Full transcript: Winston Gordon on London Real
0:35 Good afternoon and welcome to London Real. My name is Brian Rose. with here is my main man, Nick Gabriel, and joining us today is two-time Olympian Judoka, Mr. Winston Gordon. Welcome. Welcome. Thank you. Thank you for inviting me. Yeah, you’re totally welcome. You know, I just got an email recently from the London Olympics and it said 100 days till the Olympics and all I thought was, that’s what I want to ask Winston. And I just wanted to first explain if you could explain what a Judoka is and second, tell us what’s your next one hundred days like?
1:07 Judo Curry is a Judo player, a Judo fighter, who competes, you know, international, national and you know all over the world. If nobody knows anything about Judo, Judo was invented by a Japanese guy called Jigaro Keno many, many years ago and he developed an art where he was a schoolteacher actually and from there he developed the art of judo and he formed the art and made it, it grew from nothing to what it is today as a big sport in Japan, actually one of the main sports in Japan. And from there it’s just them, you know, gongkong berserk really.
1:59 It’s one of the biggest sports in the world, right? I think it’s the most, it’s the biggest individual sport in the world. Really? Yeah, I could be wrong, but I’ve heard that before. Wow, that’s intense. In some, in some, in some nations it’s, you know, their top, their top sport. I think France is, it’s one of their, their majors. And obviously Japan, And I think Korea touches, you know, touches, touches it as well, touches the top as well.
2:25 And a few more nations, Brazil, Brazil is up there as well. I think you’ve got the football and you know, you were saying when you came in here that you had, I guess she said some European champions coming up, you said you had a media day this week. So what is your next 100 like, and is it getting pretty crazy right now for you? At the moment, yes, getting pretty crazy and first and foremost, my main goal at the the moment is the European Championships next week in Russia and there I have to perform you know at my best to get the final qualification for for the Olympics in 2012. It’s between me and another guy called Matthew Percy from Scotland my rival and we’re battling it out you know head-to-head to go for that one spot. So whoever performs better at this European Championships gets that last spot? Yeah well it’s basically it’s down to world ranking, world ranking points. At the moment I’m number 44 in the world ranking. Is that at 90 kgs? 90 kgs. That’s pretty impressive.
3:28 And he’s number 66 and don’t get me wrong in that world ranking you’ve got you know it’s people from other countries so you got like in the top half and you got two Russians you got two Brazilians so you know as it narrows down it becomes less than what I am now but yeah the criteria is you know the one who’s at the highest ranked goes to the games I haven’t competed since November just due to just due to injury so this is gonna be my first one back in the big the big stage if it was up to you would you how often would you like to compete to kind of stay to stay fresh is it a fine line between injury and training you know what the thing is as as I’m one of the old guard of the team it’s it’s it takes its toll on your body you know after doing it for so long you know I’m 35 Wow yeah I’ve been doing it for 20 22 years Wow and so you know yeah if the challenge is there obviously which it is now I’ve got a you know I’ve got a fight for my place so I’ve got it everywhere the Federation send me I’ve I’ve got to do the business, obviously, with my rival on my heels.
4:45 I’ve got to make sure that I’m in top shape at every tournament to nip it before he does. Is your body just totally beat up off to all he is of Judo? Because Judo is so, so tough on the body man. It is, I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my terrible injuries, you know.
5:03 I’ve been through the meal, but I’m still here to represent and tell the story. So, I was just noticing your fingers, if you don’t mind if you could show the camera your fingers, check his fingers man, you see that? That’s incredible. Is that from just a lot of breakages? No, it’s just from gripping breakages, just all sorts.
5:26 What’s the most common injury for judokas? Mainly his knees and shoulders are the main worries but you know, you get the little niggles here and there, but it’s mainly the knees, the knees and the shoulders. Are you the most experienced guy on the team and do some of the younger guys kind of look to you because you’ve been through this whole process twice before as well as the Olympics? Yeah, I think so. You’ve got a few youngsters who are in the team. Actually, one of my roommates, Ashley McKenzie, he’s one of the, say, the ones to look out for, for London and for Rio as well.
6:06 He trains at Budapest, right? No, he trains in… He trains in Tumbridge and he trains at Dartford but I think Tumbridge is his main base but he’s a good young boy to look out for and I’ve remitted with him and stuff and it’s been wild I mean, some of the things I said what are you doing mate? doing this okay okay okay but listen make sure you know so I’m learning from the I’m learning from the young ones he’s doing like he’s got a different training technique or he’s eating cucumbers or what yeah he’s just um now he’s a good lad he’s a good lad and you know we we learn from each other even though I’m the experienced one you know if I see certain things are not right then I say listen you know you need to adapt to this or you need to take this or you know and then you know he might say to me something which I’m like boy okay yeah I’ll take it on board young man you know so yeah he asked me about my experience and you know some of the team asked me about my experience and you know being to to two Olympics and you know all I can do is just share my experience with them and you know hopefully they can grasp it and take that on board and you know for them which you know is coming up as you know a big event for them they can take that on board and you know just soak in and And by the time they get there, you know, they don’t have to worry about all those little things they’re thinking of in their heads or looking forward to or not forward to.
7:40 Is there a lot of jitters at a big event like that? I mean, does that, do you see that get to guys? Sometimes that whole performance and do you see guys that have the skills that when they come, it’s hard to deliver on that kind of a stage? Yeah. But, you know, the way I see it is, you know, Olympic Games is a pinnacle of any athletes career but then again you know it’s the it’s just a different venue obviously you’ve got the Olympic rings they’re hanging over your head but you’re fighting the same people week in week out you know so you’ve got your fighting the you know the world championships you know a different event the same people forget that so you’ve seen these guys before so yeah but it’s just Olympic games just a different place you know you’ve got world championships different venues but you know it’s it’s the thing of that you’ve just got to go in there It’s a new tournament, you know, you’ve fought everybody, most people you’ve fought before and as long as you’re clear with that, you just go in there with enjoying yourself relaxed and all you can do is perform to the best of your ability on that day.
8:44 Wow, how much of a big deal is the fact that this Olympics is in London? I mean, I don’t know if you’re from London but you’re from the UK, right? Yeah, I’m from South West London. How does that change things for you or does it? Um, no, I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s London is, you know, everybody wants to come to London and to have the Olympics in London is amazing. It’s incredible, you know?
9:08 Were you psyched when it got announced? Were you like, yes? Yeah, yeah, it was great. It was, it was amazing. I was in Spain actually, was on a training camp in Spain and, um, you had the French, you know, you had the French all dolled up face painted and stuff. And when it got announced and London when it we just went wild, you know the group of us who was there We just went we went crazy and we just looked at the French and you know, some of them were like, you know A bit upset, you know, but we just thought yeah Yeah, it’s coming to London and now it’s here on your doorstep. You’re like, well, you know, it’s just gone gone quick Boys are just going quick
9:47 It’s so close I mean, it’s like three stops away here on the central line and you see the stadium It’s really hard for me to get into my head is it’s really gonna be here. Mm-hmm I don’t have tickets, but I want to try to get some scalping action I don’t know is that I heard that there was an interview with one of the cyclists from Britain and they he’s like one of The top cyclists and he’s like I got two tickets and like everybody wants them He said he’s having a hard time even getting tickets. Um, are you do you get asked a lot for tickets?
10:12 Um, you know, I mean friends and I asked for tickets and that but I just said, you know What the end of the day you just got a persevere keep trying and you know You know, your number might come up, you know, just got to just keep, keep knocking on that door and, you know, hopefully, you know, people will get, you know, hope, you know, I’m sure that, you know, as it gets closer, that, you know, there will be tickets available for everybody to come and, to come and watch and come and support, because we obviously it’s in London, we need the support, you know, the more people we have, the more they get behind the athletes, you know, the better the results. Does the crowd affect your performance? No, no, no, not at all. I mean, you know, don’t get me wrong the They give you a an extra they give you an extra boost I mean I can just look back to 2002 when I won the Commonwealth Games in Manchester When the whole place was just erupting just you know Just calling your name and you just thought okay Yeah, these people come to see me and this rock and roll, you know And then you know once once I won it it was just it was just amazing the feeling was just unreal you know people just shouting your name just you know just it was yeah it was something I just can’t yeah it’s great great feeling great feeling one of the best feelings I’ve ever experienced how focused are you on winning the gold medal or was it just more about at the stage in your career you just want to
11:38 Enjoy it and compete or I mean obviously everyone wants to win gold no one competes to lose but how important is that to you? You know what Nick until until I get the announcement that I’m in the team then I can start obviously it’s in the back of my head yeah but I can’t be thinking now yeah I want gold get me until I’m my name’s on that sheet the Olympic sheet then that’s when you know I can start but, you know, drilling myself forward for it. But, you know, I don’t wanna, you know, take my, so anything can happen, you know, next week at the Europeans, anything can, from now, but as long as my name’s on that sheet, once my name’s on that sheet, there’s stages, I’ve got European Championships, that’s my first.
12:28 Then I’ve got the, maybe the British Open, then the Olympic Games. So, I’m still, you know, in that process of, you know, getting, getting to my goal. But once I’m there, then I can arise to the occasion. So let me ask you a slightly different question. You’ve competed in the Olympics twice, right?
12:51 And if I’m not mistaken, you didn’t manage to medal in either of those? No. Yeah. In 2004, I lost to get into the final, then I lost for the bronze yet. Okay.
13:02 So how big of an impact was it on you? I mean, were you really crushed afterwards or did you just take it in your stride or? I was 2004, I was hurt. I was really hurt. I mean, I was gutted. I was gutted. Okay, it’s my first Olympics, but you know, to have two semi-finals was a bit, was a bit dubious, you know?
13:27 So you went all the way to the semi-finals? Yeah. I mean, that’s not a joke, right? no no of course not of course not but then you know the bronze kind of you know put the knife in my back and from there just thought you know I had a had a bite of the apple that was my first bite of the apple how do you mean that’s my first kind of experience to get to my goal yeah my experience in Beijing was yeah again month before I got injured and they didn’t think I’d make it but I proved them wrong and I made it to the I made it to the to the mat and I was winning and with last things about 45 seconds ago got caught and then the guy just just ran away that was my second bite at the Apple and you know I came away from that and I’m thinking, okay, looking at it, I was injured a couple of weeks before but still, I’m still putting a reasonable performance.
14:34 Yeah, and you’re putting in a lifetime of work as well. Yeah, of course. And I’m thinking third time, it’s on my home soil, third time lucky, anything can happen, especially with the whole home crowd behind the support. You’ve got your family, you’ve got your friends all watching and you’ve got the whole world watching. But you know, most importantly, you’ve got the people who have worked with you and done work with you, you know, all there watching, you know, supporting. And I think in myself that, you know, on my day, I can be anybody, you know, I can be anybody. And yeah, it just I just need to walk on that mat on August 1st and make sure that I’m rocking and rolling.
15:22 It’s all a mind game, right? You always said that at the top of a competing when you were competing. It’s all a mind game. It comes down to your mind game, right? When you were in Beijing, were you being so far away from home when you’re trying to compete?
15:34 Or do you have all your teammates around you, so it’s not that much of a disconnect? No, not really. Was Beijing different than 2004? It was, because it wasn’t close to home. It was quite further away. But nah, it doesn’t really come into the equation. I’ve been all over, I’ve been fighting Korea, Japan. No, it’s irrelevant.
16:04 You’re like the seasoned professional kind of. Fighting in Japan, I don’t know if this is true, but an MMA fighter, it was a friend He said he fought in Japan a few times and he said that the Japanese public just the reverence with which they treat combat athletes I mean you guys are like gods. Did you notice that when you were there? Yeah, most yeah Yeah, yeah, it’s it’s obviously it’s where it comes, you know judo come from but um, they they love it out there You know the stadiums just packed doesn’t matter what day you go on It’s packed this jam packed, you know, and then it’s supporting any any good, you know froze any good technique that they’re applauding You know, so that’s just showing you that the respect you, you know, they’ve got for you and vice versa.
16:48 So it’s not, it’s not a thing of, you know, where, where it is. It’s just, as you’re saying, you’ve just got to be prepared, you know, when you, when you go to wherever that, you know, your mindset’s ready and you’re ready to take on, you know, your duties, which is to, to get a medal. I’m surprised always to hear that these these Olympic athletes are still competing right up so close to the the competition I mean you still have like you said the Europeans to go through and then another British tournament and this is all happening in three months before Olympics, right? Um, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean it’s um It’s as I said, the process is quite it’s quite tight because you know certain weights are quite close. So it’s gonna go down to the To the wire is yours a bigger one of the biggest weight categories 90 Yeah it is. Stacked division as it is. Yeah there’s you know with 90 kilos there’s numerous of people you know winning week to week somebody else is winning so there’s not really a you know there is there is a number one out there there is Iliadis boy from Greece but you know every tournament is someone different winning in the 90 kilos and that’s what it makes that’s what it makes a 90 kilo so interesting. That’s right in the sweet spot between size, strength, speed. It’s probably the most difficult division to compete in. Do you find that different countries have different styles when you go in there? If you face a Greek guy or a Russian guy or American,
18:22 Can you expect certain things that they do? Yeah, everybody comes with their different ingredients. Russians, obviously, that wrestling type of style, Japanese are sort of traditional upright, more technical. French are more technical and a bit of Russian technique with it as well. Just everybody comes, British are sort of renowned for their ground skills back in the day. We still got some good boys and girls as well, don’t forget the girls, who who are doing a bit of both, you know?
19:08 So it’s just finding your own style, your own way of fighting and just capitalizing on that with your opponents and trying to work the best tactic to combat the style. I’m thinking or listening to them and when I think Olympics, you think of all the sports and it’s like I’m visualizing like people skiing against each other or running against each other or trying to throw something farther or trying to do like an Olympic, sorry, like a gymnastic event better, but you guys are actually fighting each other. So like you getting into the personalities of their head, I mean, you wouldn’t necessarily, a Brazilian guy would run differently than American, but like your event is so different because you’re actually fighting each other, right?
19:46 This is really his two personalities. It’s just, it’s for me, there’s certain sports that just can’t take seriously. I don’t know what, there’s some weird sports in the Olympics that I just think to myself, like that’s not a sport, that’s a little game, you know what I mean? But judo, man, judo wrestling or boxing, that is, you know what I mean? They weren’t playing golf at the Olympic Games in Greece hundreds of years ago, do you know what I mean?
20:07 They were like, yeah, that’s cool. It is tough on the body. It is tough on the body. But again, you just got to manage yourself well. You got to have a good team around you.
20:18 That’s really important. And everybody’s singing from the same hymn book, making sure your team, they all know that if you’ve come up from a bad session that everybody knows what’s going on. Because obviously, if people don’t know what’s going on, that person’s out there okay you’ll treat that or that person you know your coach is like what’s going on nobody’s so you know I’m just happy that the camp I’ve got are all kind of neat and tight and everybody knows what’s what’s going on you talk about that as far as the teamwork because I mean and most people see this as an individual sport but you’re now you’re talking about the team aspect of it when you say does someone know what’s going on with someone else as far as they might have it an injury and you make sure it doesn’t get worse or how does the team come into effect well obviously you’ve got the British Studio Association, you’ve got the doctor and you’ve got the physio, so they’re the goal of the plan, if you know what I mean. And then I have sort of like my, I call it my team, my team where they’ve been working for me, they’ve been working for me now, they’ve been with me from day dot, from when I started and they consist of I’ve got my sprints coach, I got my weights coach, obviously I got my judo coach, I got two judo coaches actually and got my master, I’ll just say, and making sure that, you know, and obviously my physio, anything which happens, you know, they kind of, I direct to them what’s going on and then
21:58 They inform the head of the B.J., the head of the physio. And then obviously he talks to the doctor and then everybody kind of rallies round and sits beside each other and decides what the plan of action is. How do you afford all this stuff? We’re just thinking about, that’s like eight people you just mentioned. Yeah, no, you know, I’m fortunate enough.
22:22 One, when I got injured in 2000, In 2003, I got injured with a rupture of my ACL reconstruction. That’s pretty common for Judo. Yeah, and actually I’ve had two. Each side? Yeah.
22:42 And the guy who, the team who I’m working with, they’re balanced physios. They’re in Clapham, Clapham North. And the main guy from there, he decided to say, do you know what, because I got a cut of funding. He said, Winston, whatever you need, I will sponsor you until your career is over. And I said, you sure?
23:09 He’s like, yeah, I’ll sponsor you until. He just believes in you, believes in the sport. Yeah, yeah. So from there, we’ve had that relationship together ever since. And yeah, his team, as I said, part of my team, anything which goes on, they’ve done all my sort of rehabilitation, obviously with, you know, the USA from the BJ as well.
23:38 And yeah, the team which he’s got are just phenomenal, you know, they’ve helped me through all my nicks and crannies and everything, everything. His physio, a big part of it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, because obviously when, you know, okay, from my knee, the rehab took me like nine months to get back, you know, to get ready for 2004. Was it never an option not to come back? It did, it did cross my mind, but the character and the person I am, I’m not gonna stop until that candle’s stopped burning.
24:14 Until that candle’s out, then that’s me. How do you know when it’s out? Oh no, when it’s out, when you’ve got obviously the young bucks coming through and spanking you over, you know, beating you up and, you know, there’s a few boys, you know, who are coming up, you know, rising up and see it’s got good potential, but until they get to that level, then, you know, I’m still the front runner, you know, they’ve got to come and knock me off my blocks. Do you think they’re coming better than they used to?
24:48 I know it with mixed martial arts, the guys are saying that guys are coming into it now as like MMA guys, they’re training differently. Do you think the guys that are coming up now are training differently than say you did when you were a teenager, with diet and fitness and? Yeah, I think, I think there’ll be better athletes in the future? I think with the, you know, back in my day, I said back in my day. Well, I think this is your day.
25:09 Yeah. That’s a good thing to say. I mean, with the facilities and the coaching staff and everybody which they’ve got now it’s much better sort of like run individuals, all got their finalised programmes, doing what they need to do, making sure the culture is making sure each athlete’s on top of their game, making sure that they’re scanned, making sure from head to toe scan, making sure their body’s fit and healthy, they’ve got nutritionists, they’ve got… Do you think there could be a, there’s a trade-off, because look, I know the guys in ancient Greece, the wrestlers or the Judocas of 30 or 40 years ago, that whole mentality of having this whole support structure and this team around you and if your little toe starts hurting you go, I’m not saying you do this, but you go up to physio.
26:02 Do you think maybe it would just bread tougher back then? Is there an element of that? I think so, yeah, I think so. Back then was more hardcore. You just had to bode through.
26:13 There was no calling out for physio. There’s no calling out. You just have to strap yourself back up, you know, put the tape around you and just, and plug away. Now it’s more sort of like more long jump. They want your athletes to last a bit more longer than, you know, what, what they used to, what they used to do.
26:32 Cause you know, I think back then, athletes were bailing out like, especially the lightweights, bailing out like 25, 24, you know, now it’s the lightweights are going on just that little bit you know obviously the heavier weight you can go to to whatever. Why is that? That’s what I was going to ask as well. I don’t know I think just looking after themselves a bit bit more. The same in boxing like a heavy weight boxer like doesn’t they can box well into their 40 I mean look at form and you want to I think they’re more durable right because it’s just it’s a bigger organism it can take more punishment is that mean is that and I think as well just them yeah just looking after your body a bit more you know I mean I mean not switching it but look at football I mean look at you’ve got the likes of skulls and I’m a man you found anyway but you know looking inside sort of like skulls and gigs and them guys are still playing that mid thirties yeah but that’s still a good level you know so what as Alex done to you know to churn that obviously he said you know boys just you know maybe cut back a little bit more look on your Your fitness looking at you know health watch what you eat in and you know with that them guys Can go on a bit more longer than what they you know what they are what they’re you know what they understand a bit smarter You know that yeah, you’ve been asking questions from the fans. Yeah, I’m just gonna hit a few right now
27:58 Could you just a little closer? I don’t make sure we’re hearing you cool But um, you know, Jenny Greer had a question that I think you talked about actually there was another question. She asked What type of training is more most useful to a judo athlete as in plyometrics strength endurance? I’d be really curious because you mentioned some of your other trainers of what you do outside of the judo mat to prepare It’s it’s all In it all for Judah you need or you need strength and flexibility you need conditioning you need You need all them elements are all needed for the Judah and you know if you’re touching base on all the elements then that will make an all-round judoka. If you’re just working on strength then no it’s not possible. And the moment you know working on with the last few months I’ve been telling Nick and the team down at Balance been working on a sort of like a sort of like a Pilates yoga but a faster at a faster pace okay and body weight stuff body weight stuff yeah so and which is which is good you know I’m putting my my body through you know places I haven’t which haven’t been before you know so help because it’s like it’s injury free Yeah, exactly. And so that as well kind of, you know, that will kind of build a foundation.
29:27 Then you can maybe go into the heavy weights or obviously the strength and conditioning. Obviously the conditioning as well with obviously sprint track work is very important. Okay. And you look like a sprinter as well. Let’s run so quick.
29:44 I’m quite quick. I’m quite quick. I’m quite quick. Um, so, um, and yeah, we’ve got, we’ve got that down that, um, you know, normally do that backseat park in the morning. Use those like parachutes behind you or anything high tech or is it basic old school stuff? Like basic old school stuff, high hurdles, um, high hurdles. Um, we do stuff on, uh, the tramp, the trampoline.
30:07 Really? Uh, yeah. So like, um, it’s like sprinting on the trampoline for a certain amount of time. from the legs out like nothing. I can’t even imagine how tiring that must be.
30:18 Do you want a heart monitor for that or anything? Do you monitor your heart rate during this? Sometimes, not all the time. It’s just, you know, I’m just bread and water. So kind of thing.
30:29 Speaking of that, I’m wondering what your diet’s like. Oh gosh, yeah. You have to make weight as well, right? Yeah. And is that a day before competing or a day of competing?
30:37 How does that work? You have to make your weight in the morning and then they give, they allow you two hours. So we’re waiting at seven, seven o’clock, seven to seven 30. We start fighting at nine, nine o’clock. Okay. Yeah.
30:50 So what does that mean for a diet for you? So just obviously if it’s just monitoring it the last two to three weeks, just making sure whatever I am, just, you know, bringing it down, I don’t go on a, you know, don’t go too high on a mad, you know, mad week. My weight can fluctuate from 93 to 97. You know, that’s just like eating burgers and chips, don’t get me wrong, you’ve got to make love to your gut, so you’ve got to give the food some loving. But, you know, on a, you know, training hard week, you just kind of just moderate, you know, cut the fatty foods.
31:29 I love fish, I like eating fish and chicken, protein, vegetables, obviously you need a bit of carbs as well inside you to keep you ticking over. over obviously getting the fluids back into you as well. Have you had tough weight cuts before where you just where you walk down the mat and you’re like damn I just feel weak or I don’t feel hydrated enough? Yeah they’ve been you know they’ve back in the day they’ve been a few days. That must be a horrible feeling.
31:58 There was a few days where I was like nah mate. I’ve done it all wrong. I’ve done the weight all wrong. I’ve done it all wrong, but you know as you get older you kind of learn from your mistakes And you just you know you iron them out, and you know things now are much more much more better I have a question for you Winston, and that is uh So I mean you’ve been doing judo since you were how old? That’s about 13 okay, so that’s what 20 over 20 years right experience, and I mean this might be different question for you to answer But I’m very interested in your reply I can understand how someone like you must have reached a point where they’re defined by what they do.
32:45 When people think of Winston, I know what I think of you, I think of the judo guy. Have you been preparing for when, I mean I’m guessing this will be your last Olympics, well I don’t know if you’re going to repeat it 39 respect for a while, have you been preparing yourself mentally for the day when when you won’t just all be all about judo I mean is there like have you prepared for life after judo yeah of course of course that’s that’s most important unless you know one thing my family and my coach always said to me you know don’t just prepare for now you know prepare for the future and you know fortunate after fortunate for me was after 2008 I’ve gone back to the school where I’ve where I first started judo and I’m working for a charity called Greenhouse Charity which caters for disadvantaged kids so and the school and the school complement that as well and the British Judo Association complement that as well so I’ve gone back to school where I first started so I’m giving back to I know you know the kids over you you know, an Ernest Bevin school.
33:56 That’s where the school is in tooting. And obviously, I know the kids from there. I know how they’ve grown up because I come from that stock as well. So, you know, what we do there is it’s, we teach from year seven to year 12. And each class in year seven, we start off with the younger ones first.
34:18 Each class in the year has a seven to eight week block of judo. well that they have to do they have to do is compulsory it’s compulsory and with that group with that group of kids we we kind of it’s for everybody but we kind of target the ones who are you know not so you know physically able to you know and then we take them on board we take them onto the project the greenhouse project and then we we cater for them for okay okay if you you know want to come aboard on this project, we’ll give you a judo gear, we’ll get you a license and we send you to tournaments, you’ve got to do para-pathetic sessions in the morning so they come to school before school starts, do a judo session, then you’ve got a lunchtime session, then you’ve got after school session, so we’re getting them engaged to something which, you know, a programme which is going to be successful and you know, been working there for the last two years? You’re finding him fulfilling. Are you finding him fulfilling? Yeah yeah yeah yeah because you know obviously that’s where I come from you know and to see the kids you know growing through that you know we’ve it’s just it’s just been amazing and we’ve got a few you know young bucks coming through through there we’ve got a few I think a few weeks ago and they had the British schools championships where you know a few of them became British schools champion and British schools medallist you know. I guess
35:46 Because for you it must be I think the career of an athlete in an individual sport I mean it’s so focused on me or like you know it’s me I’m competing I’m doing this so it must be really nice for you now to be able to say well to turn the focus outwards and say okay now it’s not about me winning the competes about these helping these kids that must be awesome. Yeah no and it’s good as well because you know more time I’m there doing my training so the kids can actually see what actually I’m doing to go to the world championship, go to the European. They can see my preparation and they just obviously look and think, oh, sir. They say, yeah, of course they ask me questions. I have a question and answer session for them and I’m there to help them. Obviously, the last six months I’ve taken off just to focus myself on getting to 2012, but I’m still going in there just making sure that things are going well you know the kids are kids are still upbeat nobody’s come off the program if they have why they come with the program and nobody’s come off the program but still just to just to make sure that everything’s going well and it’s it is one of the successful and programs at the school you know so yeah you know thanks to thanks to Greenhouse and thanks to Ernest Bervin and the BGA it’s going really well it’s very cool do you um what’s your relationship like with the media. I mean obviously I think they’re probably really interested in meeting you
37:15 And talking to you for the next few months and then they might go quiet after the Olympics. I mean how do you feel about the media? Is it a good thing for you or a bad thing? Do you think it’s important or would you rather just focus on Judo sometime? I’m just focused on what I need to be focused on, that’s the Judo. Okay, you get the few interviews here and there which is cool but my main, obviously the media want to speak to you because obviously you got a story to tell or you’ve got you know they want to know how you you know got to where you are now. You were in the Guardian yesterday right you were telling us earlier. Yeah I’m in the Guardian and the Telegraph I was in this Telegraph yesterday which they wrote a nice you know double double spreadsheet about me you know just giving giving them the people the insights on you know how it began and where I am today and what I’m going forward. For those who are listening and watching they can get online now I I guess it would be, yeah, I’ll try to put a link up here on the video.
38:11 You know, that hits me with some of the, one of the questions we had someone that asked you and, and it was, um, it was, uh, from David close and he said, if you could, could give advice to a teenage version of yourself, what would you say? Even maybe the 13 year old or maybe the 15 or 17 year old Winston and Gordon. I’d say, you know, um, Focus on, you know, whatever, you know, it doesn’t matter whatever sport or whatever you want to do in life but it’s one thing you do you focus on it 110% give all you know give all you know give your passion to it and give everything you can to it and you will succeed you know don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t succeed because that’s wrong did you have people negative people were telling you are give up on the studio thing or like friends that were kind of dragging you down did you have any of those influences yeah of course of course but at the end of the day mate you know where I am and where are they is another is another thing you know you just got to lock them off you know if they if they’re you know chapping that into your ears they’re not your friend you know I mean like we Brian and I have experienced that like a lot with London Real like what are you doing like people just like looking down on this and if we’d listen to them you know who would have stuck. It wouldn’t have even started.
39:26 Yeah. No, you just got to just persevere and just keep going. Obviously there’s going to be, we’ve all gone through knocks and we’ve all been through down periods, but it’s the down periods what’s going to bring you up there. Brian always says that as well. It’s the down periods.
39:44 I remember that. Yeah, it’s going to bring you up. So yeah, it’s just got to keep working at hand, just keep plugging away mate and you know you know sometimes results won’t go your way or that you know things won’t go your way but you know you just got to keep working and you know when the penny drops that’s you you know high sailing so keep dropping it. I got another question here from Clayton Chamberlain and he said how many women have you got with the line hi I’m an Olympic athlete and I throw grown-ass men around for a living not many no judo groupies huh no judo group no no no no why not are you married you have a girlfriend or what’s the deal um so sir you’re one to prior amazing question Dodge, that was awesome.
40:42 That was awesome. Should I give him one more question? I might get you to slide a little bit up to the mic, just a bit, if it might be losing you there. This is just a real technical judo question. I know we actually have a bunch of hardcore judo because they’re watching this because they were on our Twitter and stuff.
40:54 But David Webb asked a question. I won’t even know the details of this, but just give us maybe a quick answer. He said, with all the issues and reorganization that happened with the BJA performance directive, do you believe that people’s fears of disruption ahead of the Olympics will be confirmed, or has team GB become stronger as a result? And what is he talking about there? Obviously, with the changes and stuff, well, in the last few months, I think just before, I think it was November, the performance director and everybody got sacked because of the results of the World Championships.
41:27 So it’s been sort of like restructured. Now we’ve got a new chief, he’s come on board, Daniel Laskow, And he’s come with some tougher regime, you know? People’s got to step up to the plate. He’s coming with, you’re not performing, no medals, no selection. So everybody knows where they stand, you know?
41:51 So he’s coming off with a bullish approach, but don’t get me wrong, it has raised the standard, you know, it has raised the standard. And it’s like with anything, you know, you’ve just got to focus on what you need to focus on and it’s like okay a manager from the football from football gets sacked you know a new manager comes in you know it’s next day is normal day business as usual you’ve got you’ve got to come in you’ve got to come in and do your business you got to do the business you know new manager new face you’ve got to just make sure you focus on what you need to focus on and that’s what that’s what I’ve you know That’s what I’ve done. I can’t be worried about the politics or what whatever is going on I’ve got to make sure that Winston Gordon is stepping on them I always the first at the Olympic Games, you know, all that rest of Politics and that it’s out of my hands. I can’t I can’t do nothing about that All I can do is try and produce the results to get where I need to get to So many people just in some of the situation whether it be with judo business whatever that be complaining about all its change It’s different. I can’t handle it. It’s not the same as it was before but I like that It’s just get on with it. I mean, he said this a few times during the interviews He’s got like one thing to focus on. Yeah, I mean it makes the most sense. I mean don’t get me wrong. I was There was one stage where you know, I was I was out of the system just for injury
43:17 There was no support nothing nothing for me. So, you know, I just said to myself, you know what? Just with the support of my club ones of Ernest Bevin, Budokwai, they helped me and a few little sponsors helped me to go to this tournament, got the medal in this tournament and you know I was back in the game again you know. Do you know what blows our mind is this guy right for example we have a guy sitting here who has put I’m I would not hesitate to say that he’s put way more effort into getting good at judo then 99% of Footballers are put into getting good at football, right? It takes way more sacrifice to be a good combat sports athlete than does to be a team sports player and I mean he needs sponsors and stuff, you know, I mean like it It demands professional level of sacrifice, but the rewards are just nothing compared to I mean What is a footballer here get like 40 grand a week or something ridiculous, you know in the top ones?
44:20 Yeah, yeah, I guess it’s a different sport that way. It’s just a quick question for you is um Is performance sensing drugs an issue for judo? I know it is we’ve seen recently with mixed martial arts and you know Alistair over him got tested recently They’re doing some random drug testing, but just a certain 14 men or something Yeah, I was like 14 to 1 is testosterone to epitast testosterone level or something We should be 1 to 1 but you know, the Olympics is known as being pretty strenuous and pretty hard on drug testing What’s that like and do they test you often and it’s a vigorous it’s a vigorous test testing procedures you know and if you’re if you’re getting obviously if you’re getting funding then you know you’re you’re in the bracket of you’re going to be tested every I don’t know when every so often but with the testing procedures now is that you’ve got to be online you’ve got to tell told the Federation or and the Olympic Association on the governing body where you are you’ve got to tell wider, that’s the word, you’ve got to tell wider where you are every day for one hour. Yeah, you’ve got to tell them where you are every day for one hour.
45:29 So they can come find you for that hour? So they can come find you in that one hour. And I think now, I think there’s a new system which they’re working on where you’ve got to tell them where you’re training, how many hours. I think they want more than one hour now so you know they’re just they’re hot on it they’re bang on it. Can I ask you when you at the Olympics this year will there be some guys on that mat who owns steroids and performance enhancing drugs in judo? You know what I couldn’t tell you I couldn’t I couldn’t say I don’t know I really don’t I really couldn’t say. Okay fair enough. But you know obviously as long as all the procedures, you know, every, you know, all the governing bodies, you know, throughout the world are, you know, doing the same for doing their job.
46:19 Then, you know, even if they, even if they, they are, and they get the Olympic medal, you know, they’re going to, they’re going to be coming off the map with, you know, testers on their cases. So it’s not even a year later, they can, yeah, they can use it a year later, they can use it within that neck. Have you ever fought against a guy and just, you’ve just known this dude is on juice like you can just because you know it’s like when even I mean where we train at the border quite like I won’t mention any names but there’s definitely some cats up there that are like having a bit of vitamin S with their breakfast every morning and you can just see like and when you wrestle with them or spot they’re just and have you ever experienced that like at a pump we just think god damn this dude’s got an edge that I don’t have I don’t I don’t think no I’m not I’m wrong I feel there’s strong boys out they’re strong men out there yeah don’t get me wrong but that’s never really crossed my mind well don’t get me wrong that’s crossed my mind but for me even if they’re on it even if they’re on the juice or what I’ve got to come back next time even stronger to conquer them. Positive mental attitude right damn.
47:27 It’s kind of a thing where even if they’re on it so be it but you know what next time I’m coming back at y’all I’m gonna come even stronger than what you’ve you know come at me you know so that’s the way I try to kind of to look at it okay you know that’s cool yeah I can’t say if you can’t control everyone else you can control myself exactly yeah so it’s for me that’s a relative if if I see someone is hard or strong in training I’m saying boy okay you know see what he’s got and next time come out even ten times you know stronger to to try and break him down, you know? So as long as it takes, you know, I’m looking to break that guy down. So that’s maybe, that’s why I’m still here.
48:14 That’s good. Are you a fan of mixed martial arts, AKA, I won’t say it, cage fighting? Sorry, I had to. And because I know a lot of our former guests hated the word cage fighting, and I respect that. But do you watch it?
48:28 Do people that you train with, do you think they’ll ever transition into that? Yeah, what are your thoughts? Yeah, I heard a couple of years ago that you were going to be an MMA fighter, or you were looking into it? Yeah, I was looking, I mean, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, he proposed to me to, you know, if I ever want to, you know, do anything like that, then, you know, come on, you’ll help me out. Yeah, I watch it now and again, I’m not really bang on it, but I do watch it, you know. I think, I do think maybe one day when I do hang out with gloves, maybe have a pop shot at it, maybe but I think what I will do is definitely once you know I do hang up my you know my Jew doggy I think I’ll go into BJJ really just do just do it you know a few few fights here and there you know few competitions just to you know see see eyes I mean I’ve done two already you know but not not quite you know not a white belt and purple belt which was which is okay which I won so Yeah, I bet it wasn’t okay for the other dude, man.
49:39 No, it was quite interesting still, it was quite interesting, but it was good. So, you know, it’s something I can challenge myself, or after the judo is over, then, you know, that’s, I think, the BJJ is something I’m looking to, I’m still, you know, do a bit, you know, of BJJ. And why BJJ? Is it easier on your body, that, or is it just a different challenge? I’m just a different challenge and I like the ground game, you know, I like the ground game.
50:06 Do you practice the ground game much in your normal training? Yeah, I do, but you know, going to the BJJ is just different, you know, you pick up different moves, you just pick up different turns and holes, just little cheeky, cheeky moves which you can put into your armour and you know, it’s something that yeah, I like and you know, practice me Nick and the rest of the boys you know Roger and stuff like that it’s just been yeah it’s good good good little good little tussle so I like that I like that and I like I like a bit of a tear up as well so you got people who’ve gone from judo into you know MMA like Ronda yeah Ronda Rousey I mean she’s like Well, she’s one of the top-ranked women now in MMA at 135, and man, she’s those hip throws man I mean like it’s with Rhonda It’s so hard because you know as soon as you clench with her usually within eight seconds You’re just getting hip thrown like I mean this is like highlight hip thrown And so like she’s just doing it a little bit and then but I also think it’s probably because the level of stand-up with female BJJ female math It’s just so poor as well But you see more the judo coming in in the men’s ever may as well just more a bit of more the crackle room and even John Jones used a lot of those, a lot of those moves and it’s interesting to see him coming in.
51:26 Actually a couple weeks ago actually it was in Birmingham, went to Warsaw, we had a training camp in Warsaw and I went to see, is it the Burma, and there was a tournament, MMA tournament up there. One of the Jude runs. Yeah, the one at Jude runs and I was there and I was sitting in the crowd but I didn’t really look at the itinerary so I’m there sitting and sitting and one of my friends, one of my brother’s friends actually, he was fighting, Sam Marsh, he’s from Bristol, He’s up and coming, he’s a good lad, watch out for him.
51:53 And there was a guy called Jason Jones from Holland. He stepped on and I looked, Jason Jones, and I went, no way. And I looked, and I kept on looking and I’m thinking, that’s the boy I used to fight in judo. And he’d come out and he’s bombing, he’s bombing, he’s bombing. So this was in the BJJ comp?
52:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah. That was BJJ comp? No, not BJJ, MMA. Okay, oh wow. He was in Birmingham, the NIA, a few weeks ago, and I said to Gene, I need that boy’s number.
52:26 I need that boy’s number. Jason Jones. I used to fight him everywhere. I just got excited. He’s knocking out, man.
52:31 I was just like, yeah. Well, you know, Rhonda won a bronze, I think, in, I’m not sure if it was, maybe it was Beijing. It was Beijing. And she came back in, Gene LaBelle was one of her old school, you know. Dude, have you met that guy?
52:44 I’ve never met you before, but he’s such a character. He’s been around forever, and he’s also old school, but he’s like, all right, we’re going to train for 2012. And she’s like, look, I’m tired of working in a bar so I can fund my judo training. She’s like, I just don’t want to do this anymore. She’s like, so I’m going to make this switch to MMA because I think I can make some money there.
53:02 And she has. So I don’t know. Do you think that’s why some of the judo guys are going there, or do you think that’ll happen more in the future? Not that there’s a ton of money at the lower levels. Olympic wrestlers, or a lot of them go to MMA, because that was the passion.
53:16 That was the beginning. I think, again, it’s just, you know, she’s been in Judo for a wee while, for a bit now, and she’s thought that, yeah, a different challenge, you know? I mean, if, you know, that’s run, I mean, don’t get me wrong, she’s a good athlete for the Judo, which she’s still in it, she was taking part, but obviously, you know, people’s minds change and you know obviously that challenge for her is kind of faded and she wanted a new challenge and you know doing what she’s doing and making money from it as well you know good luck to her and I wish her all the best. Yeah now it’s an understandable transition. Guys we only have a few minutes left you know I was wondering what do you do for fun? What do I do? Oh just Chill out with my mates, I call them my foundation members, they’re my close people, people from school, people from the judo circuit, people I’m in touch with, and we just go up to my baby, we go play tennis, go and go for a run, fitness, hang out with So So, hang out with so-so. So-so. Everyone asked if his girlfriend is like so-so-so. It sounds like it’s such a holistic guy. Maybe I’d go to church or maybe… No, sometimes. Yeah, sometimes I do. Yeah, sometimes I do. It’s perfect. Yeah, and just try and keep it moving all the time. Go out occasionally for a few drinks, you know, a friend’s birthday, a celebration, and yeah, just make sure that everything’s in check and just make sure I’m ready and doing what I’m
55:00 I’m doing I mean you need to don’t get me wrong you need to have a down time as well and that’s when my according my foundation people come into play and then you know they understandable day you know they when I’m going wrong they they’ll pull me aside Winnie you know sort out bro okay or Winnie saw a night it’s me okay okay okay you know a couple times without it’s like the school reunion so we’ve all got together at a lunch and just caught beer joke and you know just cracked up and maybe just just caused havoc on on the road and just yeah just just you know be yourself be the people you know be with the people who you love to be around you know all that negativity you know keep that away from me I don’t want to I don’t want to be a part of your and you know society or associates you know just you do what you’re doing I didn’t mind doing and thumbs up to that. Nice man. I just noticed you have a tat and that’s Japanese is kanji right yeah well what does that say buddy it’s my mom’s name and my my my grands name okay and two most important women in my life can we see them in the cameras there and wow yeah and they died they both died of cancer Jesus yeah so yeah they they died my mom died when I was 16 okay and my grand died in 2007 so yeah they are you know really important you know to me and then that’s why I decided to have them on my arms in battle do they give you strength yeah yeah yeah yeah that’s and that’s one of the things where you
56:36 Know maybe they’re not we’re here with me but they’re they’re on me well that’s wrong yeah that’s wow you know um or you can have to wrap this up if anyone wants to get in touch with you or wants to support you what’s the best way for for them to do that, or should they just leave you alone so you can get this shit done? I’m not on Twitter. I’m not on Twitter. I just, yeah, I just, I’m not, I’m not, um… Maybe I should share your support by leaving you alone until you come home with that gold.
57:04 Yeah, no, there’s, there is, um, I think there’s, I think someone’s just recently put up a, a fan’s page on Facebook. book okay and so if if not one’s not up now then one will be up in the near in the future okay cool we’ll get some details on that um I had lived going for another hour guys this is a great yeah did you tell him you’re in the week let’s make it 45 minutes couldn’t make it two hours but I guess we should wrap there’s anything we missed I don’t think so man I’m bad to get I mean when he’s a guy I’ve known for a long time but I’ve never really got to know him I’m yeah It’s a cool one, it’s really great to have you here, and I personally will be cheering for you. Thank you Nick.
57:47 Yeah, me too. I thank all of our people well. Thanks for coming by and talking. No, it’s a pleasure. Thank you for having me on and all the viewers out there watch this space.
57:56 Awesome man. It’s about the journey, right? It is. Thanks guys. Okay, cheers.
