THE FRANKLIN EQUATION             This is the archive of past issues of The Franklin Equation. If you have not signed up, click here and enter your email address.       10/4/2008 1:39:00 PM OUR OVERLOOKED SAILORS       I recently returned from another rewarding USO experience in the Middle East, visiting our military. Like my other trips to our fighting men and women, this exposure to their world was as informative as it was emotional. Many Americans think a lot about those who are serving us during this war. But the members of our Navy usually do not come first to mind. Their presence in the Persian Gulf helps to keep us from the unthinkable prospect of defeat by our enemies. The first thing I realized when I stepped onto each ship is that they are designed for function, not comfort. Even the officers sleep 4 to a room, in a space smaller than my bedroom. And the younger sailors, they sleep in rooms which house up to 80 men! Everything is small – hallways, stairwells, fitness facilities, and chow halls. It’s an existence in miniature - human sardines packed into tiny metal containers while working and living. I know it would be difficult for me to cope with this constant “in your face” world, if I lived in it for months. I marvel at the ability of America’s sailors to accept their circumstances. Everywhere you go on a ship, respect for others in not just a social nicety, it’s absolutely necessary. As a result, everyone lives together and is able to perform their vital duties. And so we here at home can go about our daily lives without having to worry about our nation’s security. Military food was never intended to be 5 star, but I actually found some of it to be delicious. I’m on a strict same-thing-every-day diet, so it actually was difficult for me to eat food items that are not part of my nutrition regimen. For these guys, though, 3 meals a day and no more is not uncommon on some ships. If they wake up at midnight and are desperate for a meal, they are left to rely on snacks from an on-board store. Military ships would be the perfect place to film a reality show. There are always simmering tensions that must be dealt with smartly, or emotional explosions would take place every hour. The coping skills of sailors allow ship life to go on, so that those on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan are protected. The most unnerving experiences for me on this trip were those spent out on the oil platforms. These could drive any civilian to madness, and I certainly came close. I would walk out of my tiny room and see nothing but…ocean. And more ocean. It’s a scene out of the movie Waterworld. And I could feel the danger. Lots of vulnerable lives are on these platforms; all of them are dependent on each person doing his job with utmost precision. The heat – it’s so intense that within minutes it buckles you. The temperatures often run in the Fahrenheit mid-130s! One step outside and, from your scalp all the way down your face, sweat forms into rivulets; at first dripping, then pouring. Where are you going to go? These oil platforms are, like the ships, clearly not concerned with your comfort. There is very little walking space when you’re captive in this watery universe. It was a strange environment to find myself, and I was left wondering how these people can function under these harsh conditions. America, rest assured - we are in very good hands. Our sailors have taken on the awesome responsibility of protecting their people back home. They are smart, tough, dedicated and determined. These sailors must know they don’t get the attention they deserve. But they’re out there - on floating cities that never sleep. They’ve got our backs, and because of that our nation will always have a future.               9/25/2008 5:35:00 PM THE OTHER MYSTERY OF EVAN TANNER’S DEATH       Evan Tanner and I pummeled each other in two ferocious octagon battles. I held him in high regard and found him sincere and engaging. Last summer we had a chance to spend time catching up with one another in Las Vegas, when he was fighting. Little did I know this time together would be our last. Many fans followed Evan’s blog. Reading it reveals his restless need to journey through wilderness in search of self-discovery. How ironic that the California desert he loved so much, was also the place of his death. It’s been said that bad things sometimes happen to good people. So when a good person like Evan is dealt a terrible situation, it’s hard to absorb, much less understand. Trying to grasp how a likeable guy such as Evan could have died, and in such a tragic way, is a large-sized spiritual mystery. Being a Christian, I turn to my faith first when confronted with yet another example that the world can be so unfair. I’ve read the story of Job and realize that for centuries it has offered some perspective during times of coping with shocking loss. Perhaps it is possible that we need suffering in order to appreciate what it’s like to experience goodness and happiness and peace. It has been said that the principal reason some people embrace religion is the same reason others reject it. That reason is the existence of suffering and death. Non-believers choose to walk away, saying they cannot worship a deity who could indifferently preside over so much awfulness. Those who worship understand that there is also a real chance for making contributions on earth and having a spiritual life beyond it. This awareness helps to give meaning and hope when confronted with life’s complexities. Although the human capacity for reason is one of our best weapons in getting through life, it can take us only so far. Contemplating the infinite vastness of the universe, we soon get to a point of diminishing returns as we try to make sense of sad situations such as Evan’s. It is then that my faith is what pulls me through. God is all-powerful and all-knowing and yet, mysteriously, bad things will always happen. Spirituality can demand inward struggle while at the same time offering great emotional comfort. Sometimes I’m at peace with not knowing God’s incomprehensible ways. At other times I’m unsettled because I can’t explain that which is beyond my imagination. That’s when I really have to work at accepting that not knowing is okay. What I am certain of is that I will continue to study and to pray, determined to walk towards the light.               8/15/2008 9:51:00 PM IT’S NOT UNDER YOUR BED       Little kids are certain that monsters are hiding under their beds and inside their closets. They’re haunted by that which lurks in the darkness of their imagination. Adults know the real dangers are the ones we face every day. These are the threats of ordinary life – a crippling car accident, a cancer diagnosis or having foreclosure take your home. One of my worst fears has long been that of living my life haunted. Haunted by the corrosive awareness that I never really tried for something big. We’ve all met older, unfulfilled people who’ve repeated those two dreaded words “if only.” When I was a high school teacher, I told my colleagues I wanted to fight in the UFC. I got a lot of jokes and disbelieving looks. I knew I might fail in my quest, but the prospect of living the life of a haunted man was the motivation I needed. Working towards my dream of being a UFC fighter hasn’t been without its outright hardships. It wasn’t easy walking away from teaching math. Training, fighting and traveling all the time still require considerable sacrifices. But I wouldn’t change anything because I know I’m not living on auto-pilot. In fact, I’m in the daily rumble of constant, satisfying activity. Doing now what used to be just a dream, assures me I’ll never be saying “if only.” If we stand still in life we can count on getting run over. As with fighting in the octagon, not being bold is a prescription for getting cold-cocked. But it’s always hard breaking our inertia - that forceful pull that keeps us locked in the same place. During my Big Decision Year, I confronted my fear of breaking out and moving on. In the struggle to change my career equation, the hazard I faced was not to be found under my bed. I was able to slay a real monster - one that resided within me and kept saying “Don’t do it, stay where you are.”               7/16/2008 9:59:00 AM THINKING ABOUT MY DEATH       You and I are dying just a bit, everyday. Thinking about this does not take us down a pleasant path, but I ask you to come walk with me. The United States Social Security Administration publishes a list of how long we all have to live. Their Life Expectancy Tables specify - in matter-of-fact detail - our estimated time remaining according to national averages. Until I saw this, I kind of assumed I had a lot of time left – that this was something I could keep on my mental backburner. What knocks me out, flat onto the canvas, is this stark number: I have an estimated 515 months left to live. And that’s if I live to the national age of 77, for males. Does 515 months seem like a lot of time to you? Because it sure doesn’t to me. My dad died of a heart attack this year, at age 56. If I were to follow him, that would give me just 243 months. A month is a time unit that rattles me. It’s easy to “feel” its brief period; they blow by like the March wind. I know, from the octagon, that the way time is perceived varies with how things are going at a given moment. When a losing fighter is struggling to make up points, time left in the round speeds by. For the man winning, who wants the combat over now, the bell never sounds. When considering my number of mornings left, I certainly feel like the guy fighting desperately from behind for every point. But I have come to realize there’s a benefit to knowing your monthly quota. The “months left to live” measure can be an antidote for complacency. This perspective provides a much-needed sense of awe for that which is right before us. It shouldn’t leave us haunted, but rather with the gift of a stripped-down vision of that which is essential. Whenever I go to a funeral I’m like most people – I have a newly restored sense of the preciousness of life. Then, I get on with training, reading the Bible, studying Portuguese, playing drums - and all the other activities that make me feel lucky to be alive. After a few weeks, I begin to lose awareness that time is fleeting. I have to wonder if my father had known, at my current age of 33 years and 10 months, how little sand was left in his hour glass – whether he might have thought differently about his time on earth. Being aware of our allotted months can help to enhance our lives. Dozens of self-help books could never energize me like that one big number – 515. Interested in knowing how much time you’ve got left? Go to www.ssa.gov/OACT/STATS/table4c6.html. And, hey, have a nice day!               7/2/2008 12:24:00 AM WE AMERICANS       We’re a big, noisy country. Travel anywhere and you’ll find people who agree with you - and others who’ll contest everything you say. We can value our spirited diversity while at the same time respecting that we are one nation with a shared purpose. I deeply appreciate the privilege of being able to live here in the USA and I know you do, too. We’re Americans. We work, we argue, we love, we invent, we worship, we build, we explore, we lead. In loving our nation, we very much revere the soldiers who keep this great, teeming society open and free. We look forward to celebrating our guardians throughout the year - on Memorial Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. Yes, we’re Americans. Happy Birthday to everyone - and especially to our soldiers, active and retired. It is because of them that our 4th of July national party is possible. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               6/26/2008 9:26:00 AM YOU JUST NEVER KNOW       I grew up in chaos. I attended 13 school districts by the time I graduated from high school. Studying math, and later teaching it in high school, helped provide stability lacking in my personal life. Math represents a reliable, predictable world. I train under the fiction that all life outcomes are foreseeable and fair. For weeks prior to a fight, I believe if I keep working my plan, victory must be mine. Years ago, at the Indianapolis 500, fire and life squad units were rushing to a smash-up. A rescuer, running across the track, was hit by an emergency vehicle. He was killed. The truck was traveling in the opposite direction of the slowing race cars. Sports Illustrated put it this way: “He failed to look both ways, on the ultimate one way street.” I’ve chosen a high-risk business. Fans respond to the “you just never know what’s going to happen” reality of the octagon. But for the fighters, given the randomness of life, their anxieties must be carefully managed. This randomness can be tempered with the notion that if we are mindful, and work hard, the odds will greatly favor us. My relationship with God is at the center of my life. It is enhanced by the sense of order math has always provided me. And so I try to stay grounded, as I approach the uncertainty that awaits me, inside the octagon. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               6/3/2008 10:35:00 AM DRINK GALLONS OF ROCKET FUEL       Many people are desperate to escape – it could be a dark childhood; maybe alcohol or drug abuse; perhaps excessive eating and neglected fitness; or just a dispiriting, everyday routine. There is an aching need to escape personal gravity. The force I’m talking about is that irresistible pull that keeps us gravity-bound to a place we no longer want to be. Which brings us to NASA. A rocket, fire-blasting off its pad at Cape Canaveral, burns 90% of its fuel at take off - in the first seconds. Once the rocket does break earth’s gravitational pull, however, it sails through space with comparative ease. So it is with us. Breaking away from our everyday world requires us to expend extraordinary energy - to achieve lift off and create a new trajectory. When accomplished, we are free. I know a few people who, through bad breaks or bad decisions, found themselves on a personal planet where they no longer wanted to be. But through the burning of their own rocket fuel - of determination, focus, work and discipline – launched themselves into new space. When training for a fight, I stay in a city far from Cincinnati, to break the gravitational pull of my home routine. This was especially critical in the weeks prior to the Travis Lutter fight in Montreal. Due to my father’s unexpected death, it took all my concentrated will to blast away from my overwhelming sadness and prepare in Seattle. For those determined to rise to another orbit - intent to someday look back to the place they left behind - what is needed is rocket fuel. It lies deep within our souls - you can summon it, you can ignite it. Eventually, you will soar. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               6/1/2008 9:55:00 AM TOUGHNESS HAS A GOLD STANDARD       My visits to Iraq and Camp Lejune have provided me with dramatic insights into the price paid by America’s catastrophically-injured veterans. I have just returned from visiting more wounded soldiers, at Walter Reed Hospital in our nation’s capital. Again this truth has revealed itself to me: the gold standard for toughness is not to be found in the UFC. No, you’ll find it in the wards of our military hospitals - where shattered bodies are repaired. Immeasurable emotion overtakes you when you are face-to-face with the living results of a bomb blast. When you talk with a 21-year-old missing limbs, his body encased in bandages. Yet walking from room to room there is the same warmth, the same spirit, the same quiet toughness. This is why I wear my Support Our Troops t-shirt, even when striding to the octagon. These damaged warriors are role models we can all look to for always-needed inspiration. How could one ever give enough to those men and women who have risked and lost so much – so that we can live freely under our proudly-waving, brightly-colored flag? We Americans love red, white and blue. But there is another color we should never forget. It’s gold. I’m often asked about my Anderson Silva losses, how I was able to return to fighting with solid wins. The motivational thoughts I offer others come from my experiences seeing how wounded heroes fight back. They work so hard to relearn the basic tasks of daily living we take for granted. I met a young man who has endured 54 surgeries to one of his legs – blown apart by an IED. He couldn’t even begin physical therapy until after his 50th consecutive surgical procedure. He is now teaching himself to walk – for the fourth time. That’s courage. That’s toughness. That’s the gold standard. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:24:20 PM WELCOME TO THE OCTAGON       You may not fight in an octagon, but you live in one. When I’m fighting a UFC battle, I must read the man before me. I have to guess his thoughts and anticipate his moves. I’m thinking quickly, every fraction of every second. My 185 lb adversaries are trained assassins. They rush me in a blur of arms and legs, swinging and kicking with menacing fury. If I fail to instantly interpret the guy’s approach and act smartly, I suffer big consequences. When dealing with others in our daily world, we’re in the verbal octagon. We need answers to hurried questions: What’s that supposed to mean? Am I being toyed with? Let that comment go or fire back? How to best deal with this situation? The steel-fence octagon demands experienced combat judgment. The verbal octagon demands we decode what really is being communicated. In each octagon, we have to rely on our well-honed skills that operate at the speed of instinct. The satisfaction of getting it right is one of the things we live for. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:22:34 PM NEVER WEAR SILK PAJAMAS       When I first decided I wanted to fight in the UFC, I practiced whenever and wherever I could. My friend Josh Rafferty and I spent hours in a backyard shed working on our fight game. In the summer we roasted; in the winter we froze. I was there because I was hungry to realize my goal of someday fighting professionally in the octagon, to be worthy of that honor. Today I train in all types of facilities, focusing on what I’m doing and not where I am. Rocky Marciano was a poor boy who grew up just outside Boston. He became the only heavyweight boxing champion to win every fight of his professional career (1952-1956), most by KO. He perfected his legendary right power punch while training in unimpressive gyms. Rocky thrived when working out on old equipment in worn facilities. He liked the look and smell that reminded him of earlier, hungry days. Horse racing’s greatest, Willie Shoemaker, was a contemporary of Marciano. Also a poor boy, he went on to become the first jockey to win over $100 million. Deep into his career, a sports writer asked Shoemaker how he lost his competitive drive. Willie replied: “It’s hard to get up at 5 in the morning, when you’re wearing silk pajamas.” There are Willies and there are Rockies. Some who lose their appetite and some for whom the fire in the belly never dies. When you just don’t feel it anymore, it’s time to bow out. Lose your hunger and you’ll end up someone else's food. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:19:13 PM THE CRAZIER GUY WINS       Being a UFC fighter requires FOCUS to a degree some people cannot understand. During the 6-8 weeks before a fight, the regular training gets kicked up a few levels. The best way for me to prepare for my next bout is to make fighting seem like my only reason for living. Total focus is the price usually paid for moving up in this world, no matter the area. How mentally healthy is that? Not very. All of us have complicated, multi-faceted lives. We have daily issues that must be dealt with involving family members, our own interests and pleasures to pursue, decisions about health and working out. It goes on and on. You feel that way about your life, don’t you? Forces are always pulling us in different directions every day. The only way to totally concentrate on achieving something big is to put on blinders and refuse to acknowledge most of the world right outside the window. Being manic about pursuing goals takes up so much time and energy - it doesn’t leave much left over. Sometimes I think the best gift a fighter can have is to come from a dysfunctional upbringing, one that makes him extremely obsessive-compulsive. My addiction for control, of myself and my octagon adversary, has to channeled intelligently. All that nutty energy poured into practicing, training, lifting, drilling…. Often it’s the most neurotic, driven, lunatic, and sacrificing of the two fighters - who gets his arm raised high by the referee at the fight’s end. Despite all the happy talk I hear about the model all-American guy being “well-balanced,” when I look around I see that the top UFC fighters are just pushing crazy. Working to be the best, while also trying to be normal, is a real challenge. It’s something I struggle with every day. Keep Striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:14:28 PM UFC 83- THANKING AND REMEMBERING       Many of you know I spent 4 of the past 8 weeks in Seattle, preparing for Travis Lutter. Before leaving Cincinnati, many of my coaches and teammates put a tremendous amount of time into my training. You can view the pictures of Paul, Waylon and Khetag helping me prepare if you go to my website at www.richfranklin.com. Those pictures do not reflect the amount of time Neal Rowe and Mike Ferguson also put into my fight preparation. Thank you also to Rob Radford, Matt Hume and Joe Jamieson for the amount of effort channeled into getting me ready, after I arrived in Seattle. Matt plotted a schedule from Day 1 through Fight Day. The fight ended up unfolding exactly as he said it would. Thank you to AMC for the hospitality and amazing training environment provided to me. A special thanks to Brad, Karos and Mario for the daily training and drilling, drilling, drilling. These 3 men in particular were completely unselfish with their time and talents. Fans often ask me what I think about as I walk towards the octagon and enter. I never really have a good answer. However, this time, in Montreal, I particularly remember what I was thinking. I approached the octagon and acknowledged my wife, Beth. I then automatically looked for my father, who often sat nearby in the front row. But, of course, he wasn’t there. During my Seattle training, I was largely able to keep my mind off my father’s recent passing. While my corner men removed my shirt and warm-ups, and Stitch put Vaseline on my face, the emptiness created by my dad’s death made it difficult for me to focus on my task at hand. Although the training phase helped to keep my mind off of him prior to the fight - it’s those involuntary thoughts that catch you off guard. I hugged my corner men a little tighter than usual. Keep striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:11:15 PM MY BAND OF BROTHERS – AND YOU       I’m now leaving home and preparing to board my plane to Montreal. The fight against Travis Lutter is this Saturday, April 19th. During the past two months, I have devoted almost every hour to preparing for just a few minutes of fierce, furious combat inside the UFC octagon. Although Lutter and I will be the only two fighters in the cage, each of us will be carrying our training partners inside our heads. I know I absolutely have been living mixed martial arts with my team of select, accomplished experts - in Cincinnati and Seattle. I won’t forget our exhausting, sweaty days working together. My “band of brothers” is my foundation for waging war. We have the right chemistry. We have a shared focus, if not obsession. The serious business of perfecting techniques has been conducted within a supportive and trusting context. I am grateful that all the parts have meshed into one powerful whole. My training brothers, however, are not the only ones who stay in my head, and give me the will to do my best. I am always thinking about you – my fans – and I thank you for sticking with me. You make the difference in my life, in my continuing mission to always go full-out. I’m ready take on Travis Lutter in Quebec province. I will enter the arena, and make that long walk to the octagon, to take my place. And I will feel empowered because, in a very real sense, all of you will be stepping into the octagon with me. Keep striving, Rich Franklin               5/17/2008 3:07:38 PM YOU JUST GOTTA BE THERE       A couple years ago I had the great honor of being asked to visit our troops in Iraq, along with Randy Couture. I welcomed the opportunity. What I experienced there, visiting with the soldiers who are sacrificing for us, was tremendously enlightening and inspirational. Those who have experienced military combat say a person can never know what the experience is really like - unless they’ve done it. After talking with a lot of our military, I came away with a new appreciation for the truth that some things in life must be experienced first hand. There is no substitute. That applies, as well, with fighting in the octagon. You can watch every UFC match recorded. But until you hear the octagon gate slam behind you, and stand barefooted on the mat looking into the eyes of your adversary… well, you just have to be there. I can tell you this – the octagon is, first and foremost, a very unforgiving place to spend some time. A moment’s lack of concentration, a mistaken punch here or missed kick there, and it’s over. Hopefully over for the other guy – but over. Fighting in the UFC is life exaggerated. That’s the best way I can put it. Daily, ordinary life sometimes presents all of us with harsh tests, with moments of do-or-die. But in the octagon it is unrelenting, every second – and many thousands are watching you. Fans ask me what it feels like to slip out of a Ken Shamrock foot lock or absorb an Anderson Silva strike. I can describe these situations in detail, but I know there is only so much I really can impart. At the bases in Iraq, I asked a lot of questions of our soldiers, trying to get a feel for their lives. What it’s like to risk dismemberment or death with every transport on every road? In the end, I knew I would never fully comprehend their anxieties, their emotions, and their struggles. The best we can hope for is to at least know that, try as we may, when circumstances are exaggerated, when life is extreme, the only way you can really know is to experience it yourself. Appreciating that we have limited understanding can keep us humble. Keep striving, Rich Franklin My fight against Travis Lutter is now only about a week away. I will soon leave AMC here in Seattle and travel to Montreal for the big fight on PPV, Saturday, April 19th. Every hour of my non-sleeping life is spent focused on my performance in this UFC battle. And sometimes in my sleeping hours as well….               5/17/2008 3:02:00 PM COPING WITH FEAR       I’m often asked questions about FEAR – whether I experience it, how often, when – that kind of thing. These are good questions – I never get tired of talking about this with fight fans. There are lots of things I fear in life – and not just a savage strike coming my way at 100 mph. Of course I fear the same things everyone else does – a life-altering diagnosis, the drunk driver crossing into my lane, the phone call telling me someone I really care about has died. But it is true that when it comes to the octagon, fear is part of the process. Failure to manage this powerful emotion gives your opponent a huge advantage just for showing up. Just before my fight career had started, I was in an amatuer boxing contest in Cincinnati. My opponent had nearly a 40 pound weight advantage and was 3 inches taller than me. I was nervous and the crowd seemed to anticipate my doom. In the end, the referee stopped the fight in the 3rd round, and raised my hand in victory. This experience helped teach me to keep my fear in check and make it work for me as an energizing force. Being brave isn’t about not being scared. It’s about doing your best in spite of it. Keep striving, Rich Franklin For the past few weeks, I’ve been training with Matt Hume here in Seattle, getting ready for Travis Lutter. Our UFC fight will be in Montreal on Saturday, April 19th.           © 2008 Rich Franklin Inc. All Rights Reserved