Teddy Atlas Q&A - On Quitting, Facing Fear, & Finding Redemption

Teddy Atlas and co-host Ken Rideout answer a question from a listener.
Have a question of your own? Send it to us at [e-mail].
Episode is available on iTunes here: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
And on all other podcast platforms.
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[@maxbarnes3967]

Fear feels isolating, to hear it articulated like this makes it feel more common and natural.

[@mrbhodges]

I've had 7 fights (and counting) and I always felt that fear and pressure. I would think that I was inept or inferior to other boxers, but I'm just as courageous and brave because I don't let it control me. I get out there and fight and win or lose I keep pushing and trying improve. I've never met you teddy, but I've always respected and appreciated your coaching and advice. Especially this episode.

[@alcottdevalte7440]

Good man, it's good that you have figured it out, it may take a lifetime or a few seconds, some people behave like poetry while others suffer like a forgotten curse. Fear grounds you and makes you realize how human you really are. Fire makes you shiver and feel the pain if you don't use it the right way to make your presence and home warm. Sometimes your shadow catches fire and makes you reflect on life in a different way. We regret that way, especially if we have betrayed our choices in life and others by being afraid...

[@user-kq3ch8mq1x]

I myself fought professionally as a MMA fighter when I was age 17!!! Fighting grown men.. I had 2 pro fights in the cage and won both by KO within the first round. .. then moving forward I had 3 amateur boxing fights won all 3 by KO! Then moving forward.. I found 9 professional boxing matches knocking out 8 opponents cold and stopping the ninth by TKO.... Iv also dabbled in unlicensed boxing ( 9 fights to be exact ) again knocking out every opponent I gloved up with. .. When preparing for these fights I had regular break downs and would talk myself out of fighting and going to the gym... before bouts I would throw up and get weak in the legs! Awful feelings of anxiety. ... But once I stepped into the ring I would say " who the fuck is that guy... why am I afraid of him? Who the fuck is he? Then all of a sudden I would go numb. .. the next part I remember is climbing back through the ropes heading back to the locker room. ... Marvin Hagler once told me... " punch your head and snarl at the motherfukka. ..get mean.. it works"

[@alcottdevalte7440]

@@user-kq3ch8mq1x That's brilliant, Teddy should get you on his podcast, that would have been fun. Have you considered writing a book about your experiences or becoming a trainer later on? You got some dynamite in your hands. My dream fights/sparring would have been fighting a prime Ali and Tyson. That would have been awesome. I would have liked to fight Jones and Stipe as well since they're on top of their game right now.

[@user-kq3ch8mq1x]

@@alcottdevalte7440 not really considered writing a book to be honest. . My power was something I was born with... I was likened to Matthew Hilton and Tony Ayala jr. . Both heavy heavy amazing powerful punches. .. I also put alot of it down to chopping wood.

[@hiyadroogs]

@@user-kq3ch8mq1x Successes feed into our subconscious. So do failures. We are all of us, every single one, the product of a whole set of learned & acquired ideas & programs from babies. Some are healthy & based on truth, most are false & based upon falsehoods that our conscious mind has repeatedly told the subconscious a million times, & has simply been passively accepted as the truth. The real you can deal with anything. But your learned ideas about who you are will tell you otherwise. In moments of life threatening danger, the brain can direct the body to summon up 3 times its normal strength. How? Because for that fleeting moment, our learned script about who we are & what we can do is ejected momentarily in favour of the survival instinct. If you try, & you succeed, that piece of self definition goes into the subconscious bank which determines what you can do if the situation ever arises again. It doesn't mean that you will win next time, but it bolsters your confidence to try. If you walk away, however, the subconscious message that goes home is that you will always fail when challenged. Which is far more emotionally devastating than trying & losing. Because the adopted falsehood, "I can't" spreads out into all areas of our being. A chihuahua can intimidate a great Dane if the chihuahua has a dominant assertive nature & the great Dane has an insecure anxious nature. Because dogs don't recognize physical size, they read each other by energy & body language. Mike Tyson told a similar story to yours. That he was terrified of his opposition, & felt physically sick at the thought of losing. But because he had trained assiduously in every discipline months before, his confidence would start to build in the dressing room. On the way to the ring it would rise to a peak, & by the time he got to the ring, he felt invincible. He experienced many wins to support his belief of invincibility, like Deontay Wilder, until it was taken by Buster Douglas & Tyson Fury respectively. The difference between the 2 men, however, is stark. Tyson said post fight that "Hey, Douglas fought a great fight!" He also said that the Douglas fight was his favourite, because: "It taught me that I could take my beating like a man, yet still rebound". Wilder, under similar circumstances cannot bring himself to concede defeat to a better man on the night, & is continuing to delude himself that there are a hundred excuses as to why he didn't prevail. Unlike Tyson, who learned something invaluable about himself after no longer having to feel the impossible pressure of invincibility. Wilder has been completely destroyed psychologically from his loss of god like status. He has lost himself far beyond the loss of his bogus cloak of invincibility. We all of us lose in our lives. It's how we rise from the ashes that truly determines our fundamental truth. Getting back up & trying again is the best reward to the self esteem there is.

[@brad_patterson_]

VERY POWERFUL WORDS SAID BY ALL 3 PEOPLE , KEN, TEDDY, AND THE MAN WHO WROTE AN EMAIL TO THE SHOW AND SHARED HIS POWERFUL TESTIMONY OF HIS FIGHT IN LIFE. WHAT A BEAUTIFUL SEGMENT!!!

[@southpaw7738]

Love Teddy’s analogies on Life and How u can imply Boxing into it

[@mattkisko]

Enjoyed this a lot. Teddy has a great way about him that goes way beyond boxing. Would like to hear more videos like this.

[@alcottdevalte7440]

I enjoy it every time Teddy goes deep into life and uses parables as well. This is like theraphy and I advice you guys to take some notes once in a while, this way you can remember good advices.

[@iamwoojae]

I wasn't able to get a job for more than 5 years. Videos like this helped me go forward and keep trying. This monday, I started my first day at my job. Thank you Teddy.

[@handfloboxingreview1673]

Teddy learned well about fear from Cus d’mato fear is you’re friend if you learn to control it also the part about time seeming longer than what it is very true when you deal with crunch time moments

[@uyangapurevsuren4889]

I cried just listening to these two honourable guys , deep love to you both 💕

[@aronrosas4191]

That story about opioids touched my soul, as I struggle with the same addiction

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Keep fighting and never give up. You are in my prayers Aron.

[@uchechukwuibeji5532]

Praying for you bro🙏🏽. Being free is more important than the lies your pain will tell you. There's a powerful warrior in all of us. God bless bro and stay safe.

[@anonymoususer3099]

Thanks for sharing that story. Great to hear a story of redemption and to know that where I am today does not mean I have to be there tomorrow.

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Awesome!

[@brendanoflaherty9158]

When I was 21 I was that alternative. It was my fourth year in a brilliant army career. I knew if I went back to my hometown for Xmas there would be trouble. What followed was a heavy drug binge. When I got back to the army I was piss tested. The army offered me every chance to make good and continue my career. I felt a dark depression and shame and I took the quitters road not understanding what I do now, addiction and the human spirit. It took me five years of self destruction to begin to make that right with myself.

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Share your story with as many people as possible.

[@uchechukwuibeji5532]

God bless you brother. Stay strong and keep fighting.

[@johnny2shoes90]

Of all the days to come across this video, thank you guys for putting this out there it just might save me from my mistakes. I believe in hope!

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Prayers Ian!

[@Jonathanmentor]

Teddy's talk made me CRY because it was so truthful and empowering and honest. Brilliant podcast thank you guys. This will transform men's lives. (Become Fearless)

[@warrior3214]

Teddy is friggin awesome

[@visaamakram697]

Thank you teddy, I have a fight coming up soon. Hearing this made me feel like a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I will fight my heart out in Sha Allah

[@christinakosmidis1208]

this is like a gift man thank you so much for posting this up everything i hear in your show gives me encouragement beyond words so im forever grateful that you're there. much love, Christina

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Please share this with as many people as possible. Everyone needs to hear this.

[@smccowan7106]

Thanks bunch for this guy's. Ken, you a BMF'R haha. And a good guy. Happy Atlas teamed up with you for this show. You both are the best and I truly appreciate all yall do

[@geniusturner341]

Atlas = Philosopher

[@mikethestoner]

Thanks ken and teddy needed this one. Keep up the great work!

[@greglarry11]

Teddy Atlas is a national treasure.

[@daboxer181]

Thank you for this podcast .

[@genghiskev6551]

Great stuff, Teddy. Keep on keeping on, Gerardo!

[@brandonlott1717]

This blows my mind. Much needed. Thank you to everyone on this podcast. Teddy is a true gem!

[@edwardazrilyan4248]

I was cheering throughout this one..thank you so much men..Thx

[@Tito112309]

Thank u soooooo much for this teddy u spoke directly to me

[@airkoth1541]

Great message. Made sense and has already helped me out. Thanks to teddy

[@ben-dr3wf]

Thanks Teddy. I have to say you are transforming lives through these videos.

[@scottelam7865]

Teddy...Ken, thank you for your video and your discussion of fear and the options we have to face it or run away. very kool, thank you

[@marquesroyallaume-landon1924]

There you go. I just said it again "awesome"

[@shaund8495]

Teddy, from the bottom of my heart I want to say thank you. Before there was a podcast your book was & still is my saving grace when life's challenges become overwhelming. The quotes, stories & insights into psychology helped me understand things in a way I never did before, I felt like you were talking to me personally & for that I wanted to say thank you.

[@buzzerkrb]

Very powerful words ! Can't thank you enough Teddy & Ken !

[@ClaudeMasseyConsulting]

Teddy is a blessing to us all!!!

[@paulcuff8845]

Wow. Amazing story. Superb words. Thankyou guys. Keep up the good work

[@brandonlott1717]

Eternally grateful for this.

[@kastrothetrucker7820]

Great show gentleman.....we all have fears... how you act under pressure defines you sometimes...

[@true8912]

Truth. Thank you Teddy. Thank you Ken.

[@californialove5973]

You're wonderful, Teddy! Thank you for sharing your wisdom! Much love and respect! 🙏

[@RSoliai]

Awesome, humbling, motivation...life changing! Thanks coach Atlas and Ken (and the brave individual and his letter) for a great podcast!

[@jakequainton8410]

Inspirational content

[@alcottdevalte7440]

Teddy is a true poet, this is brilliant stuff. Keep it up guys, and keep on taking questions from the audience and give us this gold.

[@paulleclaire8252]

Awesome podcast! Big respect to all three of you! P.S. awesome shirt Teddy, would love to hear what you think about prime Toney in your mythical matchup series.

[@Stretch213]

Keep it up Gerardo. We love ya sir

[@AlwaysBonpoint]

Awesome video guys thanks 👍

[@PhoenixProdLLC]

Wow, thanks guys! You rawk! 🙏☺🙋

[@lindabaldan2968]

He is so great, one of my idols

[@lb19830]

A truly great man.

[@joaoalegria7578]

I've listened to dozens of podcasts over the years, but this one just feels different, so much power and knowledge in these 27 minutes, really appreciate you guys!

[@nosoftspot9915]

GREAT MEASAGE TEDDY !!!!!!!!!!!

[@adios5248]

Genius. Thanks 🙏

[@mattmorrison9379]

The wise words of teddy. Always touching in my opinion

[@alberthayes1695]

My story is almost identical. Same age and same time sober. Carpenter though. Teddy and Jocko have been the guys that inspire me to fight and quit accepting weakness and cowardice. It's been huge for my recovery, so finding this one was Crazy Awesome for me! Thanks guys and good on you to the writer of the ?

[@NH-tv3jr]

Brilliant.

[@connermoss1994]

Wow, all I can say to that is Wow, Thank you Teddy Atlas for that. The single most motivational speech I have heard.

[@kobkfighter3203]

Absolutely brilliant...

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Life changing!

[@TheeCertSmoker]

This is a great freaking question. Gerardo asked it so eloquently. Teddy and Greg masterfully answered it too. I'm in a place of fear right now it made me push to go further. I was thinking about quitting I won't though I'm going to push through just for today one day at a time.

[@deanbenefield9648]

Thankyou teddy atlas 🙏 the best harf hour of my life words of wisdom .

[@WareBare]

I love this analogy, school children need to be taught this. Thank you

[@marcusbenjamin6798]

Yes!

[@Ivanselectsongs]

thank you

[@mackfin8869]

Great letter .thanks

[@user-gg2nt5wm1m]

This is one absolutely brilliant teaching by Teddy Atlas. This truly helped me seeing overcoming challenges and trials in a different way.

[@MuhammadAhmedMuddie]

I bought Teddy’s audiobook, wonderful 👌

[@rudyt5196]

Love u bros , much respect!!!!🤙🏼🤙🏼🍉🍉❤️

[@HerreraCam]

Love it!

[@alistairhann2094]

Teddy is a great hero and inspiration to me.

[@alistairhann2094]

PS I would love a video where Teddy talks about the Foreman v Moorer fight... So some of the old power was still there after all.

[@lukkusza3384]

Great speech from Teddy Atlas I love listening him when he talks about boxing he really gets to You .. A great man within a great sport... Big thanks From Poland...

[@gab436311]

Another great show guys..I train some novice amateur fighters and "fear" is a main topic...I was tough guy from Somerville and my first amateur fight I couldnt believe how weak I was ..My adrenal glands shot and i was on auto pilot...I try to tell the new fighters "Dont let 6 minutes control your life,put the work in in the gym and you will have no excuses"..Boxing is a CHARACTER sport!!! Everyone is afraid when you walk through those ropes,but giving up was never an option because I knew I couldnt live with myself if I quit...Teddy I also read your book years ago,I loved it!! I also read "In the corner" in which you say in 1989 at Tysons peak :Because Mike wasnt held accountable on his rise up for some of the bad things he was doing I see some bad times ahead....Thank God Mikes turned his life around,but Teddy you could see a small lack of "character" and some insecurities in Tyson that even when he was the "baddest man on the planet" those character traits were still there underneath...Im learning alot about the mindset of the young fighters..I also say before they get in the ring "Im proud of you for paying frieght and working hard ,you alerady won in my book now go out there and get whats yours...For all you young fighters out there just starting out ..Enjoy the journey ,while climbing the mountain to the top make sure to turn and enjoy the view DONT wait until you get to the top ,because you might not get there...Easy for a 50yr old man to say..LOL

[@danielmcginn9509]

Excellent

[@paxton011]

Beautiful

[@wetdog6696]

This is amazing time and time again..... to listen to.. I'm writing my fourth step for Alcoholics Anonymous and if you write a true fourth step it should take about 2 or 3 weeks this touches on every aspect of spiritual death and rebirth thank you guys so much

[@Godiswithme-os5qc]

If you happen to quit don't worry because you can bounce right back. Just because you quit isn't necessarily a bad thing.. it all comes down to one thing - how you FRAME the situation. If you quit all that happened was you made a impulsive decision based on your feelings in that moment.. Temptation knocked on your door and you answered by mistake and you gave in. What you need to do in that case is go to the drawing board and make a slight adjustment in mindset and PRE DECIDE ahead of time that you will never quit for the rest of your life and that you will NEVER make a decision based on your feelings in the moment but you PRE DECIDE that you stay true to your promise of being a WARRIOR and from that moment on you never surrender. Just because you quit doesn't make you a quitter it means you just gave in to temptation and made a mistake like we all do at times. It's not what happens to you that has meaning it's all about the meaning you give it. How you FRAME it. Just remember the same power that raised Christ from the dead is dwelled inside you. Each person is a warrior and a warrior may not win every battle but a warrior never stops fighting. I love Teddy but he can be old fashioned and he's acting like if you quit once you are doomed for life. This is not true that's just how he FRAMES it. That's a stronghold in Teddy's mind. The truth is just because you quit doesn't mean you stay defeated because it's impossible to honour God if this is the way you think. You get back up dust yourself off and make a PRE DECISION that you are a warrior and you will never quit and you will fight not for victory but FROM VICTORY. Amen.

[@petervolner6725]

Other than being a boxing genius teddy is just brilliant

[@maikaimakena9424]

Teddy is a TEACHER 🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@alonsogarcia1990]

This came just in time. All I do is watch boxing and go to local fights when they come into town. Today I was taking inventory and preparing to leave alcohol. It's been a monkey on my back and I lost so much because of it. I'm done quitting, I want to fight! I'm done being lost in the bottle. I hope it goes well for me. Redemption

[@olawaleoladosu1184]

Great stuff from one of my role models

[@RichCMoney]

Good God this is earth-moving.

[@Nick-fb9uq]

If this conversation were filmed on a park bench with movie cameras it would win academy awards

[@paulwilfridhunt]

Without some bruising to our soul, There is no open flower. For all to receive from pole to pole, Knowledge like a shower.

[@Duane-tl2zc]

I can relate to that guy and his first fight "freeze up" , same thing happened to me at 13 years old, but I know I didn't throw one punch 😁

[@ARMOCROW_]

Only thing worth listening to is teddy

[@hectorvasquez8493]

“IT’S YOUR CHOICE!”….”It’s always your choice, until you make it not your choice!”

[@DerFuhrer76]

Wise guy...

[@octavianpopescu4370]

Wtf Teddy just put all of your Philosophie in a new Book. Damm....i wanna read this quotes over and over again.

[@zenter4387]

Master!💚💜💙😇😎👑

[@JJUSTINMEEHAN]

Sorry about how the fight turn out but hope you will get back on The Fight ASAP. You are someone we all enjoy listening to and learning from. I’m sure you feel bad about the fight outcome but know you will show us the character you so often discuss and get back with us. We miss you. Your fans

[@CIGARURI]

Teddy...talk about the great Charlie Burley,

[@1212LeoSnake]

I am honored to have my parents, my wife, and my family here in this lifetime. I'm also so honored to have this man Teddy A. here in this lifetime. His channel must start growing. A whole helluva lot ppl can benefit from his wisdom.

[@ginopuccini5606]

Well done Gentlemen : Agreed, and quitting can be a chameleon, figuratively speaking, in that it can be disguised as something else - like a little doubt in back of your mind, before it turns itself into a 'devil', or a fear, or a conman...

[@mezsmith]

At 7:27 hello there to

[@ronswanson1410]

Teddy has the wisdom of a Buddha

[@willsreviews3185]

Lol Joe Weller wrote it 😂

[@jylegriffith3027]

Unrelated but I want tonhear Teddy's take on the Dennis Hogan qnd Jamie Mungia fight earlier this year. I watched and honestly thought it was a robbery.

[@marcoluca9232]

To get your hands on that key of redemption quickly, put yourself into a similar situation to the one which put you in the prison in the first place. But this time fight don't flight. Easy solution in theory. In reality could get you sacked or killed.

[@RichCMoney]

This is so simple yet so profound. THank you for this, Marco.

[@JordanGordon-Naish]

Courage is a choice not a trait.

[@JJUSTINMEEHAN]

Please come back to your boxing fans and friends asap

[@obiclone]

Fat for the moment that a fighter is dead tired, at the moment that the fighter is in horrible pain, at the moment when fighter feels like quitting the most, What mind hacks, or what mind tricks, or what things do you want the fighter to think in order to keep going? What do you tell a fighter to think and say to himself at that moment?

[@michaelclay6946]

They're both the same height they both possess knocked out potential Mike has to pin this mobility when he goes into the peekaboo and you're looking at him he can't tell he's using towards you

[@JSon-yl1ty]

Roberto Duran is allowed to have one bad day

[@wetdog6696]

Fucking well said holy shit

[@michaelclay6946]

Fun fact Mike Tyson did a one-man play about his life he is personally blind in one eye and he broke his hand in the street fight he said it himself so there is his disadvantage

[@dennisfboston4543]

Teddy makes since but rambles alot till males a great point or has an insight

[@michaelclay6946]

If Roy fights the way he did with Ruiz he could beat Mike Tyson on points I don't know if anybody remembers that fight but since that's fight this is the second time he's went into the heavenly division