Episode 552 - Mr. John Molyneux
Mr. John Molyneux is a martial arts practitioner, instructor, and the host of the Success Breeds Success Podcast. He is from the United Kingdom.
I've always been quite confident in myself. So, I go along to a Brazilian Jiujitsu class and put a white belt on, be humble, and just get on with it and have some purple belt strangle me out because there isn't any ego in the dojo and in any style.
Mr. John Molyneux - Episode 552
There are a few of us who were forced to the martial arts by our parents and eventually liked it but today's guest never liked it as a child only to find himself training as a grown man. Mr. John Molyneux started boxing during his time in the army that instilled discipline in him. Mr. Molyneux then started to train and teach Karate by accident when he found himself looking for a source of discipline after going out of the army. Today, he is a podcaster and he employs that discipline with entrepreneurship. Mr. John Molyneux tells his journey of martial arts from boxing to Muay Thai to Shotokan Karate and many more!
Show Notes
Mr. John Molyneux
Check out Mr. John Molyneux podcast, the Success Breeds Success Podcast, and check him on YoutubeWe mentioned Bruce Lee and the art of Lethwei
Show Transcript
You can read the transcript below or download it here.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Hey there, how's it going everybody? Welcome. This is whistlekick Martial Arts Radio Episode 552 with my guest today, Mr. John Molyneux. I am Jeremy Lesniak. I am your host, I'm the founder here at whistlekick and I love martial arts. And that's why everything we do here at whistlekick is in support of the traditional martial arts. What does that mean? Well, if you wanna know what that means, go to whistlekick.com. That's the place to learn about all of our projects and our products, products are in the store. If you buy one of them, you support the show. And if you use the code podcast15, you get 15% off, what do you, everybody wins. Our show has its very own website, whistlekickmartialartsradio.com, we bring you two episodes every week. And if you haven't been to that website, you should check it out. We're constantly improving it. And the goal of the show, well we're trying to connect, and educate, and entertain all of you traditional martial artists. We've been doing it for 5 and a half years, and there are no plans to stop. So thanks for your support. If you wanna help the show, if you wanna give back to the work that we're doing? Well, you've got a bunch of ways and I'm gonna name off of some of them right now. You can make a purchase, you could share an episode, you could follow us on social media, we're @whistlekick everywhere you could think, you could tell a friend about what we're doing, you know, point them to an episode, point them on a website, something like that. You could pick up one of our books on Amazon, we've got a bunch of them. Some of them are based on podcast episodes, some of them are not. So you could also leave a review on Facebook or Google or in the places that you listen to podcasts. If you've been listening to the show for years, and you've never left us review, please, please take a few minutes to it, it helps other people find the show. Or last but not least, you could support the Patreon P-A-T-R-E-O-N.com./whistlekick. Patreon is a place where we post exclusive content and if you contribute as little as $2 a month, you get access to at least some of it. The more you contribute, the more we give you access to. Just one of the ways that we help offset the cost of the show. This is not inexpensive to produce. Today's guest has done a lot and he's been all over the world doing it. And now he's here on martial arts radio to talk to me, and you get to listen to it. He's a fellow podcaster, he has trained in a variety of martial arts, and he tells some pretty great stories. There's a tremendous amount of discipline in this man and I think that that comes through loud and clear as we hear him tell his story. So here we go, Mr. Molyneux, welcome to whistlekick Martial Arts Radio.
John Molyneux:
It's actually a pleasure, I'd love to talk martial arts whenever I get a chance.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Me too and in this way I get to you know do it as part of my job, get to get to expense a whole bunch of things and say, no, no, I this is a business.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, it is good when you can when you can live up.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. Yeah. You know, I think we're in the midst of this kind of, I almost call it Golden Age, or maybe not Golden Age but this kind of transition. When we talk about the Golden Age of martial arts, most people think of the 60s and the early 70s. But I feel like we're, we're in the next 10 years I think we're coming to that next era as people start to realize, you know, martial arts is such a powerful tool given what's going on in the world what do you think?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I mean, I think it's always been kind of sort of preset especially with like youngsters and getting kids disciplined and stuff, especially in traditional martial arts. But yeah, I think I think it's kind of growing with with like, adults now isn't it? Like with the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is taking off, hasn't it? So everybody wants a piece of that done and, yeah, it's good. I mean, to me, it doesn't really matter which art it is 'coz they've all got, they've all got their own unique things that are appealing about them. So as long as you get involved in anything, I don't like the kind of cattiness that you do tend to find between sun arts and stuff. I'm really not right with all that. I think as long as you're studying any discipline, it doesn't really matter.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I'd rather have anybody training in the worst martial arts school than not at all.
John Molyneux:
Absolutely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
At least they're learning something and maybe they'll they'll decide to go somewhere else and get better.
John Molyneux:
Of course, yeah, it's like the way I look at it as well. It's not the actual art, it's the instructor. I mean, you can have a really good instructor in Muay Thai you can really bad instructor in Muay Thai, where you get down and really mad about the art itself is a lot of it is down to the instructor.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's right. Now, what about your start? When, when, where, how, why, you know, what was what was your first experience with martial arts?
John Molyneux:
Well, funny, you know, I mean, I was very much into the films, the movies when I was young, like, I was an 80s kid so it was all the Van Damme films and I like people aren't in stuff a lot. But yeah, Van Damme was very much a big thing at a time. So it's all I used to watch all of his films like Bloodsport and Kickboxer and all them kind of ones. But I actually went to a karate class when I was really young but I didn't, I think what it was I just watched the older kids fight. It was sports but I think it was like, the older kids fight, do the session and then the younger kids were after that, but I just seen all these bigger, bigger kids. And I thought oh I don't want to do it not so I never actually took it up. That's when I was really young. My dad took me to a class now I'm not interested in that. But then when I got a bit older, and I did a bit of military time, and then I took out the box in just a traditional box, and then in the army. And then after leaving the army, that's when I kind of got the book again, I thought I need to get my teeth into a bit of discipline. And so I was doing bits and bytes of stuff. I dabbled a little bit in Muay Thai, but then I fell into Karate. And then I did I was doing karate for many years and teaching, I was Sensei for a while. I was teaching Goju-ryu and Shotokan.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Now you brought up military service and for a lot of people, enlisting is the first time that they really get experienced with some some, what do you call it, martial arts or combatives? However you term it. But you took up boxing it, was it was it the exposure, the forced exposure, as opposed to a kid when you said, I don't wanna do that. What what was it that made you say, oh, yeah, I'm gonna, I'm gonna box my choice?
John Molyneux:
Well, it was it was one of them things in the military did the kind of really push you into anything like any kind of sport, any kind of yeah sort of martial arts or anything like if you kind of show a bit of initiative and a bit of like kind of passion for it, then they really do push you in that direction. Also you used to get a little bit of a few perks as well. If you're in the boxing team, then you'd you get the best, you get the first dibs at the meal times and stuff like get all the best healthy food and stuff like that. So that was always quite appealing as well.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Hmm. What was the reasoning on that? I haven't heard that before.
John Molyneux:
Well, like I said, because the army saw kind of behind any sports and really do kind of push you in that direction. If you get into sport, any kind of sport and you're in the military, that you're kind of like the "golden boy" the golden golden boys or the "golden girls" even so you really do get looked after.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So they're just willing to dangle whatever carrots they can to get people to do extra.
John Molyneux:
Pretty much but I used to like it I mean, you're up at six in the morning, you were doing the hill sprints and that kind of thing I used to I just used to thrive on that kind of thing.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay. All right so what what was your, what do you think of the boxing? It clearly stuck with you in some way but I'm, I guess why? That that's probably the root of the question.
John Molyneux:
Why boxing over anything else do you mean?
Jeremy Lesniak:
Or so we have people on the show, in my mind, we end up kind of with a timeline. You know, there's there's a Genesis of martial arts interest, which for you was movies.
John Molyneux:
Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
But you weren't ready. And then something happens either before, or during, or maybe after your time boxing, that that flipped a light switch, because people don't just go off and train in a bunch of martial arts and teach them willy nilly something happens that makes you say, this is a thing that is now part of me and I and I need to indulge it. Now I'm curious where that came from.
John Molyneux:
Well, yeah, I know what you're saying now I mean, the the boxing is I really channeled into that because I used to be get involved in fights. As a kid, I was a bit of a scrappy, you know, in the street and all that kind of thing, that pub so that the boxing was good for me in the military, because it kind of gives you that discipline, and that kind of bit more a bit more respect and that kind of thing. But once leaving the military, I kind of lacked discipline I was I was kind of back into civilian life and not really have in any direction. And then, like, I did the art class and everything, but it's a Thai boxing and that kind of thing. And then I I kind of stumbled into karate by mistake because there was a club in where I live in the southwest now. And they were just saying, look, we'll teach you to be instructors. But part of that was to build classes. So I'd go knocking the doors, it was a door knocking situation, but I also got the free karate train as well. So it was kind of tied in together. So that was worthy. I kind of lacked the discipline that I was missing from the military. So I focused and dedicated my my efforts into that.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And you recognized that martial arts would provide that for you?
John Molyneux:
A 100%...
Jeremy Lesniak:
You sought it out for that reason.
John Molyneux:
It it yeah, it was it was it was obvious that that that's where I would be able to get some discipline from yeah, yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh well. Okay. So you they really sent you out knocking on doors to recruit martial arts students?
John Molyneux:
Absolutely. Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It sounds it sounds a bit and I don't mean to be disrespectful. It sounds like the the cliche that we would see in a TV show of a cult. I'm sure I'm sure it wasn't. Well I I can't be sure that it wasn't but...
John Molyneux:
Well yeah, it was...
Jeremy Lesniak:
Right? Okay, well, if you wanna join, you've got to go get 10 friends to join and then you can join and then we're gonna get them. Right? That's a multi level marketing.
John Molyneux:
The theory behind and it was true was was that you actually got the people skills and the sales skills when you're out tapping the doors, and then they're transferred over into the classes because you in a way once you once you teach and to try and keep the keep the students and have the relationships with the with the parents and keep that kind of thing going. You've already overcome these objections and stuff that you were seen on the door, they kind of cross over into the dojo as well. So it does kind of set you up for that for the actual public classes, if you want to put it out there.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Makes a lot of sense. Now you said you ended up teaching karate. I heard goju and, what was the other one, shotokan.
John Molyneux:
Shotokan and goju, yeah, yep.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So you stuck with it for a bit?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I mean, unfortunately Jeremy, it came to the stage where it just wasn't making any money. They had X amount of Senseis that were under underneath, it was a little bit like a pyramid scheme. You got the two wrenches at the top. So they were like fourth or fifth dans. They did all right for me, because obviously, they were covering quite a large part of the country like the Southwest so that they had quite a lot of instructors underneath them. But me in a small area of Cornwall, where it's not very built up. I mean, that's instructors in the city, like Plymouth and place thought so you've got more people more kind of, but where I'm living, it's kind of a bit more sort of, shall we say, less populated and stuff. So to get the big classes is more tricky. So for me, the only reason I threw the towel in is because it wasn't making any money it wasn't. She was yeah, it just wasn't able to make me a living like it did with some of the others. But I mean, I stuck it out and got short on haul. That's what I wanted to achieve. I didn't want to walk away with with a purple belt, or even a, you know, in a third key or anything like I wanted to get that shot on hand and that the fact that I achieved that. And I thought well, at least now, I know I've done that I can I can take that off and kinda, that's that's where I got to with karate does.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay. So you see you leave that program. You've got some, some black around your waist, feeling good and then what was the next step?
John Molyneux:
That's a good question. Because I mean, the passion of the martial arts is never gonna go. But I thought, well, the my karate journey is over now so then I sort of branched back into well, what do I do now, where do I take this now because I still have the competitive urges and stuff. But it's like, well, other arts not necessarily about the grading. So I've dabbled with a bit of Wing Chun and stuff, never did any grades, but just just tied a little with it. I do like to do me on Qigong stuff at home and nunchucks and stuff like that. So I tend to do my own stuff as well. So I do really like the kind of flowing arts of the Chinese like the Tai Chi and Qigong and that kind of stuff. So I do a lot of that. But I'm also really into Muay Thai, I competed a few years ago, went back up north. For a couple of times, I did I did traditional boxing fights up north. For a friend of mine, he's got his own show called the birth fist boxing show. It's Bare-knuckle boxing, basically. But we've actually legalized it over here, you can get licensed for bare-knuckle boxing and again over here in the last few years, so I actually competed in that what the style is called. Have you heard of Lethwei with Dave Leduc?
Jeremy Lesniak:
I have actually.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, well, we actually got that money to fight that in his show was the first show in the UK. So I actually I was actually the first person to fight Lethwei on British soil. Me and my opponent were the first first people to fight. It was quite cool because it was it was nice, because it's very much like Muay Thai, but you you do fight bare-knuckle and well you do have handwraps, so you have wraps, but you can actually headbutt as well, which is a very unusual concept. So it does take some getting used to. I don't think any of us managed to, to learn that the headbutts in but I think one of us might have tried, but yeah, it's definitely it's definitely a fun, fun style.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So the first one, and I know I know the term and I've looked it up before, but I can't remember, how do you spell that?
John Molyneux:
Lethwei is L-E-T-H-W-E-I.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Okay. And there may be people out there who want to want to look that up and I'm gonna write it down as well make sure we get that in the show notes. And so you're doing that, you're doing your boxing, and are you say Muay Thai. If the competitive side. I mean, that wasn't part of the story that we heard from you early, was this something that have you always been a competitive person, or did this just kind of pop up one day?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I've always been sort of kind of competitive. But the thing with martial arts is what I like about it the most is you compete against yourself. For me, I compete against myself more than anybody else. It's not so much my opponent because I don't I'm not, I have no fear of losing so that that doesn't bother me at all. I'm competing to better myself.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Hmm, okay that makes sense. And how did those fights go?
John Molyneux:
They went really well. They unfortunately, I lost the Lethwei fight, but it was a little bit naive, really, because he, he was a an ogre. Basically, he was he was a lot heavier than me and he was supposed to lose quite a considerable, considerable amount of weight before the boat. And he didn't, to be honest. Yeah, it got to the weigh in and he was kind of like seven kilograms heavier than me, which is quite a considerable amount. That's probably like two weight weight categories.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah.
John Molyneux:
So yeah, well, it was a good fight. And the first round I was kind of all over him because I was getting some good punches but he his kicks were phenomenal. He his legs were like tree trunks. And by the second or third round, he was dropping these bombs, these kicks on man, I just couldn't my legs were black and blue and I ended up throwing the towel in but it was a good fight.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah, that's I mean, that's, that's a considerable weight difference. People that that haven't really thought, and I'm included, but I've you know, I've gone hard with some people who are bigger than me. You know, it doesn't matter skill skill will get you far, but it's way more mass behind those hands and those feet.
John Molyneux:
Weight and power is is a big factor. That's why they have weight categories, isn't it? Because it's you have an unfair advantage if you're half a stone heavier than somebody.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Absolutely. Absolutely. Are you still competing? 'Coz that still I mean, I don't know anybody's competing right now but, COVID aside?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I mean, exactly, you just hit the nail on the head, I mean, that there are certain things you can do but it's slowly getting some normality back to it. I'm not gonna start wearing any kind of masks or doing anything a lot. But I think there is some local boxing classes going on and stuff. But it's kind of because we've had such a big gap. It's that kind of getting back into isn't it? It's very tricky and a bit of a challenge to kind of dust yourself off and get get the rats back on, I suppose.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah, yeah, certainly not easy to pick it back up after it's been put down for so long. And, you know, maybe you're a good person to, to speak to that a bit. Because you've had some of these transitional moments. And, you know, I don't think there's any time that's more difficult to start training in, then not only after you haven't been training for a little while, but really detaching yourself from your former martial arts home. So you know, when when you left the karate school, and you started doing some of these other things, how did you motivate yourself? How did you decide, you know, this is the day this is how I'm gonna approach it. This is how you know where I'm gonna go to find my next art or school.
John Molyneux:
Well, that's a really good question. I mean, for me, I've always been quite confident in myself and friendly and and open to just just being a sponge and absorbing new new information. So I'll go to I'll go along to a BJJ class on a whack of white belt on and just be humble and just get on with it and have some like, some, some little purple belt strangle me out also, because there isn't any ego in any dojo in any, any style. So I've always found it quite easy to just adapt and show the respect to whoever the instructor is.
Jeremy Lesniak:
There isn't any ego in any style. I'm assuming you mean inherent in the style that it's the ego comes from from people.
John Molyneux:
Exactly. Yeah, of course. Yeah. I mean, yeah, that's, that's one of the things I was I was trying to say that I never go into any situation with it, especially with a brand new art and a blank brand new class with, with any kind of egos thinking or about this amount of experience in this style, or whatever you have to kind of, if anybody of you, who have got a lot of big background in X style, and you're looking to try something new. Just walk into that dojo, humble, and ready to learn with a clean, blank slate really, that's that's what I would recommend.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Here on the show, we talked about it a bit as a white belt mentality. And I don't know if you've had the same experience I have, but I love being in the back of the room wearing a white belt. Not having anybody expecting me to know anything. I can mess up all I want. And nobody looks at me funny. They just think oh, he's a white belt.
John Molyneux:
Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's great. There's no pressure.
John Molyneux:
In some ways I prefer prefer a style or that's why I love about Muay Thai class because you're all you're all equal. I mean, don't get me wrong, some do where the band isn't there they've got the arm bands and stuff on suggest that the x level or whatever, but a lot of the time if you're going to a Muay Thai class, there's no levels. There's that you're not like in grades which I do understand what the Japanese martial arts and that is all about. Because if you look at the old style, that's how they used to do it the experienced I don't know if you know they still or not, but they're all they're experienced black belts were near to the exit. So that if if if a tribe or a rival club or a rival karate dojo was gonna attack them, they were the first ones to defend the dojo or so that's why it's structured in that way. But all right...
Jeremy Lesniak:
It makes sense.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, yeah. So it makes sense to me what the Japanese were the disparate and the grid system and all that. But I don't quite like a bit of Muay Thai class or a boxing class something is everybody's equal, and he can just spar or train and, and there's no kind of, or well, you're about to go and try and move that green belt or you to white belt trends. Do that make sense? You can all kind of mix it up.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's just based on, it's just skill.
John Molyneux:
Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Skill stands for itself as it would in traditional sports, traditional team sports, you know, there's isn't necessarily doesn't rank on the, on the football field but everybody knows who the best players are.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. So true. So true.
Jeremy Lesniak:
All right. So that's what you have been kind of leading up to now. So what's going on now? You know, I'm assuming you're doing some training on your own, you've got some stuff that you're working on, you know, what's happening?
John Molyneux:
Yeah well, I mean, what I'm doing quite a lot of at the moment is like the meditate and stuff because keep in mind, right? And everything, I'm very busy with my business or so I do a lot of because what because of the the sales, that's what I do know, I go by the name of Sales Samurai, because that's my brand. So what the idea of that is, I kind of talk about and blend the two together. So I talk about my my martial arts background, and I talk about how it helps with sales. And the kind of skills can cross over like the, the discipline and the patience. So you've got to be patient with prospects, you've got to be patient with clients, that kind of thing. So that the two definitely helped each other.
Jeremy Lesniak:
We've we've heard your your martial arts background, I'm assuming you didn't just roll over one day and say, I'm gonna start teaching people how to sell there, there must have been some sales aspect to your life somewhere along the line?
John Molyneux:
Well, if you think about it, when I was doing door-to-door, that is the door, I did five or six years of door-to-door selling. So that's...
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh wow I didn't realize it was that long.
John Molyneux:
Yeah so I mean, if you talk to anybody in sales, that door-to-door is the toughest sales sales, isn't it?
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yes.
John Molyneux:
So the fact that I did it for so long, gives me quite a good say, an expertise if you want to put it that way.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. It's quite the education.
John Molyneux:
Absolutely. Yeah yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And I can I can imagine I, as a kid, I had a friend who was selling magazines, you know, the kind of standard fare back of the comic book. You send out, you know, with $1 99, they send you a kickback, and you go around the neighborhood and sell magazines, and I went out with him one day. And it was one of the most disastrous, least productive things I think I've ever seen done. You know, we had door shut in our face and we were kids we're like, 10 years old. People not answering the door and peeking at us through curtains, you know, just all that stuff. So I imagine you have some stories like that. I wonder if anything big and dramatic happened as you went door to door.
John Molyneux:
Well, I wouldn't say big and dramatic but yeah, all those kinds of things. I used to get a lot of which. I don't deal with cold callers thought that was quite a good one. So you put up what I just used to try and make make a joke feel I'll make laugh see I'm not a cold caller, I'm quite warm tonight. Look, I've got a stick jacket on. So you know, I just try and lighten the mood and make a joke of things. But uh, yeah, these get the door slam in quite a lot are just, that is part of the part of the job. I mean, I got to the stage where after, like, I could only have to speak to somebody for like 5 or 10 seconds. I knew whether they were gonna have an appointment or not. So you do get some kind of acute senses and sales skills from doing it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And those skills are pretty valuable. You talked a little bit earlier about how those translate over into the martial arts world. But what about the other way? How does how does martial arts help you selling?
John Molyneux:
Well, again, like I mentioned the discipline, because sales are not even so much sales, but just just business or entrepreneurship, it crosses over to all that kind of stuff. But yeah, discipline and patience like selling to repair some people or even perseverance. So just keep doing like also repetitive repetition. So with with your when you're doing stuff in your karate class, you repeatedly punch in are you doing the same kicks over and over again? With the sales you're reading the same pictures over and over again. Are you dialing the same numbers over and over again. So there's lots of ways that they kind of cross over.
Jeremy Lesniak:
So you you've got this this brand this Sales Samurai.
John Molyneux:
Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And how does that how does that manifest? You know what, what I guess what are you putting out for people?
John Molyneux:
Well, I've done quite a bit well, to be honest, what I need to work on it a bit more. It's just um there's obviously so many things I'm trying to do.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's a very martial arts inspired statement, right?
John Molyneux:
Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
But I need to train more.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. But I mean, I've put a little bit of content on my YouTube channel with regards to martial arts, what I'm trying to do with with that was kind of demonstrations or self-defenses to flop with, with sales tips put in, blended into it, because you look on YouTube. And it's hundreds of thousands of martial arts dedicated channels with with whatever Karlee are, there's hundreds of styles and good good YouTube channels. And you've got probably quite a lot of equal amounts of sales tips and sales channels, but you haven't got many blends of the two. So that was my initial idea was to do martial arts demonstrations and tips and self-defense, but I had my sales tips and stuff in there. So that's, I've done a couple of it, I do need to work on that and focus and more time on it. But the trouble I have with that as well is a lot of self-defense techniques like grabs and holds and locks and kind of things that I could demonstrate, you do require a partner. And again, with this current climate, it's not ideal for that. So that's kind of a project that is a little bit on the back burner. But I am putting together my first book, which is the Sales Samurai, how to get your black belt in sales, that's, that's gonna be I'm putting that together. So I've got loads of different projects around the brand of Sales Samurai, but it's just kind of piecing them all together.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sure. I suspect for everybody listening to this right now, if I said, you know what, picture in your mind a black belt, you know what that person is, even if they train in a style that doesn't do rank in quite that way. We all have an image in our mind of who and what a black belt is. But what about a black belt in sales? I don't think I can, if you said what's a black belt in sales look like? I don't know that I could answer that. So I'm gonna ask you what, what is the black belt in sales?
John Molyneux:
Well, you it's well, I mean, you would say that a black belt in karate has mastered or got to a relatively high standard of karate, if they've worked on the kata so that they look really slick, the punches are always in the right positions, the stance is always look good, that kind of thing. So with that with a black belt, in sales, you probably have your your, your brushed upon a lot of different closing techniques. And you'd, you'd manage to learn a script or a number of scripts, and you can use them. Because what I do know is I've got to stay true. I've learned that many different scripts I can, I can, I can read over a script with it with a with even a new products. And then I can kind of put me on twist on it within quite a short time with it. Within a week of I've kind of learned that script and I've put me on personality into it. Because with reading scripts and sales, if you read a script, as it is, and you speak on the phone, they're gonna know that you're reading the script. Does that make sense? So you've got to put your own personality into a script. That does take some some getting used to. So a black belt in sales has has studied different aspects of the art because sales is an art. And he studied prospecting, how to reach out to people and how to build rapport with people. So, how are you today? How's whatever, what have you been up to that kind of things you befriend in building relationships. So there's lots of different aspects to it. So mastered a black belt in sales has kind of done all these different parts of the sale and gotten to a good standard of it.
Jeremy Lesniak:
We've all got our heroes, you know, and quite often on the show, I'll ask people, you know, who, what martial artists in your history have been really influential? Or kind of the opposite? Who, you know, if you could train with anybody anywhere in time where would where would that go? But I want to twist that question a little bit for you. Imagine you have the opportunity to sit down at dinner with a hero of yours from the martial arts world and a hero of yours from sales marketing business. And the three of you get to have this chat. And you know, a great meal. And let's pretend there's even a time machine involved. So you can grab them from wherever if need be.
John Molyneux:
Wow.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Who would you be having dinner with?
John Molyneux:
That's a very good one. I mean, there is uhm there's a couple of martial artists I would really like to do that with. One is Miyamoto Musashi. I think I've got the name right. He did a book of five rings, that would be just phenomenal because he was such an incredible guy. Because if you look at those old Samurai types, and the old, even the old Chinese masters and stuff, they didn't just do my slides. They were they were calligraphy and they were they were artists, they were poets. They were poets. They were they were sort of phenomenal in in, in multiple arts, weren't they? So I'd be fascinated to sit down with him. Bruce Lee would be another phenomenal one. So I'm a bit a bit cheeky and I've chosen two martial artists.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's okay.
John Molyneux:
Um with regards to a sales guy, I think the beer couple actually one still living and that would be Mr. Brian Tracy because he is phenomenal. And he always has been but he is not just good at sales. He's good at all sorts like, speakers. He's a professional speaker. So he's just a really talented guy. So he'd be one and possibly the late great Zig Ziglar. He is another phenomenal salesman.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yes, he was. Yeah. And so let's, the of the names that you you just dropped usually is probably the more more common martial arts figure, Zig Ziglar is probably the more common business or motivational speaker figure. Yeah. So let's imagine you're sitting down with with Zig and Bruce.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. Or a combination.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I know what I've got some sense as to what you would talk about with them. What do you think they would talk about each about with each other? What do you think? What questions let's, let's assume they knew who each other was? What questions would they be asking?
John Molyneux:
It wouldn't surprise me if they did. To be honest, they could have been. I don't know maybe that maybe if they would have had some similarities and similar sort of discussions as to as to what I would I would with them kind of. I don't know if that's quite a difficult question. I'm struggling a little bit without them.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's okay. That's okay. If you come up with an answer later on, you know, just swim, you know, we'll, we'll throw it back in. Yeah. Conversation doesn't have to be completely linear. One of the things that I I know about both gentlemen, is that they, they craved more information, more knowledge, they were always looking for, who can I talk to? Who can I study with, train with? What can I learn to enhance what I have now? And I wonder if they would rather quickly end up at sort of an intersection between sales, business you know motivation. It's really it's all it's all under the heading of communication? Yeah, you know it's just communication with a different focus, and martial arts physical training, you know, they I think they would probably end up there fairly quickly, which is pretty similar to what you've got going on. You're trying to blend the two. And...
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I think you're probably right. I mean, because I've got I've got to feel that secret have probably looked after himself. So I'm sure Bruce could have showed him a few one inch punches or a few kicks. And vice versa. I know that Bruce was a bit of a philosopher, so that definitely be able to speak on a on an intelligent level. So I think that's probably where we get to, they'd probably be trading trading floors, or maybe not trading floors, but I reckon Bruce will be showing him a trick or two, and maybe maybe they could teach him a few verbal, verbal, verbal attacks or verbal challenges.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I suspect so, yeah. That both men I mean, obviously, everybody listening knows who Bruce Lee is, you know, here we are close to 50 years later, still the most influential martial artist on the planet. And I don't know if everyone knows who Zig Ziglar is, but I guarantee Zig Ziglar influenced a lot of the people that everybody listening today looks up to just absolute force in what he did. Now, everything we've talked about today has been really positive and uplifting and constructive. And we're just gonna take a hard left here.
John Molyneux:
Okay.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Martial artists have a I don't know if I want to call it a unique ability, but a better than average capacity for overcoming adversity.
John Molyneux:
Yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I'm sure at some point, something didn't go right for you. And I'm wondering if you might tell us about that. And how your martial arts be it physical or emotional, mental, spiritual, you know, however you define martial arts, in that context, was able to help you through the situation?
John Molyneux:
Well, yeah, I can think of one situation. But I don't know ever I could put it down to the my sites or the military, it could be a mixture of the two. But I did find myself homeless for a while when I came out of the military. And that that was a real challenge that I really had to sort of dig deep and so I just, I mean, really, really kind of battle the demons to get get out of that situation. Because unfortunately, that does happen with a lot of ex military personnel there they find yourself in that kind of situation. Luckily, for me, though, it wasn't for any length of time, and I wasn't kind of really destitute and on the streets if you but it was kind of like sofa surfing and not really having a fixture board. So it was even though it's close to full blown homelessness. It wasn't I'd say, if that makes sense. So that's probably the most challenging one of the most challenging life situation I found myself in but I think when you've had this kind of mentality the this discipline and the gives yourself that strong wealth and everything doesn't it's kind of pushed through the challenging times, I guess.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It does. It does, you know, you're almost a little dismissive of it and probably out of deference to people who had or have worse situations than maybe you hit endured. But I can't say that I know what it's like, regardless of all the things that have gone wrong and difficult in my life. I know where I'm hanging my hat that night. And it's the same place I was hanging it last night, and it's going to be the same place I hang it tomorrow. And there's some there's some structure there's some comfort in that. So to not have that to not have that that one place that that's that's got to be rough.
John Molyneux:
Well, it is. But if you think about it, it kind of you kind of acute to that that kind of feeling anyway because when you're in the military you don't have that kind of that home feel about you anywhere that you kind of used to that so the fact that I was I was homeless quite soon after that that military experience in my head it wasn't really anything to concern yourself about because I've been living in barracks and and tents and stuff for however long it was. So does that make sense? Yeah, yeah, soldier mentality overrides that having a home kind of thing.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Other than boxing, what did you do in the military? Did you what was your job? I guess.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. Well, the funny thing was I actually went in with the idea to do a tread and I was I was actually what you call a signals in the signals is that's a British regiment. I don't know where it's like it I guess in the States will be some kind of communication battalion or regiment over but that that the ironic thing was I wish I had just gone in and done like parachutes or tanks or something like something fun and really sought Thai soldiers kind of stuff because I never used any of the any of the skills or the qualifications that I got from that particular trade when it came out anyway, so I might as well just add a bit of fun when I was in there, but it's one of the things I suppose.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Any good stories from your time in?
John Molyneux:
Oh, wow.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Good stories and anything you have clearance to tell us well.
John Molyneux:
If you want I can tell you about this one time we made this live went part in in Berlin and it got really messy because over the you could literally stay in these nightclubs all night did just stay open all night. I mean, all night. So like, literally, we left this place at like, I think I've lost him anywhere. There's only two of us. And I've lost him at some point. This is this was like a, I think it was like a two art show or train journey where from where we were best. And I got back to this the train station and absolute stat on me on jumped on this train. And what I didn't realize was this this train, it went on a massive, but it stopped where I was going but it carried on and went rode in a huge circle and then and came back to the same train station four hours later, I fell asleep on the train and then woke up, got off at the exact same train station four hours later not to repeat the process. So that was one of the funny things.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I think we can all imagine that. I think you know, I feel like we just had somebody on the show not long ago talking about falling asleep on on a school bus.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, yeah. [38:22 - 38:24]
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. No, no, no judgment here.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, yeah. Well, it's to be honest with you. That was part of the thing. It was part of the culture when you I mean, when you're when you're a soldier you drink a lot. It was part of the culture to drink heavily and smoke a lot as well. I don't smoke at all. No, it is but it was because you were sort of fit you were you were a bit like you start you're unstoppable. So he's obviously a bit younger as well. So we've just been drinking smoked like chimneys, like but not anymore. Not these days. A lot.
Jeremy Lesniak:
It's an intense environment and I would imagine that having those vices is you know, maybe not necessary but a powerful release.
John Molyneux:
Definitely was definitely was.
Jeremy Lesniak:
All right. So what else? What else I've been I've been driving this one. This this is this is your chance to start driving, you hop in you hop in the seat. Where are we going? What haven't we talked about? That we should talk about.
John Molyneux:
Well, I don't know what let's talk about your a bit more about your martial arts.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Well, there's there's you know, my stuff's been been documented pretty well. But you know, I didn't have the that experience you did of not wanting to do it. I just I honestly I don't remember a time when I wasn't training. And I started so young and it was just it's always been a thing that I've done. It's it's the it's the it's the route it's it's my it's my home base. It's the thing that if I have nothing else I know I can fall back on that.
John Molyneux:
Absolutely.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I'm pretty fortunate in that way it gives me a chance to talk to people all around the world like you.
John Molyneux:
Well one of my passions is the actual weapon side of things as well maybe that stemmed from the military a little bit but I love having a stick in me and our sort of blades and that kind of thing. About yourself do you like to do like stick like or anything like?
Jeremy Lesniak:
I don't have nearly as much experiences as I do with empty handwork. But I do I do so where did where'd you pick up the stick and blade, you mentioned nunchaku earlier.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I mean, funny enough we're not we're not one of the first, different parts of the UK tend to find kind of you find different arts are quite kind of popular. Where I'm from originally was the Northwest and that's very much like Muay Thai wrestling there's a lot of kind of catch wrestling. I think that's took off a bit over those well catch wrestling is catches catch can wrestling is that's a traditional [40:59] is an old school [41:01] style. And I think it's taken off all those well in recent years. But in different parts, I lived in the south east for a while and that was very much Aikido. And like a black belt second or third dan came one day with some the, you know, the staff, I was doing a little bit of staff, and I've never done it before. He says you take this really quite well. So I'm like alright just you know, and so I kind of sort of when I get a weapon, man, I seem to be quite sort of natural with it, if that makes sense. So, yeah, so it kind of stemmed from [41:34] I thought, yeah, quite lightly stick staff. And I've always fancied doing a bit of Kendo as well, but that seems to be quite tricky to find, doesn't it? So I've always liked the idea of having sticks and swords and knives and stuff like that. So, yeah, the like I said, the nunchuck. I do like, like to do a bit of nunchuck work.
Jeremy Lesniak:
One of the things I like about a stick, you know, regardless of the length is you can find something pretty much anywhere. Yeah, if you, you know, most of us aren't walking around with a sword or a bow. You know, I don't know anybody that carries tonfa. But, you know, I can pick up a broomstick and do 80% of what I would do in a bow form. With it, I can pick up a I don't know something, something shorter. You know, a swiffer duster. You know what those are, you know, the...
John Molyneux:
[42:20 - 42:22]
Jeremy Lesniak:
No, no, it's over here swiffers a cleaning thing. It's like a short broom.
John Molyneux:
Oh sorry.
Jeremy Lesniak:
No, don't I mean, you, there isn't much translation you have to do to convert that into a weapon. That's right, they're ready to go. Like, like a short broom, like a hand broom.
John Molyneux:
Yeah I got it. I got it yeah.
Jeremy Lesniak:
You know, something like that you can you can turn anything into a weapon if you understand the principles. And that's what I like about sticks is they're, they're simple.
John Molyneux:
Well, you know what I think about having a pocket full of change. That could be a weapon could be if you're in a self defense situation, just throw some coins in someone's face. They're gonna know about the army.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Right? Right. Anytime you watch a kung fu movie and they're on a beach, you know, inevitably somebody is getting sand thrown in their eye. And I don't know about you, but I know how much it hurts to have a grain of sand in my eye. When I go to the beach, let alone a face full of it. Just something so simple, so readily available and so debilitated.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, that's one of the beauties of karate. That's what I like. A lot of self defense techniques are so effective and simple. Like, I like it, you know, like a shin grind. So you just just run your run your foot than than a shin that is so exasperated and painful, but it's so simple to do, isn't it?
Jeremy Lesniak:
It is. And, you know, I, when I teach self defense, that's a great example of this stuff that I teach because anybody can do it. It doesn't require committing to murdering the person trying to hurt you in order for it to be effective. And you know, it's, it's a really, really strong deterrent and then hopefully you can run away.
John Molyneux:
Absolutely 100%. I also a big fan of one of the things I miss about karate was like breaking all the boards. This stuff is quite a lot of fun.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Did you have a favorite setup, a favorite technique that you would use for breaking?
John Molyneux:
Um, well, we used to put through roof tiles. But I used to I used to quite like the conditioning. So I'd like karate chop things quite a lot, you know. So to start harden up your, your, your kind of hands and stuff like so. It's like quite a lot of conditioning. There are certain things I miss about karate but then you do move on and adapt and change what you're doing as you get especially you get older. I'm not as flexible as it was so like them high karate kicks.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Do you think you'll go back to it that the way you're talked you've said I think three or four times you know the way you've spoken of karate sounds like you miss it?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I do miss it. But I don't think I'd ever go back to it not because I've got I achieved what I wanted to from it. And I'm interested in other other styles and so yeah, you know, it was my foundation. And I still, I probably still use some of it if I if necessary as well, because it's ingrained in this or if I was in a self defense situation, it might just come out without even thinking about it. But uh, as far as going back into studying wise, I don't think or whatnot.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Because you've been there done that. And there's other stuff that you haven't been there done that.
John Molyneux:
Well, exactly. I mean, I'm interested in other stuff. So like, I like to kind of mix things up. Nowadays. I've got my Filipino stuff. I've got like the Quran bits and stuff like. And I do like to toy around with those things. So yeah, as far as going back to me, I don't think ever would but I've taken from it a bit like Bruce Lee says, you got to just keep whatever you feel is helpful discard what is not. So I've taken what I wanted from from my years of training, and then that's it, I think.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. But you told us a little bit about the book that you're working on. And I find that most authors have authors that they like, are there any martial arts or sales or, I guess books in general that the listeners might appreciate a recommendation?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, well, funny enough. Going back to the karate. I do have a couple of really good karate books actually. One was called Hojo Undo by Michael Clark, and I can't think about the other one. But there was both by him there are very good karate books and then you've obviously got Gichin Funakoshi. He did Karate-Do Kyohan. I think it's called two. So those are good traditional karate books. But I have a kung fu book as well. I can't think of the author that you've got the five star that was what it was. What the...
Jeremy Lesniak:
Five Rings?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, The Book of Five Rings, The Art of War by Sun Tzu that's a very famous book. But that can help with all kinds of not strictly for martial its for lots of business people. I hear about reading that book as well. So that's that's definitely a good read. But uh, yeah, I've got a quite I'm quite a fan of many different offers. I'm quite open to different I don't I'm not very one track with with what I read. I mean, I read like, Think and Grow Rick are yeah, I'm quite operator. Yeah, I do quite like some of the tactical work. There's a guy called Zecharia Sitchin and he writes about, you know, like, Aztecs and Mayans and all that kind of thing. I'm very fascinated by all the all like, the ancient civilizations and that kind of thing. So that fascinates me.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah, you were a student of history then?
John Molyneux:
Not someone I used to hate it when I was younger, but it...
Jeremy Lesniak:
Sounds like you have you have an appreciation for it though now?
John Molyneux:
I do now yeah. In the old days as I'm getting older I think wow are we really as advanced as we think we are the center, not in a lot more than.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Good point. And so let's let's talk about what's coming you know, you told us about some of these things that you're working on but let's let's take a big step back let's look out you know, however long you want to look out a year, five years, ten years more. You know if we were to come back and chat again in this format, and I said hey, what what's gone on since we last talked, what would you hope you would be telling me?
John Molyneux:
Oh, wow, that's that's a good question. I mean, I would like for my book to be completed and obviously is to sell. I'd want some people to buy it so hopefully I'll get generate some interest with that. One of my goals would really be to I've always fancied the idea of having your own business with to do with martial arts, martial arts related business. I selling weapons awesome for like me I have I have my own kind of business with with different martial arts weapons or supplies and that kind of thing. I think that'd be quite quite interesting. I reckon I've enjoyed doing that. And yeah, just just hopefully get back in some training even if it's just sort of my own stuff but it would be nice to get back to some some sessions and start putting some parts and kicking some parts and that kind of thing. Yeah, go get back some nitty gritty stuff.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah, I I miss getting kicked. The first time in my life where I've really just, if I wouldn't even care if I didn't get to kick people. I would go spar and just get kicked right now. Because I miss it that much.
John Molyneux:
The amount of times I've done Muay Thai class and you've got the you got the pods up against your legs and they kick the hell out of you.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh, yeah.
John Molyneux:
You walk well braced in.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Maybe I don't want to get kicked that hard.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, he's gonna get light kicks.
Jeremy Lesniak:
You've you've mentioned you know a few things your YouTube channel and whatnot. Where where can people find you, connect with you online?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, well, mainly my my Sale Samurai channel because that I've got a mixture of stuff that I put on there. I also add some of my podcast episodes onto those well, so. And my podcast is called The Success Breeds Success Show, that's available on most platforms. Now you can get it on Alexa, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple. But if you wanted to see the actual footage as well, the the videos as well. So I do have started uploading all the recent ones are on the YouTube channel as well. So the YouTube channel has got a mixture of some of the sales tips I've mentioned and a little bit of my size, it does need some more demonstrations added on to that stuff to get get me up here with that a bit. But yeah, so that yeah. And also there's some of the episodes on there as well. So that so those are the main things, I promote my YouTube channel and my podcast show.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I don't think we've talked about the podcast. I mean, you before we went live, you dropped a hint to me that you had one but tell us, you know, what, what would people hear when they listened to Success Breeds Success?
John Molyneux:
Yeah, well, the idea that I had was it's not it's not strictly martial arts podcast or anything like that. It's literally pretty much what it says in the title. I noticed, like 12 months ago, I was thinking, well, it's such a struggle for entrepreneurs and I've dealt with a lot of coaches and like business owners and stuff. Like it's such a tricky industry to be in when you set up a business or when you when you're trying to be a soccer coach in industry, or wherever you know what I mean. Just dif different different challenges that these people have faced and I thought, well, if I can start interviewing people that are having success in these different niches and get some tips and guidance from them, then help help some hopefully help some listeners out. And so far, it's going really well I've got all sorts of it's, it's kind of blown up bigger than expected to speak to actors or speak to authors and speakers and millionaires.
Jeremy Lesniak:
That's awesome.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I actually, you like this one. I interviewed Sean Kanan. He was Mike Barnes in Karate Kid 3.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Yeah. Good guy.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, it was a it was a brilliant episode. So he's on the YouTube channel.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Oh, nice.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. So yeah. And that was a good shot. I told him about how I've got a dog called Mr. Miyagi and everything and I was teaching karate got a really good shot. So yeah, he was he was a fantastic guest. And I've had all sorts of amazing guests on this so far.
Jeremy Lesniak:
What kind of dog is Mr. Miyagi?
John Molyneux:
He is a Sausage Russell. So he's a he's a Jack Russell Sausage dog cross.
Jeremy Lesniak:
I'm laughing at the name I can visualize and sounds like a, you know, a fun dog. But the idea of calling it a Sausage Russel like that.
John Molyneux:
Yeah. Well, that's my name I mean...
Jeremy Lesniak:
I think I love it.
John Molyneux:
I think officially, it's Jack's Hunt, to Jack Russell Taxon, isn't it but I prefer Sausage Russell, sounds better.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Far, far more descriptive of the animal for sure.
John Molyneux:
Yeah, I can do wax on and wax off and not you know.
Jeremy Lesniak:
This is this has been a fun chat. And I appreciate you John.
John Molyneux:
It's been a pleasure.
Jeremy Lesniak:
And you know, all guests get the opportunity to, you know, send us out to the outro that I'm going to record later. So what are your final words? What are your parting thoughts for the listeners today?
John Molyneux:
Always I would say is, if there's anything that you wish you'd done before, start doing it. So if you've not took up my sights set, go along to your classes, or start studying at home, there's plenty of good tutorial, things you can see online, just start having a go at something. It doesn't have to be my size, whatever. If you want to try some flow, go and do it. Because we only get this these opportunities. You're only here once, that's what they say, isn't it? So you might as well make the most of it. If you're looking to set up your own business, are you tired of your nine to five? Why don't you start setting some I wouldn't say like jump into it and quit your job but maybe start a side hustle or something just just go for or follow what you wanna do.
Jeremy Lesniak:
Martial Arts impacts us in every way, every aspect of our lives whether or not we realize it. The more you train, the more tools you have at your disposal, the more ready you are to face the challenges that life throws at you. And here we go with yet another episode where that becomes abundantly clear. For so many of our guests on the show martial arts is the lifeblood, it's the thread that connects all the different aspects of their lives. And Mr. Molyneux is a strong example of that as anyone we've had. So thank you, Sir, I appreciate your time. And I hope we get to connect again soon. If you want the show notes with the links and all that stuff that we talked about today, go to whistlekickmartialartsradio.com. Check it out, sign up for the newsletter. Look at the photos, look at the other episodes, they're all there, every episode we've ever done is available for you there. And if that's enough to maybe squeeze a couple bucks a month out of you consider the Patreon or you've got other ways you can help us out. You can make a purchase on the store. You could share an episode with somebody, leave a review. It's all good. Anything you're willing to do to help us out, I really do appreciate it. If you have guest suggestions or other feedback, the best way to submit those, email me Jeremy@whistlekick.com. And if you see somebody out there wearing someone with whistlekick on it. Say hello, talk to him. Find out how they found out about whistlekick. Maybe you'll make a new friend. That's all I've got for you today. Thanks for coming by. And until next time, you know how it goes train hard, smile, and have a great day.