EPISODE 6

Written By Ty Temel

THE SECRETS OF AN ULTIMATE FIGHTER

MMA FIGHTER, JEFF LAWSON

Martial arts and the art of self defence could save your life on the street one day - what better way to learn than with former-MMA fighter Jeff Lawson.

First specialising in Judo and now teaching Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) at Ippon Gym, there’s an obvious physical strength to Jeff, but dig deeper and his experiences post-MMA career are otherworldly.

Jeff joins us for Episode 6 of Off Script with Ty Temel, as he shares the hardest part of instructing BJJ, which martial art is best for self defence in the street, and his world-altering experiences with psychedelics.

This episode covers

  • Jeff’s staggering Judo skills & MMA career

  • The experience of appearing on Ultimate Fighter in 2009

  • How Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) becomes indispensable in real world altercations

  • The hardest thing for any BJJ instructor

  • Taking psychedelics safely, and the life-changing experiences Jeff has had with them

  • How Jeff’s Ayahuasca trips have inspired his art

 

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

 

“I was swapping out my medication some days for a little mushroom, I wouldn’t even measure it. I'd have a mushroom instead of my medication. Some days, everything was fluffy and warm, other days it was normal, but I could function. Then eventually I weaned myself off of the sertraline.”

1:11:15 - Jeff Lawson

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“A lot of the traditional martial arts do focus on punching in the air and stuff like that. But there are some styles of karate that are brutal, absolutely brutal. So it's just picking the right one - Do you want it for wellbeing, do you want it for community, or do you want it for effectiveness?” - 4:40 - Jeff Lawson

——

“You become a Mixed Martial Artist now. Back then I was a Judo guy going against a Kung Fu guy, or a Karate guy, or a Kickboxer. I was always this Judo guy coming in against them in an MMA bout. But now it's just the sport. It's Mixed Martial Arts, learning all the different disciplines.” - 10:45 - Jeff Lawson

——

“Any of my black belts won't hurt you. They won't give you a centimetre, but they won't destroy you anything - unless they're training for competition. The moment there’s a competition, you have to have that extra gear.” - 21:55 - Jeff Lawson

——

“Judo is probably your best bet for self defence, because you can throw and stay on your feet. If you throw and roll over them like they do in competitive Judo, and you don't know any Ne-Waza (ground work) - no, no, no, no, no. You've got to be able to throw them and stay on your feet, and I think that’s a massive self defence skill.” - 29:05 - Jeff Lawson

——

“A list of skills to learn for grading is perfect for kids because the kids need structure. I've got it all written out. I know exactly what they need to be doing. But in Jiu Jitsu with an adult, I think that's impossible.” - 50:05 - Jeff Lawson

——

“I left my artistic side. It didn't come back until I did my first Ayahuasca trip again. Then I had a clear message that said, ‘You need to get back to it, you need to get back and do your art again’, and you know what? I love it.” - 1:25:10 - Jeff Lawson

Ty Temel
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