Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to James Dixon. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

James, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

Failure has never had too much trouble finding me, and in my line of work it’s the key ingredient and building block to what you do next. One of my most vivid memories of failure would be my first MMA fight. Like most young aspiring athletes, I had visions of success forming a haze in front of my reality. Having a relatively easy, successful start in kickboxing I was naive to the differences between the two sports. The build up before the fight had me thinking I was 10 feet tall and bulletproof. When I got to the fight I assumed it was going to be just like any other competition. I walk in, throw a few punches, create a little drama, pull out a win, go home and celebrate! However, once the fight started, it turned out my opponent and fate had an entirely different plan. For the first time in my life I was rendered helpless. Not even beat up. Just helpless. My opponent rushed me against the cage and held me against it for the better part of the fight, I was left frustrated, fatigued, helpless, and relatively confused. Of course I went through all the motions taking a loss, it wasn’t my first rodeo but it was my first experience not living up to the expectations of not just me….but my entire team and family. This kickstarted an entire change in approach to just about everything I did. It made me look inward and notice things such as my mentality and preparation. I learned that win or lose you should know who you are, have the confidence and humility to to accept both. Acceptance is freedom, and pride not the absence of shame, but it is a source. Many lessons were taught in just those few minutes that apply to all facets of life. Going forward, long story short, a slice of humble pie is always appreciated, but it sure is bitter.

James, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is James Dixon and I’m a Boxing/Muay Thai gym owner in San Diego California. As a kid I was energetic and curious. I wasn’t too interested in conventional sports, but couldn’t get enough of the extreme ones. Inspired by the lore of the martial arts craze from the 80s and 90s I was put in a karate class at a very young age. I wasn’t very good, in fact if you are looking for a story of a martial arts child prodigy we’ll save the suspense and just say I was probably the furthest thing from it. The frustration that I wasn’t instantly the next Bruce Lee lead me to find my place in other endeavors. Fast forward to about 2007 I was looking at giving martial arts another shot. I found a school that provided just about anything a young martial artist could want. It wasn’t just what they taught, it was how it was taught that drew me in. Fighting of course was a part of it but I was taught how to think, how to feel, how to breathe, how to not only exist but thrive in any environment. It was more than just the installment of confidence, but a scope on a way of life. As someone who struggled with a sense of self, martial arts gave me clarity, and the ability to recognize the same struggle in other people. I had found a calling. I wanted to help people tap into their own potential to become the person they were meant to be whether that be in the ring, cage, work, or home. As a youth a had a lot of trouble with standardized learning. As I got older I learned that there were more and more people that struggled the same way, and grew up being considered “difficult” when the reality was that we were being misunderstood and then represented by a standard that seemed impossible to meet. Over the years I’ve had clients come to me saying “I am just terrible at…” and already defeated. More often than not it tuned out they just weren’t taught properly and by people that understood even less. I believe what sets what I do apart from others is the ability to translate the task at hand to the individuals preferred way of learning. I wanted to show people considered “difficult” that they were mislabeled and the word they were looking for was “unique.”

How’d you meet your business partner?

In 2012 I visited San Diego for the first time. Still in my early 20’s my mission at the time was to train and learn as much as I could from whoever I could. I was beginning to outgrow my environment back home so I was on the hunt for the next big thing to push me forward. I ran into a small gym that my folks had told me about in their neighborhood. I went in and met the owner, turns out he knew my folks and was nice enough to let me train during the weeks I would visit. It was my first time meeting another established traditional martial artist and active Muay Thai fighter. I am from a small town in Georgia, and at the time combat sports was still in its infancy in that area so meeting someone experienced was extremely rare. Turned out we shared a lot of the same ideas when It came to martial arts, business, and the “Hurt” business. The rest is what you’d call history.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think what helped me build a reputation was knowing that I was different. I Don’t mean that in the sense of talent or physical ability. I knew that because of my training in over 14 Martial Arts and having been in the industry for just shy of two decades all over the country, I knew that my level of education was a rarity, coupled with my ability to relate to just about every type of learner, I knew my efforts were rather difficult to ignore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.pacifictrainingcenter.com
• Instagram: @yawa.selim
• Facebook: pacific training center

Image Credits

Pacific Training Center
CFFC
TUFF-N-UFF
VALOR FIGHTS