Belt rankings and experience often dictate respect but Sean O’Malley‘s coach Tim Welch brings a refreshingly humble perspective. As the head of the newly established Red Hawk Academy, Welch advocates for an open-minded approach to learning that transcends traditional hierarchies.
“You can learn from a white belt if you’re just open to it,” Welch emphasizes in recent podcast, embodying a philosophy that has helped propel both his own career and that of UFC bantamweight star Sean O’Malley.
Welch’s path wasn’t always smooth. After suffering a broken jaw that left his face wired shut—a period he describes as one of the darkest in his life—he emerged with profound lessons about resilience and humility. These experiences fundamentally shaped his coaching approach, emphasizing the importance of maintaining perspective through both victories and defeats.
Despite being a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under ADCC champion Augusto “Tanquinho” Mendes, Welch remains committed to learning from everyone around him—regardless of rank or status. This attitude was highlighted during a recent training session with former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.
“He was just the most humble dude, just normal, just like us,” Welch observed of Adesanya. “He has such a good mindset.”
Welch’s new training facility boasts impressive specifications—over 9,000 square feet of mat space divided between two training sections (5,800 square feet in the main section and 2,300 square feet in the second), plus a 900-square-foot cage. Yet despite these impressive resources, Welch prioritizes quality over quantity.
“I don’t want to be in a rush to just grow,” he explains. “I want to make the team good, I want to make myself have good training.”
This patient approach reflects his broader philosophy about achievement.
“It just makes it way worth it,” he reflects on the six-year journey of growing his gym from a small mechanic shop to its current impressive size. “It just takes time… Anything worth it in life is going to be like that.”
The academy has already begun attracting high-level talent, with Olympic gold medalist wrestler Helen Maroulis reportedly considering training there to pursue her jiu-jitsu goals.
Despite his deep roots in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Welch maintains a pragmatic view of combat sports. He recently agreed with former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling‘s assertion that “jiu-jitsu is not fighting,” acknowledging the distinction between sport grappling and real combat scenarios.
“It’s not a fight. It’s a completely different sport,” Welch stated. “In jiu-jitsu, it’s a lot about sweeps, guard passing, and positioning. Every position the athlete is in is designed to secure positional dominance and execute submissions, rather than raining down strikes.”
This perspective shows Welch’s ability to appreciate different combat disciplines while recognizing their distinct contexts and applications.
In a sport often dominated by ego, Tim Welch‘s humble approach offers a refreshing counterpoint and a valuable lesson that extends well beyond the octagon: some of the most profound insights come when we’re open to learning from unexpected sources.
