Masters Alliance
9th Dan BlackBelt and Olympic Gold Medalist Herb Perez visit with the best and brightest to bring clarity to the future of Martial arts.
Masters Alliance
The Alchemy of Athleticism and Healing with Physical Therapist Dr. Jason Han
Have you ever wondered how elite athletes pivot to impactful careers after their sports days are over? Dr. Jason Han, a former top-tier martial artist and now a celebrated physical therapist, joins us to unravel the tapestry of determination and adaptability that has defined his journey. From his near-Olympic experience to his integral role with the Los Angeles Football Club, Dr. Han's story is an inspiring blueprint for transforming competitive spirit into professional excellence.
Dr. Han's episode is a treasure chest filled with stories of resilience, the cultivation of a powerful mindset, and the embrace of technology in sports medicine without overshadowing the fundamentals. He shares his insights into the enduring work ethics of soccer legends, and how he leverages his expertise to advance athlete performance and rehabilitation. This conversation isn't just about the physical – it's about the personal touchpoints, the mentors who lift us, and the family that shapes us, all through the lens of a man who has lived it firsthand.
Lastly, we dive into the universal lessons gleaned from Dr. Han's experiences that extend far beyond the mat or the field. His advice on navigating life's transitions, from athletic prowess to professional acumen, is both grounding and invigorating. Tune in for a heartfelt narrative that will leave you enlightened on the power of discipline, the strategy behind goal setting, and the fortitude needed to write your own second act with the same fervor as your first.
Welcome to the Masters Alliance podcast, uncut, and I'm Herb Perez. Today, we are joined by Dr Jason Hahn, who is currently the CEO and co-founder of HealthFit Physical Therapy and Chiropractic in Pasadena, california. Most recently, he served as the head of the rehabilitation team and physical therapist for the Los Angeles Football Club for their first six seasons. The past professional experiences include stints with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cirque du Soleil, director of North American sales and development for One Base Health, a technology and wellness company that provides products such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers for home and professional use. We haven't even begun to talk about his sporting career, but strap in, this is going to be an exciting one. Okay, I'd like to welcome Dr Jason Hahn to the Masters Alliance Podcast, uncut. How are you doing, sir?
Dr. Jason Han:I'm doing great, sir. It's a pleasure being here and an honor to be here, sir.
Herb Perez:Well, you know you're still, as I've told everybody, including you you're one of my favorite people ever, not just because of the type of person you are you know we go a long ways back but more importantly, for the type of athlete you were. Person you are, you know we go a long ways back, but more importantly, for the type of athlete you were, and then what you've done with your career and how you've shown what's possible if you're willing to put a little bit of energy and time into it, sir. So I want to get started today because I want to talk a little bit about your experience, because we met as a result of your athletic experience. And how was your experience as a seven-time us national team member and an olympic training center resident athlete? How did it shape your approach to physical therapy and strength and conditioning?
Dr. Jason Han:it's, I think, martial arts, taekwondo, I think my, my competition history has really molded who I am. It's why I became a physical therapist or why I became a strength conditioning coach was essentially because it's the cliche story of I got hurt, you see other people getting hurt, and then you go through that rehab process and then you get back on your feet hurt, and then you go through that rehab process and then you get back on your feet. Um, I enjoyed. I didn't enjoy the process while in it, but I enjoyed the science of it, um, the progressions of it. It's very analogous to training, like, if you want to, if your end goal is to be able to kick like someone, you're not going to do that kick right away. You're going to have to build its pieces going up there.
Dr. Jason Han:So my mind was always very mechanical in nature, like an engineer in nature, so that's why I gravitated towards it. Um, yeah, it just, as you know, being around individuals like you and and I met you through, uh, coach juan moreno um, you're around legends and then you get to see the mentality of legends, you get to see the work ethic of legends and it serves as as a stepping stone in a way, and then people have two choices in life you can either try to do it or just give up. If you're, if you're just half-assed, then you're just going to be mediocre at the end of the day. So, um, I I feel, yes, the athletic standpoint of being a taekwondo athlete was great for me, but more even, just, well you were.
Herb Perez:You know you're way too humble. I mean you're a legend in your own right. I mean seven time national champion. And then the amount of times that we spent together. And then I know we did a lot of work together and I've told you your fast kick was not just world class, it was the standard and people, including me, tried to copy it and in fact I I had you teach it because you were just so much more better at it than I was and everybody that I had ever seen do it and that spoke to times I saw you fought in the great championships that I watched you fight and the different things that you've done. But could you share some of the valuable lessons you learned during your time as an elite athlete and how you apply that now with your work with patients?
Dr. Jason Han:it's really having a I would say really having a short memory. In a lot of respects I, now that I'm older, we, we talk to like the younger generation, and then we try to tell them, or even my kids, it's you're bent over, you're bent out of shape over something and in the grand scheme of things, it's like it's not that important. So I think early on as an athlete, when you lose, it is the end of the world and don't get me wrong, it's part of it. You have to learn this way it's the end of the world. I'm not going to be able to move forward this and that, but that's not life. Life is always going to hit you with so many things and it was before I became a good fighter.
Dr. Jason Han:I would barely medal at competitions and growing up I remember fighting like Junior Olympics, going to Orlando and going to Ohio and all these kinds of things and meddling. Third, not meddling at all. And then that's a choice. At that time you're either going to say I need to try harder, I need to do what everyone else is doing, because if my goal is to win, I have to do things differently. Not only do things, they do things differently. I need to have a different mentality, to kind of go into it. So every part of life is a choice.
Dr. Jason Han:So, even if you go through my career, I saw john ing recently. John ing is a Berkeley legend and there's certain stepping stones in your career that just help you launch. And I remember going to the Cal Open. I'm in high school. I beat John Ng, who I believe was national champion at the time, and I beat Steve Rozbarski, who was the collegiate national team member and I'm 18, beating men at their tournament. So, yes, it's a sense of accomplishment, but I was happy.
Dr. Jason Han:But what that really made me do is I'm going to work even harder. There's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and and I think it's important to have moments like that that test you to be you have to be comfortable being uncomfortable in a lot of sense, um, so like, as far as the events um, training, going through injuries, not winning this competition, winning this you really have to just dissect the situation, learn from it, move on, come up with a plan and then you're never going to forget about it, but you can't let it just overcome you. It's just kind of moving forward. So it's the same thing with an injury. If I'm dealing with someone with a big injury like an ACL or Achilles tear, it sucks at the time. But do you want me to keep feeling sorry for you or do you want me to help you move forward? And really taking that mentality, especially with these long ones, these long injuries, you're just being a voice of reason for them and then being a motivating factor, just like a coach, just like in Taekwondo.
Herb Perez:So, with that in mind and I know you touched on this just a little bit what inspired you to make that transition from a successful career in Taekwondo? Because a lot of people get caught up in that and they stay in that world and they enjoy that world and it's what they recognize and what resonates with them and how they identify themselves. But what made you make that transition from that world, of which you were at the top, into the world of physical therapy and strength and conditioning?
Dr. Jason Han:When I was younger, I always wanted to be an engineer. As I got older, like in college or whatnot, I gravitated towards the medical field, but I wanted something that could essentially combine the two and towards the end of I, I retired in 2005, after worlds and in madrid, and it was just time, like even 2004, when I didn't make the like 2000, I got third at Olympic trials to Steven Lopez, amazing athlete, and I was 20. I was like, okay, give me four more years. And then 2004 comes around. And then there's like the whole political thing of this division versus this, versus that division. So going through that was was a little bit hard at the time and so, with with me and Mark Lopez not being picked for our division, it was basically Welter and Finfly. Um, then it became a decision of like the only thing I hadn't gone to was the olympics at that point. So it to be an adult, is it worth it to fight four more years for this one thing? One star on my chest.
Dr. Jason Han:And at that point I, it just wasn't the right time. I, the drive wasn't there as much. The drive wasn't there as much, the love wasn't there as much. Body was beat up a bit. So that's when I decided I wanted to go more into a professional career. So in 2004, I actually didn't want to fight 2005. And my teammates pushed me a bit and what are you going to be a bum for every year? So I literally took like maybe two, three weeks off and I was back on it and 2005 rolls was my last one. And then I essentially started a physical therapy school two or three months after that.
Herb Perez:So, when, when you did all that, how do you think that your background in martial arts sets you apart from maybe other physical therapists and strength and conditioning specialists?
Dr. Jason Han:I think a lot of it is that I got to live it. Um, because there's one there's. There's a very important part about connecting with your athletes is that you, you have to understand. You don't have to, but it's. It's good to be able to understand what they're going through and the hardships, even just from a regular practice schedule. It's like it's grueling. It takes a certain individual, a certain mindset, to not only practice six days a week or whatever it is, but also to do all the other things behind the scenes that people may not, may not be seeing. So it's I have that opportunity to just allude to, like some of the things I've done in the past and hope, ideally, they, once they get to know me, they understand that I'm real and I'm not just BSing them at this point. So if I ask them to do something they know, number one, I've done it and number two, I'm there with them 100% throughout the process, like I'm not going to say you do it and me not help you, I'm there with them 100%. So I think that's one of the biggest advantages to it. Um, um, here's a funny story when I was in physical therapy school. On the surface level, oh, I want to help athletes, but do I? Yes, I understand the mentality of them.
Dr. Jason Han:When it was my third year in physical therapy school and I was doing a clinical rotation with my now he's still my mentor at this point it was athletes performance which is in la, and they dealt with a lot of nfl combine athletes and he was teaching me skills. I was staying afterwards working on my craft and then he looks over at me he asks what are you doing? Just working on stuff, trying to be better? And and then, uh, he was like okay, let me watch you. He finally gives me some attention. I was like, okay, and he's watching me move and he says to me what happened to your ankle. I'm like what are you talking about? He was like you don't, when you do this, you don't move through it. I was like, oh, I actually had microfracture surgery a month ago.
Dr. Jason Han:And then my last year of my last year of fighting, this was really bugging me and he goes that's why you can't push off, that's why you couldn't cut this way. Like he didn't. He's never watched me fight, but he knew exactly how I moved, like even just like a simple squat motion, and that that lit me up right there I was like if I knew this back then and I had someone like you, that could change, help me improve by 0.1%, 0.5%. When I lost in overtime, quarterfinals, world championships, could they have made a difference, and, hindsight's, 20-20. But that really just jogged my brain as far as like, look, I'm going to try to be the best. Now that I'm not an athlete, I'm going to try to be the best medical professional that I could be, that I can be, so I can give athletes moving forward this opportunity. They may not see it, but I do, and that in itself is fulfilling for me see it, but I do, and that in itself is fulfilling for me.
Herb Perez:I mean, one of the things I've always respected about you is your intellect, and I know you're a UC Berkeley graduate, correct? And I mean number one public college university in the country. Still, and my wife is also graduate. So give her a little kudos. Um, I give her a hard time because I'm not a uc berkeley guy, I'm from back east. But uh, with that said though you know I listen you've continued your tradition of excellence. You've worked with the pittsburgh steelers, the cirque du soleil. I remember when you were doing that, and I mean the la football club, you were there at the height of it when they were bringing on these amazing athletes and training them. I mean, what were your roles and responsibilities in those organizations?
Dr. Jason Han:After I graduated physical therapy school, I was in Washington University in St Louis. I did my sports residency in Pittsburgh. Through that residency I was able to intern with the Pittsburgh Steelers and then, when I was finished, I stayed on as a consultant. I just did whatever they told me to do. It was really just earning your stripes at that point and you do everything from fill the water to ice packs. But I slowly started to gain some of these athletes' trust, just not by talking, by doing. And those are the heydays of Heinz Ward, troy Polamalu, james Harrison, guys like that.
Dr. Jason Han:And there's a specific story when I was in training camp I was working with Heath Miller. He's a tight end at the time and he says, hey, jay, can you work on my hamstrings? And I said absolutely, and I'm talking to him during this while I'm working on his hamstrings. And we had a double day. So we had a training later in the day and I was talking to him about his history and he said he has had this surgery and that surgery. And I watch movement. It's like watching Taekwondo. I'm watching him come off the line. I was like, yeah, you don't extend through your hip when you come off the line. He was like what are you talking about? It's like, if it's okay with with you, will you come in a little bit early before the next practice? I will let me examine you, let me do my thing. If I don't make you better, I will work on your hamstrings whenever you want. I go, just give me a chance. And I did my exam and I did everything but his hamstrings. And he comes back and he says I don't know what you did, but I didn't feel my hamstring. So slowly, slowly, um word gets out and I start to treat troy, I start to treat all these other guys, um, but that was, it was a good start, it was one.
Dr. Jason Han:I'm a rookie number one, but number two I was never. Oh, you knew me as a kid. I was quite shy and I think Taekwondo and just kind of being out there has taught me just to take risks when you're a little bit uncomfortable, because if you just sit in the sideline, no one's going to come over and pick you up. You have to kind of put yourself out there. So that was my role with the pittsburgh steelers and then I moved home because I'd been gone for so long. I was at otc and then washu and then pittsburgh, and you know my father, my mother, it's I. We're really, really close and it was time to come home, um, so I moved back home and I, I worked in a regular clinic for about a year and I just couldn't take it. And the opportunity with cirque du soleil came up and they had a show in hollywood. So I was with them for about two years. I was it was one of three physiotherapists and it was.
Dr. Jason Han:It's a different being. Performing arts is a different being. Um, it's kind of like when you're fighting, you're fighting against, you're trying to win somebody in. In team sports, you're trying to beat the team. In performing arts, you're trying to be excellent in yourself. And I found that mentality very interesting, very gratifying, because there's so many parallels to even Taekwondo. Because, yes, we're finding other athletes, but when you're on your own working, you're in the garage, you're in the dojang by yourself, working on your steps, imagining the ring, where you are in the ring, in this situation, people don't see that. They see you guys practicing kicking paddles, but when you're just in there by yourself, thinking and when I was in this situation, how did I get out of it? What are my three options? If this one comes, this is probably my top option, but if he cancels, I can do this, and very rarely do people see that. So it was. It was nice to see these performing artists think that way. Um, they were very, very hard on themselves, more so than other athletes, I would say um.
Dr. Jason Han:So from there then I started my my physical therapy practice with, and chiropractic practice with my wife. My wife's a chiropractic practice with my wife. My wife's a chiropractor. Fast forward about a few years and LAFC reaches out and I start on. It was a new club. It's a new development 2018. I don't know my year now, 2018, new team, new team.
Dr. Jason Han:I was one of three people on the medical staff. We had two athletic trainers and myself as the physical therapist. As the years went by, I took a head role and that went everything from treating athletes that were hurt and out of competition to taking care of the athletes that were still in competition, but we needed to keep them ticking on all levels. They were still in competition, but we needed to keep them ticking on all levels. It involved game planning, as far as okay.
Dr. Jason Han:If an athlete is injured, what does the entire progression look like From the acute stage they got hurt right away. Then the coaches are going to ask when do you think he's going to be back. So, really painting that picture for them, being as upfront as possible, sticking your ground when you need to, because they're always going to push to get them in faster and it was learning that balance of how fast can I get this guy on the pitch without sacrificing their health too much. It's always that balance and with professional sports it's a different being because there's a lot of money involved and there's a lot of investors they want and, depending on where you are in the season, will depend on how much risk you take. So early on in the season, it's like if we mess this guy up, we have a long season ahead of us, but if we have western conference playoffs or we have mms cup coming up, you take all risk. You take all risk.
Dr. Jason Han:So it was really trying to paint that picture for them, having conversations not only with the coaches but making sure that the athlete was on board as well, because we also have to remember, like when we were fighting these guys, some of these guys are young 18, 19 and, yeah, the vets that are in their 30s so they've been through their share of injuries, but these young guys have not, so they're. They're actually pretty scared when they have their first hamstring because they're like I don't know how much to push, I don't know how fast to run. And fortunately I'm able to run with them like I can still sprint. If you tell me to run like three miles, there's no chance, but I can still sprint with these guys and I can gauge their speed. Um, it was just. It was an amazing experience and it really it gave me an even bigger picture view of how to get guys ready and I wish, through all my injuries in the past, that I had someone like me to lead me, because three silver world silver medals sucks.
Herb Perez:You're like the first loser. Well, uh, yeah, maybe I mean that's just still. Listen, that's an amazing career that what we said when we were on the teams were somebody wins one year, that's an accident. Two years, you know, that's it's okay. Three or more years is a dynasty or a legacy, and you're definitely a dynasty. Dynasty and a legacy athlete, without a doubt. And actually I have a question on that same topic, because, at the level of athletics, you were in our sport and then, having dealt with these professional athletes in three different sports and arts, is there a commonality in the experience of a taekwondo athlete at your level and a professional athlete? I mean, is there a different work rate or is there something that's different, or are they all pretty much the same?
Dr. Jason Han:You have a little bit of both. You have just like taekwondo, you have that really talented athlete that just they were just good and they may not have had the work ethic but they were still rather successful. But the kicker is they don't last as long from what I've seen. They don't last as long from what I've seen because it takes a. It only gets you so far, because if you're not doing the right things, you're not eating right, you're not, you're not taking yourself, take care of taking care of yourself on the outside, you run out of gas, you run out of steam and then that's that's one of the biggest things that I've seen like their bodies tend to break down a little bit faster because they're not doing the right things. You also have the ones that are playing till. They're like 38 39 and we we had two.
Dr. Jason Han:We had two big signings a few a few years ago. We had gareth bale and georg Giorgio Chiellini at the LAFC and Gareth Bale was a phenom, 17-18 years old, was amazing, real Madrid, tottenham, just a beast, and he's very, very talented. And then you had Giorgio Chiellini, who was captain of the Italian national team 38-39. And they both worked hard in their own respects, but Giorgio Chiellini, who's captain of the Italian national team 38 39, and they both worked hard in their own respects but, like Giorgio was activating for practice an hour, an hour and a half early, he had his routine, he was very, very set and, and even post-practice, he was always in the training room. It was a lot of work for us, but he knew what he needed to do in order to perform and he lasted so long. He's a legend. And then you had Gareth, who was just a phenom. He still did his stuff, but it wasn't. When you look at it side by side, it was very, very different. So I would say those are kind of like the big pieces, the big differences.
Herb Perez:That's a great point, and you know I was an older athlete and I know you were a younger athlete and there is a difference in the preparation and it's definitely a different difference if you're talented, right. So we've all seen great talented athletes who didn't seem to have to work as hard, and what I've always said about that is that they break down in the future if they don't do the work. So if you're a smart, older athlete, you do the work. And that's going to kind of lead me into my next question what do you think the important factors are in helping an athlete reach their true potential? I mean their full potential?
Dr. Jason Han:number one is their own mentality.
Dr. Jason Han:It's their, it's their own will. I think that's number one. Like what you know, we always business. What is your why, what? What you know we always business. What is your why, what? What drives you? And I feel that as an athlete and as you grow older, your, your why always changes a little bit and you have to be able to recognize that. You really have to be able to tap into it. Um, I think that's number one.
Dr. Jason Han:Number two is having good people around you, just like business. You're in the New York crew and if you look at that Mark Williams and you and Kevin Padilla you look at that group. You're like, okay, I get it, and that shaped a lot of your mentality, it shaped a lot of your work ethic. So, number two, being around the right people. Number three being humble and being able to take constructive criticism. Yes, we are fighters and we don't like it when people tell us something that we don't agree with, but after you cool down, tell us something that we don't agree with, but after you cool down, can you look at it objectively and say maybe he or she was right and to be humble enough to even just go back to that person. Tell me a little bit more. How. How do you think I can do this a little bit better? And and I've been lucky enough to have like good, good masters, good instructors, good teammates around me that could hold me accountable. And like david kong, like we, we fought together and we trained together, but he was a technician, he was, and I a lot of my success is due to him. Um, so I I think that it's just taking constructive criticism and being able to to move forward and then, last but not least, doing it like putting your foot down and like what is important to you. If it's, what's more important, is it training and getting better so you can win this competition, or is it hanging out with your friends?
Dr. Jason Han:And early on and you know, you know my dad, I love my dad, and early on in high school, there was, um again, all these little moments. I was a freshman in high school. All my friends were in this social group, my sister's older than me. So my dad knows what these social groups are. So you think of it as a high school fraternity, sorority. So I'm all geared up. I'm a fresh, I'm again, I'm a 14. I'm a freshman and I'm geared up to kind of join this group with my friends freshman, and I'm geared up to kind of join this, this group, with my friends and my dad goes.
Dr. Jason Han:Let me ask you a question, okay, do you want to be like them or do you want to be like? I forgot who it was. It was either like a laker, or it's either a taekwondo athlete, or you want to be like that. And I was like fuck, fuck, all right, all right, I'll make my decision and then that's the route I went, and we need people like that, that they challenge and support us at the same time. Whatever I choose to do in life, he'll support me. But he'll also ask me the hard question he's not going to force me to do it, he's just going to lay it out, lay it, you know, lay it clear, and what do you want to do? And then you live with the decisions that you choose at that point.
Herb Perez:Yeah, there's no doubt. I mean I love your dad and know your family and just amazing support structure you had. And David Kong, you know you're my favorite athlete of all time and you know I'll say that unabashedly. But David Kong is my second favorite, so I hope when he's hearing this, when he made the US team in 1993 in the World Championships in New York, where I was one of the coaches and the team manager, when he came in the gym the thing I respected about him was he came up to me because it was a year after the Olympics and he goes, I want to fight with you, and I was like, well, yeah, okay, let's go. And you know, um, and he came at me, you know, with everything David Kong had, and I just remember this one exchange and I kind of ax kicked him and touched him and kind of brought him down to the floor and he looked at me and I thought I said what, what did you think was going to happen? Right, but his um, and he was a tremendous competitor and that team had, uh, you know, great legacy players that we could speak about for years.
Herb Perez:But the reason I tell the story is you were surrounded by great people and you always had a strong support system, but that wasn't what made you an amazing, amazing athlete. Uh, dr hun, it was you. You were always willing to learn and you were always willing to listen, and that little bit that you spoke about, which was the willingness to take criticism, even though your pride might, uh, might, might be a little tinged by it, and then reflect upon that as what made you and continues to make you the person you are, I think, in all the things we're about to talk about. But it kind of leads me into my next question, because you've answered some of the other ones. But what are your thoughts on the role of technology, since it's advanced so much in physical therapy and athletic training?
Dr. Jason Han:I think technology is great, but I always say you don't lose sight of the basics, the stuff that you learn in school, because you cannot rely on technology for everything. Um, even like when I was working in professional sports, that's like the craze, like, okay, how can we measure this, how can we measure this? How can we measure that? Um, but it's like the old school mentality is like I didn't have any of that stuff and I was still okay. So, number one, make sure that that part is good. Now it's able to. Can we take this one piece? And how does it accentuate this? It doesn't replace anything, it just makes us better. And at least in even when I was, when we were still in, when I was still fighting, there was some video technology. There was motion analysis, there was these kinds of things, but no one knew how to really use it. I would say to say, okay, we're videoing this. I'm like why, now that I have a more mechanical brain, then it makes sense. But at the time when people were using, they were just using it because it was cool. Um, now you can use it a little bit more effectively.
Dr. Jason Han:With lafc there's a lot of like force generators, force plates, looking at total strength, stuff like that. And like, for example, if you're not, if you're, if you're measuring someone's quad strength and oh, the right one is not as strong as the strong as the left on paper, okay, it's not as strong, but if you actually dive in deep and you talk to them, he hurts when he's kicking with that side. So it's not that he's not strong, it's that we have to take care of these other pieces so he can feel free, so he can give an effort. Once you do that and then you get an absolute measure, then that's the true objective measure. But it's just basics, it's just common sense.
Dr. Jason Han:At that point Don't get so stuck on a computer or so stuck on a data sheet to choose what you want to do with someone. So, for example, with soccer athletes, they run approximately in a match, 10 to 12 kilometers, depending on position. If you look at a training, if it's like four or five trainings in a week, they run equivalent to three to five kilometers in any training session. And then they have a certain amount of high speed running stuff like this. So you can actually break down each athlete into what they would, what they normally put out in a week, metrics wise. So when I'm rehabbing them, I have something to progress them to. So, yes, on paper, you don't want to do this much, you don't want to go over this much, this amount of high speed running because it's risk of hamstring, it's all these kinds of things.
Dr. Jason Han:But if it's also taken into consideration who the athlete is if it's a right back, it's a. If it's a winger, they're used to going. It's much different from a mid. It's a winger, they're used to going. It's much different from a midfielder. So you're making calculated risks.
Dr. Jason Han:If, okay, the person is hitting the limit of what the data says. But I'm getting a feeling today that this guy is good, I can push him. So it works. It accentuates the experience, as long as you understand it and as long as you don't just hold to it. It's not black or white, it's very gray. So that's where the experience, the intellect, actually play and that's what sets a lot of rehab professionals apart from others, because you can read any book, you can watch any podcast, you can do that. But there's something different about when you are in it with the athlete and you know exactly how they feel on that day, even if they have stuff, they have baggage going on at home like those, play into the decisions. Am I going to push this guy today or am I going to give him a little bit of rest? I'm not going to go as hard on him that day because he has stuff going on. So you really have to know the athlete from all different uh perspectives and that, you know, kind of leads me.
Herb Perez:You've answered some of the questions that I was going to ask, and that's and that's great, because it kind of leads me into the next question, which is equally as important. I mean, what are your long-term career goals in the fields of sport, medicine and rehabilitation?
Dr. Jason Han:I, I've been a physical therapist for 15, 16 years now. Um, I've treated so many athletes one-on-one and I'll and I feel I'll continue to do that on a on a limited basis but what I see is you're not able to help more people, it's just whoever's in front of me. So to be able to scale that, that's why I have a business. It's not just, yeah, I'm running a business because of financial reasons or whatnot, but it's to really educate and coach my team to help more people, because that's how you really reach people.
Dr. Jason Han:I was talking to Tim Thackery recently and we Tim myself and Tony Graff we started the Juice Compound a while back before it was a thing and obviously that kind of business, that kind of outreach and education, has blown up over the years, but the quality is still not there. When I look at it, tim and I shot that five-kick domination sequence and people still buy it. It's still old school and like I think if people were to go back and look at our gold medal training systems, that that's. We have to put that in digital form anyways. I think that kind of education could go a long way and it could open some eyes, because nowadays people want, they want quick results, but that's just not it. If you truly want it, you're going to have to work for it. And then how do we actually break it down? It's not like just do this kick, it's how do you set up for the kick. These are the parts of the kick. In what situations are you going to do this kick if you're not able to kick at this level? Is it a technical thing, or is there something within your body that's just not allowing you to do it? So if you, let's say, you don't have that physical mobility now, how do we change it so you can do something similar? It's like it's like a putting a square peg into a round hole. Sometimes you just can't put it in.
Dr. Jason Han:And it's very analogous to how they they treat a lot of golfers nowadays. You have this ideal golf swing, this kinematic sequence, but for this particular person, they may not have the body attributes, attributes to do it. So how, number one, can you recognize it? And, number two, how can you work with that situation to get the most out of them? You may have to change your style of fighting a little bit. You can't fight. You can't fight exactly like this person you're trying to emulate. It's just you don't have the body.
Dr. Jason Han:Look at me and tony graff completely different body types. We fought very differently. We both got the job done and he was able to figure out his body with not only his own personal perseverance but with people like you, tim Thackeray again, my buddies, tim is not the fastest, tim is not the strongest, but his brain muscle is far in front of a lot of people and that's the beauty, when you kind of look back and you can dissect your own friends and what made you successful and what made them successful. And that's why we're such good friends, that's why we, we, we, we had this common bond and I I can't speak enough about them because they really pushed me to be where I am today professionally and it's. It goes back to taekwondo. It wasn't just the fighting, it was the camaraderie, putting, putting yourself around incredible people that didn't give up beyond athletics and they, they were just trucking along trying to be better, and then that that it's just the excellence around you.
Herb Perez:It's just different and I knew when you speak, I mean I I've got to make sure that I acknowledge. When I first of all learned of your juice compound and then the various things you were doing, I learned a lot from all of you and the times that you came out to the century things and did your things, they were just so overwhelmingly received and and everyone benefited from it and wanted even more of it. And then when we had you on the gold medal videos, you were just outstanding and actually one of the highlights of you is playing in the corner of my little tv on my screen. Um, because you guys were innovators and it's um. It's rare to find people in our sport that continue to evolve and each one of you evolved, and some of the efforts that I do today, including this, is as a result of learning from the efforts that you guys made. I mean, that must have been 10 years ago the juice compound and those learning tools, and back then I think it was Kajabi and I was like what is that? But you guys taught me and I thank you for that to this day and some of the things that I'm even doing these days, because that's what needs to happen in our sport and you guys continue to be trailblazers and you continue to be innovators, and I've been fortunate to have Tony on the program, and now you, dr Hahn.
Herb Perez:I've called Timmy. He hasn't returned my phone call yet, but I think he's busy, so I'm going to go down and see him. I think he's local still so, but I'm looking forward to speaking to him as well. But I mean, I want to just touch on one other thing before we get to my last series of questions. But how do you balance the demands of working with high-level professionals, executives, and then your family life, because I know you're a family. I see your Facebook, I see your family, I see your children, I know how you love your family extended back home. How do you balance those?
Dr. Jason Han:Discipline, taekwondo discipline it's choosing what is important to you and making the time. When you don't have the time, then you have to decide what's more important within the given amount of time. I would say that without again surround yourself with people that support you and see your vision and as, as you know, like every marriage is give and take, and then learning that understanding between the two and my wife Kelly this will be 10 years of marriage this year and she supported me when I again, we started the business together, so we were both grinding on the business. Then, when I joined lafc you imagine a job that takes 40 to 60 hours plus running an office and when I joined lafc, my daughter was six months old. And then you fast forward two more years, covid times, and my son was born. So she's been an amazing. She's the trooper as far as like holding the family together, and without her I I wouldn't be where I am now, and so that was one of the big reasons I decided to leave the club After six amazing seasons.
Dr. Jason Han:You, you have the glory of MLS cup, you hit, you hit all these big things, and when you look back, it's an amazing experience, but it goes away like this. You have an Olympic gold medal. It's helped shape who you are and all the experiences, but it goes away like that. So what's important, it's my family, my life, my time and I believe we all have aspirations to do big things and do well in business. And I have a business coach and he put into terms as far as why are we wired the way that we are? It's just achievement. It can be in anything and there's a certain endorphin release when, okay, you want to win this competition and then you win and there's an endorphin release. There's that part, but there's also pride into everything that went into it to get there. Same thing with the business. Your goal is to make X amount gross income, but it doesn't happen by itself. You actually have to plan it, you have to coach, you have to work with your team, you have to strategically do it, you have to coach, you have to work with your team, you have to strategically do it. And then when you hit it, there's achievement. And I've been able to over the years slowly recognize that a little bit more and not get so emotionally attached to the feeling, but being very appreciative of the experience to get there and the achievement. That's my old man wisdom right there, but it's pretty much discipline and what's important to me throughout the day planning the day, planning the week, planning the month, knowing now, because my family's so important, I'm not with the club I have all my vacations set. It's, it's on paper. It's not going to be well, we'll see. It's like no make the time.
Dr. Jason Han:My wife and I just went to europe for two weeks just by ourselves and, um, it was really just pushing. Number one, I wanted to go, but number two, it was a push to say let's go without the kids, enjoy each other because, honestly, we haven't had enough time together one-on-one. And it was one of the best experience, of best experiences I've ever had, because when you're traveling as an athlete, you're not enjoying anything. You're cutting, cutting weight, or I was cutting weight, and you might have a half day where you enjoy the sights, the traveling, the fun was just being with your boys. That was my trip to Paris, france, the last time I went, my trip to Belgium. I don't remember Belgium. I remember my boys and then training with them and then fighting, and then the one night after party and you go home.
Herb Perez:Truth, truth. Yeah, without a doubt. I mean we're going to touch on this at the end, but I have a question, because I know you also now are a representative and have started another part of your business because of the, the business aspect of it and, uh, how you hope to expand it and how does it help the athletes and patients recover?
Dr. Jason Han:yeah it. Just you know the term you turn. You turn lemons into lemonade and three about three, and three to four years ago my mother-in-law had a mild traumatic brain injury. She fell. She was watching my kids. My dog tripped her up from behind my big dog. She fell flat on her face and then she she lost like three of her, four of her teeth. So you think about the impact at that point is pretty bad. So at that point it was more pretty bad. So at that point it was more dental damage. She had multiple CT scans so they were really taking care of more dental damage.
Dr. Jason Han:Concussion-wise, nothing really. I even cleared her. I ran her through the gamut but about a month, month and a half later she started to develop neurological symptoms similar to stroke. And going to the hospital twice as far as urgent care, er stuff and just giving her a bunch of steroids and drugs, it just wasn't helping. So I talked good thing, I have good friends around me. I talked to them about the situation and one suggested hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hbot, and I and I had heard about it at the time.
Dr. Jason Han:I've also. I've actually seen it at the Pittsburgh Steelers. We had two or three athletes that had them in their rooms. I remember during training camp I walked in I'm like, uh, what is this thing it's like? Is this weird coffin looking thing? Um, but I don't pay any attention, I don't pay any mind to it. I was like, oh, it's just for recovery, fast forward.
Dr. Jason Han:I take my mother-in-law to a buddy's house of mine who has one at his home and just the effects, the results were amazing. Essentially, it just puts more oxygen in your body. Think of oxygen as fuel. So every cell in your body needs oxygen to do its job. When you are stagnant or things aren't healing, how do you boost yourselves to work more? Um, and that's simply oxygen. The chambers that we have here at our office. Now, it increases your oxygen concentration by 400 to 600 percent, and just think about what your body can do at that point. So that experience. She did really, really well. She takes care of my kids now, um, it was an amazing experience. Then, from a business standpoint, it's okay. Number one how can I buy one so she can use it on a frequent basis, which she still does? My dad, my mom, everyone uses it. Now I, I it's like a natural fountain of youth in my book, um, and then so I went from one chamber and now I have three chambers at my office. I brought a chamber to again the business standpoint. I brought a chamber to lafc in 2022 and that was the year we won MLS cup. So I understood the science of it and it worked.
Dr. Jason Han:But then I have to convince this big organization to put forward this amount of money, to invest in it for their athletes. And if you think about it, it's think about a single athlete that gets paid a million dollars. Let's say it's 50, it's 50 games in a season. You divide that up, each game is worth X amount for this athlete. If I can keep this athlete on the field five more games, you can do the math and you multiply that by 25 athletes. You do the math and you multiply that by 25 athletes. You do the math, is it? It's like business, you, it's an investment decision. What is my return on investment on this decision? So I brought that into the club.
Dr. Jason Han:They still use it. They still use it to this day as far as getting athletes from quicker, better, from an injury to number two, recovering after games, recovering after training, because in a congested season, in a slow part of the season, you're going week to week or weekend to weekend, but when it gets congested you're having midweek games. So let's say, saturday game, wednesday game, saturday game, and that's for athletes that are running over 10 come up 10 kilometers a match. That's a lot of wear and tear, so we needed to come up with something that would expedite that. So that's from the recovery standpoint.
Dr. Jason Han:Like again, it's not, it's not cheap, but if, whether you're a taekwondo athlete or whether you're like a weekend warrior and you just care about your health, you care about this whole biohacking thing and having mental clarity, it's, it's an amazing investment and I and I implore everyone to like just look on YouTube and start to learn about it. That's number one. But, like my mother-in-law's situation, it's done wonders from a brain, neurocognitive standpoint. You ask how am I able to kind of keep up with everything? That's one of my biohacking tools. I do a lot of work in the chamber. My sleep is always better when I'm in it. Cognitively, I'm sharper, more energy. Um, it's funny. So fast forward. Now I actually I'm I'm the company that I bought my original chambers from. I'm head of development and sales in north america for them. They are an company, so they needed someone to actually spearhead the efforts here, especially because more than 80% of our product is actually sent here to the States and it really starts with education and just putting it out there so people can watch it.
Dr. Jason Han:Then you can make a calculated decision of is it worth it or not for yourself. There's plenty of things out there like hyperbaric cold plunge saunas, red lights there's everything out there. So if you have enough information and you see what each one does, then you kind of figure out where's your starting point. A lot of people start at red light because it's easy. You just have it in your room. A hyperbaric machine takes a lot more room, um, but it's really been a game changer, not only for my mother, my athletes, plenty of clients coming in for dementia, ptsd.
Dr. Jason Han:You imagine, like all these degenerative things that are going on people's brains, there's excessive inflammation in their brain. When there's like we're athletes, whenever you have inflammation in your knee, your muscles just don't work, can't straighten your knee, it just it's like from a chemical standpoint, it cancels everything around you. It just does not let you work. So whether you have inflammation, arthritis or two more severe conditions, one of the common factors is chronic inflammation, especially if you have it in your brain. That's why you can't think clearly, even nowadays. Long COVID is a thing, vaccine injuries are a thing, and we've seen amazing results with hyperbaric therapy. When I had COVID a year or two years ago, my wife and the whole family got it at the same time and everyone was pretty done. I drove to the clinic every evening when it was closed and everyone was pretty done. I drove to the clinic every evening when it was closed and I used the chamber every night. My recovery was so much faster and we have so many people coming in through our doors. As far as they still have brain fog, they still have trouble concentrating and reading or focusing at work and just like athletics athletics it's really.
Dr. Jason Han:Are you okay just being where you're at? That's a decision. There are options out there to if you want a better life, there are options out there. Then you kind of have to decide whether you're going to do it or not. So it's it kind of comes full circle with everything as far as um, everything that I can help. But the message is the same like you're at this point in your life, what are your goals? Here's some. Here are three options to get there. The easiest one is just drink more water because you're dehydrated. Come on, it's. It's super easy, like have a big now gene bottle or whatever you if you're a fancy, you have a stanley one now um, just drink water. But if you can't even do that, I can't help you. I can't help you at this point and I think that's something that I've learned from you and everything.
Dr. Jason Han:All the successful people around me is like you, don't sugarcoat too much. This is straightforward. This is how it is. If you don't like it, it's not that you don't like me, it's that you don't like what's going on in your brain. You're doubting, you're using this, you're blaming your situation on me at this point. No, I'm just trying to tell you what I see. If you don't agree, it's okay. But why people come to me is for my professional opinion. It's not a professional opinion if I tell you what you want to hear. Same thing with athletes or people. Come into your dojo. It's the same message I've gotten here with a certain mentality. You're coming to me for advice. I'm giving you that based on my experience. I'm just working with a lot of people. It may not work for you, but this is my professional opinion.
Herb Perez:I mean that's great advice. No, no, no, you give me way too much credit. I mean, we spent a lot of time together and I remember the 2005 experience because I had a hard conversation as I think I was head of team and it wasn't with you, but it was with another group that was present that had kind of a little click. And then I had a very hard conversation with them, perceptionally of what I saw and what I thought they needed to do to change that reality so that they could continue to be successful in the future. And I'd had a conversation with that same group a couple of years earlier than a couple of years. Successful um in the future and um. I'd had a conversation with that same group in a couple years earlier than a couple years, because I knew them for many years, like I, I knew you and the difference, I think, in people and you've you.
Herb Perez:The one thing that I've heard consistently in everything that you've shared with us is, along the way, you had mentors and people that you respected, starting with your family and your dad, and then coaches and athletes and contemporaries, and then seniors and juniors, and then you use them as a sounding board, perhaps, or as certainly another place. And then you didn't look for confirmation bias. You weren't looking for them to confirm what you already thought. You were looking for them as to how they can grow, and I think that's the one thing that is consistent in elite athletes and business professionals. And I would be remiss if I didn't start with when we do this podcast and the different things we do, we're looking for individuals who have transcended sport. They've transcended the usual parameters. They started perhaps with something unique, which was drive and motivation, and then they have excelled in virtually every arena that they have, and so when I look at you, that's what I see you were an awesome, outstanding athlete. You were an awesome and outstanding creator of programs, and then, when I came and watched and still to this day, listen to the different things that I see online we explain body motion and how it affects your mechanics. It's the most articulate and complete description I've heard of it and there's no one else that has done that.
Herb Perez:Now, with your clinic and the things that you've said that you're doing, I mean, next time I'm in LA, I'm coming down and I'm going to get a hyperbaric or whatever else I need to get and I'm going to give it a shot, and then I'm going to stop buying guitars, of which I have too many, and probably get a chamber in my house, because I, too, would like to remain healthy and uh and wealthy and wise. But the reason I say all that, dr han, is, um, I, I want you to, I want you to share, if you could, just a final thought on how can we help. How can you help, what advice would you give to people that are on the same pathway as you and maybe were athletes and now they're considering that transition to some other profession, whatever it is, what advice would you leave? And that would be, that would be the thing that I I think that would, um, help people, and I I heard what you said about helping people and you're right. The way to help people was to do exactly what you did.
Herb Perez:By the way, I don't know that I could have left LA uh FC. I think I still would have been there, because my kid loves soccer and you've helped us as well, and I thank you for that. What advice would you give them? What would you like to leave people with?
Dr. Jason Han:I would say is I recognize that it is scary to transition, you know, especially if, in a lot of ways, that's all you know. In a lot of ways, that's all you know, um, you started martial arts as a kid and that you lived in a dojo and you've, that's the life that you know. But, like anything else, you have to understand that there's no such thing as forever, and I think that's just a realization. It's scary, like even thinking about death is scary, but it does happen. So I I think that's number one, knowing that things have to end. Or you can stay in taekwondo but you can go have a school, but, like, your athletic career will end. So that's recognition, um.
Dr. Jason Han:Number two is being able to dissect what made you successful. It's not like literally put it on paper business, put it on paper. If it's not on paper, it's not real. What made you successful? Is it your discipline? Is it your? Whatever it is, write it down, then take all those pieces and then adapt it to the next phase in your life. And yes, you may not know what it is, but that's why you talk to your friends, you talk to good people around you that can help guide you. Hey, you're good at this, you're good at that. But even while you're in your athletic career, you can't technically do 100% athletics. Spend 5% or 10% learning another skill. Like Coach Perez, you're a lawyer. It doesn't. It's not by accident. It's not by accident. And whatever you choose to do moving forward whether it's still in Taekwondo or involved with Taekwondo or a completely different thing dissect what made you successful. Apply it to those things. And it's very scary at the time when I left, when I retired in 2005, and I'm going to school, there's always doubt in your head how am I going to do this? Is school hard? Yes, but was the dedication hard? No, it's just built in me. You just have to apply it to whatever's in front of you and that's it. It's looking at it objectively. What's my plan? You have to have some type of plan. You cannot be well, we'll see how it goes. It's like we have to go in one direction. If it works or it doesn't, that's fine, but you have to go in a direction. That's common sense. What I feel happens to some people after they transition out is like they don't have a plan. They're just like we'll see how it goes and you start to just feel sorry for yourself. You start to miss the good old days and the good old times and then oh and then you kind of like transition back into it. I dude, your body's done.
Dr. Jason Han:If you want to compete with the young guys, that's fine and you can still try. But even making a life, there's no money in Taekwondo as a fighter. Let's just call it what it is. If you want to be successful in life, you want to make money, take the same principles. You want to be in real estate. You want to be a medical. You want to have money. You take the same principles. You want to be in real estate. You want to be a medical. You want to have a school. It's that is reality.
Dr. Jason Han:If you, if you have to do the right things, wear the right hats, have the right mindset so you can attempt to build the life that you want, and if that means having a family and kids, you better make sure you support that. It's not cheap. If you want to be by yourself the rest of your life, that's a different life as well and that's okay as well. But you still. But I want nice things.
Dr. Jason Han:It's like when people explain, oh I wish I had this I go, what are you gonna do about it? Or you blame other people that, oh, so-and-so has this car, so-and-so has this house, they worked for it and let's say, the person, the, the person's family, is able to support that tough shit that's them. You're not in that situation. How are you, how are you gonna? Don't blame other people for your lack of success. Your success is predicated on you and your effort, and not feeling sorry for yourself and moving forward and taking constructive criticism. And that's just a harsh reality. Yes, I understand that it's hard to transition, but two, no one's going to hold your hand throughout the process. That's it same like taekwondo no one's going to fight for you in the ring, it's you against the other person and that person is trying to put you into the ground. What do you have to do to survive? Same thing in life. I want this. What do I have to do in order to survive and to prosper? That's it.
Herb Perez:That's great advice and that's why you were a great fighter, because at the end of the day, you took responsibility for your successes and then we all took responsibility for our failures.
Herb Perez:And that advice resonates with me, it's my modus operandi, it's the way I see the world, it's the way that people around us saw the world that did what we did at the level we did it at.
Herb Perez:But it's one of the reasons I was so thankful that you accepted the invitation to come, because I couldn't think of anyone better who exemplifies what's possible if you use the skills that you've developed as an athlete and in our sport and our art and use them in other arenas. And on behalf of the Masters Alliance, podcast Uncut and me personally, I want to thank you today for everything that you shared and I look forward to seeing you shortly, especially in your hyperbaric chamber, because I'll be in it and then and I've got to save enough money to get one I may have to sell one or two guitars, but you know I'll put my son in it. I think I'll leave him in it for a while. But again, thank you today, dr Han. It's just been a pleasure. Thanks, coach. I think I'll leave him in it for a while, but again, thank you today, dr Han, it's just been a pleasure.
Dr. Jason Han:Thanks, coach, I appreciate it.
Herb Perez:Well, I told you that was going to be an amazing podcast with a unique individual who is both driven in life to have an amazing family, have a tremendous career and then continue to educate and support and mentor his community. Both in and out of the martial arts. Dr Han continues to impact his world and now, with his groundbreaking understanding of physical motion, continues to grow what we do and love in Taekwondo. Check out his thoughts on hypobaric chambers and its help for rehabilitation, but, more importantly, just general health, at his website, which is attached to the podcast. And again, this has been the masters Alliance podcast, uncut with her Perez, and that was Dr Jason Hahn. Don't forget to check out our other shows with other Olympic athletes and people who are influential in their community.