When you- when life punches you square in the mouth, do you rise to the occasion or do you fall back on the standards you’ve been living by? Because here’s something I’ve learned after years of coaching high performers. [00:01:00] Pressure doesn’t create your habits, pressure exposes them. I’m blessed to coach a collegiate wrestler.

Young man is an absolute beast in the wrestling room, puts the work in, knows his te- technique, and can go toe-to-toe with some serious competition, which he did at last year’s nationals. But we discovered something. When the lights came on, the crowd got loud, and the stakes got higher, he’d sometimes hesitate, start thinking instead of executing, waiting for the perfect opportunity instead of creating one.

I challenged him with this. I said You know, are you training to look good in practice? Are you trained to trust yourself when things get uncomfortable? See, squad, confidence isn’t something you magically summon when you need it. It’s something you earn through the promises you keep to yourself when nobody’s watching, and this applies to everyone.

The business owner facing difficult decisions, the parents trying to lead by example, the person promising themselves they’ll get healthier every Monday. You don’t suddenly become disciplined when adversity shows up. You become the person you’ve been practicing to be. So here’s your challenge this week, squad.

Pick one standard you’ve been negotiating with yourself about. Maybe it’s a morning routine, having uncomfortable conversations, or following through when your motivation has packed its [00:02:00] bags and left town. Set the standard, honor it, and repeat it. And like I always say, goals are nothing but byproducts of your standards.

So whatever you wanna reach, your standards have gotta match that. And talk about two guys that have fantastic standards, right? And I’m gonna ask you, what if the toughest fight you’ll ever face isn’t against another person, but against the version of yourself that’s been holding you back? And squad, today we’re stepping inside the world of mixed martial arts where discipline is earned, confidence is built, and sometimes the greatest victories happen long before anybody steps into the cage.

And my guests today are bringing something special to our South Florida community. My guy Mikey Rodriguez, one of my jujitsu coaches, and Danny Tarantino are driving forces behind the new Reaper HQ. It’s an MMA academy. And these two aren’t simply opening another fight gym. They’re building a place where families can connect, kids can develop confidence, women can discover their strength, and everyday people can challenge themselves in an atmosphere that’s welcoming, approachable, and fun.

Mike’s journey began in the wrestling mats before expanding into Brazilian jujitsu and Muay Thai back in [00:03:00] 2009. He’s tested himself in amateur and professional MMA competition, but his real passion is passing that experience along to the next generation. And then there’s my guy Danny, a Long Island kid, Army veteran who knows firsthand that life doesn’t always give you an easy opening round.

After navigating his own struggles, martial arts gave him something bigger than fighting skills. It gave him the structure, purpose, and community to help change the direct in his– direction in his life. And now these two friends are joining forces to create the kind of environment to provide the same for those people as well.

And I just have to say I’m stoked. You guys are opening very soon here in West Palm Beach. Before we get into it, d- take me back to when you first crossed paths. What made you realize you could build something special together? Yeah, 

Danny Tarantino: I can tell you when we first met because It was a, it was kinda like, you meet someone and you start talking about what you guys agree with- Yeah

and what you don’t, and what you like, culture and all that stuff. And you’re like- … “Oh, this is, this isn’t just a, a person that’s passing through maybe.” 

That’s how it started. I was there. There was another coach. Something was happening. This place gets rid of [00:04:00] coaches all the time. Yep.

They got problems over there, whatever. Mike came in. He said, whatever. I’m gonna do the best I can here.” He coached all the people, including me. We kept talking. That place did what they do. 

And we had to get out of there. Mike had the same dream that I did. He wanted to, take all the kids that are…

he works with kids. He does lots of incredible stuff. Yeah. You’ll hear about it in a second. But he sees all, all the people with nowhere to go, wants to give them a place to go. I wanna do the same thing. Yeah. I don’t wanna talk too much, but I think- 

Coach Fergie: Yeah … 

Danny Tarantino: we have the same ideology. We have the same interest.

Coach Fergie: Passion. 

Danny Tarantino: Same passion. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. I love it- And it only makes sense … passion and purpose with that. And Mike, I have known, six, seven years. He’s choked me out a bunch of times in the mats. He lets me think that I’m getting better . But no, I am, buddy. But he… That’s the thing about Mikey, man, you’re a great teacher.

And you’re also I… We’ll call it your day job, if you will. You work with, kids that need extra help. Yeah. So how much of that did that build into the patience that you have for building a business? 

Mike Rodriguez: Get through a whole range of levels of difficulties with children behaviors- Sure

and learning the mindset [00:05:00] and honestly putting it together with martial arts, how I can really help them and just help children in general. Like- Love it … they’re the future. And everything I’ve been doing within my life recently has helped us mold into this concept of growing Reaper HQ.

Because, like I said, we’re both very like-minded individuals. We love helping adults, we love helping, the young, the youth. And,

Coach Fergie: What I love is that it’s not like, “Yeah, we’re gonna bring a bunch of killers in here. We’re gonna take…” Yeah. No, you wanna develop people. And I love that about you guys.

But you have to admit Reaper sounds- … kind of intimidating, right? Yeah. Yet you’re building an academy that’s family-oriented- Yeah … approachable, and fun. So how do you balance that warrior mentality that both of you guys have with creating an environment where, a nervous seven-year-old or a 45-year-old beginner feels like they belong?

Danny Tarantino: Yeah. Can I say one thing- Yes … before we get… I’m not gonna forget the question. D- ’cause he just said something and it reminded me of something. You 

Coach Fergie: gotta keep it going, brother. 

Danny Tarantino: Yeah, I’m gonna keep going. Yeah. But he was saying he helps all the kids, blah, blah, blah. I was one of those kids. So when I saw how passionate he was about helping other people- I [00:06:00] love that

I’m also that same passionate. I was coming from one of the kids that grew and became successful. He’s coming from helping those kids. So once we met up, I think that is what helped this propel- Yeah … even further, because it was like- Brings that 

Coach Fergie: partnership 

Danny Tarantino: together … martial arts helped us both- … from both sides.

How would we balance what you’re saying- 

Coach Fergie: The warrior mentality with creating an environment- Yeah … where someone if I was to come in as a white belt- Yeah … 54, or and I was to bring a son in that’s seven, eight years old- … like, how are you guys planning to build that atmosphere where it feels welcoming?

Danny Tarantino: You build that atmosphere by showing them everything from the beginning, showing them that it’s not as scary, showing them, “Hey, look, we were in the same position as you. We’ve all… We’re all gonna have to encounter similar things like this, and this is, this is the first step in the right direction.”

You have to just trust that someone’s been there before, and they’re s- and they’re here now, and you can do the same thing. But you have to, you have to listen to them. I think a seven-year-old can understand that, a person that’s 50 can understand that. Yeah. There’s a way to get there, and we have the way if you just listen and follow along.

Mike Rodriguez: K- can I circle… So circling back on the whole Reaper thing there’s a little misconception about the title Reaper. 

Reaper doesn’t [00:07:00] correlate necessarily to death or anything- … dark. 

A reaper is, and you have the best explanation for this, the- 

Danny Tarantino: Yeah … 

Mike Rodriguez: the 

Danny Tarantino: tr- They just transport you to the afterlife.

They don’t kill you. They’re not the devil. They’re not a demon. 

Mike Rodriguez: So- 

Danny Tarantino: Just before you die, they help you go to- Yeah … where you’re going already. That’s it. 

Mike Rodriguez: So in other words, it’s a- I love that … a transitioner of your 

Coach Fergie: soul. ‘Cause it was your name Danny, that you kinda had before? Or… 

Danny Tarantino: It was my… When I was in the 82nd Airborne the Reaper thing- Yeah

like death from the sky- Sure … that’s kinda how I envisioned the picture of it. And then later when I got older, I was like, “It’s actually not death from the sky. The Reaper is not really death at all. It’s actually this.” But it did start from that, my own nickname kind 

Coach Fergie: of. It’s just got the whole Grim Reaper kind of- Yeah.

Yeah … people pull that out of there. Exactly. 

Yeah. So Danny, then what is the difference between teaching somebody how to fight and teaching somebody how to handle life’s fights? ‘Cause, you’ve been through some stuff, right? What’s the lesson you’ve learned on the mats that completely changed how you handle adversity outside the gym?

Danny Tarantino: Something I learned on the mats that helps me handle adversity outside of the gym- In life, 

Coach Fergie: yeah … 

Danny Tarantino: is like sometimes when you’re in a really hard fight on the mat, or you’re up in a position where you’re, like, about to die, or you feel like you’re [00:08:00] gonna die, and then you don’t, you’re like I I could get through this.”

And then you go to another round, and it’s even harder. You’re like, “This is the hardest round I’ve ever been in.” Then you do it to another one, like you go to another one. And you always get through. And you’re like, “I’m 32 years undefeated.” If you take that same feeling, even though it’s not typically a win or a loss, if you take that same feeling that you have- Yeah

you’re just like, “I’ve done everything before this.” Yeah. “Why couldn’t I do that in life now? I’m gonna go open a gym. I’m gonna go do the next thing.” “Oh, you can’t do that.” “Why not?” “I did everything else I tried.” Love it. It’s like that. You made every round, you continue. 

Coach Fergie: And Mikey, I love the concept of con- like controlled aggression.

And I’ve been on the phone with you while, you’re working with your children. Like- … just listening, I’m hearing them sometimes. Yet your patience is… It’s unbelievable. But MMA, ’cause you do have a winning record in MMA, right? Fights, and you need that intensity, but you can’t let the emotion take over.

So how do you teach someone to flip that switch without losing control? And how does that translate into everyday life? 

Mike Rodriguez: So that’s, the answer to that goes back to your training in general. [00:09:00] And you need to learn through hardship. The biggest thing, especially with jujitsu, I think, and it’s something I sh- I try to pass on to- 

Coach Fergie: You have.

Mike Rodriguez: You have. You want to- Sometimes, yeah. You want to be able to learn to stay calm and breathe even through the toughest positions. So- 

Coach Fergie: So happy you brought that up. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. Yeah. And that’s exactly my concept with fighting in general, where, you step into a cage. It’s like, hey, there’s no going back.

You, d- you, no matter what, you have to go in here. You’re gonna be locked into this cage with somebody else, and you have to turn into a completely different person. But the point is- I don’t 

Coach Fergie: recognize you. Like- 

Mike Rodriguez: Yes. Yeah. You, 

Coach Fergie: In the room and stuff, we roll, and we mess around, and you toy with me and stuff like that.

You’ve put full weight. I would just tap, and you’re like… And Mikey’s like, “No, dude, just breathe through your diaphragm now.” Yes. And he was teaching me as we go along. Yeah. So I’ve seen that switch with you, though. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: I’m like, “Who’s this guy that’s walking to the face off?”

Yeah. And you’re like, you know- yeah … I’m messing with you and stuff, so 

Mike Rodriguez: I think martial arts in just the general, it teaches you to stay cool under pressure, and which is like the [00:10:00] biggest reason why we’re pushing for people to just try it out. Like- 

Sponsor Spot – Rize Mortgage: Yes … 

Mike Rodriguez: everybody’s gonna go in as this beginner- Yeah

and this, oh my God, this is terrifying. Martial arts is gonna teach you, even with life, how to just be prepared for everything. And at the end of the day, you’re gonna get through it. You’re going to you’re going to b- you’re … As long as you breathe, stay disciplined, and you basically just do what you train- Yeah

All the time. ‘Cause that’s a part of training is repetition and sh- just showing up. Showing up is part of repetition. 

Some people think “Oh man, I did terrible on the mats today.” Or, “I just had a terrible training session.” You showed up. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. 

Mike Rodriguez: That’s the biggest thing.

And- 

Coach Fergie: Find that lesson in there, right? 

Mike Rodriguez: Yes. Yeah. And sometimes just showing up is the hardest part. 

And as soon as you accomplish that part, everything else is, it was, is easy. It’s … And that, that’s not necessarily easy, but it’s what you practice. So- … that’s a big thing that I really wanna establish with our school, I want the people who were just afraid to join or who just “Oh, MMA or just jujitsu or Muay Thai is just too intimidating,” like I want those people- … so [00:11:00] that we could teach them. “Hey, it’s not the hardest thing in the world that you think.” 

“

Mike Rodriguez: Just show up. Have fun. You’re in a safe community.”

And what I want people to realize too is for martial arts, like it’s not just, “Man, I tried it out one time and I didn’t like it.” There’s a place for everybody. 

So I wanna be- People coming back … 

Danny Tarantino: that place, I was literally just thinking that while you’re talking. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah, there’s 

Danny Tarantino: a- “Oh, there’s a place for you here.”

Yeah. That’s like- Yeah … the unspoken slogan. Like- Yeah … there’s a place for you here. Yeah. You wanna fight? Love that. You can just do your first day. Yeah. Check it out. 

Mike Rodriguez: That’s it. 

Coach Fergie: Yep. We 

Danny Tarantino: got 

Coach Fergie: you. And Scott, we’re actually gonna take you inside the facility through, through talking here in just a minute.

After Steve Austin with Rise Mortgage, who I’m blessed to be my sponsor, drops his mortgage nugget of the week. Steve, take it away. 

Steve Austin Show Sponsor: Thanks, Scott. Happy Saturday, everyone. This is Steve Austin with the Rise Mortgage Dynamic Team, here with your Mortgage Nugget of the Week. Here’s a mortgage tip that could change the way you think about buying a home.

Just because one lender tells you no, doesn’t mean you can’t qualify for a mortgage. Here’s why. Every [00:12:00] lender has different guidelines, loan programs, and requirements, and what doesn’t work with one lender might be a great fit for another. That’s why working with a mortgage team that has multiple financing options is so important.

At Rise, we combined the advantage of being a direct lender with the flexibility to broker loans when needed. So whether you’re self-employed, have a unique income, or just don’t fit the traditional mortgage box, don’t give up after one no. Remember, sometimes it’s not about finding a different home, it’s about finding the right financing solution.

If you’re ready to find the right solution for you in this market, give us a call, 561-250-6044. That’s 561-250-6044. That’s it for this week. This is Steve Austin, your branch manager, NMLS 762328, with the Rise Mortgage Dynamic Team, NMLS 1604663, an equal housing lender. 

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Coach Fergie: Hey, Stevie, thank you so much for the mortgage update, and also just so blessed for your sponsorship.

And we’re back with Danny Tarantino and Mike Rodriguez. They’re opening [00:14:00] up Reaper HQ here in West Palm Beach, and I wanna kinda go through… mikey told me that he, i- in the past, showing up with a white belt mentality every single day. Like, how does that hit you, Danny, with showing up as a white belt, and what does that mean to you?

Danny Tarantino: That means you’re being a good student and you’re prepared to learn. You could go there… This happens all the time, actually. You could go somewhere, you may know it, you may not know it, they teach it to you again, and you just take it in as if you’re a white belt and you just learn as much as you can. Everyone’s gonna teach it differently.

Applies to any other situation. And that’s what I hear when I hear that. 

Coach Fergie: Is there a humility to that, Mike? 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. Yeah. And it’s fine, I’m gonna cliche quote, “Empty your cup before you enter somewhere”- Sure … so that way you can always fill whatever knowledge. There’s always… even for someone that maybe is not as experienced as me, there’s always something that even with their teaching mentality or something that they could, you could pick up which is new or that could work for you.

So just be prepared to learn no matter what. Sure. Doesn’t matter who it is. If they’re instructing, there might be something- Sure … just something little thing that you can learn [00:15:00] from them. 

Coach Fergie: And that’s one thing that I really appreciate about all the guys at, from Gamblers days to other places, that when I showed up, they’re like- They welcomed me in.

It was just like, “Come on in.” Godwin, the late, great Alfonso, Mayfield, who we lost. He was our training partner and really good friends with Mike as well, and myself. He like… Just the people in that facility, if you keep coming back, will… You build almost a f- a family-like atmosphere, right?

Danny Tarantino: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: And that, that’s what is amazing with this. So we walk in the doors of Reaper HQ, right? What are we expecting the experience to be like when they walk in the door? 

Danny Tarantino: Warm welcome. Yes. 

Coach Fergie: What is that? What is that en- encompasses like- “Hey, 

Danny Tarantino: hey, how you doing? How can I help you?” Oh. And they say, “Hey, I read about you online.”

You say- Okay … “Great, come on in. We’d love to show you the place.” 

“

Danny Tarantino: This is what we do here at Reaper. These are our core values. This is our facility. This is how everything operates here, and any time you’re here, one of us will be with you if you have any questions. You want to do a free trial, we can do it today, [00:16:00] tomorrow.

Just 

Coach Fergie: find out here.” And Squall, if you meet Danny, like he’s a teddy bear. But when he gets… He’s this jacked dude that he’s like he looks like he’s been to war and back- … but he’s the nicest guy you’ll ever meet, man. I met him, we met at watching fights that night. Yeah. And I was like, “Dude, who’s this guy?”

He’s a nice guy. 

Mike Rodriguez: What’s funny is that, I would be teaching classes and somebody’ll walk onto the mat and they’ll come to him like, “Oh, hey, coach, how’s it going?” And I’m like- And I’m like, “No I’m sorry. It’s me.” 

Coach Fergie: I’ll be like, “Oh, eh? Little average guy.” Yeah. But what do you see then… you walk in.

You are getting introduced to the Reaper HQ. Is it going to be classes that are separated into levels? And also what do you guys really think about bringing the community in and how they- Do- In doing… Helping the community as well? 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. So for starters, like you guys are saying, when they walk in, I’m gonna…

We’re gonna have all those like outlines prepared for them in terms of “Hey, this is what this is for. This is what this is for.” W- My thing is, and when I [00:17:00] first started, I entered a welcoming academy, a welcoming instructor, but our biggest question is, “How can we help you?” So we have specific classes catered for every levels.

I’m gonna have a jujitsu program that’s gonna have be beginners from white belts to blue belt. That’s the goal, but it’s all, all levels. Sure. All levels. And it’s a class catered to those people who have never stepped onto the mat, don’t know how to move. We’re gonna have those beginner level classes.

We’re gonna have classes that are catered to “Hey, today is… This is a bag class. You’re gonna learn how to hold pads, and you’re gonna learn how to hit the bag.” We’re gonna have the classes catered to those beginners- 

Coach Fergie: Sure … 

Mike Rodriguez: but me and Danny also have the experience to teach and train a higher, at a higher level.

Higher level. So we are gonna have those classes and, cater to the guys who wanna progress at a h- competitive level. So ideally, our focus is to get everybody welcome to try it out, and we build them from there. So we have the options available for everybody. 

Sponsor Spot – Rize Mortgage: Love 

Mike Rodriguez: it. And then my mentality is just- If for whatever reason [00:18:00] there’s something that I personally can’t meet, hey I have no problem with guiding you, “Hey, try this place out or try this place out- 

Because the community needs to work together.” And- So … I think, and like I- That’s 

Danny Tarantino: humility, man. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. That’s humility. And like I said, I think there’s a place for everybody. 

Danny Tarantino: Yeah. 

Mike Rodriguez: So if I… Trust me, I wanna be the place that everybody feels- Sure … welcome to go to and just, n- but everybody has a different goal and a different need.

Yeah. Maybe this guy wants to fight professionally. If I don’t feel like I can get you there, which I think I can, but- Yeah, you can … if I don’t feel like- You’ve done it before 

Coach Fergie: with people- 

Mike Rodriguez: Yes … so yeah. And if I don’t feel like I’m that spot for you or my schedule or whatever, I wanna be able to pass you to, hey, this place is gonna get you to what you want.

It’s gonna 

Coach Fergie: get you there. 

Mike Rodriguez: And we 

Danny Tarantino: have a good network of other gyms and people, like- Yeah. Yeah … everyone’s pretty friendly in the martial arts world- 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah … 

Danny Tarantino: for the most part. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. Yeah. You’re gonna have the, I call them green-eyed monsters out there, they’re gonna s- they envy people.

They’re gonna see something new and be like, “Oh,” and protecting them. And that’s the biggest thing with even in mindset coaching, is that when you hoard stuff, you never [00:19:00] excel. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: You put money in the market or whatever it is. Yeah. If you hold back, you’re not gonna ever excel.

But, gentlemen we’re living in a world where kids are constantly plugged into screens. Yes. Instant gratification everywhere, and confidence, it takes away, rips their confidence. Like- Yeah … it, and becomes fragile. So what can martial arts, martial arts- … teach our, children about leaning into their best ultimate ten- p- ultimate potential, but also getting them off the screens and showing them- Yeah

there’s more to life? 

Mike Rodriguez: Do you mind if we both answer that one? Yeah, please. So from my experience the s- the screen is addictive, i’ve seen children that’s, their go-to. What they don’t realize is martial arts is a fun outlet. Some kids still love to go outside.

Hey, come to the gym. My classes are not gonna be catered to oh, we’re just gonna be, you’re gonna be gritty and tired. No, you’re gonna come have fun. 

Sponsor Spot – Rize Mortgage: Yeah. 

Mike Rodriguez: You’re gonna learn a martial art, you’re gonna have fun, you’re gonna have fun with other children, other, it’s- They, they need to realize that martial arts is a fun gateway to

They, they won’t [00:20:00] realize, but to their future. Yeah. Because the discipline and the fun that you learn from it- 

… 

Mike Rodriguez: Is gonna shape your future. 

Coach Fergie: Sure. 

Mike Rodriguez: Danny, you wanna- 

Danny Tarantino: The way, for me, I feel like we’re talking about how the screens are, like, they’re having a negative impact on the, the youth coming up- Yeah

and how we could use martial arts to keep them kinda foc- focused focused and structured. We were, we’re like at age where we just were at a time where there were no cell phones, luckily. We’re only 32, but it, I can see how it went from nothing to where it is now. You can’t get off the phone at all.

Coach Fergie: Yeah.

Danny Tarantino: The way that I used to look at it when I had trouble training sometimes, I would be like, “I could play video games here, and I could level up my thing on here- Yes … or I could trick my brain to going into martial arts and leveling up my kick.” And if I could instill that in kids- … “hey, this is like a real-life game.

You’re on here playing buttons. We could go in here, get your kicks up or your punches up and your jabs up.”

Coach Fergie: That is an awesome analogy. 

Danny Tarantino: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: Oh my gosh. Went to start- I picked up on that, where it’s like, it’s “Hey you’re doing all these things on your screen. Come do it for real.”

Danny Tarantino: And you’re loving it on the screen. In real life, it’s 10 times better. Yeah. 

Mike Rodriguez: It’s addictive. Real, real quick, we’re patenting that idea, so nobody could turn that into- … okay? Our thing. A, 

Danny Tarantino: a, [00:21:00] a martial arts RPG- it’s yes … real-life tracker app, where every time you do something, you get experience. 

Coach Fergie: So let’s talk about that nervous parent that’s about to drop their kid off at Reaper, right?

Like- what do you want them to feel within the first five minutes? 

Danny Tarantino: Safe. 

Mike Rodriguez: Safe. 

Danny Tarantino: Their child is safe with us. Okay. There’s no predatory things. There’s no danger of them getting hurt. Yes. They’re not being misled, and they’re not being- Yes … scammed, robbed, or anything of the night. I- You know, the parent. Yeah, 

Mike Rodriguez: I also wanna drive that.

The parents should somewhat participate in terms of- Yeah, I love that … being present. Yeah. Be visual. Like- Yes … i’m a big nitpicker on this. Like- … sometimes I like to teach, and I don’t really want a parent s- “Hey, don’t interrupt.” “I got this.” But I would love for them just to be present and visual.

Understand what your child’s learning, understand where their difficulties are, and keep that to yourself, and then when you leave, you could work on it together, or I can even advise you, “Hey, he did a great job. Th- if this is a struggle, then this is how we’re gonna work on it.” But the fact that they show up is right there and then.

Yeah. “Yo, great job.” I really like to advise parents be present. May- if your kid is shy, and [00:22:00] maybe th- your kid doesn’t wanna, hey, stick around, wait outside. But it’s… I think it’s a parent should be observant of what’s going on, not j- for the, the child’s safety, ’cause I…

we’re gonna be a safe environment, but just to understand, like, how your child is developing and how you can even learn for yourself. That’s something I would eventually wanna do, is have a parent-child class. Let them join together. That’s cool. Let them, let them- Yeah … have fun together and understand, okay, this is what they’re doing, and maybe they might wanna try it themselves.

Yeah. But I 

Coach Fergie: mean I know I’ve brought it up already, and it’s a tender subject with you and me, Mikey- Yes … but, like, when Alfonso would bring- 

Mike Rodriguez: Yes … Eden. 

Coach Fergie: Eden. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: Yep. Eden. Shout out to Eden. Yeah, shout out to Eden. Listen in here, Eden, we miss your dad. Yeah. You have no idea.

But just having that, and it just sounds like a place where… I think the… I don’t wanna put the cart before the horse, but I think this is gonna grow. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yes. 

Coach Fergie: Because- I- … you don’t see that too much with the martial arts- Yeah … schools around here. ‘Cause you guys are getting involved with the community, the police, the firefighters, the schools and [00:23:00] stuff like that, right?

Yeah. I mean- The vets. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. Yeah. The veterans. No more guys. Yeah. That, that’s amazing. That, 

Mike Rodriguez: yeah. 

Coach Fergie: Tell me, we got a few minutes left, but, like- what’s our dates for opening, and can one of you guys tell the location real quick? It 

Mike Rodriguez: is- Yeah … I got it. Hold on. I j- I 

Coach Fergie: ha- It’s actually 5033 Okeechobee Boulevard Yeah, 

Mike Rodriguez: thanks 

Coach Fergie: Again, 5033 Okeechobee Boulevard.

Mike Rodriguez: The Guitar Center Plaza. 

Coach Fergie: Guitar Center Plaza. Which is- And that’s in Haverhill in Oke, right? Yeah. 

Haverhill in Okeechobee, which I’m stoked for the grand opening. What are we kinda looking for a soft open or something like that, guys? 

Mike Rodriguez: We are looking to st- have a soft open mid-November. 

Coach Fergie: Okay. 

Mike Rodriguez: So that way we can get everything in there.

I we wanna get some trial classes going on a skeleton version of our s- of our schedule. 

Yeah. Once, we wanna do it for about a month. I would hope as early as first, second week of December- Okay … we’re gonna do a grand opening. 

And, I’m gonna try to make it into as an event.

We wanna have fun. We will make it into- We will make it an event … I promise you that Absolutely. Yeah. Let’s do 

Danny Tarantino: not the second week. December 1st, [00:24:00] that’s what we’re shooting for. There’s no reason that… We can make 

Mike Rodriguez: that happen. I agree. I agree. December 1st- It’s true … new year Totally 

Danny Tarantino: true … 

Mike Rodriguez: all the people- I j- I like to give-

they wanna do something … some, some breathing room, but yeah, you’re right 

Danny Tarantino: Yeah. We forgot 

Mike Rodriguez: to do breathing. 

Danny Tarantino: I 

Mike Rodriguez: love the flip, Danny. But we’re gonna- Love it … this is gonna be an event, and this is gonna be a fun event for everybody to be welcome for. I wanna invite all my friends, all of our community members,

Danny Tarantino: No experience necessary.

Mike Rodriguez: No Come on down. Exactly. Exactly. We’re gonna be, we’re gonna offer- I love that, 

Coach Fergie: dude Yeah … actually. 

Danny Tarantino: I want them to 

Coach Fergie: know that. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. We’re gonna have- Come on down … some little raffles and l- some, offer some fun gear- Some food maybe? … 

Coach Fergie: and events. Yeah. Yeah. So- and squad that’s out there listening, I know firsthand what it’s like to walk into an academy where, with Danny I’ve y- I haven’t, unfortunately haven’t been, but w- with Mike, he’s a black belt, and he shows up with a white belt mentality every day.

And that’s something, he razzes me and jabs me about being old and- I 

Mike Rodriguez: never. No, I’m a nice guy. 

Coach Fergie: Don’t listen. The wrestling and stuff like that. But no, I really appreciate you guys, man, what you’re doing, because this is a breath of fresh air to our area. It’s needed in our area. It’s, the confidence in these kids is gonna you guys are planting trees you’re never [00:25:00] gonna sit in the shade of.

With- if you guys, when you guys do this right, you guys are gonna have these kids going off to college and whatnot- … and then coming back to the school and helping out- … during the summers. I see that. 

Mike Rodriguez: Yeah. 

Coach Fergie: I’m so happy you guys are 

Danny Tarantino: doing this. It’s the vision. I’m really glad to hear that, because that’s literally the goal.

Yeah. And that kind, now that you just said that into this space, it’s, I’m like, someone else- See the holiness … sees what we’re seeing too. Yeah. Yeah. The holiness. ‘Cause we’re always talking about this stuff. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. 

Danny Tarantino: Y- my first martial arts instructor, I don’t talk to him anymore. But look what he did.

He grew this from when I was a child, same thing with him. Yeah. And now we can do that. 

Coach Fergie: Yeah. 

Danny Tarantino: I think that’s beautiful. 

Coach Fergie: Squad, all, everything’s gonna be in the show notes below. I know there’s an Instagram page for it, and then once I get, they have a direct phone number where you can call them.

I’ll put that in there, and I’ll also do an announcement on it. Guys, thank you so much for coming in. Thank you. Thank you to WJNO. Thank you to Brian Mudd, my producer, and all the troops out there doing the deed. Please stay safe. We absolutely love you. Have a great weekend, squad.