SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of 1000 Gurus with me, your host, J.R. Yona Cruz. So today's guest is my friend Jesse. Dr. Jessica Quang is a physical therapist, a team USA karate athlete, and a K-pop cover dancer. Jessica has been practicing karate since she was five years old and took her hobby to an international level since the age of 15. As a USC representative, she has been able to travel the world, experience different cultures, and compete against the world's best. Through injuries sustained from the sport, she also found her passion for physical therapy and the rehabilitation process. After graduating with her doctor from USC, she works in the outpatient orthopedic setting. When she's not in the clinic or on the tatami mat, she finds joy in doing K-pop cover dances with her friends. Jessica is blessed to leave a life where she can pursue her passions and what brings her happiness. So this conversation was an absolute joy and it was a long time coming. I actually wanted Jesse on the show for season one, but DC's scheduling couldn't make it happen until now. But regardless, it was super enjoyable. And it was also just as insightful as I could have hoped, since Jesse is a wealth of hard-hitting quotes and maxims that she's learned over the years from her senseis and teachers and mentors. She's the first guest on my show who has an Olympic level athletic ability, which is a huge honor for me, and she's been able to compete with the best of the best from all over the world. We touch upon her three different worlds, as mentioned in her bio, karate pizza, and dance, and also the best hard-earned lessons she's learned to get her to where she is today. So without further ado, hope you enjoyed this episode with Dr. Jessica Kwan.

Interview Start

SPEAKER_00 1:32

Alright, Jesse, welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_02 1:34

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Yeah, thanks for coming. It's been a long time coming. You were on my list, my short list for season one guests, and then we finally managed to book a time, so I'm pretty happy to have this chat with you. So yeah, thanks for making it out.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

Yeah, I'm really excited to be here. It's just like catching up with friends.

SPEAKER_00 1:51

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Most of my episodes are just basically catching up with friends and stuff. Yeah. Uh so it's a good excuse to just chat. Um, so by now, I would have already read your bio, so they know that you're really big into karate, PT, dance. Those are like the main traffecta of what it seems like you're doing. And I'll just go over like how we met. So we met on Chorios in 2019 when I joined, and that was firework, and we danced together for about two-ish years for firework and mega stuff. So that was like until the like the very start of COVID, basically. We've done a few covers which we'll show in a second. You're also a Disney enthusiast and yeah, uh Dr. PT, and you're part of uh Team USA Karate. Any other clarifications or stuff that you're up to?

SPEAKER_01 2:37

Sounds about right. I think a pretty good summary. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:41

Nice. All right, so let's start off with the videos that we have prepared. Just a few seconds. This is the Jesse that I know, or that's the one that I met. There you go. This is Black Swan BTS in the mall, no shoes, public security coming in the background eventually. And we learned this pretty fast. It feels like one practice.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Yeah, we had one practice, one hour.

SPEAKER_00 3:02

Yeah, one practice, one hour. I'm like, wow, that was actually pretty crazy. Yeah. The given the dance isn't crazy hard, but still very impressive. Because like it just came out.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Yeah, it like just came out, and just trying to align the schedules. I think that's why we had the one hour, one practice. And the official cover we also filmed like one take within an hour, too.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

Yeah, within an hour. It really was like a couple takes, and we are like on a time crunch, too.

SPEAKER_01 3:25

Yeah, but I thought it was a pretty stacked like roster for it, and it was really fun. And I think it was like our first time dancing together, too. So it was like really just fun to do. Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Same with Jordan. Jordan was like, it was I think it was our first cover that I danced with him too, so it's kind of fun.

SPEAKER_02 3:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:41

Um, all right, second uh starts tonight. Yeah, so I just put this one because I'm in the body. I don't know what I'm doing.

SPEAKER_02 3:54

Oh, I love the outfit change.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

I know outfit chicken. This is fun. We're just jabbing around LA. Yeah. You're a human life.

SPEAKER_02 4:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:08

But yeah, I'm seeing a recurring theme. We obviously are two out of two covers are BTS. Yes. I think we're BTS fans.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

Yes, we are.

SPEAKER_00 4:14

I I was telling some of the newbies that like I've except for one subunit, I've been in every BTS cover that we've had. So if they have a comeback and we do, I'm like gonna cast so hard for that. Like I need to not break my streak.

SPEAKER_01 4:27

Yeah, yeah, to maintain that streak.

SPEAKER_00 4:28

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 4:29

Who would you ideally want to cast for?

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I don't know. Like, I don't really have a BTS bias, but typically like I like Junk Hook's parks as he has usually like the chorus, the dance parts. So I'm like, okay, yeah, usually someone else will be G-Man, and then but I've by volume I've been J Hope the most, which I'm fine with too because he's a dancer, but I think those are my two.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

And you you're just you'd just be G-Man, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:50

Uh I think so. I think I just really like his dance style a lot. And so I don't, it really depends on the group who I cast for. It depends on, oh, I want to be that person, or I'd rather someone else take that role and do it better than me. So it really just depends. But for BTS, I always like to be Gmining because I feel like I mesh with his style pretty well.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

I mean, who is a better G-man than Jesse?

SPEAKER_01 5:09

I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

Nice. All right, uh, ready to go into our main topics? Okay, so as normal, usually I'll go into like origin

Origin story & family support

SPEAKER_00 5:19

story of like my guests. So basically, like, what's your background? Where did you grow up, maybe f family dynamics? Are you from O'S or SoCal? Like born and raised, or were you someone?

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Born and raised in Torrance, and I've basically lived there all my life.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Dang native-born and just they're either there.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Yeah, that's why I'm terrible with cold weather and California for sure.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

SoCal. Nice. And then so, yeah, anything that you want to like, any main influences or important things that can connect the dots for who you were growing up, family dynamics influences that led you to where you are today?

SPEAKER_01 5:50

I grew up with both my parents in a Christian household. My mom's side of the family lived really close by, so I was always really close with my cousins, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles. My dad's side is actually from San Francisco and they stayed there. He came down for college, and that's how he met my mom. Yeah. They actually met through martial arts, which is why I probably ended up kind of in the route that I ended up with. But just a lot of, you know, kind of God as like the focus and just relying on the plan that he has for us. I think that's been my driving force throughout everything that I've kind of achieved in life. And just having family support behind everything I do is basically why I can do what I do.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

Yeah, nice. So you did both your parents do karate, or was it something else?

SPEAKER_01 6:33

Or both of my parents did karate in university. Okay. And then my mom continued it after university. My aunt and my uncle were actually my first senseis. So it was like a family thing. I think my grandparents both did it. Majority of my aunt and uncles did it. All my cousins did at one point. I think I'm the one that just stayed the long distance than I actually. But it's really nice too, because even when I meet up with my cousins, they're like, Oh, JG, I want to practice again. Can we just come by the dojo sometime? So it's kind of nice that it's still that that foundation for us too.

SPEAKER_00 7:06

So I was gonna say, and you're an only child? Only child. Okay, yeah. That's that's what I thought. I just wanted to make me sure. Yeah, that's pretty cool. Like my family too. Like my both my parents did martial arts growing up, so naturally my sister and I got into it as well. Yeah, I talked about that in another episode of the podcast. But yeah, they were super big into martial arts, like basically just fighting. And then they also both danced, but maybe that's just a Filipino thing. Oh, yeah. So I think like this whole running in the family thing makes a lot of sense, especially when you start early, I guess.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Yeah, because I started really early, and so it just kind of kept going.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

Yeah. So then

The Path to Team USA Karate

SPEAKER_00 7:40

I think in your bio you said you started at five or something like that, right? So then how did well I guess growing up from five until like you started to do this like more seriously? Was it was that always like your kind of career or life journey, or did it kind of just evolve into something that grew into a passion, or did you have any other career aspirations kind of growing up in that sort of you know time period?

SPEAKER_01 8:05

Because I started so early and my family was really involved, it was only like a one time a week thing, and it was just like good exercise, self-defense, family gathering, and it was like family bonding. Um, it stayed like that for a majority of my like up to middle school, I think. And that's when we had a training camp where our organization had several dojos within the California area and maybe some from South America as well. And we all came and did large training camp at the home dojo. And so I met up with some students that were like my age from another studio but within the same organization, and I was like, oh, team USA is like a thing, you know, for our sport. And I didn't realize that because I've just always done it just for like health and for exercise. And so I started kind of researching a little bit more in like the competition aspect. I'm like, wait, this is actually really cool and something I wanted to do. But for the longest time, it was just like, I want to be healthy, I want to exercise, it's good self-defense, and I'm here because I've made friends along the way. But not that I didn't have times of burnout, too. I think there was times where I was just like, oh, I want to try other things in life, or maybe I just want to focus on school. I never thought I would take it to the level that I'm at right now. So sometimes I wonder if I was like that purple belt that was just doing it in the backyard of my aunt's ways, like how she would react to what I've done with it too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

So then it more just kind of evolved into the passion that it has that you have in it like right now. It wasn't kind of like the initial starting point. So then at that one, at that point, you said in middle school you were exposed to a little bit more. What was your kind of life trajectory at that point? What did you imagine yourself doing at that point moving forward?

SPEAKER_01 9:45

At that point, I just thought I was gonna continue it in maybe, and you know what? I think I said middle school, I meant high school.

SPEAKER_00 9:51

Okay, high school.

SPEAKER_01 9:52

But yeah, but in high school, I think I just wanted to be on like junior team and just wanted to compete. And that was just like the initial goal and just keep up with it. Like I didn't think too much about it uh in terms of like long term. Like, am I gonna do this five years from now? Am I gonna do it from 10 years from now? It's just like the goal was like I wanted to be on team USA and I wanted to compete for my country. And so I think the longer I did it, the more I realized how much I enjoyed being in that role. And then it continued to evolve into something new with each year.

SPEAKER_00 10:25

So, how did you was there like a turning point or maybe a thought that made you feel like you could do TME USA? And I asked that because maybe a lot of people get into sports and activities in high school, middle school, whatever. And to aim for a goal like representing the country, was it, did you feel like that there was something inherent about you that you felt like you could make it there, or was it kind of the environment or like maybe the guidance and like affirmations of the people around you, like, oh, you can definitely do it, or what made you feel like you could aim in that direction? Does that does that question make sense?

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Let me think about that. There's like a few aspects to I think how I ended up approaching that dream in general or that goal. Because when I had first uh brought that idea up to um one of my sembys, she was actually on the senior team at the time. Okay, and so I was like asking for some guidance. And unfortunately at the time, she was like, Oh, by the time you learn the rules, the systems, and all the forms, you'll probably be too old for junior team. And I was a little disheartened from that answer, you know. So, of course, you know, my parents were there when they we had that conversation too, and they're like, if you can do anything, you can put your mind to it. We're behind you, you know, maybe we just need to find you the right person who's gonna support you. And so it ended up being someone still in our organization, but just like a different teacher. And that was also the same sensei that had girls around my age that were also shooting for that goal. So then it was like putting me in an environment that had like-minded thinking and the support system to elevate me to the next level and be like, yeah, you totally can do it. You just need to learn this, this, this. The rules they change all the time, so it doesn't matter, you know. Like you can learn it as you go and we'll get you there. So it was definitely like the right environment, the right people, and of course, like my family being there to be supportive. So nice.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

I like that. And so my next question is was there something

What It Takes to Be Olympic Level

SPEAKER_00 12:22

inherently about you? I guess your natural inclinations or I don't know, physical genetic abilities or mindset that you feel like lends yourself to being successful in a sport like karate? Or is it just a lot of hard work discipline and then, like you said, the right environment?

SPEAKER_01 12:39

I think there is a balance between skill, talent, and hard work. You know, there's that phrase that says that hard work beats talent when talent fails to do hard work, right? And so I think I have good genetics that help in that sense, like in that essence, because I can move well. I can learn and pick up quickly, and I can try to implement things when I'm given corrections. But it's also at that point everyone gets good. Everyone is good at that level that you want to be at um when you go to international. So at that point, it becomes just consistency who shows up, who believes in some themselves more, and who just has a better day sometimes. And that at that point, it becomes the hard work and the consistency. So at that point, you know, yeah, everyone's skilled, everyone has talent, but who's gonna work the hardest and outwork the rest?

SPEAKER_00 13:33

So yeah, I see. And I guess another thing is I've met a lot of people in high school, and let's say when we were younger, that also did sports, and let's say karate or taekwondo or something like that, and they'll do it and they'll get a black belt or whatever degree, and then maybe in college it kind of falls off. And it feels like that's like an 80-20. Like most people, that's the route, right? And then they just kind of stop and they do whatever else afterwards. I guess you you might have already answered this, but were there any other factors you can point to that led you to just continuing beyond the point where everyone else normally falls off?

SPEAKER_01 14:04

Yeah, so I would also say that like my junior team career had a lot of ups and downs. So the first year that I made the team, we were a trio team competing in a synchronized form. I didn't make it for individual. But the next year I made it for synchronized form and individual. And that same year was the first time I won my first international individual title. And then the following year after that, I didn't make team at all for individual. So there's a lot of like ups and downs where I did really well, and then I would have some like setbacks as well. And it was during those times that I was trying to work myself from that failure or that setback, and that's where you find your true grit and your true purpose in that sense. Because I was like, I don't like being in this area of like self-pity and stuff like that. And I want to work harder so that I can make it again. And I think resilience has always been kind of like my life theme, in especially in karate. So every time I had that setback or some performance didn't go the way I wanted to, I was able to build myself back up. We have a phrase in our dojo, or it's a Japanese phrase, but seven times down, eight times up. Every time you get knocked down, you get back up button, do it again, work yourself way like towards that goal. And so that was the main thing. I think that first set of not making USA individually and then trying to get back up again. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:29

I like that. I think that's that underscores a very important point that maybe people don't know or don't get exposed to until they hit the adversity. But that adversity is almost a necessary ingredient for that greater success than you normally would have. Because it shows like the way you handle that, the resiliency, and that allows you to bounce. It's like the metaphor of pulling back a boat, right? Like you can't really shoot forward if you don't pull it back, and that's how life kind of goes.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Yeah, exactly. And I think a lot of times, you know, when people take that, or at least for me personally, I didn't really take that gap in college just because I felt like I was on that uphill climb. Like I was starting to like peak, not necessarily peak, but I was learning more about myself. I was understanding how to be a better athlete, how to be a better coach too at the same time. And then that made me want to learn more. So a lot of times, yes, people do maybe quit after a black belt or something like that. But we always say, at least in our studio and our dojo, that the black belt is actually the starting point because you learn all the basics and the foundations, and now you can actually explore what you love about the sport, what makes you special compared to like other people too, not just like blindly following the moves, but your own interpretation, what feels good to you, what expresses yourself the best. So I think that's what was my turning point too.

SPEAKER_00 16:48

I like that. That's crazy. It's it's oh, you've earned your black belt. It is just the beginning. Yeah, that's pretty much it, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:53

Yeah, it's like the new white belt, you know.

SPEAKER_00 16:55

I think that's the same thing with school or anything that you go through, is you think that the end of your education is it, but that's just the beginning. Um, or at least, you know, that's how you should approach it. So now I guess moving forward, two other things I wanted to touch on in this section was like, how does dance come to play in this? And then also PT. So those

From Injuries to Physical Therapy

SPEAKER_00 17:17

we can start anywhere for either of those topics, but how did those play a role in like this journey?

SPEAKER_01 17:22

I'll I guess I'll start with PT because with any sport, injuries are going to be what, you know, it's gonna happen whether it's inten, you know, like it's it's definitely never intentional, but you know, you can do all the right things, something just happens, right? That's why they're called accidents. And a lot of my injuries come because I do a very repetitive sport. So it was like just like wear and tear, a little bit of tendinitis here and there and stuff like that, or just you know, just brain and ankle roller funny in practice and stuff like that. And I just had a couple of injuries during high school at the same time. And so I had initially gone to the doctor, and because my mom's a nurse practitioner, you know, we have a very heavy medical background. So it was like, okay, yeah, you know, take some rest or you need to stop, right? And I remember hearing the word stop, and I was like, You want me to stop in this sport? I just can't. I was like preparing for junior world championships at the time. I was like, I can't stop. Can you tell me how to fix this? Right. And then at the time, the place that my mom was working at had a PT clinic next door. And they're like, Oh, why don't you try PT? Maybe they can give you a different insight. I was like, Oh, PT. And it was so interesting to me that I honestly had never even thought of it. It just wasn't like on my radar at all. And so I went to the clinic. They like said, Okay, yeah, let's take it easy a couple weeks. Well, let's do these kinds of exercises that I gonna get back you on your feet. And then they just kind of helped me through the whole thing, and then I felt better than ever. And I just fell in love with the whole process. Okay, yeah, you can take medication if you need it, you can take injections and stuff like that. But it was just curing the injury, or not necessarily curing the injury, but helping the injury through movement and let me keep you moving, let me keep you in motion, that let's not stop, let's just adjust things so that you can still do what you want to do without having to just like completely cut everything off. And so I fell into PT because of my own injuries, right? Because of my love for karate, it just led that way. And then I just talked to the owner. I was like, hey, is it okay if I like volunteer here for a little bit? It seems really interesting, and I'm I kind of want to learn more. And so I just volunteered at the clinic and then they hired me as an aide. Actually, shout out to Peak Orthopedic because they literally started my journey as a physical therapist, and that's where I work now too.

SPEAKER_00 19:43

So that's crazy. So you you were curious and you just volunteered and then got hired as an aide. And then that kind of so then since then you've just fallen more deeply in love with that. So then how did the route to like PT school? I mean, I guess maybe that's self-explanatory, but you just decided to go and then it was all super easy, right?

SPEAKER_01 20:02

Uh I guess yeah, it was like the easiest thing in the world. No, so I guess it helped because originally I was like bio pre-med. So I was in the health medical, like medical field that I wanted to go into. So I had a lot of like pre-rexen. At that point, I was like in preparing for like undergrad. And so when I made the switch though, I had changed my major and my focus to kinesiology. Oh, okay. So then of course I had to do more kinesio-based courses, but at that point the switch was easier because I've always wanted to go in the healthcare field and just switching from doctor to physical therapist just because I wanted to have that more one-on-one interaction with my patients and try to help them through their injuries and their deficits through movement, not necessarily just kind of going like the route of like medication. Yeah, like medical. Yeah, yeah. So that's kind of how it led to that.

SPEAKER_00 20:51

Okay. And then what about the I don't really know how that process works, but like going for your doctorate? Like, did it separate from like your undergraduate? And then so then you had to apply and stuff like that. So what was the process like, I guess, in a nutshell?

SPEAKER_01 21:06

So after you finish, you do have to have like your undergrad degree, whatever it, it doesn't even have to be like in kinesiology, because some people do their second career in like business, and then they just mean you to make sure you have your prerequisites, you have a good GPA. At the time, you had to take the um the graduate exam, um, the GRE, but they actually don't require that for a lot of schools now. So I think it just depends where you're applying. But um, then you're doing yeah, so you have your prereqs done, you have your exam done, and you just have your letters of rec essays, submit it, get in wherever you get in, and then it's another three years for your doctorate program. Some places have like an accelerated program where it's two years, but mine was three years. And so after you get your doctorate, you get your degree, you still have to take a board exam. And that is probably the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. It's like a six hour exam, and I don't even Remember how many questions it was at this time, but it takes a lot of dedication to study for that and study for the way you're supposed to take the exam. It's a little different than just treating clinic-wise, but that's how you end up becoming like a physical therapist.

SPEAKER_00 22:12

Do you have any at the top of your head biggest takeaways or lessons or reflections that you got from the whole process of getting your doctorate and now being a doctor of physical therapy?

SPEAKER_01 22:23

Don't be afraid to make mistakes and expose yourself to good mentors because any question that you don't ask, somebody probably already has that same question. So if you ask it, then it helps the entire class. I think that was one of the things that I struggled with the first year is just being like, oh, I'm gonna make the wrong answer. I'm gonna say the wrong thing. I'm gonna do the wrong skill. But the more you put yourself out there, the more you can learn and be a better therapist, which is gonna help your future patients way more. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 22:52

Last question on this is

Combining Two Worlds: Karate x PT

SPEAKER_00 22:54

so now physical therapy and karate, how like how does that manifest in your life as something that comes together? That's two things that you're passionate about.

SPEAKER_01 23:03

I think they go in like they go hand in hand completely. And I really love mentoring the next generation as well. So I think because I have more of that scientific, like biomechanic approach and trying to do like preventative injury like programs for my students, it like it changes how I taught. It wasn't just like, okay, just do the punch. You know, okay, let's rotate your hips a little bit more, let's get a little bit more angle of this so that you can lock your shoulder like this. You know, it's I have a little bit more of a technical approach from PT, just so that I can try to preserve their joints and muscles as long as I can. So I think that affects that way. And then physical therapy, obviously, like I try to make sure I stay in my best health as well. Karate has a very unique way of movement too, because it's a more repetitive sport. I have like my own set of injuries, my own set of experience with seeing injuries happen even right in front of me. So that gives me experience to kind of take back with my patients. And I understand like what a like a torn labrum feels like. I know what a meniscus tear feels like because I have it myself and I have it from a repetitive sport. So I can bring that to these patients that I have so that they can understand that I know where they're coming from. I know what it's like to be down and not be able to do anything, but you can build yourself back up. Nice. Yeah, I like that.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

Okay, so how does dance fit

Getting into KPOP Dance

SPEAKER_00 24:29

into the sort of life theme of Jesse?

SPEAKER_01 24:31

Oh, dance. Like funny thing is that I remember I'll see if I actually keep this in, but I like I remember in middle school, like it was some of my friends were just watching Girls Generation, and then they were like dancing, and I was like, Oh, I want to learn too. And I remember like one of the girls was like, Why is she dancing? She doesn't look good dancing. Yeah, and I didn't know I was like, dang. And I was like, okay, I'm never dancing again in my life, you know? And then a few years later, like in high school, like my friend introduced me to J pop, and then I started dancing again because I really liked the dance. And then, you know, you always have that thing in the back of your head that's like, oh, she doesn't look good dancing, right? But it was just one of those things, you know what? I enjoy it. Who cares what other people say? And then in high school I took it as like PE, and then eventually did some dancing during college, and then I also obviously went for chorios as well. And then it just taught me like how to enjoy a performance, even and it kind of transferred into karate because people always say that I look like I'm enjoying dancing more. And I understand karate, you have to have a fierce face, but sometimes I look too stiff or like I'm like holding a lot of like stress in my body. But whereas like dance, you feel so free. And naturally, I understand dance is gonna be feel very freeing, but it allowed me to understand what creativity, self-expression, rhythm, timing, and I took that into karate, and then it just helped me to kind of apply that to just like general life. Like, you need to be more adaptable. There's like a natural cadence to life too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 26:03

I like that because it's a like I had a friend on the show as well, like he's a stunt guy, right? But he also dances and you know does film stuff, but it's kind of like another type of movement, and I imagine someone who's been a mover your whole life, this is kind of like a different expression or avenue of movement. Because, like you said, like karate, there's a certain type of like type of movement and flow and whatnot, but then with dance, it's a completely different approach, but still movement. So I imagine that would expand your repertoire of like how you move and and like I guess your movement journey.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yes, yes, completely.

SPEAKER_00 26:34

And then they inform each other, of course, too, right? Because it's like you get more exposure to that. Um, any fun or unique stories that you have on dance or any memorable moments, I guess, being on Choreos or anything else in dance?

SPEAKER_01 26:48

I think, I mean, one of the biggest stories everyone asks is like, oh, like why did you audition for Chorios? And I think we've talked about this before. And shout out to Genesis for having me audition. And I think that was also something that I learned is this just taking the step. Just even if you feel like you're not gonna be able to make it or you're worried about the outcome, the worst that happens is that it's it just doesn't happen, right? I think you need to take that leap. If you're curious, if you have even an inclination or a like that you might enjoy this, I think taking that step to do it, audition, that's kind of like one of the biggest things. And so I auditioned because he was auditioning. And I remember telling myself too, and I would tell myself, if I could go back, I'd say, don't think like that. But I told myself, oh, if Genesis makes it and you don't, it's okay. You didn't mean to even audition. I remember thinking that. I told myself that literally as I was standing in the four, and I'm about to do the audition, right? But I was like, but you know what, enjoy because even if you don't make it, at least you enjoy this performance. And then it ended up working out, and then it led to this however many year long journey of being on Chorios. But yeah, I always tell people, I'm like, just take the shot, you know, just go for it.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

I like that. So legend has it that during Jesse's audition year, there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people who auditioned, and it was just Genesis and Jesse who made it onto the team. There was like a few hundred, right? It was like two, three hundred people.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

I think it was like 200 plus, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:13

Yeah, so which is a huge amount. That was like peak Choreos like interest. And so having two people make it is pretty crazy because our classes are anywhere from six to let's say 12 people per season or per like quarter. So being two out of a couple hundred is pretty crazy. And I remember asking Ellen who who might be on the show in the future, I was like, so why did you only take Jesse and Genesis? To be honest, there is no one else that good. Everyone else is okay, but those two stood out instantly and significantly. Oh so there was no choice but to take them to that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_01 28:45

I never asked her. So those kind of things. That's what she told me.

SPEAKER_00 28:47

So I don't know. We'll see when I interview her. I'll I'll I'll fact check that. Did you really say that? Like, but yeah, that's so it's pretty crazy. Testament to Jesse's dancing, and I guess you know, the level of talent. Okay, so moving on to next topic. I think this one is kind of

The Keys to High Performance

SPEAKER_00 29:02

like discipline, consistency, adaptation, motivation. And this is one of the topics that you said you wanted to talk about. And I think obviously it's a recurring theme in your life. We might have touched upon this, but what do you think are the necessary factors or elements that allow you to perform at such a high level to be part of TMUSA karate or anything?

SPEAKER_01 29:17

One of the things that I learned, especially more recently, is that consistent efforts rather than feelings of motivation get you further. Because I feel like motivation, you see all these motivational talks and it's always great, right? Inspiring stories. And that's like your first step in the door, you know, like foot foot, first foot in the door, right? And um, but I feel like motivation is fleeting because you make up, you're a little more sore, a little more tired. Ah, do I really want to go to training today? Uh, you know, I can just maybe skip today and go tomorrow and make it up tomorrow. But you know that usually if you postpone it, that next day might go to the next day and then to the next day. But if you just consistently go in, even if you don't feel 100%, you operate at your 70% as you're 100% putting that effort in leads to a better outcome. And don't let like inner feelings of just, oh yeah, I feel motivated today. Of course, that's always great because then you have a great session too. But I think consistent efforts, consistent planning um leads to a better outcome. And that's especially now when you have so many things that you're juggling in life, especially full-time adulting and stuff like that. I I think it's those consistent planning that helps.

SPEAKER_00 30:29

So not relying on your emotions or inspiration to get you through the door. Um, are there any sort of routines or practices or habits that allowed you to get to the level where you are today? And like how did you incorporate them into your life? I can imagine consistent training, mentorship, and the commitment to being at your dojo and being surrounded by that. But are there any other sort of routines or practices that you feel that you feel like helped you a lot and or people could take away and implement implement to their own lives?

SPEAKER_01 30:58

I think adaptability, because I think it's always important to plan, of course, because if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail, kind of thing, is one of the things I always kind of grew up hearing. But at the same time, you have to have a plan but be adaptable. So if things don't work out, you don't feel like it's still like a failure that you couldn't hit all of the objectives of that training. Like you still were able to hit two out of the five, but those two were really good. So I think having that ability to kind of go with the flow and still try to do your best. I think that works with all aspects of life too, because you can have a schedule. But if things like, oh, this actually clashes, let me try to reverse it and then still make it work out rather than just abandoning the idea completely. So I think adaptability. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 31:48

So be like water, my friend.

SPEAKER_01 31:49

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

Um are there any integral lessons that you've learned from your teachers, mentors, coaches? Like something that stands out uh to you. Maybe we've mentioned it already, but anything that comes to mind?

SPEAKER_01 32:03

I I kind of touched on this, but again, making that plan, but also just being able to react to whatever changes happen. I think what my sensei usually says is that life isn't about what happens to you, but how you react to it. And so again, you can make your plan, but if you react well to whatever changes happen, then you can still have a successful outcome.

SPEAKER_00 32:27

I will say I love that this episode is like a bunch of like mic drop like life quotes. Yeah. But I think people really will really like this. Wait a minute, what'd she just say? Rewind. Oh, that was good. That was good.

SPEAKER_01 32:39

I was gonna make sure I say them correctly.

SPEAKER_00 32:40

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I I was reading this book recently, I think it's called Same as Ever by Morgan Houslow. It's a finance, personal finance book, but obviously there's some personal development in there. And they said that like stories leverage ideas, the way that like I guess like housing or finances leverage debt or something like that, but also that sentences are more memorable than stories or books, meaning like the phrase. So sometimes you can read a whole book, but the one sentence will stand out to someone and that makes the impact. So I think that's I guess speaking to the value of those bite size. Oh, that was a good quote. It was a good idea to latch on to. So I guess again, we also probably talked about this, but what like how does one stay motivated in such a high stakes, high competition environment? The follow-ups there is what holds people back, and how does one get out of their own head? I think so that's something that you would be very familiar with, you know, your journey.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Kind of like a similar theme. Motivation sometimes just only goes so far. So making those consistent efforts to hit your objectives, whatever they may be, even if you hit three sessions, but they were just okay sessions, but you still hit those three sessions. If you maybe take that day off, it might be kind of like playing at the back of your head, oh, I skipped that one day. What if I don't perform as well as I do? So sometimes just having that as like your backup or something to fall back on, if you start to have any things like any like anxiety that creeps up during competition, like, oh, am I really actually prepared? And then you think back, no, I went to every session, I did the work, I put the work in. And that's another mic drop kind of sentence. You get what you put in, right? And so if you check all the boxes, you know that you did your best in every session as you mentally or physically were capable of, then you know that you could you did the best you possibly could have. And so I think that's something that I'm trying to work on a little bit more because I do think that I tend to get in my own head very easily. It's because the way that my sport works, especially as a kata athlete, it's like a soul performance. So it's all on me to make sure I perform at my best. There's no like reaction to someone punching you in the face and you're trying to like, you know, you just get nailed.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:50

But this is no, I'm in control of my rhythm, my speed, my power, and my own performance. And then at that point, it's in the hand of the judges. But I just try to not spin myself around essentially and just kind of remember, okay, you put in the efforts, you made the right choices, you did all of the things, right? And so that allows me to like kind of reset myself and being like, well, whatever happens, happens. You did your best, you're gonna try to perform your best right now. I also really believe in like positive self-talk. So, and this is something that I feel like I actually kind of strayed away from. I think I did it more in like when I was in high school, and then I kind of fell off from doing it like maybe the past three years or so. And then I remember I was watching the Olympics and Sunny Lee, like she was caught on camera. Yeah, the gymnast, right? She just came back from like chronic kidney disease. And like she's just competing at the Olympics. You know, there were days that she was just like not wanting to show up. She has like a bucket next to her at practice. You know, sorry, a little girl gross, but yeah, but that story like just hit like it just hit my heart so much because I was just like, but she showed up, she did what she could, she competed as best as she could, and then there she was, medalist, Olympic medalist again. And I just saw her saying things, and I don't know what the exact I'm terrible at leading read like reading lips, but she was like saying thing, you got this, this is for you, you know, let's do this, you know. And I was like, you know, I need to do that more. And so I feel like I have better performances when I have positive self-talk because if you can convince yourself first, then you can convince others. If you can't even convince yourself, then you're already kind of starting one foot behind. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Wow, I love that. Okay, I think that answers my question. What holds people back and how do you get out of your own head? And like you said, falling back. There's that one quote. What was it like like you it ends with you fall to the level of your training? Do you know what I'm talking about? Where it's you don't like aspire to like your greatest performance. I'm paraphrasing, right? But it's actually it's the level of your training that's that way you should expect. It's the quote is a lot simpler than that. But I don't know if that makes sense. But yeah, it reminds me of that because if you show up, you do the work and you the affirmations and whatnot, your training is what's gonna hold you up and not like you aspiring to do 10 times better than you normally do. Right. So I think that's a good testament to that.

SPEAKER_01 37:10

Yeah, like you want to just keep elevating your training performance so that you know even if you felt like 50% that day, you know you can operate at 50% and still do this amount of good work.

unknown 37:19

Right.

SPEAKER_01 37:20

And so just learning to again adapt to whatever level you have, whether it's physical or mental capacity, you can kind of change.

SPEAKER_00 37:27

So thank you, Solomon. So yeah, we don't rise to the level of our expectations, we fall to the level of our training. Perfect. Way better than what I said. Thank you. Quote attributed to Navy SEAL.

SPEAKER_01 37:37

Nice, nice.

SPEAKER_00 37:38

Nice. All right, so last topic, and we can pivot. I mean, this is kind of the same vein, but like establishing meaningful and inspiring

Establishing Meaningful Connections & Choosing Your Environment

SPEAKER_00 37:45

connections. And you mentioned that as one of the topics you wanted to talk about. Could you define what a meaningful and inspiring connection is?

SPEAKER_01 37:52

I kind of grew up with hearing that you are your closest five friends. And so I think it's easy to pick up those five closest people to you, like your mannerisms, those habits, those ways of thinking. So it's important to kind of be in a sphere that has the same like-minded that has the values that you're looking for, at least. Yeah, at least the same values, right? And necessarily, it doesn't necessarily have to be in the exact same field, although that does help. I do think like I have spheres of obviously like karate, dance, and PT. And then within that realm, I want to feel some kind of level of inspiration that will kind of kick start me and want me, make me want to be a better version of myself, even if it's 1%. And maybe they're just like, oh, I'm really good with my like diet, I'm really good with my routine like afterwards, my cooldown. You know what? Yeah, I want to do that too. Like just little things like that that make you want to be a better version of yourself. Yeah. And I also think that of course there's meaning and meaningful and inspiring relationships, but I also think that just people who can elevate you in any way to help you recharge your soul or your heart or your mind, those are also really important too. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 39:09

So then how does one approach developing those relationships and or finding them? And I guess you might have touched on what is the importance of it, because obviously feed your soul, it inspires you to be your best self. But how does one like develop those or find those sort of relationships?

SPEAKER_01 39:25

I think when you're already like in those fear, of course, when you're doing like the initial conversations, it's natural to feel like a little nervous when you're getting to know somebody. It's like you don't usually think about you don't want to say the wrong thing, you want to make sure you make a good impression. But I think there's that natural click that you feel too, right? And honestly, I felt that like when I first met you at the auditions too. And I was like, oh man, this guy's like cool. Like I like the way he thinks and how he approaches dance. So it's just you kind of feel like that instant connection on some level, right? But I think the way I go about wanting to develop that friendship or that like companionship, I think it's do I feel comfortable around them? Do I feel like they're adding stress to my life or do they adding like comfort? And are they adding some level of self-improvement? Or I just feel really down when I'm with them. I think thinking about how I feel afterwards too kind of gauge, like allows me to gauge like, oh, this person is gonna be like good for my life. I don't want to always be surrounded by like negativity. I want to have some level of like positivity, but also, of course, like you want to be realistic as well. So kind of like using those as kind of like gauging aspects. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:33

I like that a lot. It kind of reminds me of you know, the intentional introspection reflection of how these people affect you that maybe most people don't do is why do I feel this way? But then if you kind of dig deep, you're like, oh, I I know why, because of the thing that I was doing today, the people that I'm around consistently, and then these people make me feel this way versus these people make me feel this way. And I it's it reminds me of kind of like diet and food. If people kind of take the time to reflect on how certain foods make them feel, they can more adequately choose the types of foods and diets and whatever that could best serve them and their health and and their like energy levels. But when you kind of just mindlessly eat, it's kind of like you just mindlessly be around people. And I think that's like just as important, right?

SPEAKER_01 41:18

Yeah, totally. I actually really like that analogy. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

Yeah, it's one of those things where it's oh weird tangents. There's I read this book or podcast or whatever, but this guy, like he was studying abroad in let's say UK, and he was like on a budget, so he had to choose specific foods to eat because he didn't have a lot to spend, but to be efficient with how he spent his money, he made a chart of A, B, and C of which foods made him feel amazing, like A, okay, B, and meh C. And then over time, he started to cut out the C and B foods and only focused on the A foods. So, for example, one of the weird examples was like green apples was an A. He's I don't know why, but I feel always great when I do like green apples. So then by the end of his like study abroad in the UK, he was eating all these A foods, and he was I think he was an athlete and he lost a lot of muscle mass because he wasn't really like training a lot. But when he went back home, he had insane stamina and strength that was like he could just keep going for his workouts and he was lifting as heavy as he was before, but he was like way skinnier. Oh and so he and he said he wasn't able to replicate these results, but he's I don't know what, but I think it was that weird process I have with my diet that allowed my body to thrive. So when I came back, I was at, if not exceeded, my old like performance levels. And so I think about that, you know, it's an anecdotal example, but I think about that when I eat food, I'm like, okay, really pay attention to how these foods make me feel. And like your example, how these people make me feel. Because if you want to optimize your life and your energy, you should be more intentional with how you spend your time.

SPEAKER_01 42:47

Definitely. And I think you and I have also talked about this before in past conversations about being an introvert versus being an extrovert. And sometimes taking that extra step to connect with people takes a little bit more effort as an introvert. So if I am gonna take that extra energy to try to make that connection, I want it to make be a good connection. Of course.

SPEAKER_00 43:06

Yeah, yeah, like a good time well spent and whatnot. I like that. All right. Any I know I think that that covers pretty much all of it. Yeah, I think that's good. Guys, rewind those parts, it's a lot of bang for your buck. So are you ready for rapid fire questions?

SPEAKER_01 43:21

I actually, you know what, I'll just add something real quick just to that, because I feel like I didn't always have the best gauge before, and it wasn't until and I think it'll probably end up going into one of the rapid fire questions, but I had been in a more like toxic environment, but I wasn't aware of it at the time. So I did it because like I was in that environment because I was doing better in my sport, but then I wasn't realized how damaging it was to like my own mental health and like my own like heart and how I felt. Because I was like, okay, I felt great physically every time I left a training, but why do I feel so drained at the same time? Not like physically, but like mentally. Drained and I just didn't feel myself whenever I was there. Yeah, I was getting great results, and I was, you know, doing better in general, just like physically. But I had to like, it took a few years, even, and it was a process. But I learned that, okay, this isn't the right environment for me. This isn't the right people. I still thank them for the pro what they added into my life and the progress I made with them. But as soon as I removed myself from that situation, I learned that I was a lot happier outside of that. Okay, results don't come as consistently as they did before. I understand that, but I'm also so much more at peace with myself. So sometimes it takes time to understand like your own gauge of how you feel with people. So don't feel like I feel like people shouldn't feel like it's a rush process. Because sometimes you have to learn how to understand your own feelings and process them before you even can analyze how you feel with other people too. So it did take some time, but that's why I really do emphasize and I'm a lot more intentional with who I surround myself with too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:02

Nice. Thank you for sharing that. I think that's really impactful. Is like you said, I think self-awareness is a lifelong process, journey. So you might not have that full level of self-awareness out the gate, but as long as you're intentional with developing that, yeah, and then that'll serve you for what you choose to do and who you choose to surround yourself with. Yeah. Cool. All right. Rapid fire now.

SPEAKER_02 45:22

Okay. Yeah.

Rapid Fire Questions

SPEAKER_00 45:23

There's a lot of there's a lot of leeway in this. So like we could touch on anything that we might have missed in Rapid Fire. All right. First question is if you could put a sign up for millions of people to see, what would it say?

SPEAKER_01 45:33

Be your own biggest fan.

SPEAKER_00 45:34

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 45:35

Yeah. I think uh a lot of times we're our own worst critic. And I think, you know, I think we talked about this when we were doing the Chorios fundraising, right? And so I think in order for you to get people behind you to be your supporters, you have to be your biggest supporter first because nobody's gonna want to root for you if you're not rooting for yourself. So be your own biggest fan, not your worst critic. Nice.

unknown 45:57

I love it.

SPEAKER_00 45:58

All right, what is one of the hardest challenges you faced in your life and what did you learn from it?

SPEAKER_01 46:04

I feel like there's a few things, and I feel like in like the trifecta of my life, there's one in everything. But I think one of them in terms of like karate was trying to go for the leap of attempting the Olympic journey because I was getting a lot of people saying that, oh, you're never gonna make it, you're not gonna go very far, it's just gonna be a waste of money, resources, time. But I knew it was an experience I wanted to have for myself. So with the right voices, with the right support, I was able to chase it. So I think during that whole time where I was like trying to decide if I wanted to do it, it was like hard because there were so many things that were kind of like juggling. Oh, am I gonna take a break after undergrad to chase this dream and then apply for PT school after? Or am I gonna try to do this while I'm still in my last year of undergrad? There was a lot of scheduling, a lot of logistics. How am I gonna do this like with school, with money and all that kind of stuff? Because our sport isn't funded, it's everything's out of pocket. So, okay, we got to adjust finances this way. So I think that was probably the hardest challenge leading up to the preparation of even attempting the journey and just giving myself that okay, let's go for it, kind of okay to go. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 47:25

Um, self-inflicted wounds. So, do you have a story about something that's gone wrong in your life that is your own fault, and you can't blame anyone because you did it to yourself?

SPEAKER_01 47:32

I guess this one was I was thinking about this one, and I could even revert back to even last year. So last year, or no, let me rewind. Two years ago, I made my first senior continental finals, and I've made it before as a junior, but it was my first senior one, so it was a big deal, and it was gonna be an all-American final. And so um, my teammate had gone first, I got second, but just making to that final was like a big mark in my career, and so I had a lot of self-imposed expectations I was putting myself putting on myself coming into last year's Pan American Championships, and I think that's also another reason why I was thinking more about like the positive self-talk a lot as I reflected on not making it to finals last year. It was really hard because I was thinking about all of these things of not making it. What happens if I'm the only person who doesn't make it to finals? What if I perform terribly? But it's I did the work, I should not be in my head, and I knew it was thoughts that I shouldn't have been having, but I just kept ruminating on it and I just kept going back to it every second I had that entire week leading up to the event. And I really have nothing to to no one to blame but myself because I just knew that I was doing it, but I didn't stop myself from doing it, even though I knew how to stop myself. So I guess there's that.

SPEAKER_00 48:48

Yeah, it's like getting in your own head. If you could redo one thing, what would you do differently?

SPEAKER_01 48:57

I feel like every decision I've made and everything I've done has led me to where I am. So it was it's a little hard to answer that, but I guess the one thing I would say is start competing in the senior division sooner. Oh I would have liked to have started doing that sooner. One of my USA teammates at the time, she was starting to do these international events called Premier Leagues. And I remember she invited me back in 16 or something like that, and I was just starting to really make my way into the senior team. And she was like, Oh, you should start doing these events, like it'll be good exposure for you. But I told myself, nah, like I don't feel ready. I don't think I should do it. It'll just waste time, waste money, kind of thing. And I would probably tell my younger self, just do it. You're gonna thank yourself later for the extra experience. But I think everything led up to where I am today, that that big jump in okay, we're gonna compete every single month, like twice a month. And so that led me to my level right now. But there is a part of me that's just go compete sooner. Right. Yeah. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 50:01

If you could give

Advice: "Take the Leap"

SPEAKER_00 50:02

your younger self advice, what would it be now? Any age, any time period?

SPEAKER_01 50:06

Take the leap. So, kind of like the previous question, I think just don't worry about what other people are gonna say or what other people think. Just do what you feel the natural inclination and pull to do. People are gonna say whatever they want to say, and they're gonna continue to think it, even if you say all the right things. So just do what you want to do if you feel like it's the right thing, like the right thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 50:32

If you want to dance the girls' generation, you just do it.

SPEAKER_01 50:34

You just do it. Yeah, exactly. Don't do what the haters say.

SPEAKER_00 50:38

In the last few years, what new belief, behavior, or habit has improved your life?

SPEAKER_01 50:42

I think the like the billboard sign, it's be your own biggest fan. Because I tend to be too self-critical. So if I can continue to, of course, you need to have a balance. You can't just hype yourself up all the time when you don't do the work, but make sure that you celebrate your little wins, even if they don't feel like a lot, because you need to pump yourself up sometimes too. Yeah, yeah. Cool.

SPEAKER_00 51:08

I like that. Who would you call successful and how do you define success?

SPEAKER_01 51:14

So I would say that success is being able to pursue what makes you happy and what makes you feel fulfilled in life. And so I would say that someone who's really successful that I look up to and who's like my coach and my friend is an athlete called Grace Lal. And I think that she's also voiced me before the different like mental aspects of trying to be at the top, maintain at the top, or chase to be at the top. And sometimes that chase makes it very stressful and finding joy in what we do still and bringing that back to like why you started that passion in the first place. So success is being able to pursue it with happiness at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 52:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:01

Nice. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 52:02

If you knew you couldn't fail, what would you be trying, or what would you be doing right now?

SPEAKER_01 52:08

I would love to have my own YouTube channel.

SPEAKER_00 52:11

Oh, really?

SPEAKER_01 52:12

Yeah. I just one of the things that I do love taking is just like cinematic photography or videography. I just looking at a sky and be like, wow, this is really pretty. And because I travel, of course, I've seen like travel vlogs and those kinds of things. And I would love to do something like that. But I think it's just more of a time commitment that I just don't have and I don't have the most technical computer skills. So I definitely think I would need to learn that. But I would love to have like my own YouTube channel where I do a little bit more of both karate and dance, maybe do some like more dance covers on that channel too, but also doing some like karate vlogs or maybe some PT advice, make it like about like my three pillars of life too. Yeah. I like that.

SPEAKER_00 52:53

I feel like most people kind of well, a lot of people I I talk to, like they would like to have some sort of thing like that where they can just share their life, their journey, and whatever aspects that might be. I think that speaks a lot to like people's desire for the expression and the sharing and connecting with people. So I like that a lot.

SPEAKER_01 53:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 53:09

What is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you've ever made in either time, money, energy, etc.?

SPEAKER_01 53:16

Yeah, mental health and physical health. I think often because we're so busy like treating our own patients and like we have so many other things juggling in life. Sometimes we as physical therapists don't address our own needs. And so some of my like leads at the clinic, you know, they have kids that they take care of, and then they have their own, oh yeah, my hip hurts today, but you know, oh well, I gotta go see my next patient, you know, kind of thing. And so it that plays even more because I'm also an athlete that's actively like still training and I'm also competing and working. So I have to really make sure that I'm like, okay, I need to stop ignoring this and just kind of doing enough to just placate it. I need to actually invest a little bit more time, get more recovery tools also, and kind of practice what I preach to my patients as well. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 54:03

I like that. I guess on that note, what is a favorite recent purchase that you've made in around the $50 to $100 range? We can change that parameters, but anything come to mind.

SPEAKER_01 54:13

Yeah. So there's this thing called a SOAS tool, and like literally it looks like the little hook thing. Yeah. And at first I remember trying it out maybe a few years back, and I was like, this is a torture device. This really doesn't feel great at all, you know? And I just didn't think about it at the time. And I came back to it because I was just like having a lot of hip flexor issues, and you know, we just sit all the time. So naturally, like this muscle gets like shortened over time. And so I was like, wait, I remember trying something that didn't feel good. And so I just got it off Amazon. I was like, okay, if I really don't like it, free returns, right? But um, I got it and I was like, oh my gosh, this is like the best thing ever. And like you kind of like live in that, oh, it hurts so good kind of thing. So now it like travels with me like to every tournament. I like recommend it to a lot of like my younger athlete patients because usually this muscle is just sitting in a shortened position, it's weak and tends to lead to a lot of injuries like lower down in the chain. So it's honestly one of like the best investments that I've bought recently.

SPEAKER_00 55:07

Yeah, see. Um yeah, I do have one of those too, like a swaz release sort of thing. What kind of injuries does that is that related to? I guess you said like hip like tightness or something, but what what else does that like address?

SPEAKER_01 55:20

So usually because a lot of people usually have desktops or just are sitting a lot, whether it's like watching TV, computer work, those kinds of things, because of that, naturally this again, this like front hip muscle shortens. And that when it's not in its ideal length, it also weakens over time. So when we do things like squatting to get out of a deep position or like running across the street to catch a red light or something, like you know, that muscle ends up going at a longer length than it's used to and it's not as strong. And sometimes that also, if this chain in the front isn't working well, then it actually affects your lower back. So a lot of times my lower back patients, I'm like, okay, we need to address the front too. It's not just always your back. So it kind of addresses both aspects. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 56:01

Okay, that's very helpful for me personally, because I do have a lot of lower back pain. Yeah. So that makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Okay. And so last rapid-fry question any favorite books, movies, videos,

Media Recommendations

SPEAKER_00 56:11

articles, media, or anything else that you recommend or share the most?

SPEAKER_01 56:14

Yes. So I've also been reading a lot more recently, too. And this one is kind of like fantasy, magical realism, but it was called The Lantern of Memories, a Lantern of Lost Memories. Okay. And so I recently had lost both of my grandmothers in the past two years. And so I just found this book and I was like, oh, it's kind of talking about grief, but it also navigated its way about like life purpose and then how we reflect on the life we've lived. And then you often forget like the little things that make you happy in life, too. And then it's just kind of like, oh, I think I should reflect more on those little moments in life and kind of like show gratitude towards those moments. So I was like really thankful. I'm not gonna give any spoilers because in case people read it, but I definitely recommend that book. A song that I really like and would recommend is by Kat Burns. I think it's Live More, Love More, might be reverse, but something like that. And that song really spoke to me. It was just on Instagram and it was real, and I was like, rewind this real quick. And it was talking about if there's someone you want to speak to, just go ahead and speak to them. If there's something you're interested in, go for it. And it was literally like things that usually hold me back, and I'm like, you're so right. And I was like, this song is great, and so I like to listen to it a lot, just like just when I have like a downtime to just reset myself. But of course, it's just a good song, too. But it just had a lot of the things that I resonate with, so I liked that a lot. Um, and movie. So this is my favorite movie, and it's one of like my comfort movies. It's called Hundred Foot Journey, and it's about this family that kind of emigrates to um Europe and this like cook, he only cooks in like Indian food, right? And but he wants to venture into French food, and it's kind of this journey that he takes along to discover who he could be without limiting his potential. And again, I just kind of like things along that kind of like that idea. So I think it's also just a really beautifully shot movie. I think it's just I love watching the cooking scenes too, but I think the underlying theme is just really just it's a great self-discovery movie, too. Yeah, so I like it.

SPEAKER_00 58:26

Cool, nice. I'll put those in the show notes. All right, I think that's it for rapid fire

Ending Questions: Gratitude & Final Takeaways

SPEAKER_00 58:31

questions. So the ending questions, I like to end with gratitude. Shout out to my mom. She likes to hear that when I give her a shout out. She listened to all my episodes, she's like oh, I love it when you say that. I'm like, I know, mom, I know. But yeah, so Jesse, what are you grateful for?

SPEAKER_01 58:43

Grateful for my parents, most definitely. So shout out to my parents, my mom and my dad, because literally without them being so supportive, like chasing one dream, I'm chasing three dreams, you know, at the same time. And they just always are like, you know what, as long as you want to do it, we'll be here for you. And so I'm always thankful for that. And again, my family always says, you know, God's with you. If you had he has a plan for you, he'll take care of you. You know, he'll put he put these things in your heart for a reason. So go ahead and chase it. You know, everything will kind of follow, right? And so I'm really thankful to God for giving me the life that I have, giving me these passions that He planted in my heart, and of course the family to help support me in that. And also just my friends and teammates in general, too, that just like support my ambitions too. Like, I know it's not hard to have a friend who's always so busy, and I'm always so grateful that I have friends that are really understanding about what I do. It's always funny because they're like, Hey, are you in the country? Can you come to this one event? You know, that's always the phrasing that you don't really hear very often. But I'm always grateful that they understand, like, oh, I have to leave early or I can't make it. Sorry, I have training, but they're always like thinking of me and still they still invite me to things, which makes me feel like, okay, they still think of me and stuff like that. So yeah, that's nice.

SPEAKER_00 59:58

Yeah, I love it. All right. Any final ask or final takeaways that you'd like to have from the or that you like the audience to have from the show, or any asks you want to give or ask from the audience?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:09

I ask the audience to just pursue what makes you happy. Yeah. I think if you can chase whatever you like and whatever you even think you might like, then you're gonna live a much happier life as well. So don't feel the regrets later on of having the what ifs. Just know and just go for it. Just go for the dive.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:33

Nice. I like it. All right, Jesse. Where can people find you if they want to check out what you're up to or connect or anything like that?

SPEAKER_01 1:00:39

Yeah, most of the time, most of my training videos or Instagram is like Instagram is where you get most of like my training updates or competition updates. So that's J-E-S-S-I-X-J-J, and you'll see it on the screen probably. And then I also have Twitter. I use that a lot. Less Twitter, it's called X now. Yeah, you find me on X Threads occasionally as well. Yeah, that's where you'll find me.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:02

Perfect. Yeah. All right, Jesse, thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:07

Yeah, it's been a great conversation. I learned a lot. I will be listening to this several times. Yes. This is really good. So thank you again for being here. And for my final sign off to my audience, thank you guys for tuning in and listening. Um, always a reminder to be kind to others, especially yourself. And you can always learn something from someone if you just take the time to listen. So, thank you guys for being here.