Martial Arts and Life: UFC Contender Jamall Emmers and Coach Jake Behney

Chris Albert 00:00:04 (link to this point)

Going on everybody. Welcome to the Warrior Soul podcast. And this week, I've got a really special episode for you. And it starts with a little bit of a story. About a year and a half ago, I decided I wanted to try some other sports.

I wanted to get out out of the house more, interact with others. And so I decided to try jiu-jitsu. Now, I was a wrestler in high school and I absolutely loved wrestling. It's one of the things that I think had a huge influence on my life because it taught me personal responsibility. And I really think that it's one of the only things that a young man can do or young woman these days can do in high school that's really gonna teach you the kind of responsibility that that only wrestling can.

I mean, you're responsible for your weight, you're responsible for your condition. And when you're in a match, though you're training with your team and your team supports you, it's only you who can do the job. So I wanted something like that back in my life. I've been doing power lifting and body building for years and I wanted something else and I wanted to test So I went down to one of the local academies out here in Redlands. It's called Pinnacle MMA.

It's run by Jake Behney. And I walked in the first day and Jake's like, hey, come on. Start training. Don't worry about getting a gear, nothing like that. So I walked in my my shorts and my t shirt.

And at the time, I was a lot heavier than I am now and a lot stronger than I am now. I was I was about two hundred pounds and I could deadlift 600 and you know, was squatting 500 pounds and and lifting all these heavy weights. So I walked in and I thought I could rely on my old high school wrestling skills and I basically got broken in half by a guy who was about a hundred and thirty pounds and he must have been still a teenager but I just remember getting choked, getting my face rubbed in the mat and I couldn't believe what this kid could do to me even though I was a strong guy. I was, you know, bigger than him and stronger than him, but but he had so many awesome techniques. And I love the sport and I also fell in love with the academy.

Now, Jake is a black belt and he's been doing jiu-jitsu for a long time. He's brought up a lot of different fighters including Bobby Green, brought him to the UFC, brought a few others to the UFC and he talks about that in this podcast. But we also have another young man on the podcast today that Jake has helped to get to the UFC and that is mister Jamall Emmers. Jamall is also known as pretty boy pretty boy MMA on Instagram. And he just got notified that he's gonna be in the UFC contender series.

And he's fighting on... He's fighting Julian Erosa on June 26. And Jamall is a fantastic athlete, super dedicated, and he's also one of the instructors at Pinnacle MMA. And both these guys have had a huge influence on me and they're both really awesome people. Jamall's got a great story just coming up, trying out wrestling, trying to get into fighting and, really fighting is all he ever wanted to do since he was a kid and he's getting to live out his dream, on getting in the UFC.

Jake's a really wise individual. You're gonna get a lot from this conversation. And so, before we get into it, I just wanna give you a quick note from our sponsors. F bomb nutrition. Really awesome people.

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This is Chris Albert, and I'm here to remind you of one thing. Someday, you're going to die. Now that's not some morbid statement or scary idea. It's solid fact. Your time here on this earth is limited.

And we need to be reminded of this as much as possible for one simple reason, to live your best life while you can. This is the Warrior Soul Podcast.

Alright guys, what is going on? We're over here at Warrior Soul HQ which is really a little crappy house somewhere in Redlands, California. Anyways, this is my first in person interview. I've done a lot of these online. I've talked to people from across the world, but I wanted to bring on two very important people to me and two really awesome people.

So first is Jake Behney. Jake is the founder and owner of Pinnacle MMA here in Redlands, California. And then Jamall Emmers, who is a coach at Pinnacle and who's also just found out he's gonna be in the UFC Contender Series, June 26, facing Julian Erosa. So first things first, wanna welcome you guys to the Warrior Soul podcast. Both of you have been very important to me.

I got into jiu-jitsu at 37 years old. So at the time, when I started I was two hundred pounds, I could dead lift six hundred pounds. And I walked in and I had a kid who was one hundred and thirty pounds break me in half and literally rub my face into the mat. And so it was a really humbling experience. And you guys have such an effect on the students.

All the students who come into your school, you see these little kids going, they seem like little ninjas. You see older guys coming in and they just love it. What is it about jiu-jitsu in the first place that does that to people? What is it that arises, this sense of community?

Jake Behney 00:06:46 (link to this point)

I think hard work and perseverance. You're gonna lose more times than you're gonna win in there, you know, so it's a humbling experience at first. You know, and when you're not having success in those areas and somebody else is kind of helping you through those areas, you bond with those people, you know. So as long as there's good people in the room, then I think people are gonna gravitate to that kind of situation, you know? And then jiu-jitsu is just part of the process that happens.

Chris Albert 00:07:13 (link to this point)

And Jamall, you started out as a wrestler, right?

Jamall Emmers 00:07:15 (link to this point)

Yeah, I started out for wrestling, yes.

Chris Albert 00:07:17 (link to this point)

And so you got into jiu-jitsu because you wanted to become a fighter or was it like

Jamall Emmers 00:07:22 (link to this point)

Yes, always wanted to become a fighter since I was about eight or nine years old. Yeah.

Chris Albert 00:07:29 (link to this point)

And so when you first got into fighting, you first got into wrestling, you you did so in high school, or was it was it younger than that?

Jamall Emmers 00:07:37 (link to this point)

Yeah. I started in high school, yeah. Started wrestling in high school.

Chris Albert 00:07:40 (link to this point)

And and did you did you get attracted to other forms of grappling right off the bat?

Jamall Emmers 00:07:46 (link to this point)

Yes. Like, I looked for a judo school initially after high school, after I did a little bit of college. I found a jiu-jitsu school first, so I fell in love with jiu-jitsu the first day I went in there and got tapped like quick. I was like, man, thought my wrestling was enough, but it wasn't. So I got tapped for like, under a minute. And I was like, wow, I kinda like this. So I just stayed around and I stuck with it.

Chris Albert 00:08:14 (link to this point)

And were you doing gi or no gi at that point?

Jamall Emmers 00:08:16 (link to this point)

Oh, it was no gi. Yeah. It was no

Chris Albert 00:08:18 (link to this point)

The gi was a surprise for me because I came in and I had shorts and a t shirt on that day, the other guys had gi's on the first time you're coming in. Jake's like, Just come on in train, you know, everything. And then all of a sudden, I'm on my stomach and I'm getting choked out by this piece of cloth wrapped around my neck. And I'm like, What the hell is this? This is crazy.

So you started in there and you tried jiu-jitsu out, you loved it and everything. As far as your fight journey, where did that take you? Where did that start out? Did that start out in high school, or did it did it did it continue on beyond that? So, you know, where where did you come from?

Jamall Emmers 00:09:03 (link to this point)

I'd say it started high school growing up watching, like, all the old UFC and Pride videos. Most dominant guys were wrestlers.

Jake Behney 00:09:14 (link to this point)

Mhmm.

Jamall Emmers 00:09:14 (link to this point)

So I started wrestling because I wanted to have that that foundation. Then it just grew from there.

Chris Albert 00:09:20 (link to this point)

Yeah. And and and so you grew up in Florida. Right?

Jamall Emmers 00:09:23 (link to this point)

Yes.

Chris Albert 00:09:24 (link to this point)

And then from from there, where'd you travel to? From there,

Jamall Emmers 00:09:28 (link to this point)

I went to Waldorf College in Iowa. I went there for a year. And after that, I I moved to Texas.

Chris Albert 00:09:34 (link to this point)

Okay. Well, Iowa, there must have been some monsters wrestling out there. I always hear about Iowa wrestling.

Jamall Emmers 00:09:39 (link to this point)

Yeah, they got a lot of tough hard nosed blue collar wrestlers there.

Chris Albert 00:09:44 (link to this point)

Guys working out there in the cornfields and everything Just like friggin' Hard kids. Yeah. Hard kids. Spinned They iron in half. What was that like?

Jamall Emmers 00:09:57 (link to this point)

It was like a culture shock for me really, because coming from like seeing the beach and the sun all the time to going to like negative 30 degree weather and snowing. I was like, I don't like it here. So I was I was...

Was... Yeah. I just threw me for a loop. I was young, so I didn't really understand it. So I I kinda freaked out and left pretty So I moved I moved to Texas with my mom, like, right after that. Mhmm. Yeah. And started training, like, a few months after.

Chris Albert 00:10:36 (link to this point)

And you just got in for the few schools that that was in San Antonio?

Jamall Emmers 00:10:39 (link to this point)

Yes. In San Antonio. Yeah. The first school I ever trained at was a Brazilian Top Team.

Chris Albert 00:10:46 (link to this point)

Awesome. Awesome.

And how... So trying to get that... All that stuff straight. So I know you went over to Austin because you wanted to meet Bobby Green, who who who is another one of your students. Right?

And and so you guys met up somewhere in Texas. Right? Out there. Right? So so how did that happen?

Jamall Emmers 00:11:08 (link to this point)

Well, Bobby was fighting in Austin. I wanted to meet Bobby. Me and Bobby had the same manager at one point. So I went up there, I drove like an hour to meet Bobby, got there, then meet Bobby.

Like a ninja. Yeah. Me and Jake instead, like, we we had lunch and talk for a while, we haven't known each other a little bit, and he invited me out there to California.

Chris Albert 00:11:39 (link to this point)

That's cool. That's cool. So Jake, you brought up a few different fighters. Right?

As far as From from from amateur all the way up to the UFC. Can you talk a little bit about that?

Jake Behney 00:11:49 (link to this point)

Yeah. Initially, I I opened up my school. I didn't wanna do MMA. Didn't wanna teach teach fighting at all, and just jiu-jitsu. That was it.

Picked up this kid that I felt was pretty talented and just needed to have a ground game. Ended up starting working with him, I think four or five fights, don't maybe five fights later he was in the UFC. So it was just something that just kind of just fell in our lap. Was like the industry tried to take advantage of him and I didn't want him getting taken advantage of. So I went in and started helping him.

That's pretty much where it started happening.

Chris Albert 00:12:26 (link to this point)

And that was another kid?

Jake Behney 00:12:27 (link to this point)

A kid named Ruben Duran.

Jamall Emmers 00:12:29 (link to this point)

Okay.

Jake Behney 00:12:30 (link to this point)

He, very talented kid, know, knocked out like five guys, six guys in a row, had some pretty epic fights and that drew a lot of attention to the program and that's how I picked up Bobby Green and a handful of other guys and then the team kind of just started evolving from there. Start building a reputation, you know, and people that are serious about the sport will start seeking out those types of programs.

Chris Albert 00:12:55 (link to this point)

Yeah, that's, I mean, it's interesting because if you look at a lot of different programs just around this geographic area, I mean, most of them were run by people you've touched, people that you've interacted with and people you've brought up. And it's interesting because you have a huge footprint out here, at least in the Inland Empire and Southern California in general.

Jake Behney 00:13:16 (link to this point)

Yeah, I didn't even realize it myself until just like maybe a couple months ago. Were sitting down talking and I was just like, demographically, I started looking around where all these kids are that are in the areas that are training. And I have an old student of mine that has a school two miles away from me on my right side and another one two miles away from me on my left side. And then on the other two sides are programs where instructors have come out of my program. Know, so it's pretty interesting, you know?

Yeah. All the kids that are in this area are coming through some kind of philosophy that I designed, you know, so I think it's pretty cool.

Chris Albert 00:13:53 (link to this point)

That's an awesome legacy to have. That's a really awesome legacy to have. That's pretty crazy.

Jake Behney 00:14:00 (link to this point)

I like it, they're all still, like everybody's still pretty good, know, everybody's still pretty close. All the families and stuff still communicate with each other, hang out with each other at tournaments. It's pretty cool.

Chris Albert 00:14:10 (link to this point)

Yeah, you see that when you walk into your school. Like I said, I mean the first thing I noticed when I came to school is these kids, and I mean I've been in karate classes before, I've been to other martial arts classes before. And a lot of times you see the kids, they're jumping around, they're not paying attention, they're not doing what they're supposed to. But in your school, everybody's paying attention. Those kids, they know what they're doing and know, pity the fool who tries to attack them on the playground they're be able to stand up for themselves.

Jake Behney 00:14:38 (link to this point)

We've had a few kids try.

And what's really funny is we typically don't get the athletic kit. We typically get a kid that we have to build athleticism in, and then terminology and core strength. And then those kids two years into the program are kids that are making the team now. Know, that impacting the team. And what happens is in that situation, them kids usually getting picked on and maybe didn't speak their mind, you know, as much as they probably should have as a kid growing up, they start building this confidence and understand they can take care of themselves more and then boom, boom, boom, next thing you know, couple little scuffles happen and that's it, and it's over.

It's usually once or twice and they never get picked on again.

Chris Albert 00:15:21 (link to this point)

Yeah, it's amazing what kind of confidence it can build for people. The thing is, you look around at society today and it seems like everybody complains. Everybody's down on themselves or everybody's talking about, it's kind of like a feel good society now. And when you come into a sport like jiu-jitsu, it really teaches you that you gotta be tough and that you gotta work and that you've got to really earn your way forward and you've gotta figure out these problems on your own.

Like people could be telling you what to do, but you gotta be You gotta make the connection. You gotta make those connections. So, you know, with your own jiu-jitsu journey, I know that, I believe you used to play baseball, right?

Jake Behney 00:16:05 (link to this point)

Yes.

Chris Albert 00:16:06 (link to this point)

Back in the day. And so how did you first get into jiu-jitsu and fighting?

Jake Behney 00:16:11 (link to this point)

Just, well okay, I wrestled my senior year in high school only. I had a, one of my best friends was killed in a car accident and I wrestled on his behalf. He was a two time state champion.

Crazy And story, wrestling coach asked me to come in and wrestle, I had not even known what happened. I go home, find out he passed away. I didn't talk to a wrestling coach ever in school the whole time I was there. And just thought it was strange, you know, that he had come ask me to wrestle that same day my best friend passed. So I wrestled on his behalf and just fell in love with grappling.

Just fell in love with it. I wasn't a great wrestler. I was okay, you know, but I didn't really understand the sport all that much. But I did and fell in love with it. So when my baseball career ended, it was just natural for me to just go and find something like that.

I did, and started competing all over The United States in every competition I could possibly get to, and create this philosophy in regards to what I believe in as a effective grappler. And it seems to be working.

Chris Albert 00:17:18 (link to this point)

That's awesome, that's awesome. So with someone like Jamall, right? So Jamall came into your life, how long have guys known each other now?

Jake Behney 00:17:28 (link to this point)

Almost three years. Three years or so, two years. Almost four years. Four

Chris Albert 00:17:32 (link to this point)

Well, time flies. So like what did you need to work on at the start with Jamall, and how has that changed you guys worked together?

Jake Behney 00:17:45 (link to this point)

Question. Me it was slow him down. Slow him down.

Chris Albert 00:17:50 (link to this point)

That's like a lot of wrestlers, right?

Jake Behney 00:17:52 (link to this point)

Is man, slow him down. His record was way better than where he should have been in his game. And I don't necessarily mean that he wasn't good enough to fight there, but potentially it's like, what are we looking for? Are you looking to just get to the UFC or are you looking to stay in the UFC? So these are two totally different types of careers, and he has the tools to be able to go there and contend for a UFC World title.

He has all the attributes to make those things happen. He's got the work ethic, he's got everything that comes along with the character that's involved in the process.

Chris Albert 00:18:27 (link to this point)

What makes that difference? What's the difference between somebody who just gets to the UFC and then somebody who thrives there?

Jake Behney 00:18:36 (link to this point)

Mindset.

Chris Albert 00:18:38 (link to this point)

Mindset?

Jake Behney 00:18:38 (link to this point)

Yeah, mindset, for sure.

Chris Albert 00:18:40 (link to this point)

Thinking about the long term game rather than just the short term game or?

Jake Behney 00:18:46 (link to this point)

As a coach on my end, seeing it in my students, my athletes coming through, sometimes the goal is to get there. And they already psychologically have made this goal, they're like, man, if I could just get there, know, I'll just get there. And then they get there and those are the guys that get overwhelmed by their first night in the UFC. Know, they talk about these UFC jitters. Well, it's just the fact that they're just happy to get there.

So mentally, how do you prepare an athlete for those types of situations where they can actually go in and perform based upon what's on the outside? That's the difference between the guy that stays and the guy that goes. If you can't shut all this off right there, it's very difficult to continue to keep winning in the UFC. And that's focus, you know? That's focus on the process leading to that moment.

Chris Albert 00:19:41 (link to this point)

Now Jamall, how are you dealing with the jitters? Are you feeling that at all? Are you feeling like, you know, are you feeling any different now that it's a different fight? Or is it all the same?

Jamall Emmers 00:19:52 (link to this point)

It's all the same to me. Like I felt like it was about time.

Chris Albert 00:19:57 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Jamall Emmers 00:19:57 (link to this point)

So, like, I don't feel like like nervous or like... I'm more anxious to get in there and just fight. I'm just ready to fight. I love fighting. So, like, I don't get nervous or anything.

In any of my fights, I fall asleep.

Jake Behney 00:20:13 (link to this point)

The only guy, the only guy I've ever known to, as soon as he gets, he just go to sleep and he wake up like maybe ten, fifteen minutes before he gets ready to go out and fight, we warm him up and we go.

Chris Albert 00:20:25 (link to this point)

Oh wow. Yeah.

Jake Behney 00:20:26 (link to this point)

That's crazy. Other guys are pacing, everybody's got something. Some guys pace, some guys talk, some guys get sick, you know, and it just depends.

Chris Albert 00:20:36 (link to this point)

I was listening to Georges St-Pierre on the Joe Rogan podcast a few weeks ago, He and was talking about the fact he hates fight. He loves the lifestyle I brought him, but he says he hates fighting. He said the closer you get to the fight, the more you hate it. And that's interesting because it seems like your approach is a very calm manner. You're one of the most calm people I've seen as far as just your general demeanor.

Even seeing you training in the gym, seeing you work and everything like that, you seem like you have a very calm demeanor about you. Is that something you've learned to do or is it something that's just natural?

Jamall Emmers 00:21:18 (link to this point)

I think I've always been like that. I've always been like the laid back kind of guy. Yeah.

Just hanging out and everything like I'm just there, you know.

Chris Albert 00:21:27 (link to this point)

What's your typical day like from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed?

Jamall Emmers 00:21:32 (link to this point)

Well, you know, I wake up in the morning. In camp or out of camp?

Chris Albert 00:21:38 (link to this point)

In camp.

Jake Behney 00:21:40 (link to this point)

Camp, two days for the last three months, through how long? I mean it's pretty much the same though.

Jamall Emmers 00:21:46 (link to this point)

Even when I'm not in camp, I get up and train twice a day. It's a lifestyle, it's not leaving. Like what's camp? I just do it. I just train twice a day with Marcus.

Chris Albert 00:21:58 (link to this point)

Yeah, and you're doing a good bit of traveling around here, right?

Jamall Emmers 00:22:01 (link to this point)

Yeah, yeah.

Chris Albert 00:22:01 (link to this point)

So from like, you know, as far as the drives in between, are you listening to anything? Are you listening to podcasts? Is there any particular thing you listen to?

Jamall Emmers 00:22:13 (link to this point)

Well, on my way, I like listening to music. Yeah. I listen to like, a lot of rap, Logic. I like Logic a lot, like the way he delivers messages. I listen to him a lot, I've been listening to him a lot lately.

Jake Behney 00:22:34 (link to this point)

Mostly positive stuff.

Jamall Emmers 00:22:35 (link to this point)

Yeah, J. Cole, like a lot of positive stuff.

Chris Albert 00:22:38 (link to this point)

That's awesome. Then so in your downtime, how are you resting and relaxing? Like what are you doing?

Jamall Emmers 00:22:47 (link to this point)

Well, some some days I'll watch like a documentary. Like I like history, so I'll watch something on like like Hitler or Africa or something like that, you know? Like I like stuff like that. So that's what I do in my downtime.

Chris Albert 00:23:01 (link to this point)

Nice.

Jamall Emmers 00:23:02 (link to this point)

Likes history. Yeah, I love history.

Jake Behney 00:23:04 (link to this point)

Or it goes to the chiropractor. Or the physical therapist. Wherever you can that nurse his injuries, know, or his little bumps.

Chris Albert 00:23:14 (link to this point)

How do you handle the injuries? So is it a lot of like, flexibility kind of stuff?

Are you doing like any kind of special therapies with the chiro or anything like that?

Jamall Emmers 00:23:26 (link to this point)

Yeah, just like minor adjustments. Whatever they can help, well help manage the pain, I guess. Cause I got a high tolerance of pain, so if something hurts, hurts me, it really hurts me. Like usually I just walk it off or whatever, like, I got a, like, if I had like a bump on my knee or something, I just like, whatever, it's alright.

I don't care. But if it's like super bad, like, it just like, just minor stuff, you know, to get get me to deal with it, but it's not really too bad with the pain.

Chris Albert 00:23:59 (link to this point)

And how are you diet wise? So are you doing anything to minimize the wear and tear, inflammation, things like that?

Jamall Emmers 00:24:07 (link to this point)

Yeah, he got like some green juice.

Jake Behney 00:24:10 (link to this point)

So what I've been doing is research on super foods.

Mhmm.

And blending super foods in different combinations so that the ratios change and we played with it in regards to the diet and the weight cut for our fight. And we've used this a couple times now, think two times, three times now. We tested it and we ran it through the last two fights, think. And it's worked really well. Keep his energy levels up. His weight seems to drop still.

We don't lose too much, you know, and monitoring his food intake at that point with making sure he's getting the super food nutrition. It's just, brain function good, energy level's good, everything seems to be good.

Chris Albert 00:24:59 (link to this point)

Any particular types of super foods you want to mention?

Jake Behney 00:25:03 (link to this point)

Three different kinds of kale. We use broccoli in there a little bit, we have sweet potatoes. We have yams.

Chris Albert 00:25:12 (link to this point)

Lots of polyphenols in there.

Jake Behney 00:25:15 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Chris Albert 00:25:15 (link to this point)

A lot of really good anti inflammatory stuff.

Jake Behney 00:25:18 (link to this point)

Yep, and then the meals that you'll have after that will be more high in protein, high in fiber. Still super foods and things that are mostly soups and chilis and things like that, things with beans, and man, it's been working really well.

Chris Albert 00:25:35 (link to this point)

Yeah, insoluble fiber from the beans and even some of the soluble fiber, but the insoluble fiber really helps to feed the gut microbiome. A lot of people don't understand that. Your digestive tract and your brain, they're inextricably connected. So if you do have a bump on your elbow or if you have a joint that's painful, it's usually emanating from a problem in the digestive tract because the inflammation there goes everywhere. Something And I've been trying to educate a lot of people on as far as nutrition goes.

Jake Behney 00:26:11 (link to this point)

So would a ketogenic diet help in that area?

Chris Albert 00:26:13 (link to this point)

That could, but the keto diet is like, and this is what I tell people about dieting, right? It doesn't matter if you're doing a keto diet, doesn't matter if you're doing plant based, vegan, zone, whatever it is, there's two things that always matter. Nutrient density and digestibility. Nutrient density means what types of micronutrients are you getting, what types of fatty acids, what types of polyphenols, what types of vitamins, minerals, things like that are you getting from it. Digestibility means the ability to absorb and integrate those nutrients in your body.

So the ability to extract and integrate those nutrients in your body. So for example, certain types of nuts, like Brazil nuts. Awesome for you, so nutrient dense. But if they're not soaked and you can't digest them, then You're getting it. You're not getting it, right?

So that's the big thing. It's like, regardless of what diet you're doing, make sure it's nutrient dense and then rendering the food digestible.

Jake Behney 00:27:18 (link to this point)

Okay, so how I came up with this process is that I was after inflammation.

Chris Albert 00:27:23 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Jake Behney 00:27:25 (link to this point)

USADA came in to the UFC and started drug testing everybody, which was great. But there were some supplements that we used over the counter that they say we can't use no more and a lot of them were recovery stuff, you know. So, we had to do away with it, so naturally I go towards a natural source of, okay, what's our best options here for recovery? Says, when he trains two times a day or three times a day, we need to make sure that there's an abundance of these things in his body so that we can try and keep his immune system up.

Jamall Emmers 00:27:53 (link to this point)

Yep.

Jake Behney 00:27:54 (link to this point)

The immune system and rid the body of stress. Yep. Okay, so how do we do it? And then you start looking at all the different super foods and you start looking at what are the most common super foods that are in all of these different types of things, like whether it be cardiovascular disease, cancer, like diabetes, Parkinson's, you know, and you find like, oh damn, these eight super foods are all the same super foods and all the remedies to these side effects or these situations, was inflammation, strengthening the immune system, and I was like, boom, there's our greens. Boom, this is how we make this particular juice that we're gonna drink times a day at this time. Then, okay, and then I go, okay, what's better for us in this area? And then we find garlic with these other things. So I just broke it all down like that, and then took the most important ones, and then blend them together and bam, there we go.

Chris Albert 00:28:46 (link to this point)

That's awesome.

One important thing is with the vegetables, slice them up before you put them in the blender. Let them sit there for ten minutes, okay? Because plants, they all have a defense mechanism, right? And those defense mechanisms are to heal the plant tissue once it's been damaged. So the way they do that is they release polyphenols to heal that plant damage.

So what happens is if you slice them up, they'll release these enzymes. That'll make them more digestible. And then with the enzyme release, there'll be more polyphenols and it'll make it more nutritious than it was in the first place.

Jake Behney 00:29:25 (link to this point)

Interesting. Yeah, that's good knowledge right there. Just cut them up for ten minutes and sit in there. That's about how long it takes me to get that shit through the juicer.

Chris Albert 00:29:35 (link to this point)

That's awesome, that's awesome. For sure. So as far as, you know, you got your camp going on right now.

Any things that you've changed since, you know, since you got the notice you're gonna be on the contender?

Jamall Emmers 00:29:49 (link to this point)

I just been up in the training a little. Yeah. Just a little bit, just a little tweak.

Chris Albert 00:29:56 (link to this point)

Have you noticed a change in your game at all?

Jamall Emmers 00:29:59 (link to this point)

I noticed a big change in my game, yeah.

Jake Behney 00:30:02 (link to this point)

Because we don't normally, I haven't normally traveled with him too much.

Mhmm.

So what I've been doing is laying down this foundation for what it is I'm looking for, and I build the foundation and now we're gonna go out and we're gonna gain knowledge in all these other areas, you know, and he can build upon that, you know. So he's had the chance to go with handful of different great guys, know, out of Dan Henderson School in Temecula. He's got an awesome group of guys over there that he's been training with and I thought he did really well in their room, you know. And there's a couple other rooms he got to go into, so I mean, I see it in your game, have you?

Jamall Emmers 00:30:34 (link to this point)

Yeah, I've seen a big change in my game. Awesome.

Oh, got it. Like I'm starting to see certain things that I haven't seen before, like even like when I'm sparring or like rolling with other people, it's like I can see an opening, like it just lights up for me now. Instead of just like me just stumbling upon it, it's like, oh I know I could create one, it's like the light at the end of the tunnel.

Jake Behney 00:31:02 (link to this point)

Create the movement Yeah. Motion to allow those things to occur at angles. You know, how do you play movement? How do you...

Chris Albert 00:31:10 (link to this point)

Oh, that's awesome. Yeah.

That's really interesting. That's the thing, like It seems like you're getting to that point, from what you're describing, it seems like you're getting to the point where you're starting to be able to observe yourself.

Jamall Emmers 00:31:21 (link to this point)

Right?

Chris Albert 00:31:22 (link to this point)

And really kind of become a spectator within your own mind. That's what a lot of people describe as meditation

Jake Behney 00:31:27 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Chris Albert 00:31:28 (link to this point)

And being able to like observe themselves as being a participant rather than just being stuck in their head all the time.

Jamall Emmers 00:31:36 (link to this point)

Yes. So it feels like exactly

Chris Albert 00:31:40 (link to this point)

That's so interesting. That's so interesting how people reach those states through different things. I had Tom Campbell on the other day and he's taught... Tom's an interesting dude. Talks about, he says that our consciousness is actually in another universe and we're just like avatars and that what we have here is a virtual reality.

And I know you're into strategy games and things like that. So his point is that we're literally in a World of Warcraft game or something like that right now. Perspective of mind?

Jake Behney 00:32:12 (link to this point)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Perspective of mind is everything.

Chris Albert 00:32:15 (link to this point)

I mean, sounds crazy, but he's physicist by trades.

Jake Behney 00:32:22 (link to this point)

So already crazy.

Chris Albert 00:32:23 (link to this point)

Yeah, exactly. Hearing stuff like that, it makes me think. You see people attain these degrees of mastery, you know what I mean? You can go back to Roger Bannister who ran the first four minute mile and then once he was able to do it, everybody else was able to do it.

Not everybody could run the four minute mile, but a lot of people could do it. You know what I mean? And it seems like the more you get at something and the more you obtain that mastery, the more you're able to become an observer and not just kind of be stuck there. And that's one of my problems in jiu-jitsu, Like, being on the mat. You're like, shit, what the fuck's going on? You know?

Jake Behney 00:33:08 (link to this point)

Mhmm. It's, man, I would I would say like 85% psychological, I think, is for If most people, you you have good conditioning, and you understand fight philosophy, you know, it's not that hard to throw a straight right hand, or an overhand or a jab, you know what I mean? There's a lot that goes to it, not just punching people, you know what I mean? Or trying to hit somebody.

Chris Albert 00:33:40 (link to this point)

Now, you're also one of the most physically strongest fighters I've seen. I've seen you deadlift and everything like that. Oh, okay. You do trap bar deadlifts at like four hundred five hundred pounds and you're what? What's your body weight?

Jamall Emmers 00:33:59 (link to this point)

Like one sixty five. Yeah.

Jake Behney 00:34:01 (link to this point)

You're not... You're like one fifty nine right now.

Jamall Emmers 00:34:03 (link to this point)

Yeah. I'm small right now.

Jake Behney 00:34:04 (link to this point)

Coach D, you know what I mean? Like, him shout out. He's... Yeah.

Jamall Emmers 00:34:12 (link to this point)

My my strength coach is like maximize my strength like tenfold.

Jake Behney 00:34:18 (link to this point)

One coach of the year?

Jamall Emmers 00:34:19 (link to this point)

Yeah, he's one coach of the year for, I forgot the one.

Jake Behney 00:34:24 (link to this point)

He's a strength coach at the University of La Verne. And has worked with some pretty good athletes, some top athletes. He's created his own athletes, that's what I like about him. There's a lot of coaches that will get guys from other programs and claim them to be their own and it's different. You know, you still add tools to those guys' games. Like, I got him when he had a year of college wrestling too, you know.

So he had a a decent ground game already, you know. So I just tweaked it, fine tuned it, put my foundation in, you know, but still he has influence from his his original instructors, you know, that he has trained with. So it's just a whole process altogether.

Chris Albert 00:35:01 (link to this point)

That's, I mean, it's just interesting though, just being somebody who's done strength and conditioning for a long time, you know. I love it when I see somebody be able to take somebody from one level and bring them up to another one. Think that's amazing.

Jake Behney 00:35:16 (link to this point)

Yeah. Huge jump right there.

Chris Albert 00:35:18 (link to this point)

Yes. The science behind it and all the effort and things like that. So what kinda... So I've seen you doing trap bar dead lifts and things like that. What other kinda exercises did you do?

Jamall Emmers 00:35:30 (link to this point)

Front squat. Like, I got the front squat like 300 pounds.

Chris Albert 00:35:33 (link to this point)

Really? Olympic style like this?

Jamall Emmers 00:35:35 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Chris Albert 00:35:36 (link to this point)

That's awesome. That's awesome. What else?

Jamall Emmers 00:35:40 (link to this point)

Footwork trips.

Footwork stuff, yeah, my footwork has gotten a lot better. Mhmm. I can tell in sparring, like, sparring certain guys, like, I could get behind them. Like, my footwork has gotten that much better.

Chris Albert 00:35:55 (link to this point)

What else?

Jamall Emmers 00:35:56 (link to this point)

Dumbbell bench press, did... I did, like, 95 pounds. I was like,

Jake Behney 00:36:01 (link to this point)

Not very often does he do it.

Jamall Emmers 00:36:02 (link to this point)

Not very often, but I was just amazed that I could do it. Ups, push ups, ropes, yeah.

Chris Albert 00:36:08 (link to this point)

Well, being able to front Olympic front squat 300 pounds at 165 body weight is a lot, you know? That's... In my mind, as far as movements that really determine an athlete, that's all thoracic extension and being able to keep your elbows up, and a lot of people can't do that, and I think that's a true test of athletic strength right there.

That's awesome. Are you doing any Olympic lifting or anything like that?

Jamall Emmers 00:36:40 (link to this point)

Well, too much though. We've been doing a lot more circuit stuff and more running.

Jake Behney 00:36:48 (link to this point)

More fight specific So this his strength and conditioning will change depending on who we're fighting or how we're gonna fight our fight.

Chris Albert 00:36:57 (link to this point)

And so where is the fight gonna be?

Jake Behney 00:37:00 (link to this point)

It's gonna be up? On Vegas. Vegas. In Vegas.

Chris Albert 00:37:03 (link to this point)

Vegas. That's awesome. And and so that's June 26. And so you're in the the final few weeks now on So the so anything that changes in the final few weeks?

Jamall Emmers 00:37:17 (link to this point)

We just gonna We'll run it. We'll run it. Make sure my condition is up to par, more poor. We just gonna play it smart at this point because we're so close to the fight, we're not gonna do nothing too crazy.

Chris Albert 00:37:31 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Jake Behney 00:37:32 (link to this point)

We'll probably do like maybe two more sparring days and we'll be done.

Chris Albert 00:37:36 (link to this point)

Now, one other thing I wanna mention, because a lot of our audience is combat veterans, guys who, guys who are 25 and above, might have served in the US Army or the US Marine Corps and they're looking for something else to do with their lives. They're looking for something to hold onto. And a lot of them have had a hard time over the past decade and have. Our veteran suicide rate has been crazy. What do you think martial arts could do for these guys?

Jake Behney 00:38:11 (link to this point)

The way you described it is, how I would see that is, as we grow up, we tend to be put into different types of sports activities, whether it be whatever, dance, jiu-jitsu, karate, baseball, football, and we grow up like this when we get into high school. A lot of these guys move into the military right out of high school. They never really got into what real life is like, you know? So they go right into the military, they go through all of the training, they go through all the camaraderie that's built in having a team and relying on your team and your people and all of a sudden, you're spit out into the regular world and regular world is not like that. You don't have a team like that and your team like that you look around and go, oh it's my family.

Well, your family isn't a very good team in a lot of ways like that. Know, you can't rely on your family like that in a lot of ways. In some ways, yes, but not in the perspective of like what you would expect out of your infantry or something like that. You know what I mean? Like where that mindset is like that, you know?

So that's the biggest thing. I see the help for those kinds of guys is like coming in and just being a part of something like that, where there's good guys that have the same kind of commonality, that they want to work hard, know, they want to learn new things, and what happens, they start sweating, they start pleading together on the mat, and they start finding those relationships. And when you have a good relationship like that, that changes the mindset and everything else that goes along with your life, that comes into your life, you know? So, think it's amazing. Know, I mean, we've had a handful of veterans come through that have had some issues like that and trained with us for four or five years, know, and then changed their whole entire life, moved somewhere else, and now they're doing jiu-jitsu in another state and they're doing great, you know.

You hear it all the time, jiu-jitsu saved my life. It's just that journey. It's that mental area where those guys miss those relationships. In its most simplistic way, it's that bond. It's gone.

When they spit you out, it's gone. And you try and maintain it on Facebook with your friend over here or your friend over there, and you can't relate to everybody else because your experiences are different than everybody else's experiences in society. That's why I think what you got going on is so amazing, is you're connecting these people. So once you connect these people, you got your group of people, now you gotta connect them to these people within their communities that are these types of programs, that are these types of businesses, that are gravitating to those types of relationships and building teams, you know? And when you can build a team around somebody like that, they'll flourish.

They'll flourish. You don't go through the military without coming out in the regular world and being able to be successful in whatever it is you do. All those guys that come to my school, they've ever been in the military, they wake up, they make their bed, everything's tucked in neat and their boots are under, their shoes are underneath their geese, hung up, know what I mean? Everything. You can teach that person to do just about anything in regular society Yeah, if his mindset is

Jamall Emmers 00:41:15 (link to this point)

yeah,

Chris Albert 00:41:16 (link to this point)

I think that's a big thing is the camaraderie. The camaraderie as far as, I noticed that the first day I went into your school, everybody generally seems to care about each other and generally is there for other. Same thing with both of you. You both put such care into the teaching aspect of martial arts. I think that's amazing, you're both gonna have such an awesome impact on the community because of that.

Jake Behney 00:41:44 (link to this point)

Thanks, Ben.

Chris Albert 00:41:46 (link to this point)

Jamall, as you're heading into this fight, I know that you've come a long way as far as, just as a person, as far as going from being a very young person dreaming about fighting, but now stepping into the UFC, what's your message for people out there who are trying to figure out their way in life?

Jamall Emmers 00:42:12 (link to this point)

Just try, like you gotta...

How can I put this?

You gotta try a lot of different stuff and see what sticks pretty much. That's how I that's how I found fighting. Up I wasn't like an athletic kid, didn't even like sports, you know?

Chris Albert 00:42:33 (link to this point)

Really?

Jamall Emmers 00:42:34 (link to this point)

Not at all. Didn't even like fighting at first, you know. But like, I seen like it brought my dad, me and my brother together. So I used to sit down and watch it with him. And eventually I started to like it more, you know.

And like, and it just grew from there, so it was just like something, it just like... It found me, I didn't find it.

Jake Behney 00:42:56 (link to this point)

So that grind is, would you say failure?

Jamall Emmers 00:43:00 (link to this point)

Oh, a lot of failure. Yeah, a lot of failure. Felt so Not being afraid to fail.

And I just have to pick myself back up and try it again.

Jake Behney 00:43:08 (link to this point)

No.

Chris Albert 00:43:09 (link to this point)

Yeah, that's such a big thing. I mean, I always tell people, falling on your face isn't failure. Failure looks like the hottest chick in the room. We're attracted to it like a moss to a light bulb. Failure looks like your couch and the comfort you have there when you're not getting off of It looks like a snooze button.

But failure is definitely not falling on your face. That means you try. And you only fail if you don't get back up again. Failure is my best friend, come to find out.

Jake Behney 00:43:48 (link to this point)

All the fights he's had, know, the one loss is the fight they talk about a lot, you know?

Yeah.

It's pretty interesting that they always bring that fight up, you know?

Jamall Emmers 00:43:57 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Jake Behney 00:43:57 (link to this point)

But we talked about it going into the fight, you know, was the right decision, this kid wants to be a world champion, you know what I mean? So you gotta do those things and test yourself. He learned so much about himself in that fight, it was unreal.

Chris Albert 00:44:12 (link to this point)

That's... I mean, it's crazy what you do learn. And, you know, I think that you got a great attitude and I think, you know, turning that message out there to to everybody you come in contact with, that's gonna do a world of good. You know, one more thing I wanted to ask both of you guys, and and that's that as you're pushing into this and and you're making your path toward toward this this June 26 debut, as far as your mindset, has anything in your mindset... Trying to see how to put this because sometimes I screw the way I talk.

Has anything in your mindset been, should I be here right now? Do you ever feel like it's not... Goddamn, I'm screwing my own words up. Do you ever feel like... Because I get what's called imposter syndrome, right?

Like a lot of times. So I'll be here on the podcast and I'll be like, Why the hell are people listening to me? Things like that. Do you ever feel like that and how do you overcome those?

Jake Behney 00:45:29 (link to this point)

Yeah, actually.

Think everybody's here really. It took me a long time to get out of now.

I'm sorry guys.

It's always such a self doubt, know? And I think that, I'll let him answer, you know, that's kind of a coach's job, know, is to help an athlete in those areas.

Yeah, I remember, when was it, we had a conversation, remember?

Jamall Emmers 00:45:50 (link to this point)

Yeah, a lot of times.

About like, had a, Malista was my best friend and like, way better wrestler than I was and everything and like, I'm like, man, he... Like, how how did I make it this far in, like, this sport? And I'm like, man, this dude's, like, way better than I was. Like, it just was amazing how it happened. I was...

And he would tell me, like, because you're supposed to be here. It's just fate, that's how it's supposed to go. So, like, I used think that way, like, why am I here? How did I get here? But it's supposed to happen.

Jake Behney 00:46:25 (link to this point)

It's a You know, when you make your mind up to do something like that, you know, the perseverance to be able to continuously go after your goal is the journey.

Chris Albert 00:46:37 (link to this point)

And I think that's part of the process of leveling up too. I mean, when you're being called to do great things, it's like, yeah.

Jake Behney 00:46:45 (link to this point)

To work.

Chris Albert 00:46:46 (link to this point)

Yep, exactly, exactly.

Jake Behney 00:46:48 (link to this point)

It's become his job, you It's know what I become his work. And that's what I feel like he's learning at this stage, you know, is like he's starting to understand the balance between work and his job, you know, in those areas. But I'm excited to see this one, man. I think it's gonna be dynamic.

Chris Albert 00:47:03 (link to this point)

I think it's gonna be cool. And against Julian Erosa, right?

Jake Behney 00:47:07 (link to this point)

Yeah.

Chris Albert 00:47:08 (link to this point)

It's awesome. Anything you wanna say to him?

Jamall Emmers 00:47:11 (link to this point)

Just guard your grill. That's all.

Chris Albert 00:47:15 (link to this point)

Got any excuses to guard your grill? Damn, that's cool. And how do people find you on social media?

Jamall Emmers 00:47:23 (link to this point)

Instagram, Twitter, prettyboyemmers.

And then pinnacle?

Jake Behney 00:47:28 (link to this point)

Pinnacle m m a j b on Instagram.

Chris Albert 00:47:30 (link to this point)

Pinnacle m m a j b and I'm gonna put both of up on the show notes. First off, I wanna thank you for coming on. You're awesome. Tomorrow wanna wish you the best of luck. Thank you.

Jake Behney 00:47:40 (link to this point)

Hopefully we'll be able to do like a little highlight reel of the victory for your fans, you know?

Chris Albert 00:47:45 (link to this point)

Absolutely. I'm put a little highlight reel together for the show notes as well. Awesome. So I'm gonna take... Probably go on to YouTube and take pieces of past fights and things like that and throw them up there.

Jake Behney 00:47:56 (link to this point)

Very cool. What an honor to be on here. We appreciate you very much. Thank you.

Chris Albert 00:47:59 (link to this point)

I appreciate you guys coming on. I'm honored to have you on.

Everybody out there, first off, I apologize for all of my verbal tics and everything like that. But I wanna say to each and every one of you out there, jiu-jitsu is something that I came in contact with late in life. And I absolutely see 100% the value in martial arts. I think it's an absolutely amazing thing. I see what it does for the kids at Pinnacle.

And I gotta get my ass back to practice. It's been a while, so you're probably gonna kick my ass after this interview. So whatever you're doing out there, wherever you are, get out there and live your best lives while you can.