Many of us enjoy watching MMA fighters, but don’t enjoy the thought of getting hit in the face ourselves. According to coach Kevin Kearns, we are not alone in that feeling, but not wanting to get punched shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the kind of physical training MMA fighters undergo. Explained Kevin:
People love the way fighters look, but they don’t want to get punched in the face. I’m no exception. I don’t want to get punched in the face. What I want to do is show you can get this workout without getting injured. You don’t have to step in the ring and get beaten up if you want to look or feel like a fighter. Everybody has a good fight in them.
Last week we spoke with Kevin about his journey from the kid always picked last for school sports to the guy walking to the ring with a UFC fighter. Kevin explained that following his passions is what brought him success. And his overriding passion is bringing fitness to everyday people. Said Kevin, “My intention is to help end obesity, one step and one person at a time. Use every possible media channel for MMA fitness, because we are in a pandemic, and it scares the crap out of me.”
Some detractors of Kevin question his motivations and claim he just wanted to get famous along with his UFC fighters. While Kevin doesn’t deny that recognition is nice, he’s not after fame. The kind of recognition he desires is also different from what one might expect. “I want people to recognize that anybody can get fit. I want people to recognize that the six hundred pound person is going to be walking into your gym one day and you’re going to have to deal with it.”
Because while it might be fun for up-and-coming coaches, or even journeyman coaches, to imagine being a celebrity trainer or trainer to a professional athlete, the truth is most coaches train regular people. Regular people have regular problems, like obesity, lack of mobility, and lack of motivation. An ability to combat these factors is the actual skill set a trainer needs. As Kevin explained, “I tell people, you are four things in this business: educator, motivator, inspiratory, and entertainer – all in the same package. If you’re not, you don’t belong in this field at all.”
Perhaps a seemingly endless amount of energy should be added to last list, because on Kevin’s mission to inspire and educate he has done over 215 seminars and certifications in the last four years. He has DVDs, a book, and more tools on the way. For Kevin, all the effort is worthwhile when he knows he’s made a difference in someone’s life:
If anyone says, “That book, that video, that article I read, that’s great stuff. That helped me.” My life is fulfilled when someone says, “That helped me.” All of the sudden I don’t need to know x, y, z. That’s all I need to know. And you know, God, the universe, whoever he is, is sending me down the right path. I’ve chosen the right path and I know what I’m doing. I am doing the right thing. Versus, “Geez, maybe my whole life is wrong,” and then croak.
To catch a little bit of Kevin’s energy try his four weeks of free workouts.
Learn more about Kevin:
- Part one of our interview, Kevin Kearns, Part 1 – Blowing Up With the UFC
- Read our review of the “Burn With Kurns: MMA Strength & Conditioning” DVDs
