The Unexpected

My motivational email yesterday morning did wonders for me. Some days I barely pay attention to them, other days the words are incredibly appropriate and exactly what I need to hear. This was yesterday’s:

“Go with it. Roll, Mark. Swerve.

The “unexpected” is just my way of preparing you for more than you knew to ask for.”

I’m not some crazy nut job (although some of my friends may disagree) who takes anything too seriously, but these words made me wonder. My plans for the day were shaky at best, but this gave me the confidence to say to hell with it, things were going to work out.

Thanks to Bobby Oller at Westside MMA, late Tuesday night I set up a trip to Inferno MMA in Bentonville, AR. This gym is about a 3 hour detour from Oklahoma City but my plans in OKC hadn’t been set yet and I’ll always take the advice of someone I trust. And although I’d only met Bobby that night, after rolling with and interviewing him, I trusted him completely.

My time at Inferno was short but great. I interviewed three talented and unique fighters, each with their own missions and motivation. I also had the pleasure of getting to roll a little and then packed my stuff and headed off to OKC where I still had no set plans beside a hotel for the night.

I asked for suggestions on where to head next on FB and Bobby came through again, suggesting I try Mikey Burnett’s gym in Tulsa as it was on my way. Mikey’s website fascinated me because it looked like a true martial arts gym with meditation and other arts getting as much attention as MMA. I was disappointed however to see a post that Mikey was out of town. I tried calling anyway, but there was no answer so I figured it wasn’t meant to be.

I continued down the highway a little bummed about not getting to see his gym when flashing lights came up behind me. The Highway Patrol officer said he’d let me go with a warning after he ran my license, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. He came back and let me go with two handshakes and a couple God bless you’s, by far the coolest interaction I’ve had with any law enforcement officer.

English: Mikey Burnett (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Not long after that I got a call from Mikey Burnett. He was willing to talk so I found some shade and pulled over and had one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had in a long time. I would have loved to have captured the talk on video or at least audio, but I understand that some things I need just for me. Mikey is on a whole other level and I have nothing but respect for where he is on his journey and what’s important to him. If you live in the Tulsa area and want to try martial arts, I highly recommend his gym.

He asked where I was headed next and told me about a MMA gym next to where his son boxed. I was only a few blocks away and decided to stop by. It turned out to be The Factory, Josh “The Beast” Bryant’s gym. It was only four o’clock so no one was around, but the gym looked like a great place to train so I cancelled my hotel in Oklahoma City with seven minutes to spare and came back to check out that night’s practice. To say I was impressed with the amount of fighters and level of training would be a huge understatement. I also enjoyed seeing how each of these guys worked with the little nine year old. That was pretty cool. This is without a doubt the place you want to train in Tulsa if you want to fight.

Yesterday could have turned out entirely different if I hadn’t gone with the flow and been open to detours. I was working on four hours of sleep and drove seven hours in the blazing heat, but I wouldn’t have changed a thing. Thanks once again to all the people that helped turn the day into such a positive experience.