COTE FIRST NATION, KAMSACK — Renowned mixed martial artist Georges St. Pierre, recently spoke at Kamsack's OCC Hall and Cote First Nation's Chief Gabriel Cote Education Complex, recounting his remarkable journey from a 17-year-old with limited English proficiency to becoming a UFC world champion.
St. Pierre, known for his achievements in the octagon, shared valuable life lessons and insights that transcend the realm of sports.
During the discussion sponsored by Cote First Nation on Jan. 10, St. Pierre reflected on his early days pursuing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in New York, emphasizing the challenges he faced as a newcomer to the sport. Despite initial setbacks and doubts, he expressed gratitude for the welcoming community that helped him navigate unfamiliar territories.
“At the time I was 17 years old. I just had my driving license. I couldn't speak English properly," said St. Pierre, who was born in Quebec. "I was speaking more Spanish and English and my Spanish was pretty bad. So I decided to take the little money that I made from work and maybe a trip to New York to learn jujitsu even though I knew that it would probably be a tough experience because I didn't have much experience in jujitsu.
"I was good at karate, karate is a striking sport, but I wanted to learn how to grapple. I knew it was essential if I wanted to champion in mixed martial arts. So I went to New York. And I remember the first time before I left, my dad told me, Georges, whatever you do, don't go in the Bronx because the Bronx is very dangerous. And what did I do? I lost myself in the Bronx near the Yankee Stadium. And then I realized because I was lost by myself I was scared.”
St. Pierre then went on to talk about how he asked people how to get to Manhattan, to his surprise they responded positively.
“I couldn't speak English very well at the time. And they were all very nice to me saying, Oh, you go there, go there. So I found my way back to Manhattan and I found the academy where I started training and I was like, then I find you know what the media were saying about [the Bronx]. They're not true. No, no, like, I was like, I can't wait to go back home and tell my dad what happened.”
One pivotal moment highlighted by St. Pierre was his commitment to continuous improvement. He acknowledged the importance of reinventing oneself, particularly in the competitive world of mixed martial arts. Drawing parallels to life in general, he emphasized the need to constantly strive for competence and avoid complacency.
“So I start training in Brazillian Jiu Jitsu. In my first training session, I was going with a guy who weighed eight pounds less than me, and he beat me up so badly. I was humiliated. Humiliated to the point that I almost gave up. I was like, 'There's no way I can't take this anymore. It's terrible.'
"And the teacher that was there was very tiny. He took me to the side and I could barely understand what he was saying. But I remember what he was saying was like, don't give up. You lost because you don't have the knowledge yet. You're just good at karate, but this is jiu-jitsu. It's different. It's a different game. Just come back and you'll get better and at that time, I was thinking there is no way I can become good at this. I'm so far behind. It's impossible. I'm already 17 years old. You know these guys have been doing it for more than five years.
"I remember driving back all the way from New York to Montreal thinking about it and it shatters my dream. But then I had the choice. I give up. Or I go back to work. What did I do? I went back to work. I kept working really hard. It was a time of my life guys. It was crazy. I was studying. Then at one point, I wanted to go to university. So I was a garbageman, and I was working in security in a nightclub at the same time. And I was working for a governmental program for teaching. Where they teach delinquent kids sports in school. It was crazy and I was training on top of that. But I always believed that one day I would see the light at the end of the tunnel. And I kept doing those trips to New York back and forth, back and forth and as time went it seemed that I got a little bit closer to my dream.”
St. Pierre touched on the theme of fear, admitting that he sought the help of sports psychologists to address pre-fight anxiety. He shared his perspective that courage coexists with fear, and individuals should not shy away from acknowledging their apprehensions. This insight, he believes, applies to various aspects of life beyond the confines of the fighting arena.
“Before a fight. I was always afraid. And I even sought the help of sports psychologists when I was young because, man when I look at my friends whether be that my training partner or director, they always say I can't wait for Saturday night. I'm gonna beat the hell of this guy. I was like, man, I'm afraid I'm fighting Saturday, I'm afraid. I'm afraid to get hurt. I'm afraid to be humiliated. I'm afraid to lose.
"So when I saw some sports psychologists they tried to brainwash me. One guy was was actually, pretty funny was an American guy. Right? Right. Who said, Georges? Stop saying you're afraid you're not afraid, you're excited.
"I said, I'm excited if it's -20°C and I know that next week I'm going on vacation at the beach in Miami. I'm excited that I've been fasting for four days and I know that I'm about to eat my favourite dish. I'm not excited to go fight in the cage, not knowing if I will get hurt or humiliated, I'm afraid.
"And then I realized one thing. I should not be afraid to admit that I'm afraid and there is no courage without fear. Whatever you trying to do in life that you care about that is important for you. It's normal to be afraid. But you don't want that fear to paralyze you. Every time I was going out of my comfort zone to learn new things and training. I was afraid to be humiliated. I was afraid to lose because I've lost before. But when you do lose, you stand up and you go back again. That's life, ladies and gentlemen.”
The retired UFC champion also delved into the significance of education, urging young individuals to prioritize it as a foundation for personal growth. St. Pierre encouraged the audience to ask themselves who they aspire to become, emphasizing the importance of character and personal development.
“Maybe you have to go outside to learn new skills, to go to university or school to learn a job. Do it and once you do it, when you learn something you must remember that when you learn something from the outside, bring it back to your community and share it with others. So that you all get better together. You can all elevate yourself. Don't keep it for yourself. Don't be selfish, share with your community.
"When I was learning new skills in fighting and training, and I was coming back home to Montreal, I was sharing with my training partner everything that I've learned because I want them to get better because if they get better, I get better. And they did the same thing with me. So the same thing with you guys. If you learned something from the outside, bring it back here. Don't be paralyzed by that fear of getting out of your comfort zone.”
As St. Pierre concluded his speech, members of Cote First Nation, including Chief George Cote and the council, gave St. Pierre various gifts, such as a medallion with his initials GSP on it, and a star blanket.
Brenda Kakakaway presented Georges St. Pierre with a quilt in honour of her late grandson who loved watching St. Pierre during his fighting career. Kakakaway did, however, mention that she didn’t watch any UFC or MMA fights anymore as she claimed it was “too violent” to the entertainment of the audience and St. Pierre.
“The visit with Georges St. Pierre was an inspirational memory that will impact the youth and community members at large for his words of wisdom and the sharing of his testimony to encourage those struggling in life not to give up," said Chief George Cote after the event. "We took him on a tour of all the treatment centres, the school, Cote Market, public works, Wings of Hope and also to see the buffalo. The event was held in Kamsack to show unity amongst our neighbours to come together and be part of our healing together.”
As the event neared its conclusion, St. Pierre expressed gratitude for the opportunity to share his experiences and insights. Attendees were invited to engage in a brief Q&A session, followed by a chance to take pictures with the retired MMA legend.
The Q&A session led to one of the most interesting questions that could be asked of St. Pierre, which was if he thought that he could take on the local impromptu wrestling legend, Sal Cote in a match. St. Pierre responded with a grin, saying to Sal who was standing nearby blushing, “Oh, I don't know… I mean, you look pretty strong! Maybe! I don't know.”
