July - 2016
SCRAPP! FIGHT MAGAZINE
22
times my friends would want
to reach out to me and help
me through it.
It was a slap in the face to
hear what former coaches,
sponsors and supporters were
saying about me, and the way
they seemed to enjoy doing it
made me feel like they were
glad that I failed. I assumed
that true supporters would
stand by me during my diffi-
cult times because that’s how
I was raised, but I was wrong.
I lost 90% of the people in
my world all at once. From Gi
sponsors, and financial donors
to my membership at a pres-
tigious athletic club. Friends,
coaches etc. just completely
cut off all communication
with me, most without ever
speaking to me personally.
Ultimately I think it was one
of the best life lessons I ever
learned. I came to realize “The
smaller the circle, the stronger
the circle”. I now use that ex-
pression often.
SFM:
Is the negativity what
motivated you to move across
country to continue your train-
ing?
ND:
Yes and no. Where I was
training in upstate NY has a
“small town” feel where ev-
eryone knows everyone. There
were reporters camping out
at my house and at my Dojo,
I couldn’t deal with that. My
first attempt back at the lo-
cal gym a woman came up
to me mid lift and called me
a piece of shit. When my Dad
said, “Hey you can’t say that
to him” she screamed “F&*%
you!” There was also a local
reporter hounding me for a
story after I politely declined.
He wouldn’t take no for an
answer and started badgering
my 80 year old father who was
undergoing cancer treatment.
I decided that if I was go-
ing to continue to do Judo I
was going to completely start
over and in order to do that I
needed to completely change
my surroundings and start
from scratch. I spoke with my
longtime coach Jason Mor-
ris and explained to him that
I couldn’t spend the next 4
years being “that guy” around
town. He completely under-
stood and supported my deci-
sion. He let me know that his
doors were always open and
true to his word they always
have been, I’ve returned to his
Dojo many times over the last
few years for training camps
and fine tuning.
SFM:
What made you choose
Florida?
ND:
As I mentioned, I had
been in a “small town” envi-
ronment where I was big news.
A big fish in a small pond if
you will. I decided Miami has
so many professional athlete
superstars that no one would
waste time on little old me. It
was easier for me to return to
normal because in Florida no-
one knew who I was.
I also have to say that my cur-
rent coach Evelio Garcia played
a huge role in the move. He
was one of the first people to
stop and ask me if I was ok.
He taught me that there is a
sense of relief when people
know the worse thing about
you. He said that moving for-
ward, whoever came into my
life would know the worst
thing about me and still love
me and accept me.
SFM:
From what I understand
you had a pretty rough start
when you & your girlfriend
relocated. Tell us about those
first few months in Florida.
ND:
When my girlfriend and I
first moved to Florida we were
literally sleeping on a mattress
on the floor in an efficien-
cy, in a really bad neighbor-
hood. One of the first times
I went jogging outside, I saw
someone being loaded onto a
stretcher. They had just been
shot! It was definitely a reality
check.
There were some bad weeks. I
remember when we only had
$8 to last us two days and we
had to strategically order off
of the dollar menu at McDon-
ald’s. We didn’t have cable or
money for dates or anything
like that. Our first Christmas
in Florida we bought Taco bell
and watched old DVD’s from
our mattress on the floor.
SFM:
What life event hap-
pened that enabled you to get
to a better place?
ND:
I met an amazing man
named Alan Gebhart by hap-
penstance. He basically took
me in when I had nothing and
put stock in me to make it to
