Rob Ingram, Inside McDojo Life: Real Self-Defense vs. Rule-Based Fantasy

Founder of McDojo Life

3rd Degree Karate Black Belt

Co-founder of academysafe.org

This week, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Rob Ingram, known globally as McDojo Life. He has spent nearly three decades inside the martial arts world as a practitioner, instructor, and insider. With 28 years of experience across multiple disciplines, and a 3rd Degree Karate Black Belt, he has become one of the most visible voices exposing corruption, abuse, and fraud.

We spoke about an amazing range of topics, from Sarah Haspel’s brilliant invention - “The BESTIE” co-designed by a Rocket Scientist, safety from sexual predators for kids and females in martial arts, founding a USA wide database of convicted and fake “senseis”, Tim Kennedy the green beret turned UFC fighter to Pressure Testing martial arts for real world self defence!

Rob’s work shines a light on a hard truth: martial arts in the United States operates largely without regulation, allowing unqualified and dangerous individuals to assume positions of authority—often over children.

Beneath the glossy surface of martial arts the industry—especially in the United States—faces serious challenges: lack of regulation, abuse of authority, and even criminal behavior.

His response was not just criticism and calling them out, he took action. As co-founder of Academy Safe, Rob is on a mission to solve this- in his words:

“At Academy Safe, we are driven by a deep commitment to protecting martial artists from abuse, assault, and the inherent risks that exist in the absence of federal or state regulations. Founded to address the unsettling prevalence of sexual assault, abuse, and rape in martial arts, our mission is to create safe, supportive, and secure environments for students across the United States.

As a non-profit organization, our primary focus is the development of a national registry of martial arts academies. This registry will establish a new benchmark for safety, holding academies to strict standards designed to protect both students and staff.”

Equally important to Rob is the preservation of martial arts as something real and functional. He stresses that training must extend beyond tradition and competition rules into pressure-tested, real-world applicability. His message is consistent: if a system or weapon fails under stress, it fails—regardless of how good it looks in theory.

This is a necessary conversation about integrity, accountability, and what martial arts should stand for and I loved how authentic, real and passionate this conversation got!

🔗 Connect with Rob on

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/mcdojolife.

Websites:

https://mcdojolife.com/

https://academysafe.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMcDojo

The BESTIE by Sarah Haspel- https://bestie-defense.com/

I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.eatwellmovewell.net

And you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com

- the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance.

100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. And the Mason Survival Protocol - https://www.carnivoreretreat.com/post/masonsurvival-protocol-carnivore-retreat

Links for my former shows are here- WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZ

LISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3Q

Itunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2

Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5bce2d31-a171-4e83-bada-d1384c877e76

Subscribe for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

This week, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Danny Green. The last interview to publish for 2025!

4 x World Champion Professional Boxer.

Founder of the Coward’s Punch Campaign.

Co-Founder of UBX

Danny rose from a working-class upbringing in Perth to become one of Australia’s most respected world boxing champions, representing his country at the Commonwealth Games and the Sydney Olympics before conquering the professional ranks on the global stage.

Along the way, Danny forged a reputation not just for power in the ring, but for relentless mental toughness, discipline, and resilience under pressure. From the brutal realities of dropping 3 weight classes and fighting through broken hands and cracked ribs, to navigating the difficult transition from amateur to professional boxing, his career became a long study in perseverance, self-belief, and adapting without losing your core identity.

Beyond competition, Danny reflects on the people who kept him grounded — His wife Nina- his family, lifelong friends, and a strong personal foundation that mattered more than titles. He contrasts the mindset of old-school fighters with modern athletes, sharing hard truths about toughness, accountability, and what separates those who last from those who fade.

Since retiring, Danny has continued to lead with purpose.

Through his Stop The Coward Punch campaign, he has worked to reduce senseless street violence, and through You Box Boxing & Strength Gyms, he is passing on hard-earned lessons to the next generation. Now focused on family, legacy, and impact beyond sport, Danny Green’s story is ultimately about authenticity, responsibility, and becoming harder to break — in the ring and in life.

This is a powerful show, with a powerful man, blending old school hard man mentality with the love and care for fellow humans that Danny now fights for. I know you’ll love listening to it as much as I did interviewing him. He is the only boxer from Australia to win four professional boxing world titles in three weight divisions. One of the highest profile athletes in the country, his devastating power and aggressive instincts earned him the well known moniker ‘The Green Machine’.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow Danny’s Stop the Coward Punch Campaign- Links are in the show notes!

🔗 Connect with Danny on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dannygreen.boxer/

https://www.instagram.com/cowardpunchcampaign/

Websites:

https://cowardpunchcampaign.com/

Book him at https://grandstandagency.com.au/danny-green/

https://ubxtraining.com/

I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.eatwellmovewell.net

And you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com

- the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance.

100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. 

And the Mason Survival Protocol - https://www.carnivoreretreat.com/post/masonsurvival-protocol-carnivore-retreat



Links for my former shows are here-


WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZ

LISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3Q

Itunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2




 
Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5bce2d31-a171-4e83-bada-d1384c877e76

Subscribe for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/

This week, I had the incredible opportunity to sit down with Rachel Godfrey- Blonde. Wild. Spiritual. Disruptive. Delusionally Optimistic.

Rachel is a former physiotherapist, professional trainer, and high-performance mentor with over 19 years of experience operating at the intersection of health, strength, and leadership.

She has built multiple performance consulting and digital businesses, advised senior executives and entrepreneurs, and had her work published globally in outlets including Oxygen Magazine, Shape, Cosmopolitan, Men’s Fitness, Entrepreneur.com, the Sydney Morning Herald, and The National UAE.

Known as the “A-Players Mentor” and co-director of Chase Life Consulting, Rachel has earned a reputation for working with people who operate at the top — and who refuse to be managed with soft answers.

At the core of Rachel’s work is a simple but confronting question: do you want kindness, or do you want nice?

Raised as a tomboy in Wales, forged through rugby, and shaped early in her career by treating severely injured soldiers in a military ICU, Rachel learned that real performance is built through emotional resilience, personal responsibility, and doing the minimum effective work required — not endless grind.

Her coaching blends scientific precision with deep identity and mindset work, challenging high-achieving women (especially over 35) to rebalance strength, femininity, and self-worth without abandoning ambition.

Today, Rachel mentors executives and entrepreneurs to align body, business, and identity through strength training, intelligent supplementation, and direct, no-nonsense coaching. Her work focuses on sustainable performance, fast belief-building wins, and teaching clients how to lead with both power and awareness. This episode is an unfiltered conversation about trauma, discipline, mindset, and what it actually takes to perform at a high level — without losing yourself in the process.

P.S. Don’t forget to follow Rachel on Instagram @rachelgodfrey and check out Chase Life Consulting and The House of Onyx for more resources and coaching. Links are in the show notes!

🔗 Connect with Rachel on

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therachelgodfrey/

Websites:

https://www.thehouseofonyx.com/

https://chaselifeconsulting.com/

I am Damian Porter , Former NZ Special Forces Operator, Subject Matter Expert from www.hownottodieguy.com and www.eatwellmovewell.net

And you are listening to my STRAIGHT TALK MIND AND MUSCLE PODCAST sponsored by www.mystait.com

- the ultimate daily formula for optimum hormone health, stress management, energy and performance.

100% natural and clinically proven ingredients, it provides everything you need to raise your game, in a convenient gut-friendly capsule. 

And the Mason Survival Protocol - https://www.carnivoreretreat.com/post/masonsurvival-protocol-carnivore-retreat



Links for my former shows are here-


WATCH on YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-Zy1jciVn7cWB0B-y5WATyzrzfwucZ

LISTEN on: spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1rlAGRXCwLIJfQCQ5B3PYB?si=UmgsMBFkRfelCAm1E4Pd3Q

Itunes - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/straight-talk-mind-and-muscle-podcast/id1315986446?mt=2




Amazon https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/5bce2d31-a171-4e83-bada-d1384c877e76

Subscribe for more amazing tips, interviews and wisdom from phenomenal guests ------- And get your ** FREE Video Workshop here- https://www.hownottodieguy.com/