Chris Tate grew up in North Mississippi and attended school at Tupelo Christian Academy. Chris’ story is like that of many people today, one of challenges and struggles with a few success stories along the way. But as I spoke to Chris over the phone as a suggestion from UFM’s Jeff Chambers, I came to realize that like many of the people I have met through MMA, Chris is an extraordinary person.
Six months ago Chris was just living his life and cruising along at 252 pounds. I get the feeling that he felt that something was missing in his life, that he hadn’t really been challenged up to that point. I may be wrong but I got the feeling from our conversation that I was talking to a really humble person who said what he meant and meant what he said.
I have heard the story before. People tell of how things just plugged along in their lives and ended up out of control, at least to a degree. Many people tell that story and never have done, and never will do anything about it. There is a quote behind my desk on my white board that says “Most people aim at nothing in life and hit it with amazing accuracy.” I don’t know who wrote that but I believe it. Chris Tate isn’t one of those people.
According to Chris, about six months ago he heard a commercial advertising Ultimate Fitness & MMA. He decided that he had nothing else like that in his life, thought it sounded interesting, and decided to give it a try. He gave UFM a call and went to the gym the following Tuesday. “I felt like it was a blessing from God,” said Chris. “It was a humbling and a really good experience.”
Having grown up and gone to school with local MMA power house Cody Floyd, Chris fit right in. Now he weighs 204 pounds and is training in MMA every week. Rumor has it that he has talent and by his own words, he loves the sport. “MMA is a wonderful sport and has done wonderful things for me in a very short time. It helped me to build my confidence up and makes me feel much better about myself. It has made me a better person physically, mentally, and spiritually. It keeps you from the things that pull you down because you are surrounded by good people who want to see you succeed. People who have low self esteem can really use MMA to build themselves back up in a positive and quick way,” he testifies.
Tate currently takes the Jiu Jitsu and MMA classes at UFM and says that training with people like Chris Gates, Cody Floyd, Johnathan Burdine, and others, really makes a difference in his life. I say the proof is in the pudding. 48 pounds in six months… are you kidding? That is real dedication and a real success story.
Chris encourages everyone, including you, to get involved with UFM. They have a class that will fit you just right and the first week is free so what do you have to lose? Weight? Stress? Low self esteem? Go for it. You won’t regret your decision if you do. Chris Tate proved it… again.
