AJAY JAMES
We recently had the honor to catch up with our friend, waterman, awesome human and Navy SEAL Ajay James to talk about what’s next after his 20 year career on the Teams. Photos Taylor Dunfee.
Where did you grow up and how did you get into martial arts?
I was born and grew up between Trinidad and Tobago, British West Indies and The United States. I went to middle and high school in New Jersey. I was basically that kid that looked like Steve Urkel and spoke funny. I started martial arts when I was around 14 because I got sick of being made fun of because of my clothes, glasses and how I spoke. That turned into a complete obsession and lifestyle. In 1988, I moved to NYC and was a bike messenger, model and club promoter. In 1991, I started doing Muay Thai in Paris and eventually brought awareness to it in NYC where there were no established schools at the time. I also pursued various types of martial arts including Capoeira, Filipino Marta Arts, Silat, Kung Fu, Karate, Boxing, Wrestling and Jiu Jitsu as part of my experience. This led me to be fortunate enough to help develop the current Naval Special Warfare Combatives curriculum with a group of great individuals in 2010. The shell of that curriculum is still the baseline taught to all our operators. So basically, I'm like a ninja! Just kidding!
How did you decide you wanted to be a Navy SEAL?
I don't have the typical story that a lot of other guys do before coming into this community. I was doing security and running the door at some popular clubs in NYC and I started getting offers to do executive protection, because of my martial arts experience. After getting turned down by NYFD because I didn't have citizenship, I had a long conversation with a great mentor. This guy is the person who if you look up the word Ronin in the dictionary, he is the definition. I asked him how I could get higher paying jobs in the protection field and he told me that I would either have to pay a lot of money out of pocket for training or join the military (in particular Special Operations).
At first, I considered leaving the US and going to the UK because I was a commonwealth status citizen and try my chances for selection with the Special Air Service. Ultimately, I realized that if things didn't fare well, I would have to start life over in England. I went with SEAL training because I thought it offered the most challenge and the quickest access from the street to selection along with the incredible history of the program. I trained incredibly hard and had a lot of hurdles to overcome like not knowing how to swim.
I needed an age waiver, an eyesight waiver and I needed to become an American citizen. I had to get letters of recommendation from Senators and Congressmen, active and retired Navy SEALs. I took a physical screening test 12 times for letters from a SEAL reservist Captain and once with a well-known former SEAL Lieutenant exercise guru, before going to the recruiter. I essentially told him that if I didn't get the program, I wasn't joining the military. I got my citizenship in April of 2001, joined the Navy on May 15th, 2001 at 33 years old, and was in SEAL training September 21st, 2001.
How was all the maritime based training for you?
Lucky for me, I had a training partner and coach who was older than me and was an ultra-marathoner. Over the course of the year before I joined the Navy, he taught me how to swim good enough to get through selection. Before that I remember going to Long Beach Island, NY to learn how to swim in the ocean by myself. I remember approaching the lifeguard tower and telling them that I was going to swim in the ocean. They asked if I'd ever swam in the ocean and I told them no and they looked at me like "Is this a prank?!" I told them that I was trying to become a Navy SEAL and they were rolling on the floor laughing. There were no black guys trying to swim in the ocean in NY during that time, especially on a day with 6ft surf pounding the beach! I nearly drowned myself the first few times that I went out. I kept going back, moving forward and one day the beach Captain pulled me to the side and told me about timing the sets and duck diving under the surf. Once I learned that, it was a wrap. I started doing run / swim / runs with fins, a mask and my rescue can every weekend there and got comfortable in the ocean.
Any fun training stories to share?
One of our great tenants in the Teams is to "Never leave your swim buddy". We were doing some training on the oil platforms in Seal Beach and my platoon mate decided that he was going to take the bet from one of the "old guys" (we were "new guys") that he wouldn't jump off the 3rd deck of the platform. That's a 90ft jump! Before I realized what was happening, I see him sprinting to jump off. No one else was going with him and I knew that we would have to pay for letting a swim buddy jump (possibly to his death) without backing him up. I took off and didn't really think about it until I left the firm ground and was in the air. I immediately regretted it and remember saying "What is wrong with you?!! You are too old to be doing this!" I felt like I was in the air falling forever, trying to keep myself upright so I could pencil dive in and not break my back or knock myself unconscious. I closed my legs, folded my arms onto my chest, tucked my chin and closed my mouth and eyes, all to give me the best chance of landing well. Well, I didn't close my legs tight enough and not only did I get the biggest water enema known to man, but my pants blew out and were saved only by being tied by my belt. Needless to say, Andy Arrabito (owner of Half Face Blades knife company and former platoon mate) and I did not get punished for not having a swim buddy jumping off of the oil platform.
Now that you are at the end of your career as a Navy SEAL, what are you the proudest of?
I cherish my time over these last 20 years as an innovator and a leader. I am especially proud to have been an influencer and a mentor to literally thousands of new candidates (especially minorities) as well as other individuals that I personally put through training. I also assisted in the recruitment drive via the Act of Valor project and still have people coming up to me almost 10 years after the movie was on the big screen sharing how much seeing us represented on screen in this manner did for them. My last assignment also permitted me to be a sounding board for my enlisted team and allowed me the opportunity to shape career growth and reward service members for a job well done.
What is the most rewarding thing you did as a SEAL?
Seeing the people that you directly influenced discover greatness. Especially hearing that they were successful because of something that I did or taught them, shaping their thought process.
Any words of wisdom for anyone who aspires to become a SEAL?
Never settle for no, always think of a contingency plan, treat everyone fairly and everyone deserves the benefit of doubt until proven otherwise, never put yourself in the position where your values and morals are compromised, but above all else, your reputation precedes you. If you want to be known as unreliable, difficult to work with and not cool under pressure, that will stay with you forever. Lastly, it's okay to be empathetic and have compassion for your co-workers. Being able to relate with people on that level gets you everywhere.
What is next for you?
All options are on the table, but I have already jumped out of the gate and have been acting on the screen with "The Terminal List" coming out on Amazon in March of 2022, doing stunt work on the movie "Sacred Motivation" (still shooting coming out possibly by the end of 2022, early 2023), physical and mental performance coaching for tactical athletes, first responders and executives with O2X Human Performance, executive level consultation and protection offerings, executive level training courses, etc. I am also interested in opportunities for being a brand ambassador for companies that I am drawn to. I was a hustler before I came to the Navy, now I am adding to this great adventure called my life by going back to hustling, this time on my terms.
Any favorite surfing spots or surf trips?
I loved my time in Sri Lanka at Aragum Bay and in the Laamu Atoll in the Maldives. I was in both places for a month and enjoyed world-class surf every day.
What gets you inspired and stoked outside of work?
I love to be in the water or going to the gym and training. If I could get paid a lot to just get on my SUP, or do Jiu Jitsu or Muay Thai all day, I would be in heaven. Also, I love foreign languages and cultures other than my own. I enjoy watching foreign films, going to foreign countries and trying to speak on another person's level when I travel. It makes the experience that much more genuine.
What are you listening to right now?
I have a very eclectic music library including Fela Kuti, Cat Power, The Cro Mags, Astrid Gilberto, Serge Gainsbourg, Ceu, U-Roy, Coldplay, BB King, Metallica, Sade and more. My favorite music by far is 90's and early 2000's era Hip Hop. I literally listen to that every day.
Tell us about The Honor Foundation.
The Honor Foundation is a God send of a program designed to assist military service members like myself preparing to transition from the Special Operations community, back to the civilian workforce. The program features major mentorship sessions from entrepreneurs, tech industry moguls and CEOs of major corporations. There are also mental performance coaches to help create the mindset shift and positive outlook one needs in transitioning forward. The program is designed to help the members visualize the value-added benefits that they bring to the table and understand what their true worth is when advertising themselves on the civilian job market. It's truly an extraordinary program and incredible opportunity for service members, and the most incredible part of it is that it is all paid for by donations from the great patriots and supporters from across the country.
What is your favorite quote or philosophy related to your career as a Navy SEAL?
One of the best sayings that I learned and never will forget is "Choose your rate, choose your fate”. What that means in naval terminology and translates to is that the life or job you choose, is what you are going to live out. If you choose to go into the military without a plan, then you will be told what you will do. It's the difference between doing something exciting and mentally stimulating every day or doing something that doesn't give you a sense of purpose and makes you resent your choice to serve the nation. This connects with another favorite quote that I learned from all the SEAL paraphernalia that I saw and resonated with me deeply. "Be someone special". I was fortunate to be able to test my mettle, create a legacy and find out what that truly means and will forever be grateful.
Learn about THE HONOR FOUNDATION and how to support their mission.
Sunga Life Swimwear is owned and operated by a former Navy SEAL.