Send us Fan Mail Matt Fiddes joins Lee Matthews for a conversation about martial arts, business, controversy, and his close relationship with Michael Jackson. From growing up as a bullied kid in Swindon with no qualifications to building one of the biggest martial arts franchise networks in the world, Matt opens up about the early years that shaped him, the obsession with martial arts that changed his life, and the business systems that helped him scale far beyond a single school. Matt discusses his journey through Taekwondo and kickboxing, becoming a young millionaire through martial arts, dealing with criticism from the industry, and how he used controversy, media attention, and branding to grow. He also talks about meeting Yuri Geller, being introduced to Michael Jackson, training Michael in martial arts, becoming part of his personal security, and the business advice Michael gave him that helped him think bigger. This episode is a look at the mindset behind success, the reality of building a global brand, and the lessons Matt learned from martial arts, media, entrepreneurship, and one of the most famous entertainers in history. The Elite Podcast is a brand-new show where host Lee Matthews speaks to individuals who are at the top of their industry and profession. The guests will be from different backgrounds including combat sports, military, and business to coaching. Lee will be finding out along with you why they have become the best in their fields and enjoyed acclaimed success and what they all share – their determination to become ELITE in their field. Lee Matthews is a former paratrooper, kickboxing world champion and now entrepreneur. He is the owner of the UK's biggest chain of martial arts centres. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction 00:08 Life in Cyprus and running a business remotely 01:18 Lifestyle, family and building from abroad 02:32 Martial arts, business and the Michael Jackson story 03:55 Growing up bullied in Swindon 06:27 School struggles, writing and finding a different path 08:00 Discovering martial arts and Taekwondo 09:05 Bruce Lee, Van Damme and becoming obsessed with kicking 11:20 Competing, WUMA and earning credibility 13:30 Moving to Devon and opening early classes 16:00 Learning American martial arts business systems 17:15 Direct debits, early success and the first full-time school 18:00 New Year’s Eve building the academy 18:45 Aggressive marketing and becoming a young millionaire 20:10 Media attention, controversy and the ponytail brand 21:10 Yuri Geller reaches out 22:20 Meeting Yuri and changing his mindset 24:20 The “McDojo” label and using controversy 25:10 Learning from McDonald’s and location strategy 27:00 Outsourcing black belt gradings and protecting standards 28:00 Bob Sykes, Martial Arts Illustrated and proving himself 30:00 Alfie Lewis, old school vs new school and earning respect 32:10 Stepping out of the shadows after lockdown 33:20 MABEX, the McDojo speech and industry acceptance 35:00 Rich House Poor House and showing the real Matt 36:20 COVID, restructuring and scaling bigger 37:15 How Matt met Michael Jackson 38:05 Training Michael Jackson in martial arts 39:05 Michael Jackson, dance and the moonwalk joke 40:05 Becoming part of Michael Jackson’s personal security 42:10 Travelling with Michael Jackson and airport chaos 44:25 Michael Jackson, media image and allegations 46:25 Vitiligo, paparazzi and public misunderstanding 49:00 Michael’s final public performances and loneliness 51:00 Life around Michael behind closed doors 52:10 Mystery, media and lessons from Michael 53:00 Michael Jackson’s franchising advice 54:35 Opening 400 schools in a year 55:00 Michael Jackson as a businessman 56:10 Matt Fiddes today: martial arts, dance, nurseries and mentorship 58:40 The memoir, mindset and building a brand 60:00 Final thoughts Follow Lee on social media for more: ▶︎ Facebook - / lee.matthewsbmma ▶︎ Instagram - / leematthewsofficial ▶︎ Website - www.leematthewsofficial.com ▶︎ Lee’s Book - https://shorturl.at/fyGI7 Recorded and Produced by Liverpool Podcast Studios ▶︎ Web - The Elite Podcast is a brand-new show where host Lee Matthews speaks to individuals who are at the top of their industry and profession. The guests will be from different backgrounds including combat sports, military, and business to coaching. Lee will be finding out along with you why they have become the best in their fields and enjoyed acclaimed success and what they all share – their determination to become ELITE in their field. Lee Matthews is a former paratrooper, kickboxing world champion and now entrepreneur. He is the owner of the UK's biggest chain of martial arts centres. Follow Lee on social media for more: ▶︎ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/lee.matthewsbmma ▶︎ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/leematthewsofficial/ ▶︎ Lee’s Book - https://shorturl.at/fyGI7 Recorded and Produced by Liverpool Podcast Studios ▶︎ Web - http://www.liverpoolpodcaststudios.com ▶︎ Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/liverpoolpodcaststudios ▶︎ LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/liverpool-podcast-studios
