James Pomerantz

And I'm sitting in my mom's basement with my brother and I'm watching this and I'm about 20 years old. And I think, holy shit, I got to do that. And so him and I, we start, we decide I'm going to start training and I'm going to fight in mixed martial arts. How long between that decision and your first fight? I couldn't say, I look back on it. I mean, maybe a year and a half, maybe two.

And I'm sitting in my mom's basement with my brother and I'm watching this and I'm about 20 years old. And I think, holy shit, I got to do that. And so him and I, we start, we decide I'm going to start training and I'm going to fight in mixed martial arts. How long between that decision and your first fight? I couldn't say, I look back on it. I mean, maybe a year and a half, maybe two.

And I'm sitting in my mom's basement with my brother and I'm watching this and I'm about 20 years old. And I think, holy shit, I got to do that. And so him and I, we start, we decide I'm going to start training and I'm going to fight in mixed martial arts. How long between that decision and your first fight? I couldn't say, I look back on it. I mean, maybe a year and a half, maybe two.

I wrestled all through high school and I was an okay wrestler and a decent grappler. Um, and I had my fair share of, of, of bar fights and things like that. Right. So not that that gets you too far, but at least I knew I could take a punch. It's exposure to violence that most people quite frankly don't have. And I was familiar on a mat, and so I go and look for the nearest jujitsu gym.

I wrestled all through high school and I was an okay wrestler and a decent grappler. Um, and I had my fair share of, of, of bar fights and things like that. Right. So not that that gets you too far, but at least I knew I could take a punch. It's exposure to violence that most people quite frankly don't have. And I was familiar on a mat, and so I go and look for the nearest jujitsu gym.

I wrestled all through high school and I was an okay wrestler and a decent grappler. Um, and I had my fair share of, of, of bar fights and things like that. Right. So not that that gets you too far, but at least I knew I could take a punch. It's exposure to violence that most people quite frankly don't have. And I was familiar on a mat, and so I go and look for the nearest jujitsu gym.

That's kind of BJ Penn just kind of rolled onto the scene, and so you realize striking was not what it was. That wasn't the total game. You really had to have a good ground game. BJ Penn came on, so I look for a jujitsu gym. I start doing a little, like, Muay Thai. I get in this jujitsu gym with this guy, Patrick Robinson, and we're just doing mostly gi. I think it's pretty much...

That's kind of BJ Penn just kind of rolled onto the scene, and so you realize striking was not what it was. That wasn't the total game. You really had to have a good ground game. BJ Penn came on, so I look for a jujitsu gym. I start doing a little, like, Muay Thai. I get in this jujitsu gym with this guy, Patrick Robinson, and we're just doing mostly gi. I think it's pretty much...

That's kind of BJ Penn just kind of rolled onto the scene, and so you realize striking was not what it was. That wasn't the total game. You really had to have a good ground game. BJ Penn came on, so I look for a jujitsu gym. I start doing a little, like, Muay Thai. I get in this jujitsu gym with this guy, Patrick Robinson, and we're just doing mostly gi. I think it's pretty much...

primarily Gi wrestling. Um, and he takes a job as the head wrestling coach for, uh, one of the local high schools. And I tell, you know, he agrees, he'll take me on as assistant coach. So now I'm coaching a little bit of high school wrestling. I'm in the gym, uh, grappling with this guy. Um, and his is like a, you know, it's like a sterile environment. Like it's like,

primarily Gi wrestling. Um, and he takes a job as the head wrestling coach for, uh, one of the local high schools. And I tell, you know, he agrees, he'll take me on as assistant coach. So now I'm coaching a little bit of high school wrestling. I'm in the gym, uh, grappling with this guy. Um, and his is like a, you know, it's like a sterile environment. Like it's like,

primarily Gi wrestling. Um, and he takes a job as the head wrestling coach for, uh, one of the local high schools. And I tell, you know, he agrees, he'll take me on as assistant coach. So now I'm coaching a little bit of high school wrestling. I'm in the gym, uh, grappling with this guy. Um, and his is like a, you know, it's like a sterile environment. Like it's like,

People are trying to gently, sophisticatedly roll in a game. The nerd assassin. It's the nerd assassin. And then when I show up, it's like there's sweat all over the entire mat.

People are trying to gently, sophisticatedly roll in a game. The nerd assassin. It's the nerd assassin. And then when I show up, it's like there's sweat all over the entire mat.

People are trying to gently, sophisticatedly roll in a game. The nerd assassin. It's the nerd assassin. And then when I show up, it's like there's sweat all over the entire mat.

Right. And he eventually is like, hey, Tom, all right, listen, I got... Let me suggest something to you. I got some guys. Maybe you'll fit in really well over here. And he gives me the number to this little this little dungeon MMA gym called Dunlin Valley Tuto out of Chesterton, Indiana. He gives me the number to this guy. Keith and Justin was two brothers ran this gym.

Right. And he eventually is like, hey, Tom, all right, listen, I got... Let me suggest something to you. I got some guys. Maybe you'll fit in really well over here. And he gives me the number to this little this little dungeon MMA gym called Dunlin Valley Tuto out of Chesterton, Indiana. He gives me the number to this guy. Keith and Justin was two brothers ran this gym.

Right. And he eventually is like, hey, Tom, all right, listen, I got... Let me suggest something to you. I got some guys. Maybe you'll fit in really well over here. And he gives me the number to this little this little dungeon MMA gym called Dunlin Valley Tuto out of Chesterton, Indiana. He gives me the number to this guy. Keith and Justin was two brothers ran this gym.

And so I called Keith Wisniewski that night. He goes, yeah, come on in tomorrow night. You know, we practice at whatever, 6 p.m. And so I show up there and, you know, it's like the most vivid memory pulling into this parking lot of this shithole shopping mall at the very end in the worst part of town, all the way at the very end.

And so I called Keith Wisniewski that night. He goes, yeah, come on in tomorrow night. You know, we practice at whatever, 6 p.m. And so I show up there and, you know, it's like the most vivid memory pulling into this parking lot of this shithole shopping mall at the very end in the worst part of town, all the way at the very end.