great response from the community, the jiu-jitsu community. And you know, people message me, I love your gear, that the quality of it's amazing. And you know, because that's ultimately what I've really, you know, what I wanted to, you know, kind of be specific about is that it's not just the generic kind of cheap stuff with a stamp and your logo on it. It's like, okay, how can I make it like the text embossed? You know, how can I, you know, bespoke the hats and the colours and you know, it's got the labels and it's got all these different things that make it very unique and and the fit, even like the hoodies that I've got, the specific. Designed the cut was specific. I'm like, okay, I want it cut here, there, it's nice, you know, the stitching, the type of stitch. And I went through absolutely everything on that one. Um, and it's just such a nice feeling because now, you know, I regardless of whether I get any sales, and it's very sometimes it's quiet, and most of the time it's quiet, to be fair. Um, I feel happy wearing it and I feel happy training in it, and uh, you know, and then when I get a sale, it's it's awesome, you know. So it's not something that's life-changing right now. Um, but you know, maybe the long game, it's like five, ten years, whatever. And if it's still going and people love it and it just slowly organically grows, then then that would be fantastic. But either way, I'm enjoying the process and I'm not kind of seeing it as a you know a life-changing sort of venture right now. It's just sort of enjoying the process and the fact that people love it. And uh, I've had such great feedback, it's just like cool. Well, I'll just keep going. And you know, I love the I love that kind of community vibe where people go, Yeah, it's a cool brand, cool name. Like, I'll wear it and they buy it and they they train in it, they send me competition, you know, footage of them wearing it. And I'm just like, that's so amazing, you know. Like that, you know, people are actually enjoying the gear and it's it's nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:09

So and and do you know what? I mean, I love the gear. I mean, I I before we'd even be introduced yet, you know, I'd I bought it, and that was the funniest thing. And Adam had I'd love the brand and everything done. I bought the gear, and I even said, and I remember wearing it, and it was Adam that turned around and went, you know what's my mate's company, and but tell him that the gear is decent, and and that was the big thing with the quality of the stuff. Was I thought for the price that we pay and the quality was amazing, right? And so, but now I've met you and we've had this conversation, a hundred percent know why. Yeah, that tends into detail. Like you said, that hoodie is still my favourite hoodie. I wouldn't want it today, but it's it's art in the northwest, we've actually got sunshine, yeah. Um so that 100%. I I think so. Please do keep going with it.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:59

Yes, I will do.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:01

The community definitely needs it, so please do.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:04

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:05

Yeah, thank you. Just if we could just wrap up with just some advice for the listeners. Um, I'm conscious of time. So, just what from this conversation, what three practical things do you think people could try today?

SPEAKER_02 1:08:18

I think um one of the biggest ones is really find that thing that you're into, like find the thing that you love, you know. Um, it doesn't matter what it is. Um, you know, it's it's so personal to you. But whatever that thing is, it has to be something that you, you know, you don't stop thinking about, you know, something big enough that you would be willing to, you know, put so much effort in. Because otherwise, you know, if not, then it's got it's wasted, it's wasted effort, it's wasted energy. So, but that doesn't mean to say that you can't explore things and find that thing. So definitely explore because some people I know that they go, I don't know what that thing is for me. Um, and that is the hardest thing. It's like I I've just found a way to incorporate the things that I love, which you know, uh then become my career. It's like that. I don't know if you've heard about the Ica guy. It's a Japanese.

SPEAKER_00 1:09:13

Got it book, I've got a book, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:09:15

It's it's amazing. It's like basically everything wraps around that thing, and you can then if you can turn it into a way to make a living, turn it into you know your passion, all these things, it wraps around that thing. Um, and if you can find that, and certainly the younger you are, if you can find that, then that's a major step forward. Um, but if you haven't found it, then I would say go and explore ideas and try and find, you know, try different things, try so many things, certainly when you're younger, anyway. Um, and just see if there's something that just grips you. And when when it grips you, you can't stop thinking about it, and you've got like this, you know, this passion for something, then then it's actually not work, it's it's fun and and you enjoy it and you get creative and your brain starts firing and it's easy. So I'd say one of the biggest ones is try and find the thing that gives you that spark, that love, that passion, and and then yeah, and once you've found that, then figure out ways to make something out of it, you know. So even if it is, you know, like whatever it is, working in films, whatever it might be, then do the research, find, you know, find um information online, watch the YouTube videos. You know, I watch YouTube videos now, even for something like you know, okay, how do I do that thing? YouTube, because it's free here, it's a free resource, and and it's so good, it's so you know, and obviously there's AI now, but find find ways to you know to understand it, obviously, um, and then then start putting those things into practice, you know, ultimately. And I kind of use um my sort of free run, uh let's say not free running, but let's say it with with anything that I do. Um, but let's say um fight scene creation, you know, like fight scene design. Um, you know, a lot of people I know in the stunt industry, they they want to do um fight design and action, fight choreography, things like that. Um, and it's like, okay, well, where do where do you start? Well, there's you can't just jump, let's say, straight at the you know, the end. You've got to then start from ground zero. And the only way you can do that is get a camera, meet up with some friends, just like I did, and then start shooting some stuff, and it in the edit, teach yourself editing, teach yourself whatever it might be, you know, and and put put it together and create the best piece you can make and and then watch it back, learn from it, and and you learn from the process. Um, but so that's all I did. It's literally just like, okay, I want to, I want to do this. How do I do it? Well, I'll get a camera and I'll just start shooting some stuff. And I would say some of the first things I ever made were just like, yeah, like absolutely shocking. But that's okay, the next thing. Now I'm going to improve. And then I'll watch, uh, watch Jackie Chan and then I will see how they did it. And I'm like, okay, so on that one they did a low angle. That was nice. Okay, that actually gives more impact to that shot. So, right, back out, fight scene, bum, bum, low angle, you know, and it's like, and you just trial and error, learn, learn, learn, and become the best you can be. That's literally the answer, I think, is be the best you can possibly be, have inspiration and and and always try and better it. Never, never, never be satisfied and just always continue to bet yourself and and you'll get there.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:39

I love that. And I think that's another thing I've taken on this. Your passion for learning is you know, sits up through all this, isn't it? It's just, you know, that learning how to become better and how to do stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:12:50

So I think one thing, one thing is interesting is that um it's also that the feeling of um uh not knowing your craft, you know. So you sort of feel like, you know, like being, let's just say, in a film on in a film set scenario, you don't want to be the person that's being asked all these questions and you have no idea what you what the answer is. Yeah, and so understand it at its core, you know, and then you're there's no there's no stone left unturned, is there? You kind of like you've got the answers and people come to you for that, you know. And so you've got to know your craft um inside and out, essentially, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:26

Yeah, and and that's another thing, some way, you know, the preparation you put into things and the detail you put into things. I think I I've certainly taken away from today. Great. So just wrap up for people that enjoyed our conversation. Where can people follow you?

SPEAKER_02 1:13:41

Yeah, no, um, I've got my Instagram generally, that'll be where I use, you know, I use to kind of put some my portfolio stuff on there. You know, you'll see a lot of my fight scenes and the BTS of films that I've been in and people that I've doubled, and my career essentially has been kind of uploaded to Instagram, which is just my name, Adam Brayshaw. Um, and that's kind of the main source, really. I don't really use anything else. Um, I I kind of and then obviously if you're interested in jujitsu and you want some cuddle club gear, then you can go to our um Instagram, which is cuddleclub uh jj um or the website which is um cuddleclubjj.co.uk. Um so yeah, you can find all your gear there if you want some.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:25

And I'll be putting all the links in the show notes, along with I think also a link to the icky guy book. I think that that's definitely something that would be, I think listeners would really do.

SPEAKER_02 1:14:35

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:35

So what are you working on next? Is there any exclusives you can share?

SPEAKER_02 1:14:39

Or um there if not, then don't worry. Yeah, yeah, I can't I can't share anything, but I am going on to another big project, which would be which would be cool. Um, but I'm currently funny enough, like you know, when we talk about just continuing to learn and be better at your craft, I'm currently working on, I'm actually sat at my desk right now and working on uh a short action film. Um it's like uh that we've been filming over the last like I've been off work for a couple of weeks, so we've been getting together at my friend's um car garage, and he's literally kitted it out, and it looks like very it's a unique car garage, um, but it almost looked like a film set. And so I said, I was like, we should do a fight scene here. And he was like, love that because he's in stunts as well. My friend Chase, he um he's doubled Mark Wahlberg like loads of times. He's like his main guy, and uh and my good friend Nathan, he's um also um uh assistant stunt coordinator, action designer, that kind of thing. So we've all basically we're off at the minute, we come together and we've just basically put together this fight scene um in in my friend's uh car garage. And so, but anyway, we're filmmaking, we're doing all this, and I'm currently on the edit as we speak, and I'm looking forward to sharing it actually, hopefully with it within a couple of weeks. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:49

Oh, brilliant. So just before we wrap up, what's one final challenge you'd like to set the audience?

SPEAKER_02 1:15:56

One final challenge for them. Yeah, I would say if if there is one one challenge I can give you, it would be um you know if you don't know what it is that you want to be yet, find like 10 things and try them out and see which ones, you know, work for you. And if you don't find any in those 10, find another 10, you know, and just keep keep working on something that you because you will find something, you know, and nine times out of 10, you won't need 10 things. You'll probably find, you know, the the first three that pop in your head will be something that you're interested in. Um, and if that's the thing that you have found, you know, within those the the, you know, within the 10, within the five, three, whatever it might be, just start working on it and just start playing with ideas and and more importantly, have fun because I feel like you put pressure on yourself, um, then it can kind of pull you away from the the you know that that funner element. And I found that whenever I'm in an element of play, like like you are when you're a kid, it's just fun. Then you actually absorb it more and you learn more, um, and you have fun with it, and it just feels effortless. So I think, yeah, find the thing that that you want to do, and then your your life will will will kind of uh springboard off of that. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:17

I love that. Adam, thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Thanks for having me. Thank you very much. And so our listeners, make sure you are following us, make sure you follow so you can go all of our episodes. Really appreciate it. And again, any feedback, always feel free to reach out. Till next time. Thanks a lot.