Shownotes
About
In this milestone 200th episode of Tapped In, David Figueroa-Martinez reflects on the unexpected journey of reaching 200 episodes. What started as an idea during the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a consistent platform for honest Jiu-Jitsu discussion. David breaks down the parallels between podcasting and grappling—specifically how embracing imperfection, pushing past self-doubt, and committing to consistency will outpace raw talent every time. Whether you're navigating white belt struggles or trying to build a sustainable training schedule, this episode offers an insightful look into why showing up is the ultimate key to progress.
Key Takeaways
- Consistency Outpaces Everything: You don't need to train six days a week to progress; showing up consistently two to three times a week builds steady, undeniable growth over time.
- Embrace "Good Enough" Over Perfection: Waiting for the perfect moment or execution on the mat (or in life) holds you back; real progress comes from committing fully to an imperfect move.
- Don't Be Afraid to Be a White Belt Again: Stepping into new, unfamiliar territories—whether starting Jiu-Jitsu later in life or trying a new skill—keeps you grounded and expands your mental resilience.
Chapters
- 00:00 – Introduction: Reaching Episode 200
- 01:10 – Early Podcast Origins During COVID-19
- 03:20 – Age, Urgency, and Perspective at 45
- 05:45 – Designing an Easily Digestible Show
- 08:10 – The Power of Imperfection in Jiu-Jitsu and Podcasting
- 11:00 – Embracing the "Good Enough" Mindset on the Mat
- 13:30 – Stepping Back into White Belt Territory
- 16:00 – Why Consistency Beats Everything Else
- 19:15 – Community, Support, and Looking to the Future
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Transcripts
Full Transcript
00:00 | Welcome to Tapped In. My name is David Figueroa-Martinez of DFM Coaching, and today we are recording Episode 200. This feels a bit like a big win, but at the same time, a little odd. I didn't anticipate that we would get this far; I didn't anticipate that I would get to 200, I didn't anticipate that I'd get to 100.
00:30 | I didn't know what this would really become. I had an idea for it, I toyed around with it during COVID, I even did a couple of interviews or conversations with old teammates on Zoom. I have them recorded somewhere, and maybe someday I'll put them together, but I didn't know what I wanted to do. It was a weird time—it was a time where you had a shitload of time on your hands, specifically if you were remote. And I just didn't know what to do with it.
01:10 | So I got writing. I wrote an MMA short novel or ebook, which is a story of a specific character that I put together. I remember writing most of that during COVID, and then I just recently finished it. Now I'm in that phase of like, "Do I put this out? Is it worth it? Are people going to read it?" It's this weird hesitation that I've always had with projects that I do.
02:00 | I did the same thing with the podcast at first. I didn't have a name, I didn't have any genuine concept of what I was going to do with it. But I sat there, had a couple of conversations with friends, and the idea just kind of went away and died for a bit while I went on to some other stuff. Doing things like this is a big challenge for people in general, but when you're an introvert, putting yourself out there is a little scary. You don't want to, but you want to.
02:50 | The older I've gotten, the less I care. I'm at a stage—45—where I find there's this weird concern of, "Where am I going to be in 5 years? I'll be 50. In 10 years, 55—that's scary." Retirement isn't that far off from work when you really think about it. Where is my health going to be? Will I be able to do the things I'm doing now? As I've gotten a little older, time has created a little bit of an urgency. In that urgency, I want to try as many different things as possible now.
03:40 | I don't worry about the concern of looking bad, failing, or looking goofy as much as I may have back in the day. I understand that what I'm doing, especially at this age, at one point wasn't the thing to do. I don't want to reach 60, look back, and think of the things that I wished I had done. When I get to 60, I want to be able to say, "Hey, I scratched these things off, I was successful with this, I was not successful with that, I messed up a lot, I figured some things out." That's really where I'm at right now.
04:30 | The more I do these, the more I see that nothing that I'm doing is perfect. Nothing that anyone else is doing is perfect—even the people I look up to, like BJJ Mental Models or Steve Kwan. What he's doing is amazing. I look at these guys envious in some ways, seeing them as mentors, and wondering, "How are they doing it? How are they putting it together?"
05:15 | So when I put this together, I wanted something that was going to be easily digestible. I researched what the average commute time is in the United States—I think it said 23 to 27 minutes. All right, so that's how long I'm going to make the podcast. How many times a week do I want to release this without burning myself out? When I started, I didn't know if I was even going to have enough material to do several times a week for a year or six months.
06:05 | It reminds me of when I started teaching. I had this 5 AM program three days a week, and I was worried that I would run out of techniques because in my brain I felt like I didn't know that many techniques. But when you start actually plotting the class out, you realize, "Oh, I do know more than I think I do." There's a whole mental BJJ junk drawer of techniques that you don't utilize every day, but you know them.
07:00 | So that's what happened with the podcast. I wondered how I was going to talk about things several times a week for 23 to 27 minutes without getting bored or running out of topics. But Jiu-Jitsu is this weird thing where there's all these different things you can talk about and utilize, and before you know it, you're a year and a half to two years in and still learning.
07:45 | The other thing that I consciously did when it came to this podcast was that I wanted it to be imperfect. Too often we watch Jiu-Jitsu highlights on social media and we're looking at the finished product of years or a decade of work. We think that the things we do have to be perfect in order for them to succeed, but in reality, they just need to be good enough.
08:30 | My reminder to people who listen to this show is that you can listen to all the imperfections in it. I don't heavily edit this podcast; I'm not the greatest speaker necessarily, but I consciously try to get better. That is the element of Jiu-Jitsu that I want people to take from my game—both on the mats and on the mic—that none of this is going to be perfect.
09:20 | That technique that you're trying to hit in round three of an open mat when you're exhausted—you're looking for the perfect moment, angle, and leverage. Often times that does not exist. Your job is just to hit the move and be 100% committed behind it. That commitment can hide all the imperfections because you're dialed in.
10:10 | Most of the techniques you're going to hit are rarely perfect. What happens is you get a little bit better, you start understanding at purple, brown, or black belt: "I don't need to be perfect; I just have to be good enough." In that understanding, everything else follows. I just have to off-balance you, take advantage of it, and then something is going to happen. The same happens with this podcast—it's not perfect, but I own it. Your Jiu-Jitsu isn't perfect, mine isn't perfect, and we aren't supposed to be—we're just supposed to strive to get better every time.
11:15 | When I started this podcast, I had to take a step back and enter that white belt stage all over again in a new field. I didn't know what mic to get, a student had to loan me his, I didn't know what soundboard I needed, I didn't know how to frame episodes. Putting myself into that white belt stage again was challenging. I look back at some early episodes and think, "Ugh, the quality or pacing wasn't great."
12:15 | But I am still trying to figure it out and stumbling across all of it, making mistakes and learning from them. The one thing that I can control is how consistent I am. For the last year and a half, it's been three episodes a week, sometimes a fourth. Consistency is what got me somewhere as a Jiu-Jitsu athlete, student, and teacher. I built a morning program by showing up three times a week, paying attention to the student base, pacing, and what they needed.
13:20 | The one thing you can control over everything is consistency. It doesn't have to be five or six times a week—two or three times a week is plenty. Three is the magic number, but if you go two times, be focused every week. Your consistency will outpace so many other people. Most podcasts don't get past episode 10; I'm at 200. Most people quit before blue belt or purple belt. Consistency creates true value and puts the right mindset behind what you're doing.
14:30 | Look back at how many people you outlasted to get to blue, purple, or brown belt. Look back at the people who used to smash you, and now because of your consistency, you're starting to smash them. Consistency is everything. Time on the mat and time on the project gives you a benefit that other people just aren't going to get.
15:30 | Don't quit on yourself—even on those days where you don't feel like podcasting, training, or going into the gym. Push through that doubt when your mind tries to trick you into thinking no one is listening or paying attention. Consistency gives you miles on the mat, and those miles equate to getting better.
16:30 | Find a community that really makes a difference for you. If you're in a gym that isn't student-friendly, you're going to hate what you're doing. Find a community that is right for you above everything else.
17:20 | Reaching Episode 200 has been genuinely rewarding. I didn't think I would get here or have the following that I do. I forget that people I know listen, and then someone like Cooper will send me a screenshot of him listening to the show on his TV. It's weird to me, but I genuinely appreciate it.
18:10 | One of the reasons I wanted to start this podcast was because the loudest people in Jiu-Jitsu are often the shittiest people with shitty opinions. I wanted to give a voice to the people who just love to train, want to be good to people, and want to be positive and uplifting.
19:00 | Life is good right now, largely due to the interactions and support I get from all of you. I'm looking forward to expanding our workshops, potentially doing seminars, and maybe bringing on a guest every so often if they fit the show.
stions, please hit me up @dfm.:
