Allow myself to introduce…myself
When I was 12 years old my idol was Leonardo DaVinci. In his life Leonardo was able to achieve greatness as a scientist, mathematician, engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, sculptor, architect, botanist, musician, and writer. He was the epitome of a Renaissance man- someone who made the most of his time on earth and the resources at his disposal. One can only imagine the thrill of living such a rich and accomplished life.
My name is Sean-Paul. I like to think that like DaVinci my interests are both diverse and cohesive. Each of them shares elements which make them both enjoyable and complementary. But above all, each of these pursuits requires a lifetime to achieve mastery.
Personally- the rush that comes after achieving a goal is my drug of choice. Whether it’s finally beating that f’ing song in Guitar Hero (this pic makes me laugh every time) or having your hand raised at the end of a 3 round war in the cage- there is nothing quite like the oh-so sweet taste of victory.
When you really challenge yourself it’s not just about the end result- it’s the journey that makes the test-of-self worth taking. It’s about enjoying the small wins. It’s about tapping into your creativity. It’s about learning what you’re capable of. A real challenge causes you to come out the other side of the journey as a different person with a new perspective. A challenge worth taking forces you to evolve.
Ultimately, my lifelong goals are to love deeply, be loved deeply, never stop learning, be the best that I can be, help others achieve their potential, and enjoy the ride. Beyond that, I have very specific short term and long term goals in the following areas.
Strength, Conditioning, and Wellness
My passion for fitness and wellness came when I was a senior in high school. I was always a chubby kid (to put it nicely). But the empowerment and rush I felt from feeling myself getting physically and mentally stronger was like nothing I had ever felt before. In my heart I am really a “meat head”. I love learning, discussing, and experimenting with new workouts and training methods and I could spend all day doing so. I hope to help others (from chubby kids to competitive athletes) achieve their health and fitness goals. My philosophy on strength and conditioning is using high-intensity functional interval training to get the best possible results in the least amount of time… in other words get in there, take care of business, and enjoy the rest of your day. However, wellness is not just about lifting weights- but it’s about being mentally, physically, and spiritually centered. So in this blog I will also touch on how I use Yoga, mobility training, meditation, and recovery techniques to achieve the highest level of wellness and athleticism that I am able to. My goal is to move into the health and wellness industry as well as get my personal training certification in 2010.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
I am currently a Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I started BJJ in 2005. I have been relatively successful competing at the regional level, but I hope to one day compete at an international level in BJJ. This year I will be attending the BJJ PanAms for the first time. One day I plan to open my own school and train others in BJJ. I love No Gi and MMA but- as my coach Chris Chard put it- “The Gi is life.” Not to mention- you can only endure punches to the face and leg kicks for so long. My goal is to achieve my Purple Belt in 2010.
Kickboxing
I started kickboxing in 2003, during my freshman year in college. I didn’t love it at first. It was difficult for me to suck at something so badly and really earn my stripes. The early days of my training literally brought me to tears several times- but I refused to quit. At that time of my life I had resolved to turn a new leaf and put in the work for something greater. After all- eating right and working out lead to losing weight. So I trusted that if I trained long enough and hard enough I would eventually get good- at 18 years old being a destructive kick boxer was the coolest thing that I could possibly do. I had my first fight 6 months after I started training and won. From there I lost my next 3 fights. The last of these losses was a devastating KO (I have never since or again been hit so hard in my life). Again, this was a difficult but important period in my life. After that loss I decided to dedicate every ounce of my free time to training (sometimes 6 hours a day). I went on to fight 6 more times over the next year and a half. I currently have a 6-4 kickboxing record and have not competed in it since 2005- I plan to return to the ring before turning professional in MMA. My goal this year is to develop my use of angles and counter-combos.
Mixed Martial Arts
I made my MMA debut (YouTube) on January 19, 2008. I fought 3 more times in 2008, ending the year with a 2-2 record after my first title fight. In 2009 I fought twice more- headlining my first show in July. I am currently 4-2 (1 submission and 2 TKOs). I plan to return to the cage in February or March of 2010. A dream of mine is to one day fight in the UFC. I love MMA- it is the most evolved form of martial arts, where theory is completely eliminated. I would also argue that it is the highest form of athletics- sports such as football, basketball, baseball, and hockey were created in an attempt to replicate (and even suppress) what MMA is. My goal this year is to bring my record to 6-2 (2-0 for the year).
Food
Food is a cornerstone of the human experience. But people tend to only look at it from 1 or 2 dimensions- mostly taste. But food is so much more than that. Food is one my favorite artistic mediums, and the more complexity (taste, nutrition, the joy of cooking, the conversation, and the feeling you have after the meal) that you introduce to it, the better the entire experience becomes. With that being said- I definitely have my challenges with food. What I call my “inner fat kid” screams in my ear on a regular basis. Today my biggest inspirations for proper nutrition and cooking come from The Grappler’s Guide to Sports Nutrition and Force of Nature. My goal is to become a highly skilled cook with the ability to create meals that will satisfy my every craving- from my taste buds to fueling my training to keeping me lean and strong.
World Travel
There is nothing quite like travelling. It’s so exhilarating to be in another country (or even across the US) and see how different things are all over this world- it can make you see things from a totally different perspective. Depending on where you travel; it can make you truly appreciate what you have- it’s hard to complain about your boss riding you after seeing a 6 year old starving child beg for food. Travelling can also be a very humbling experience- it makes you realize how big this world is and how small we really are. More than anything I love the adventure of being lost in a big city, eating a great meal at a hole in the wall, in a tucked away neighborhood, and meeting new people who speak other languages and who have seen the world from a perspective so different from mine. My goal is to visit every continent and live in another country at some point in my life.
Business 2.0
In 2007 I graduated from Cleveland State University with a BBA in HR Management. Today I am a Talent Sourcing Lead for a Fortune 200 company, where I manage a team of Sourcers in Pune, India. I have a great job with a cool boss (who also comes to most of my fights) and I like what I do- but I don’t love it and I have never really taken to authority. When I was in the 3rd grade my teacher told my mother, “Some kids march to the beat of their own drummer, but Sean-Paul has his own band.” I guess I’ve always been that way. It’s probably a big reason why I love to fight vs. playing other sports- it’s all on me, for better or for worse, I am in control of my destiny. My ultimate career goal is to work for myself- doing something that I am passionate about and helping other people. So since I can’t up and quit my job today (my gym membership doesn’t pay for itself) I am going to explore entrepreneurial opportunities in the information age- learning what I can from experts like Timothy Ferris and Gary Vaynerchuck as well as countless others who have taken the leap and made it in true 21st century style. My goal this year is to start a graduate program (Most likely an MBA).
Guitar
My newest obsession is learning to play the acoustic guitar. I have been taking lessons for about a month now and I have loved every minute of it. Although I enjoy all genres of music, I have always loved singer-songwriter artists such as Jack Johnson, Ray Lamontagne, and Obadiah Parker. I just love where that kind of music takes me. My goal is to write and play my own music.
Art
The reason that I was initially interested in Leonardo DaVinci is because of my first passion-art. From the time I was 10 years old there was never a question in my mind that I would be a career artist…that dream came crashing down after 6 days of a graphics design class in my freshman year of college. Realizing that I didn’t have what it takes was very hard for me. Since then I draw occasionally as a creative and relaxing outlet. My goal is to improve and expand upon my artistic abilities.
Surfing
I have never surfed in my life. But for some reason I feel a connection to it- the balance, the athleticism, and the connection to the ocean. Like I was meant to do it but was born in the wrong place. One of my heroes whom I base my life philosophy on is Laird Hamilton. His book Force of Nature completely changed my perspective on nutrition, training, wellness, and forging your own path. Laird’s book reminded me that life is for living. This winter my goal is to snowboard and I ultimately plan to live in a place where I can surf regularly.
Writing/Journaling
I enjoy writing for a lot of reasons. Just like math- getting things down on paper is a very useful practice. I currently keep a journal for each martial art, for strength and conditioning, for cooking, and for guitar. This practice can be time consuming and requires discipline (trust me, I am not always on top of it) - but I promise you that it pays dividends. That is one reason why I have started this blog- to force myself to get it all down on paper. My goal is to write a blog that is both interesting and beneficial (feedback is always appreciated). I also plan to write at least one book in my life.
Helping People
I love helping other people reach their potential and accomplish their goals. It is always a rush to see my friend and training partner, Nick “The Savage” Duell, victorious after helping him to prepare for a fight. Seeing my 15 year old brother, Alex (now 17), lose 80 Lbs after following my nutrition and training program was an indescribable feeling- I am so proud of him. Above all, it’s about having good Karma and doing what you can to make people’s lives better because of some part you had to play- no matter how big or small. My goal is help others through sharing my experiences.
Enjoying The Ride
The point isn’t where we end up (I think we all know where that is) but enjoying the road that takes us there. Even though I sometimes forget- I will continue to remind myself to stop and smell the roses, appreciate what I have, and think about how lucky I am to even be a small part of this whole thing. Because a cup of tea can be better than the finest wine if you take the time to consciously appreciate and savor the taste and feeling from sipping it. My goal is to appreciate the little things and enjoy the ride. My best friend and girlfriend of 5 years, Katie, taught me this.
While I am not yet an expert in any of these areas, I will use this blog to chronicle my journey as I attempt to become one. I will share whatever I learn through research and experiences- with the hopes to help others to achieve their goals. I am very excited about this small first step.
E-Resource Reccomendation:
Ryan Miller’s blog www.TrainLikeanAthlete.com (@rymiller) is filled with great information. His philosophies on training and nutrition are functional, practical, and effective. This is an especially great resource for people with difficult time constraints. I have finished one of his Kettle Bell workouts in less than 10 minutes (be prepared to bring it) and trust me- these workouts will get you far better results than 45 minutes on an elliptical. Ryan provides his subscribers with nutritional tips, recipes, video workouts, and explanations on why training like an athlete is the best approach to fitness. Follow him on Twitter, Become a Fan on FaceBook, read his blog, and add yourself to his distribution list…www.TrainLikeanAthlete.com is a great resource.
