I had the extreme pleasure of being a guest on the Gospel of Fire Podcast hosted by Eliot Marshall. It’s Episode #18 released on Monday, October 22, 2018. Check it out and give it a listen. We had an outstanding conversation and I’m grateful for Eliot coming into my life.
Eliot Marshall is a 6-time UFC competitor, 3rd degree black belt in jiu-jitsu, the first American to win gold at IBJJF Pan’s as a blue belt, a purple belt, and a brown belt. He’s a Fight2Win Masters Champion, a part-owner/partner of Easton’s Training Center in Denver, Colorado (an awesome 10,000 square foot training facility). Eliot is the head coach of the Elevation Fight Team (a high level pro-MMA team with multiple athletes competing in the biggest fight organizations in the world. He’s the host of the Gospel of Fire Podcast, a husband, father of two boys, and has a book that will soon be released.
I was originally a fan of Eliot’s when he was on the TV show “The Ultimate Fighter (TUF Season 8).” I watched Eliot fight in the octagon but at the time didn’t get an opportunity to know him on a personal level.
Eliot is very raw, rambunctious, authentic, inspiring, loving, insightful, intelligent (he has a math degree!) and a natural leader. It makes perfect sense that he would become the leader and head coach of other aspiring fighters. He’s been there and done that. He’s trained alongside legendary fighters and put in time at the famous Jackson/Winklejohn (Jackson Wink MMA) Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico during his prime fighting years. He’s trained under the best and with the best.
What I learned from Eliot is that he loves sharing his insights and experience with others (especially martial artists). He understands the struggles of life, the ups and downs of being a human being, winning and losing, and dealing with adult responsibilities. His team at Elevation has an outstanding role model of how to get through life (which mixes right in with the Master Life Master Jiu-Jitsu theme I so much believe in).
After becoming a regular subscriber and listener to the Gospel of Fire podcast, I think of situations in terms of “Eliot’s Rules.” Eliot is a man of principles. He doesn’t like being a bully or being as what he would describe as “a bitch” (more like a coward). He talks about these principles on the podcast and during his classes at Easton’s in Denver on the mats with his students.
I went so far as to put his rules in my phone for reference.
I think of Eliot’s rules mostly when I have a situation that requires Rule #4 – “If you’re scared, you have to do it.” I get scared of business situations. I get scared when competing. I get scared at trying new things and fearing failure. I get scared when dealing with uncertainty in life. Then I think to myself, “What would Eliot tell me?” He’d tell me, “If you are scared, you have to do it.” And I can’t tell you how many times that made me more at peace with the situation. It makes me realize that it is only fear that I am feeling. I never want my life to be controlled by fear.
If you want to learn more about Eliot, visit his website at www.eliotmarshall.com.
Check out his podcast, “The Gospel of Fire.” I’m glad I started listening and you won’t be disappointed. He’s got some real gems in there on being a martial artist in life.
And if you really want to make some progress in life, learn to implement some of his principles. Maybe you could even add them to your phone like I did. Remember, “If you’re scared, you have to do it.”
You can find Episode #18 here – http://gospeloffire.libsyn.com/e18-creating-an-extraordinary-life-through-jiu-jitsu?tdest_id=766219