Latest / Discomfort Required / Fitness Isn’t Enough: What It REALLY Takes To Win the Tactical Games | Jordan Sessions
Transcript
- Trent: today I have the one and only Jordan sessions on. Jordan is a Jordan Sessions: Mm-hmm. How's it going? Trent: badass in the tactical game space. and we're gonna get into her whole story and how she got into this. Jordan, how are you today? Jordan Sessions: I'm doing good. How are you doing? Trent: Doing great. it's been a long day already. It got up and coached the five thirty AM class and then I had a couple of personal training clients and doing some other podcast shit and then here we are. We're doing it. Jordan Sessions: And here we are. And the day's not over is the best part. You have so so much more day left, so Trent: Exactly. For sure. For sure. so we asked this of everybody when we first get started, what does discomfort required mean to you? Jordan Sessions: Discomfort required means to me just kinda kinda simply put, just getting outside your comfort zone, getting outside of stuff you're familiar with and being okay, kind of free falling a little bit. Some of the best best outcomes that we could hope for is when we get outside of those comfort zone and we excel or we, you know, exceed our expectations. So it's just taking that risk and being uncomfortable and some of the best things some of the magic happens in when you get outside. Trent: Hell yeah. I love that. And also your shirt's amazing. It says don't be a dick. If Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: you guys are just yeah, if you guys are just listening and not watching, this is another reason to have the episode on YouTube. It's great. Jordan Sessions: I love it. Trent: so when you're growing up, what were what sports were you all into and everything? Jordan Sessions: I you know, sports wise I wasn't into a whole lot. I was kind of that mmom try to get me into, you know, basketball or try different things and I ended up taking to to dance. I became a dancer, all my friends were dancing and I was like, Mom, I feel left out, like I don't get to hang out with them. I really just wanted to hang out with my friends, but so Trent: Perfect. Jordan Sessions: I got into dance and I kinda took that for a ride for quite a while, ended up being really good at it. So competitive dancing and then I did a little bit of drill team in high school and that was the main focus. I was dancing probably thirty thirty hours a week on top of school. So I was doing a I was doing a lot, a lot, a lot. Trent: Yeah. so how much did you love it? Jordan Sessions: I was obsessed with it. it wasn't Trent: Okay. Jordan Sessions: at f it wasn't until, you know, I I made my first competition team where I kinda really dove into what this all meant and you know, everyone around me was like, you know, she's so good and she's picking up so fast but I didn't really know what that really meant to me. And it wasn't until I kinda got on a competition team and I was starting to win that that little bug came in and was like, No, you gotta get first and from there it was just like all guns ablazin, like I'm not gonna quit, I'm gonna You know, make long hours to make this happen. I'm gonna get first. So and I did. Yeah. Trent: Hell yeah. I love that. And it's just just carried over to every other part of your life. So that's pretty dope. Jordan Sessions: It has. Trent: did you quit dance after high school or were you still in high school or how'd that go? Jordan Sessions: I actually continued dancing outside of high school. I ended up getting an agency that took me out in Los Angeles. so I ended up going to college for dance. I got a scholarship, went to college for dance and then I worked with my agency outside of college, just like random gigs here and there, background work, what you know, whatever they needed me for. And ended up joining a contemporary company for about a year or so called Marrow Dance, and did some live shows and performances out there and just kinda ran with it. You know, I still love dance to Trent: That's awesome. Jordan Sessions: this day and wish I could still do it, but unfortunately there's not really a big a big community for adults thirty plus for Trent: Mm. Jordan Sessions: dancing these days. Yeah. Trent: That's fair. That's fair. it's it sounds really, really awesome though. And pretty random. It's not every day where you talk to somebody and they're Yeah, I went to college for dancing. That's that's pretty dope for sure. So when Jordan Sessions: Yeah. It's it's different. Trent: when did you find CrossFit? Jordan Sessions: I actually found CrossFit. I was a big like high intensity interval training girly. you know, first fitness job was working at Equinox at the front desk and I just kinda picked up stuff here and there. ended up starting to coach at a place called SpeedX and that like introduced me to the world of HIT training. And, you know, a few years later came, you know, F forty five. So somewhere in between there I found I started I walked into a CrossFit. class. There was like jujitsu and some other kind of grappling sports that I was dabbling in and I like, Well let me let me try this. Like I you know, I like working out. I'm I'm I'm down for everything. And so yeah, that was like my first CrossFit class probably back in gosh. Maybe twenty seventeen, sixteen? It was like the first year I did the open and I had knew nothing about CrossFit. I was just like I'm gonna send it. Like I'm I I can do it. Like That's how big my ego is. It's like I've never done this before, but I'm gonna do the open. So yeah, I got this. Trent: I got it. Jordan Sessions: I'm like, s gosh. But yeah, from there on out it was just it was more of my relationship with Cross it has just been like dabbling. I've never really been anywhere long enough, but I I love I love it. It's one of those things it's like I I appreciate what the intent is behind CrossFit and a lot of solid movements that are very applicable to the sport that I do now, the tactical games. So Trent: It's it's a pretty easy transition going from CrossFit to tactical games. that's what like I'm in the middle of transitioning between that two. Like me and my wife, we're starting to get really into it and we've competed CrossFit and done all that stuff. But Jordan Sessions: Mm-hmm. Trent: so like the thing that I love about CrossFit is it's just functional movements at high intensity, right? So I if you're doing Jordan Sessions: Right. Trent: F-45, if you're doing anything that's sort of functional, you're doing some form of CrossFit-esque thing. So that's pretty dope. Jordan Sessions: Right. Yeah. Trent: what do you do mainly for fitness now? Jordan Sessions: Right now I I program for myself. I usually do it's some kind of form of strength conditioning, some hypertrophy. so I kind of train like a strength block and then I'll do like some kind of AMRAP, imam Some kind of again, that conditioning piece at the end with similar to CrossFit, then you'll have like a finisher, whether it's some kind of accessory work or some kind of specific movement, that is applicable to the tactical games or whatever I it is I'm training for. So maybe it's, you know, ten, fifteen minutes of like rope climbs or sandbags or sled or some kind of finisher. But yeah, my my programming stays pretty pretty consistent on the the programming blocks I guess. But just rotating Trent: Nice, right on. Jordan Sessions: in yeah, in and out of more strength or you know, building more muscle, so Trent: So what's harder for you personally? the physical demands of of competing or the mental pressure of when you're standing online and about to go? Jordan Sessions: Ooh. I think they definitely both have a place and they definitely both come up. I think for me it's more physical. I think I've been Trent: Okay. Jordan Sessions: so accustomed to competing and being in the being in the hot seat, right? Like you get those nerves and but you do it enough times it it becomes less of like nervous energy and butterflies and more of just like, okay, I'm ready, let's go. so I think you kinda get used to it if you're a competitor or used to that that kind of environment. I think it Trent: Mm-hmm. Jordan Sessions: comes down to more of the physical, like am I ready? Did I do enough? I am considered one of the smaller females in the elite division and tactical games, so that is something that I struggle with just in general is, you know Did I do enough training to lift this amount of weight? You know. So that is always the the limiting factor or the weakest link in the chain is, you know, my you know, I weigh one thirty, one thirty five and I'm having Trent: Right. Jordan Sessions: to now pick up two hundred pound sandbags. So kind of one of those one of those things of like, yeah. So I think I Trent: Sounds amazing. Jordan Sessions: think the physical for me, 'cause there's always that like question of doubt, like after I get fatigued, am I gonna be able to do this? So I think that maybe the physical demand. Trent: Okay, right on. So when you were dancing, was it the physical d demand of dancing or was it the mental side of it before you went out and competed? Jordan Sessions: with dancing it was maybe a little bit of both. You still had that those nervous energy and those butterflies, but as soon as you step on stage, kinda all that dissipates and then it's you rely back on your training, right? Ha like I've conditioned for this, like, you know, you know your moves, you practiced a hundred thousand times, like so it's just ma mainly just execution, you know, execution and go out there and just like be in it, be present. Trent: So cool. what what was the path to the tactic to tactical games? I sure like there's a ton of people out there that want to know how you ended up Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: here and killing it. Jordan Sessions: Honestly it was like a I like to say it's a quarter life crisis, but it was really really honestly like mm I felt I was lacking something. You know, after I got done with with dance and kind of put that aside, I felt like my whole life was revolved around dance and training and conditioning and working out and and doing things that made me excel in my sport. So when I was no longer doing that I just felt like there was there was a little hole. There's a little bit of emptiness of like, you know, where do I put this energy and, you know what is gonna bring me purpose. I just didn't have purpose. And I saw I don't it it was a weird time. I was transitioning careers. I was I was doing a lot of things at this time, but Instagram had showed me an ad for tactical games and it was this badass female You've probably heard me maybe talk about her before in another, you know, podcast or interview. But her name's Corinna and she was breaching a door. She had, you know, cute you know, I'm a girl, so I'm like, she had this cute outfit on, she's like doing badass stuff, Trent: Yeah. Jordan Sessions: like breaching a door, had a gun on her hip and like was, you know, doing all these really cool, like, combat stuff and I like, What is this? I like, I don't know why I got this ad, but I clicked on it and I was like, Okay. I was searching through their feed and I like, This looks like something I would really enjoy. We're we're merging some shooting, we're merging some fitness. I was like I liked the grittiness of it and I just went on their website and I looked at if there was any events like near me and there happened to be a workshop that basically brought people that didn't have any experience with tactical games and they it was like I think a two or three day course and it walked through it walked you through shooting and the fitness and how it scored and you know, from the basic firearm like handling to, you know, navigating how to, you know, move through an action stage. So yeah, that was really honestly the start. It was was a need. It was something that I was like searching for, something to fill a void and it just so happened that that fell into place at the same time and I did one I did that you know, I did the athlete camp is what it was called and I loved it. Signed up for my first comp and I was hooked. I was like this is what I've been looking for. I've been looking for that same, you know, hobby that's gonna give me that competitive feel, that makes me feel like a competitor again and that I can do fitness and learn a new skill and be bad at something again and like have something to work towards. So I don't know. I don't know who saved who, tactical games or me, so yeah. Trent: I love it. I love it. So did you do a lot of shooting beforehand? Or was it the first time you shot was when you went to the camp? Jordan Sessions: I've dabbled in shooting, you know, just going with buddies here and there to like, hey, let's go sh go to the range and, you know, do a day at the range, but it was nothing like what I'm doing now. It was like maybe once in a blue moon or once like I don't know, every couple of years it was it was not anything Trent: Yeah. Jordan Sessions: worth Yeah. I was terrible is what I'm trying to say. So yeah, this Trent: Yeah. Jordan Sessions: was like a whole start start fresh, start new. And Trent: That's awesome. Jordan Sessions: I'm still terrible at it. Like, you know, I'm still I'm still working on it. Like my shots are Trent: come on. Come on. Jordan Sessions: You know, my fitness has really made up for a lot of the poor shooting. So that's it's Trent: Ha ha ha. Jordan Sessions: always always gonna be something to work on, is what I've learned. Trent: what year did you do that athlete camp? Jordan Sessions: I believe it was twenty twenty four if I'm not mistaken. Yeah. Twenty twenty four Trent: Okay. Jordan Sessions: 'cause that would have been my first nationals and then twenty twenty-five with my second and this will be my third. So it's it's happened very quick. Yeah, it's gone very fast. Trent: Whew. Like took to a fast. Yeah, very, very quickly. So when you started out, what was the most uncomfortable thing that you had to do in training that ended up making you a better competitor now? Jordan Sessions: that's just basically working on stuff I'm not good at. And that's really hard for me 'cause my ego gets in the way and it's like, No, no, no, we need to do stuff that we're good at and like, you know, like to make me feel better. Like, yeah, like I'm Trent: Mm-hmm. Jordan Sessions: sick sick shot here. So, you know. So once I've finally just been like, Look, like don't go to the range and keep doing things that you're good at. Like, you know, focus on the stuff that's setting you back and like you know is a big hole or a gap in your training. And as soon as I did that and like not let my brain go and like, but I want to feel good and I wanna get that dopamine hit of me. me sh you know, hitting the steel and shooting that target r like so quick and fast, like working on those little things that made me feel not so great and be like, Ooh, I didn't I didn't shoot that quite well. that made a big difference in my training, is just, you know, trying to not feed the ego and, you know, actually do the work. Trent: Right. So when you go to this to the range, do you set out an intention before you get there and you're like, these are the things I'm working on today, and that's all I'm gonna tackle. Jordan Sessions: I've tried to do that more and more. my range days in the very beginning were a little scattered. all my training's just been a lot of just me trial and error and going out there and shooting and, you know, getting my own feedback. So it was really hard in the beginning to get focused 'cause I just wanted to do so much in one sitting and it was like, you get a little bit of this, a little bit of that, but you weren't getting like diving deep into one thing and like, okay, let's get sets and reps going. So my training now looks very different than it what it does and it is very much more regiment, more scheduled. Like I went to the range today and I said, Hey, I wanna do at least these two things and I'm not gonna move on. I'm not gonna keep going. I'm gonna drill, drill, drill. And then on my next training I'll focus on two more things. So try not to overload myself anymore and just kinda stay focused and stay stay sharp. Yeah. Trent: When you started, what was harder for you? Was it pistol or was it rifle? Jordan Sessions: I think the biggest learning curve was rifle and which is funny 'cause I I'm I feel like I'm a way better rifle shot now than I am pistol, but Trent: Ha ha ha. Jordan Sessions: I think just rifle was f unfamiliar for me. Like I was very comfortable with pistol already, like I've just been around it. rifle was definitely I'm like, I don't know how the all these components work together and so there was a learning curve with just, you know, having the gun itself and then starting to learn like long range and like windage holds and certain elements like that that kind of made that a little bit more challenging. But I ended up life liking rifle more, to be honest. Now that you kinda you know, learn little tidbits here and there. I like the calmness of a rifle. You gotta just really be relaxed and make sure every shot is you're not moving. So sense of like breathing and connec body connectivity, I I think I like that. Trent: It's awesome. yeah, my wife kicks my ass at rifle. And pistol, it's the other Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: way. It's the other way around. But she's like, she's like, I got this all day. And then it comes a pistol, and it's like, we both have a shit ton of stuff to work on. Don't get me wrong. However, Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: like she's like, she's like struggling with one part. I'm just like, okay, I can do this with a pistol all day long, and then g give her a rifle. And she's like, yeah, you can't even shoot. And I'm like, hey, yeah, for sure. It's Jordan Sessions: She's like, I got this, yeah. Trent: it's pretty dope, honestly, watching her do it. so Jordan Sessions: I love that. Trent: what is your favorite part? Like digging into the tactical games, what is your favorite part of it? Jordan Sessions: Ooh, that's also a good question. I think the thing that keeps me coming back is one, the community, and you'll probably hear this all the time. It it really is something to be said about the people that that compete and, you know, attend these events. It's very like minded people. Everyone wants to have a good time, everyone's like super supportive, wants to help, like it really is a badass community and I think that honestly that's the reason I keep coming back. And then two I think the programming has been like they've done an amazing job on programming. It the the pistol shots are getting harder and harder, the rifle shots are getting harder and harder. So they're finding this nice balance of like, you know, letting people feel successful and, you know, have a really cool comp, but also changing it up enough where people that are coming more consistently are also getting challenged. So I think they're doing doing a few things that are really well. Trent: everybody that I've talked to that has been involved in the tactical games, they all say amazing things about the community. Like it is ridiculous what they what they say about it. And it's like I can see it, you know, like Kelly getting a hold of you to come on here, right? Like that is super, super Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: awesome. And it's everybody seems very tight knit. And I feel like since that is the way it goes, they really listen to the feedback of the athletes, right? So it's like Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: the programming is gonna continually get better because they continually listen to feedback and if they didn't and they were just letting their ego write it, they'd be this is how we're doing it and then they wouldn't make any changes. So, you know, that's that's where Jordan Sessions: Mm-hmm. Trent: CrossFit falls on its face really, really hard. Is is Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: there's too many egos on that side and they just can't get the shit together. It's it's pretty ridiculous. Jordan Sessions: It's it's really easy to let that that creep in, that ego creep in. So yeah, our community does a really good job and you know, we all wanna have a a good time. We all know this isn't like you know, we're not going pro. We're not making our living off of this necessarily. Like so all of us kinda use it as an outlet, you know, I'm a first responder. Some of this is really nice just mentally to go out and just like decompress and like meet other people that wanna do the same thing. So it's a really honestly a nice expensive hobby, but you know We l we love it and I th yeah, we like it and we Trent: You're not kidding. Jordan Sessions: we keep coming back so so they're doing something right. Trent: For sure. Do you remember the moment when you felt like, okay, this isn't just something that I wanna do, this is something I wanna like kick ass at? Jordan Sessions: Yeah, that's a really good question 'cause I think I remember the exact moment or at least one of them that made me kind of change little like change gears like of what I was doing. I competed it was my first yeah, it was my first women's elite twenty twenty four first ever comp, you know, solo I had done a Teams and then this was my first solo comp going women's elite. It was in Arizona. No, it was in apologies, it was in Utah. And I I didn't make top three. I think I got fourth or fifth, but they took top five that qualified you for nationals. And I just kind of went into it like I was just full sitting. I was like I didn't want to start at tactical. I was like I have the fitness. I just my shooting's gotta catch up. So that was the first regional where I was like Okay, I didn't fall completely flat on my face. Like I was able to hang in there. I have stuff to work on. And then when they were like, Hey, you you have a spot in Nationals, I felt like that was a point of like, no. Like, no, I have a lot of training Trent: Ha ha. Jordan Sessions: to do and heck yeah, we did this. Yeah, heck yeah, like I'm going. But no, we've got a lot of work to do. And that was like the point where I was like very excited about it. And I think that was the game changer for me. It like, wow, I'm really excited about this opportunity and I wanna perform well. Like I went in, I saw what what like how I needed to improve and that competitor in me was like, no, no. We want first. So we're gonna do whatever it takes to get there. And yeah, I from there it was like training. It was training and my head was was in the game for nationals. Yeah. Trent: Love it. That's awesome. So when you go to the gym and you're programming for yourself at the gym, is there a structured program that is like a linear, you know, squat progressions or anything like that? Or are you j are you just going in and just doing stuff that just applies to specifically tactical game stuff? Because I feel like The more tactical games workouts I do, that applies better to life than most of the CrossFit shit that I do. Right. So it's just like Jordan Sessions: Mm. Trent: I feel like that kinda like encompasses everything that I need. Jordan Sessions: Yeah, I there I mean there is a framework to my training. I I kinda tend to need that versus just kinda going and be like throwing stuff at the wall. But I tend to have, Trent: Mm-hmm. Jordan Sessions: you know, I usually do like upper lower body splits. So I'm always usually doing the same movements for maybe like six, eight week cycle, then I'll delo, kinda go a little lighter, a little less, like more zone two, and then I'll kick it back up again. my big foc my big focus this year was strength. And yes, I'm getting stronger and it's taking a lot longer to get there. I am seeing those those small changes over time. 'cause I needed to. The last two years we've been throwing like heavy sandbags and like under fatigue when I've got to go lift. Like, I always cap out at those. So I was told myself this year I was like, I'm gonna get that two hundred pounds. It's not gonna I'm gonna finish this stage this year. I'm not gonna cap. So yeah, I'm seeing those small improvements. But yeah, there's gotta be a structure for me. Just so I stay on task. I'm already so eighty H D and all over the map Trent: Yeah. Jordan Sessions: that if I don't have somewhat of an idea, I'm just gonna go play around in the gym for five hours. So yeah. Yeah. Trent: Okay, same. Like if I if I don't like if I don't have structure, I will be warming up for forty-five minutes and like, what what what am I what am I even doing? Right. And I'm like not even getting moving. But like that's me also procrastinating. So that's what it's it's a problem. Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Yep. That's me. It's easy to do, you just get in here like okay I'll do a little bit of this, okay, a little of that. I'm gonna, you know, sit and chat, I'm gonna gap some water and walk around, okay do a little bit of that like I could be at the gym all day if I don't just tighten my stuff up. Like Trent: For sure, for sure. what's a mistake that you've made in competition that completely changed the way you train now? Jordan Sessions: What's a mistake I've made at competition that changes the way I train now? Trent: Yeah. So like at the beginning, like what was something that you made a mistake and you're like, Well, I'm never doing that again and it completely changed everything. Jordan Sessions: Mhm. there's a c I mean, there's a I think there's a couple different thought processes here. One of was kind of just realizing how much like not only do you have to shoot and have to have the fitness component, but being out there and being like a competitor and going through a couple of different regionals, you really realize like how much it is like also gaming it. Like, you know, you there you have to think through some of these stages and you have to like you know, tactically think like what's the best way to attack this state. So it's not just, you know, f you know, full on balls to the wall fitness and I'm gonna shoot. Like there's some strategy to a lot of these stages and how you approach them and like your technique and what you do. So kind of falling flat and just seeing how everyone else approach approaches stages and how they attack certain movements or orders or things like that has has changed my training a little bit. Or or just at least the way I look at a stage now going into it. I'm like, hey, instead of, you know, holding the bag this way, I'm gonna hold it this way and instead of, you know, you know, redlining it out on the first one, I'm gonna find a steady pace and then push at the end. Like there's different different techniques, I guess, and and and strategies depending on what the stage is. that my brain has to kick in and now kind of step outside of myself and look, okay, bigger picture. It's always an advantage too to watch people that go before you 'cause you're learning a little bit. Okay, that didn't work. That worked. Okay, that worked. So you kind of have a little bit of advantage there. but I think the biggest mistake maybe maybe physically, maybe the first year I was going, you know, because I had to rely a lot on my physical training, 'cause my shooting was just not there. I would have to you know, push harder, red line a little bit more because you know, if I could finish a lot faster knowing my shots were not very good, I could at least make up for some shot times penalties, right? Like if I could push that fitness and red line and just keep going and beat everyone else by like a minute or two, maybe that would help, you know, all the shots that I knew I was gonna miss. Trent: Ha ha ha. Jordan Sessions: Like so there was some there was some some of that play. you know, now looking back, like, you know, now it's more focused on, hey, let's let's be smart, let's train these areas that you have gaps in, let's get stronger at the shooting. You know, that way you can take your time, get your shots, make your shots matter most. But if you can't get the shots then you gotta move fast. So Trent: Yeah. Yeah. Jordan Sessions: so that probably changes the the biggest for my training is just knowing that I I don't have to rely on just physical fitness anymore. I can you know, I'm a little bit stronger on the shooting side now than I than I used to be. Trent: I think I'm gonna have to like brute force a lot of this first. Like when I f when I finally Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: get to compete. I'm just like, you know what, I'm just gonna be getting straight through it, So Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: there's so much gear and guns and all kinds of stuff out there. What do you think that beginners make the mistake on buying right out of the gate? Jordan Sessions: for me, it the barrier to entry is just so high. And I and I I mean that by there's so like you said, there's so much gear to buy, there's so much that you need to get started, right? You need, you know, you know, you need a belt, you need a holster, you need mag pouches, you need a pistol, you need a rifle, you need a sling, like you need optics. So there's so much you need in the beginning and the barrier to entry is high, right? This is a this is an expensive sport at the end of the day, like with ammo and all that. I think Don't get caught up if you don't have all the gear. you know, I already mentioned our our community's pretty badass and a lot of us have extra gear and a lot of us are willing to to lend our gear, like, hey, a new competitor doesn't have everything. Hey, I need a plate carrier, and I need plates in it. Cool, I have an extra, you can borrow. So no not getting so stressed out on having to have everything at your first one. You know, reach out. There's a lot of competitors and people part of the tactical games community that will lend you gear. you know, find the stuff that's more customizable to you if you want certain particulars and but just ask. Ask for ask to rent or ask to borrow. And as you start kind of if you end up liking it and you start competing a little bit more, just buy a little along. I think that's where a lot of people mess up. It's like everyone thinks they have to have everything, you know, for their first one and they can't compete unless they have everything. But it's really it's really easy. Everyone's really open to just Here you go. You need that, all we can share, we can borrow. So I think that, maybe. Trent: It's not like that in the cross-up community. Like if you're there to compete, you're like, well, I guess we're enemies now, even if we were friends five minutes ago. Yeah. Right? For sure. So that sounds like Jordan Sessions: Yeah, they're like, You're my competitor. I'm not gonna give you an advantage. I'm not gonna help you. Like I'm competing against you. Yeah. That's a normal thing. Trent: that sounds like way more fun, honestly. what Jordan Sessions: It is. Trent: what do you what do you think the biggest mindset shift you've had in the last two years is? Jordan Sessions: mindset shift for me would just be we talked about ego a little bit and a shift for me is just like it's okay to look stupid. It's okay to not you know, not do the best all the time, right? Like I was getting so caught up in just almost embarrassed. Like I would, you know, not not perform as well as I'd want to and I'm you know, in my head I'm making excuses for my performances. It's like, no, you just you just had a bad day. Like it's okay. Everyone has bad days. Like no one's judging you. Everyone's here to get you know, get better and to learn and like, you know, I think that was the mind shift set when I was like, hey, it's okay to suck. Like you don't need to be defensive. You just, you know, take it on the chin and you go back and train and you learn from it. That's really helped me kind of step into a stronger position versus just always making excuses for myself. So don't let that ego get in the way. Yeah. Trent: Like it. It o it somehow always does in some fashion, right? You just gotta kinda like, hey, just l just leave it there. So Jordan Sessions: It does. Yeah. Trent: you said you're a first responder. let the folks know what what you do for work. Jordan Sessions: Sure, so I am a firefighter paramedic for a fire department here in Texas. Yeah. Trent: Awesome. That's great. How long you been doing that for? Jordan Sessions: I am going on January and January will be five years for this department. Trent: Sweet. So I'm sure you've seen all kinds of crazy shit that's happened Jordan Sessions: No. Trent: during that during that time for sure. how much Jordan Sessions: Yes. Trent: has tactical games training helped with work? Jordan Sessions: It's been it's been an outlet for sure. And I like I think we mentioned that before if just you know, a lot of the people in this community are ex military or first responders or LE or you know, we work in some kind of fashion. Not everyone, but a lot of people and this is like kind of a good a nice outlet, a good community where we can all bond and get together and do do things that we like to do. so tactical games has helped me just in my job just as a form of therapy. You know, you go out and shoot and just kinda clear the head, you work out, you you do something really hard and you know that becomes your main focus, right? You you you get some demons out, right? but on the flip side, like being in my job has helped me with tactical games because, you know, being on a S C B A like breathing air in a bottle, you have to be able to control your breathing while doing work on the fire ground. So that's really helped me stay calm, like in tactical games when we're we're moving and lifting and then we have to get on that firing line and take a breath and be smooth and like don't move. Like you've gotta be able to like calm yourself, get your breath down. So like my jobs also help me train for tactical games as far as just getting that box breathing, getting into a nice steady position for a rifle where you're not all over the place breathing heavy and sweating and so yeah, there's there's elements that kind of cross and intertwine. Trent: If you were gonna give advice to anybody that's gonna start tomorrow, what Jordan Sessions: This is Trent: would be the number one thing other than don't buy all of your gear? What would be the number one thing that you would tell them to do? Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Number one thing to do if they wanna start tactical games tomorrow. get a training program. Get a training program that that focuses on functional movements and just get in the gym. Start with consistency. Consistency in the gym and then consistency on the range. So whether you have you know, if money is an issue, everyone talks about dry fire, get you a really good dry fire system where you can just train, train, you know, getting your eyes moving kind of where you want, you know, acquiring a target, all of that makes a difference. So if money money is a thing, just start with dry firing, but make it consistent. And then get you a fitness program and make it consistent. Trent: say somebody that money's not a problem, right? And they Jordan Sessions: Mm-hmm. Trent: are going to start doing this, would you advise them, if they really are really shitty at shooting, to like get a like a personal trainer to like help with that? Okay. Jordan Sessions: Yes. I would recommend it. that's something I should be doing and I I talk to everyone about it all the time. It's like I just need a coach. I just need a coach. 'cause you Trent: Ha ha ha. Jordan Sessions: hear me all the time talking about I just go out to the range and like it's basically me judging me. So I'll video, Trent: Mm. Jordan Sessions: I'll watch YouTube videos. So, you know, but if you have, you know, money to s money to spend, money to burn, I would definitely say hiring a coach, you know, a couple of times, you know, a month would be very beneficial and you'll see a lot of growth in a short amount of time. Trent: Hell yeah. how often are you at the range? Jordan Sessions: I'm trying to now that we're kinda leading down to nationals in November, I'm trying to get to the range at least twice a week. Trent: That that's pretty legit. Also gets expensive, but it's pretty legit. Yeah. Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Yeah. I know lots it does. It does. That's why I like leading into nationals we're like, you know, less than two months out. So I'm like, okay, this is this is prime time. This is if I can get any other, you know typically what what's been going on is like two times a week and then maybe if there's like a some kind of local match on the weekends when I'm not working, I'll I'll do that. So we're looking at possibly max of three times on the range. Trent: if you could go back to the version of yourself who started, what Jordan Sessions: Mm-hmm. Trent: would be your advice to yourself? Cause like you could give yourself the best advice you could because you are, you know, leading this path. What would be the thing that you're like, Jordan, just focus on this for the next six months? Jordan Sessions: it would be kind of kind of all the things that I was talking about earlier that I wish I would have started sooner. It would have been do the things you're not good at. Quit avoiding it. Go to the range and work on. You've been to enough regionals, you know where you lose points. For some reason I was just going against the grain of like, but I don't want to do that. Like I'm good at this. I wanna I Trent: Ha ha ha. Jordan Sessions: wanna stay good at this. And if I would have just buckled down and just like, nope, we're not gonna we're not gonna start our training with all the good things that you like doing to make yourself feel better. feel good and pat on the back, like drill, drill the hard stuff, drill the stuff that you again, discomfort required, right? Get out of your comfort zone. Do the stuff you don't wanna do. because that's gonna make the difference. And now I'm playing catch up, doing all that. So I wish I would have started that a lot sooner. Trent: That's one of the reasons why I started this podcast is 'cause like A, I want to inspire people and have cool people on that also inspire people. And it's like, hey, look, just do the shit you don't want to do 'cause that's that's where Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Just do it. Trent: that's where all the money's made. That's it like that's what it is. Jordan Sessions: Right. And there's no there's no reason for not doing it. You asked why why don't you do it? It's like I don't know, I just didn't feel it's like I just didn't Trent: I think Jordan Sessions: feel like it or I just I s I don't know, I just there's no good reason. So just do it. Yeah. Trent: Yeah. would you mind walking us through what your setup what your current setup is for the tactical games? Like Jordan Sessions: Yeah. Trent: all all the fun stuff and all the toys that you have. Jordan Sessions: Hm, yeah. Absolutely. so you kinda want to talk about my gear list and stuff? Trent: yeah. Jordan Sessions: yeah. Okay. So we'll start we'll start with pistol. So pistol right now, I'm shooting a staccato P with a comp. And for my rifle, I am partnered with a amazing company out of McKinney, Texas. I love them so much. Like I've worked with a lot of companies before, but I've never had just the family environment that this company brings and it's Evolve Weapon Systems. They're amazing. I've never had any issues with my rifle. Like it shoots great. Like I clean it, I maintain it, I take care of it, and it's just smooth. And I can't say more good things about because I just I'm always dealing with malfunctions with every kind of, you know, firearms, weapon systems. Like I'm always dealing with something. But with them, like it's been it's been a breeze. So those are Trent: I love that. Jordan Sessions: my two main weapon systems. And then my belt is a G BRS belt. I love that. I have a smaller waist, so a lot of companies don't make belts small enough. so this company actually I found a a belt that fits me. So that's nice. Hell Trent: Hell yeah, that's awesome. Jordan Sessions: yeah. And Really important for female because it's it's been a challenge for a female to find, you know, gear that fits and you know fits our bodies. So shout out to GBRS. And plate plate carrier. Yeah, I love it. plate Trent: yeah. I'll tag them. Jordan Sessions: carrier, I actually just switched to Jack Drabbit plates. I had their actual moldable plates. I just didn't have the plate carrier. So I just upgraded to that system and I love it so much more. You can kind of cinch that Velcro down a little tighter and my old one. would bounce. So I would there was so much room and when you're running with all your kit, that's the last thing you want weight just pounding constantly on your shoulders. So this one fits pretty snug and obviously it's compatible with their plates that are pretty moldable. so I run jacked rabbit plates now. And their carrier. And Trent: Sweet. I j I just had Nick I just recorded an episode with Nick two weeks ago. Yeah, he's a super nice guy. Jordan Sessions: I love it. Yeah, perfect. the again, community is amazing. So he's Trent: Hell yeah. Jordan Sessions: very, very sweet. And I'm trying to think of what else. What did I miss? Trent: let's see, what it what mag pouches? Mags, shit like that. Jordan Sessions: Mhm. Mag pouches, I believe I think I just got those on Amazon. I can't even tell you what the brand is. but but Trent: Perfect. Jordan Sessions: yeah, I know exactly. But tells you it doesn't really matter what how expensive your gear is. You could literally like pick and choose whatever works for you, whatever your setup is, you can you can ball on a budget. But the jackdrabbit does have like a placard that you can put on the Velcro and it has, you know, rifle and pistol pouches so I'm gonna start running that and see how I like it on the front carrier and my sling again I think that one's just an Amazon Amazon purchase and I believe I have an additional sling that I've I kind of alternate use on it's wild wilder tactical Trent: Nice. Jordan Sessions: and I'm trying to think of what else Trent: let's see holster. Jordan Sessions: holster. we've got T-Rex Arms holster. with Safari Land's like drop mount and some components there. And Trent: Sweet. Jordan Sessions: Born Primitive Apparel. I partner with them so I ru I wear a a lot of Born Primitive. Actually really big fan of their shorts. They're a little longer and they've got like pockets on the side so I'll I'll stick like stick some mags in there too. So they run really nice. I know a lot of people Trent: Hell yeah. Nice. Jordan Sessions: like their their new like range leggings that have the belt loops. I just never run belt my belt my inner belt so I have a leg strap so that just keeps it keeps it nice and tight and I can run shorts if I want to and Trent: Right on. There you go. Jordan Sessions: yeah and then no no no specific shoes. I just say for tackle practical games, you're usually gonna have some kind of run. you might have ropes, so you might have sled, so kind of maybe a trail shoe, something with like a little bit of like a a grip. is always a nice nice to have. Yeah. Yeah. Trent: Yeah, with l like little bit of lugs. Yeah. Right on. That's dope. love it. where can people find you, Jordan? Jordan Sessions: the only thing I'll add to this conversation for people that want to start or people that want to do their first regional, one thing I did underestimate going in was nutrition, like refuel and refeed, right? When you're in the sun, hydration, when you're going back to back stages with like not not a lot of rest, just making sure you keep up with your nutrition and keep up with hydration. but yeah, you can find me on Instagram. it's sessions life L I F E and then Just my last name, sessions. But yeah, follow me. I've got a couple more regionals coming up this this year before nationals. and we're gonna get at it. If anyone wants to train, just hit me up. Hell yeah. Trent: Hell yeah. I will put I will put all that stuff in the show notes for you. Jordan, Jordan Sessions: great. Trent: thank you so much for being on. love getting to chat with you. super excited to meet you in person when we actually get to go to compete. me and my wife, Just got married not too long ago and we're gonna be moving to Idaho because we live in Seattle now and Seattle sucks. So yeah, cannot Jordan Sessions: my gosh, I love it. Hey, Idaho's beautiful, so that's a good move. Trent: yeah, cannot wait for sure. and then we can actually like train for this because you can't do anything with firearms or anything like that fun here. So it makes it makes it really tough. Yeah, Jordan Sessions: Yeah, I was just gonna say, yeah, you're a little limited up there, but you you picked the right choice. Trent: right, for sure. anything cool you have coming up besides regionals or anything like that? Anything like fun life stuff? Jordan Sessions: fun life stuff. Ooh. I can't really talk about it too much, but I have I was a part of a you know lucky enough to be a part of a show that will be released either at the end of the year or next year on Netflix. So keep an eye out for that. other than that life stuff, gonna just try and get out and camp as soon as Nationals is over in November. I've got Patriot Games Nationals in October and then Tactical Games Trent: Okay. Jordan Sessions: November and then I'm taking a vacation. Yeah. Trent: Good for you, for sure. Enjoy that. And can't wait to see you compete. Again, Jordan, thanks for being on and we'll chat soon. All right, thanks. Uh-huh. Have a good one. Jordan Sessions: Absolutely. Okay, chat soon. Thank you so much. No. You too.