Richie J. Edwards on Fitness, Mindset and Making a Difference
Richie J. Edwards is a former professional fighter from New York’s Lower East Side who now works as a fitness coach with a strong focus on discipline, adaptability and emotional control. His introduction to martial arts came after a childhood robbery attempt and through a close friendship with world champion black belt J.C., whose influence shaped his early path. Richie’s approach to coaching is direct and grounded; he prioritises calm communication over aggression and believes fitness should be accessible to everyone, regardless of background or budget.
Richie described his younger self as “the Harry Potter of the hood.” He was a good kid who loved reading books. One day, while sitting in front of his building, three kids tried to steal his skateboard. His mum immediately stepped in, yelling at them to back off. “My mother was like Scarface in a nightgown,” he said. “She had a tough upbringing, and living in New York during that time, you had to have some toughness and grit.”
After breaking his wrist during an American football game, Richie met a kid named J.C. in the hospital. J.C. was a world champion black belt who also lived in his neighbourhood. “He was a tough street kid and I was a marshmallow,” Richie explained. “So he took me under his wing.” While they were both recovering, J.C. began teaching Richie self-defence, and the two became best friends. It was the first real friendship Richie had, growing up in a neighbourhood where it was hard to trust people.
Sadly, J.C. passed away not long after. Richie was only nine years old, and the loss came as a huge shock. “Growing up in the Lower East Side, you had to learn how to handle yourself. Martial arts gave me the confidence, and in the neighbourhood, that meant respect.” At J.C.’s funeral, Richie met the Metro All Stars, a well-known karate team. That’s where everything began.
Originally, he thought he was going to be a marine biologist! Now, Richie competes professionally, training with some of the best fighters in the world. He is based in London, running N.Y. SHOGUN and balancing a successful career while building his own fitness programme.
While martial arts helped build his confidence, Richie says it taught him much more than that. Discipline, consistency and community became core values. He explained that the structure of martial arts, including the ranking system and the importance of respecting instructors and fellow students, is essential when learning skills that have the potential to hurt or even kill someone. “If you learn how to harness this superpower as an adult, you can learn how to control your emotions in various situations. Business meetings, dealing with kids, et cetera. Controlling your emotions and assessing situations are what I like to transfer into training my clients. Working out is the foundation, but someone’s mindset for fitness is crucial.” He highlighted how he teaches his clients through structure and strategises ways to master those mindset shifts and how different that is for everyone.
One of Richie’s online clients hadn’t initially told him that she had previously injured her back and had been living in pain for eight years. But after training with Richie for just over two years, she healed her back and is now completely pain-free. Together, they focused on building the muscles around the injury to protect it, which perfectly reflects Richie’s personalised approach to coaching. “Once you figure out what’s going on in a person’s life, you can adapt it to their body,” he explained. For this client, it was about helping her feel good about herself and gradually building her strength. Once she felt strong enough, the pain disappeared.
Motivation and discipline come naturally to Richie, especially as he continues to evolve as a coach and as an individual. “I’ve seen so many people not have the opportunity, so remembering where I come from and remembering the people that I honour every day, I won’t stop. And even if I physically have to, I’ll still find a way,” he said. Richie’s dad fought through three tumours – one in his ear, one in his neck, and one at the base of his brain, and still went to work, which remains a huge source of inspiration. “Never give up. There’s always a way,” he added.
He believes in giving himself what he needs first, so he can better handle whatever the day brings and keep stress levels in check. Richie spoke about stress as a silent killer, explaining that if you don’t take steps to alleviate it, it will eventually catch up with you. That’s why he prioritises the idea of filling up your own cup before trying to pour into others. For Richie, starting the day with intention is essential. When he wakes up, he avoids checking his phone, emails or social media. Instead, he takes time to gather his thoughts and express gratitude. “If the day is grey, the sun is in my head,” he said.
To Richie, success means peace – both personally and professionally. With his digital platform, he wants to teach people about the importance of community, which he feels is lacking in today’s world. “Everybody’s running around hurt, chasing materialistic things or stuff they see on social media that isn’t even real,” he said. “If you have the opportunity to help, why wouldn’t you?”
On top of all his coaching, training and competing, Richie is working on publishing a book. The Alphabet City will feature a person represented by each letter of the alphabet who has inspired or saved his life and helped him keep pushing forward. He’s also focused on scaling his business and has plans to create an app that invites his community to be part of his journey. He’s currently working with people from MIT and Harvard to bring the project to life. Richie wants to ensure that no matter what language someone speaks or whether they have a disability, there’s something available for them. “I feel like everyone deserves the chance to have some sort of fitness lane they can go to, for community or something inspirational.”
You can find out more about Richie here and check him out on Instagram here.
Listen to our podcast with Richie here
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