The Living Proof Podcast
Real people. Real struggles. Real success.
Living Proof is where transformation stories come to life. Hosted by Daeron Myers, this podcast features raw, unfiltered conversations with entrepreneurs, entertainers, and everyday people who turned their setbacks into comebacks. No fluff. No scripts. Just proof that where you start doesn't determine where you finish.
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The Living Proof Podcast
Mark Choppa x Daeron Myers | LIVING PROOF PODCAST
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What happens when a 15-year DC bodyguard is forced to take a life in self-defense — and then the federal government raids his home for teaching Black men how to legally protect themselves?
In this raw, unfiltered episode of the Living Proof Podcast, host Daeron Myers sits down with Mark Chopper (Mark Manley), founder of Manly Protective Services and creator of Project De-escalation a conflict resolution and firearm safety program being introduced into Baltimore and DC schools.
Mark opens up about:
- Growing up in PG County and Washington DC, and the street mentality that shaped him
- Starting his own security company at just 18 years old
- A justified homicide on U Street, DC that changed everything
- A 6-month legal battle to protect his freedom after defending himself
- A federal ATF raid on his family home — with his kids inside
- The double standard Black men face in the Second Amendment community
- His Project De-escalation program and why strong male mentorship saves lives
- His new book "The Armed Mind: 7 Steps to Becoming a Living Weapon"
This is not a story about violence. This is a story about a man who survived the streets, survived the system, and chose to come back for the people nobody else is coming for.
If you work with at-risk youth, believe in the Second Amendment, or just need to hear a real story of redemption this episode is for you.
CONNECT WITH MARK CHOPPER:
Instagram: @MarkChoppa
YouTube: Mark Chopper TV
Book: "The Armed Mind" — available on Amazon
Well, it was actually actually after my justifying homicide, man. Uh I I figured it was enough was enough. You know? I've been a bodyguard for over 15 years and uh had to drop somebody that looked like me, that was younger, and it was just time for me to start educating the people. Uh that particular night it was my wife's birthday. I see a black truck pull up, all four doors open. Feet mass, young, the works, man. So I'm off a movie, man. This was uh when I'm 10 o'clock at night on U Street. The youngest put the guns on us. So one of the youngest told me to, man, we don't get your ass on the ground. Told me that, and I was strapped up. Man, I was on, I was on, you know, I was I was trained to go. So I do my fathom and I eliminated the threat. And uh, that's when everybody dispersed, you know, everybody got out of there. And um, it just went, it was a it was a battle from there, man. You know, a battle for my freedom. When I first, you know, started posting my guns, you know, of course to make it entertaining but educational, but you know, it was most of our community that was saying, oh no, you can't do that. Why can't I? You go over there to them big corporation pages or those uh Caucasian uh fire 2A advocates and tell them that they can't post their gun, you know? So it started getting deep for me. I'm like, yo, when when they're um they're American, you know, uh strong Americans.
SPEAKER_01American heroes.
SPEAKER_00American heroes. So something was very suspicious. It started, it started like really like bothering me how the narrative is when it comes to being black, being um, you know, and how we look at and the and the stigma that comes with being a black um America.
SPEAKER_02Y'all, what's happening, man? Listen, welcome back to the Living Proof Podcast, where we bring you people that are living proof. I'm telling you, you don't have to be famous, but you got a testimonial, man. And today, I got a special guest for y'all today. I'm telling y'all, that's a big treat. Somebody who's been off the grid. Who, matter of fact, they set it on fire and then hopped off the grid, and now they about to come back. So we're about to get into it. Today, I got my guy Mark Chopper in the building. Mark, what's up, man? How you feeling, babe?
SPEAKER_00I'm feeling good, man. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for having me, bro.
SPEAKER_02Man, listen, man, I need you to start it off right, man. Like, take me back before the 300 followers, 300,000 followers on YouTube, before the Instagram and all that, man. Who was Mark Topman, man, growing up?
SPEAKER_00Man, I I started out the gate, you know, doing bodyguard work. And I'm talking about 16 years old. You know, I was a youngin', protecting, protecting our youngins, you know, started working in the clubs. Um, we talking about 16 years old, being a bouncer. 16-year-old bounce bouncer in a DC nightlife. So I was always, I was always the muscle. And um I started getting educated, man. Started getting educated, started, you know, becoming a leader, started building my brand. Outside of, we're not talking about social media. We just talking about on the in the street.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00Start building Mark Manly. You know? Okay. Mark Manly. And that was the uh um, you know, CEO of Manly Protective Services. We started protecting celebrities, local celebrities throughout the uh DC area, um, locally and and out of state, uh started um securing all the nightclubs and bars and venues. And and and again, we're talking about a young age, 18, 19 years old. I was running my own company.
SPEAKER_02Man, hold on for a second, Mark. Like, what made you say I want to protect somebody at that young age? Like, we try like for me, 16, I was trying to live, party with the girls, you know what I mean? I wasn't thinking about protecting nobody. What made you say, you know what? Like, this is this is what I want to do.
SPEAKER_00Well, it started off when I was uh my man came to me and said, Is is man uh somebody broke into a house? Uh can I do something about it? Because I was already known for handling my business, you know what I mean? And I I told him, give me some money, give me some money, I'll take care of it. Because it was it was nothing at that age. I had a lot of energy, you know, I was misguided, and you know, I I figured I'd make some money being being fearless and being, you know, having having capable being being very capable of uh being violent.
SPEAKER_02That's what's up, man. It's crazy because I think DC, right? Yeah. So growing up in DC, right? And PG County. And PG.
SPEAKER_00PG and DC.
SPEAKER_02Hey, listen, man, I ain't gonna lie, PG County, that's pretty girl county.
SPEAKER_00It was it was active out there more than than it was in I got more trouble in PG County than I did in DC.
SPEAKER_02What was like, like, what is that like growing up, right? Because I know for like some people in PG, like, they want to be from DC, and then DC don't want to claim PG. So what was that like growing up? Because for me, being on the Baltimore side, like, I feel like it's the same thing. Yeah, don't nothing change but the buildings.
SPEAKER_00It is the same thing, man. It's just it's the same culture. You know, it it's just division. That's all it is, man. It's division. You know, you got you got the same kind of kind of uh trials and tribulation in in in the district as you was PG County. You know, uh I believe DC is a little bit more faster because it is a city, right? You know, things going a little faster, but uh PG County was you know, it was very active out out in PG County. You know, especially we talking about Lando, Sea Pleasant, you know, in those particular areas, you know. So uh it's all the same to me, man.
SPEAKER_02So you think like the environment like out there was just it was bred like you know, like it's all the same thing. I think people don't realize like hoods are the same thing, it's just different names, right?
SPEAKER_00Even in Baltimore, man. I live in Baltimore now. It's the same thing. I I mean it's just it's just dress a little different, talk a little different. That's it. But the game is the same.
SPEAKER_02So you you think like for like us coming out of hood? I know for me, like misguided, like, yo, if if somebody disrespects you, you you you gotta throw hands with them. You you gotta be this type of person. You can't let nobody punk you, you can't let nobody like do you think that really is effective? Or should you teach your kids like, hey, listen, like, nah, you gotta stop and think.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know, part of my part of who I am today, you know, I I got so far in life, is because I believed in one simple concept, and that's man respect man. You know, give respect, you get respect. You know, and then if those lines are crossed, then you go from there. But you always try to de-escalate, and the first first step to de-escalation is respect.
SPEAKER_02So, yeah, like we wasn't taught that respect. Now it was like, hey, listen, somebody disrespects you, you you you handle your business. If you don't handle your business, your mother was sending you back outside.
SPEAKER_00No, I learned the hard way. You know, I learned watching things go from zero to one thousand. I'm laid up in the hospital bed, like, damn, it was it wasn't that deep, you know, stabbed up, you know, shot up, you know, car shot up a hundred times. You know, we talking about a simple fist fight that, you know, wasn't really that serious, you know, because no one taught me how to de-escalate. No one taught me that, man, it ain't worth it. No one taught me how to, you know, how to change my tone when things are are starting to rise. No one taught me to keep my hands neutral. No one taught me how to keep my voice neutral. I'm just I'm rowdy and I don't understand that things can go left real fast. A lot of people lost their lives because they weren't taught that. That's a fact. You had your pops? Yeah, yeah. I had my pops in my life. Yeah, he was Vietnam vet, man.
SPEAKER_02Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Two-parent household? War vet. Oh no. But uh, no, my um uh my mom and my pops were separated, but pops was around. Okay, yeah. Pops was uh uh uh a treasure man in the District of Columbia, man. Okay, okay. We had to do some research on Pops, yeah. Pops, yeah. I come from a solid family, man. You know, uh my uncle, he was Mark Meredith Manley. I was named after him. He was murdered by the FBI, you know, straight from Northwest Washington, D.C. Um, he was a Merlin, Merlin University student, on armed, killed by the FBI.
SPEAKER_02So you came from a family of well-respected men doing their thing, taking care of their families, right? So you was able to see that part. So what made you be so active at a young age, like 16, like outside? Because it sounded like you was one of those people that was like, hey, listen, if I got a problem, I need Mark by me. Like Mark gonna go handle that. It was that, man.
SPEAKER_00It's so crazy, they start calling me Spartan, man. You know, this one with like 300 was crazy, you know what I'm saying? With the big old 300 kick, you know, and all that. Yeah, they started calling me gladiator names because I like I like the rumble, and I think it has a lot to do with my upbringing. You know, I was, you know, moms was always at work, so I was I was stuck with my brothers. My older brother, you know, he was violent, man. He was violent. So it started off like that. I'm like, this is who you who y'all got raised me right now. You know what I mean? And uh, but he loved us, you know, he loves us still, you know. That's my that's big bruh. But he, you know, ain't nobody taught him no anger management, you know, no one taught him to de-escalate, you know. So we was always, you know, going head to head head to head ourselves. So once it came to, you know, the neighborhood or dudes on the street, y'all ain't nothing. Y'all ain't nothing compared to my brother. You know what I mean? So I always had that mentality where I was, you know, I felt big and bad. But in this world, there's always somebody bigger and bad than you. And it's quite a humbling experience, you know, and I'm blessed enough to walk out of that, you know.
SPEAKER_02For sure. I mean, you talking like I got stabbed at 20, 24, yeah, and that's when I kind of realized, like, nah, I can't be out here in these streets, I can't be doing that. Yeah, you know what I mean? I think it was because like for me, it was I'm I'm the youngest of six, so I had to always rumble with them and they was in the streets and I wanted to follow behind them. Yeah, and then I I I went down the wrong path, man. So, like, for anybody that's watching this right now, like I need y'all to get out the streets, like the youngins. If any if you need to send this to your nephews, your your your grandson, your son, whatever the case may be, because it's not worth it. You looking at two people who like I'm I'm riding, I don't know about you, but I was in the back of the ambulance, like this it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Getting getting rushed to shock trauma. So I don't know how was that incident for you? I mean, you've been shot too, like, shot up car, like, yeah, what was that experience like?
SPEAKER_00Um, I mean, it was petrifying, man. You know what I mean? And I'm a I'm a pretty fearless dude. But, you know, nobody wants to be on the other side of the gun, man. You know, and uh, and I think it it it changed me as well, you know, it just gave me more situational awareness. You know, I became more strategic on how I moved, you know. And also, I learned everything it just ain't worth it because that situation was just the the car getting shot up a hundred times. That started off from some DC guys going up to Salisbury to the go-go. They had one of them house parties. Girls were showing us way too much love, you know, and my boy heard them say something slick, like we gonna get them DC dudes. And so we just started crushing them, you know. But little did we know, them country boys strapped. Them little them country boys was they was ready to go, you know. And we playing, we we bring a fist to a gunfight, you know. So everybody's not playing, you know. So you gotta keep that in mind. I don't, you know, I I know now where I am now is just not it's just not worth it, you know, and the last resort is violent, you know, and and to push for peace, but definitely be capable to be violent.
SPEAKER_02So when when you start picking up, like for me, I had my first, I think, 38 snub at like I picked 12. Yeah, yeah. Like when did you start picking up the guns?
SPEAKER_00Well, it was the same around the same age, about 13, 14. Uh, it was a 38 snub nose, uh, marble grip. I I stole it from my Uncle Lou. You know? Yeah. Hey, Luke's still looking for that. Yeah, no, I could I hooked him up, man. I hooked him up a couple years ago. I finally was over, and I just had to tell him, but I had something to you know hook him up with, you know, gave him something nice. So, yeah, well, but uh, but yeah, that's why I got my first gun. He used to have guns laying around all the house. You know, in his bedroom, had the shotgun. Typical DC OG, man, had the shotgun on the uh on the side of the bed, had the 38 pistol in his in his drawer, you know, sock drawer. You know, he had he had guns, man. All around the house. All around the house, and we used to stay over there, get dropped off over there. So I went home with something. I was leaving it with something. That's my mindset, too, because I was in a lot of beef there around that age, you know, neighborhood stuff. I'm like, I'm leaving with something. But I'm just thank God that, you know, I never had to at that age, I had to pull the trigger. It wasn't until I got, you know, in my 20s where I had to bust my gun.
SPEAKER_02That's crazy. So, like going from that person to now saying, listen, I d I done caused enough chaos, right? I done got in enough scuffles, I done caused a lot of drama to families. Like, what when was that switch moment? Like, I don't want to be this person no more. I want to educate y'all on, listen, like, let's de-escalate this stuff, let's let's be civil, let's not always revert the violence. Like, when was that switch for you?
SPEAKER_00Well, it was actually actually after my justifying homicide, man. Oh, I I figured it was enough was enough. You know, I've been a bodyguard for over 15 years and uh had to drop somebody that looked like me, that was younger, and it was just time for me to start educating the people and and and do something about it, man. These youngers running around rampant with no kind of leadership, no kind of laws.
SPEAKER_02Hold up, justify homicide. So that means that you you put somebody under, like walk, walk me through that for a second. What was that night? What was going on?
SPEAKER_00Well, mind you, this was 2018.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00I told you about the security company. I had multiple venues uh secured, had contracts all throughout the District of Columbia. Uh that particular night, it was my wife's birthday. It was a new a new venue that we just started working on our first night. It was a pop-up shop. It was if you don't know what a pop-up shop, it was like they sold cannabis out of the shop. You know, risky, but they pay more, right? Um so I took my wife out, went to a seafood spot, took her home, and I'm like, I'm gonna check on my guy. She begged me not to go. You know, it was her birthday. She's like, it's my birthday. What you talking about? I'm like, no, I gotta check on my my men. You know what I mean? My soldiers. I go check on my soldiers, everything good. Um something told me to stick around. Stuck stuck around for a few minutes. I see a client coming out the door. I said, all right, I'm gonna keep my eyes on it, because this is my name, this is my brand. So I'm walking with the client. The client already has has their own security. I see a black truck pull up, all four doors open, ski mask, guns, it works, man. Some off a movie, man. This was uh around 10 o'clock at night on U Street. You know, U Street is lit up around that time. So I'm like, and I'm in shock for a few seconds. Like, this is crazy. Youngest put the guns on us. So one of the youngest told me to, man, if you don't get your ass on the ground, told me that. And I was strapped up. And I was on, I was all, you know, I was I was trained to go. So I drew my firearm and I eliminated the threat. And um, that's when everybody dispersed, you know, everybody got out of there. And um, yeah, it just went, it was, it was a battle from there, man. You know, a battle for my freedom, you know. But I learned a lot, learned so much, learned so much about DC laws. I didn't even know DC had self-defense laws, man. You know, until that situation. So I got a letter from the prosecutor and say we can we are we cannot prosecute uh Mr. Manley. But then again, they try to prosecute me for other things, you know, for that night for the unregistered firearm and and uh and some other things.
SPEAKER_02Hold up, man.
SPEAKER_00You had an unregistered firearm and they let No, I don't, I don't they try to charge me for an unregistered firearm. Okay, yeah. Dang, I ain't man. Yeah, they try to charge me for an unregistered firearm. So what was that? Right.
SPEAKER_02So what was that battle like? How long did that take? Like, cause I know, like, they like you, all you doing is protecting yourself. Like, yeah, they don't even understand what's going on in those offices that you know what I mean, like things go left all the time. Y'all just hearing the story, like, what was that battle like to get your freedom to get you cleared from that? Like, I I know for a fact, like, you was every day, like, I don't know what's about to happen.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, it was a it was a rough about six months until they they finally baited me in, you know, and I knew it was a setup because I'm like, okay, y'all ain't coming to get me. I'm gonna go go register a file in the District of Columbia. Right? A week later, I get a call, say, hey, Mr. Manley, your fire, I'm ready for pickup. I see my man, J2 Funny. I don't know if you know who that is, but he's a comedian uh out of out of DMV. I said, man, they about to set me up, man, but I'm about to go face the music. You know, because I'm at that point, man, I ain't I ain't like I can't move forward. Right. You know, can't can't get anything going because I'm looking over my shoulder, wondering when the feds gonna knock on my door. So I went out to the go get the fire um, it's about 30, 30 police officers come bum rush me, you know, and they put me under arrest. So I did a little bit in jail um in down DC.
SPEAKER_02And that's all Fed time too, right? Yeah, yeah. Everything fed.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they was trying to burn me. And then they could have still indicted me, you know, after I after I beat these charges. You know, DC is crazy. But um, yeah, I I I um my lawyer, you know, thank God for her, man. She she she wore them out. You know, everything was on video. You know, you know, she like thank god he had a firearm. Have y'all seen the video? It was four armed men that was terrorizing the city. You know, so she got that kick. And from there, you know, I just started educating myself on firearms, self-defense laws, training more. You know, I started educating the people, started getting, you know, started taking my platform and started bringing in, you know, the youth, targeting the youth and just kind of trying to educate them on firearm awareness and safety.
SPEAKER_02But before that, like I because I know for me, like, if I was to take somebody's child, take somebody's life, like not only emotionally am I fighting, like, am I about to lose my freedom, but I also took somebody that looked like me, somebody mother crying, somebody grandma crying. Like, what was that mental battle like? Cause you you gotta be a strong individual, not the off yourself.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, bro. No, it was rough, man. You know, yeah, it was rough. It was almost like an obsession for uh of who he was, you know. I could tell you so much about him. You know, because of course I had to see who his affiliates was, you know, for my safety. Right. Where does he be? What neighborhood is he from? Who is his cousin? Who is his brothers, who is his uncles? Right, you know, so I had to do all that work and come to find out this brother was closer to home than than I could ever thought. You know, he was best friends with one of my one of my cousins, you know. So that's how small the DC is. You know, I don't think I ever really put that in the air, but yeah, he was literally best friends with one of my cousins. So it was uh, you know, it was it was uh it was a lot, but I'm not gonna sit here and you know and and dwell in it because uh he can't wake up tomorrow, you know what I mean? I can't. So I just keep pushing forward and I thank God I'm still here. Thank God I'm able to, you know, be positive and and and move righteous.
SPEAKER_02That's what's up, man. I I you know for real. I don't know how many people tell you this, man, but I'm gonna tell you that I'm proud of you, man. Because a lot of people, you know what I mean, like going through that, like that, that's tough. You know what I mean? And seeing, because you know, in our community, for some reason, these we we like to kill each other. We don't feel bad. We we nah we get stripes for that. Nah, free homie. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Like that that ain't that ain't cool. That that ain't it.
unknownNah, that ain't cool at all.
SPEAKER_02So so from you going from you know, you know, having to defend yourself, because that's what it was, to now saying, I'ma educate people. Now people looking at you like, bro, who I I know you got that. Like, who you about to educate? How was how was that when you first jumped out there, like, nah, this ain't the old mock that y'all know.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's me, that's all I got a lot of that, you know, especially with the firearms, you know. When I first, you know, started posting my guns, you know, of course to make it entertaining but educational. But, you know, it was most of our community that was saying, oh no, you can't do that. Why can't I? Do you go over there to them them big corporation pages or those uh Caucasian uh firearm two way advocates and and tell them that they can't post their guns? You know? So it started getting deep for me. I'm like, yo, when when they're armed, they're American, you know, uh strong Americans.
SPEAKER_01American heroes.
SPEAKER_00American heroes. When we're armed, we're thugs. So something was very suspicious. It started, it started like really like bothering me how the narrative is when it comes to being black and being armed, you know, and how we're looked at, and the and the stigma that comes with being a black armed American. Yeah, it bothered me, it triggered me real bad. And it just made me go harder. Yeah, so I knew I knew the feds was gonna come at me one day, you know.
SPEAKER_02Speaking of that, bro, like I can only I can't even imagine, like, because I I I seen that. Like, if you if you if you would like to share that, like what what in the world, like them peoples was out your house, all this was on the news. Yeah, it was. Like, I'm I'm like, this is crazy. Like the Fed, you like you out here promoting good stuff, right? Teaching people how to de-escalate this, teaching people how to use their guns, right? Hey, listen, this is how you need to be getting certified before before you go to jail. And you trying to put good out there, and then you got the Feds ATF rate in your goddamn house.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. They don't care nothing about no good stuff, especially a black with a black.
SPEAKER_02But for what though? Like what was that? What was that mode of? What were they trying to do? Like, what do you got?
SPEAKER_00Machine guns, selling machine guns. Uh I'm a felon with firearms, which I'm not a felon, obviously. You know, I got over 75 firearms, uh, legally. Um, drug trafficking, you know, the whole nine, you know, was on that on that warrant. You know, it was if you ask me, man, it was a bunch of made up, you know, BF.
SPEAKER_02That's crazy, man. Take us through that night, because not only, you know what I mean, they made that stuff up with you that like they had your like your family was in there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, man. My family, you know, yeah, they were.
SPEAKER_02But they're kicking in that, like, they coming in there and you're they they threw bombs in our house, man.
SPEAKER_00You know, flash grenades, you know. They they they definitely they bombed us, man. You know what I'm saying? They bombed us. But but luckily, man, my wife was up. She had seen all she she be up at like 5 a.m. drinking her coffee, you know, paying attention. She seen somebody outside. She called me, said, It's Mark, it's somebody outside the house. So I immediately grabbed the firearm. I'm ready to get busy. You know, then I look look out the window, man. I see about 30 guns pointing, it's lasers all through the room. So I heard me put the firearm down. I heard me woke my kids up, say, kids, get out, man. You know, I'm one of them that get up so they won't be startled and they won't be shook up. And then I guided everybody out the house safely, you know. And they still had their guns on my kids, you know, and my family. So it was a it was a it was a wild night. Disrespectful as I don't know what, I'll tell you that. You know what I mean? I'm still, you know, I'm still pissed off about it. I don't, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_02That's what I'm saying. Like, bro, I don't know how you don't go bananas. Like, hey, like, what in the world? Like y'all coming up in here, like, I'm I'm y'all mad because I'm black and I'm educating my people.
SPEAKER_00I don't know what it what it was, but I know that I knew in that moment it was time for me to be smart. Couldn't let my emotions, you know, get the best of me. You know, I had my kids, you know, everybody's looking, looking at me, the leader of the household, to make the best decision. And I don't regret, you know, coming out of there peacefully. Because I'm still here today. My kids still here today, you know. But it took everything out of me, you know, because of the disrespect. You know, because of the you throwing uh flash grenades in into my home, you know, you know, it took everything for me to just walk out of there peacefully. Because mind you, this is this my home. You know, I have a right to protect it. So it still bothers me to this day.
SPEAKER_02Like when you talking and I'm like, I'm looking like, dang, I got a six-year-old and I got a three-year-old. I couldn't, bro, I couldn't imagine me not. I mean, of course, it it may be easy if they they got lasers and all that stuff on you, but how like how are your kids now? Are they traumatized or no? My kids tough. Yeah, they tough. Yeah, they moved on.
SPEAKER_00They worried about proms and dances and dates and you know, basketball. And you know, my kids, they they moved on. But of course, they, you know, for a little while they was a little little shaken up for sure.
SPEAKER_01Right, okay.
SPEAKER_00But we all got through it. Yeah, we got through it. It's just still like when we get knockers at the door or we see something suspicious, you know, and it just felt like, you know, we're always being watched, you know, and um, which we probably are.
SPEAKER_02That's crazy, man. Not only are you, you know, make sure your kids are good, but you also make sure other people's kids are good. Like, like you started programs in the school, man. Talk to us about that. Like I'm looking at your journey and talking to you, and it's like it built you to be this like person now you can just give back so much. Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? So talk to me about that.
SPEAKER_00A lot of wisdom. Well, it's called Project De escalation, Project DX for short. Um, we're trying to get implement into all Baltimore schools, uh, de teaching the kids de-escalation and conflict resolution, and also how to um defend themselves. And one of the one of the main things we try to do with the kids is just being um having that strong male uh presence and mentorship. And I think that's really important, especially in the in the in the urban communities. You know, not enough men standing up saying, hey, we care, we here, you call me anytime. You know, even if I see him out on the block or whatever, I'm pulling up on you. What's going on? What you doing, you know, how you feeling, have you eaten? You know, just ask some questions that some of them don't aren't being asked. Because a lot of them don't have fathers in the household. That's just, you know, the the hard truth.
SPEAKER_02Nah, yeah. So what what what do you see? Like, what was one of the hardest stories you seen? Because I know like working with kids, like, especially in the inner city, you can see you can you can hear and see some things. It's like, man, I can't, I couldn't even believe you going through that.
SPEAKER_00Well, I'm gonna tell you this. Uh this this this is the hardest story I had uh I had to swallow. Uh it's one of my my my fighters. Uh he got into boxing with me. He was with me uh almost every other day. You know, his father actually shot him and shot his mother. Yeah. So it's just uh how do you ever, as the man that's supposed to love and protect you, how do you ever get past that, you know? And uh and I can see the trauma, I can see some of his behaviors, and uh, you know, and I gotta remind myself this young and his is it's so far so far hurt. He's so hurt, you know, and it's like it's gonna take time, it's gonna take time to build him back up, you know. But he you can tell he's yearning for that, for that that fatherhood, that that male bond, you know, that strong male bond.
SPEAKER_02So what man, that's I you you gotta have an outlet, Mark. Like, I don't know, like you not only what you've been through, now you gotta that type of story kids are telling you, and and I can only imagine if I met this little person, this kid in person. It's like I can only imagine, like you can feel that energy come off. Yeah. So what's your outlet? Like, you know, now you dealing with kids, you you had to deal with the the the United States.
SPEAKER_00I got four boxing bags in the back of my house. Four of them, man. I wears them out sometimes. Some nights I get home, I just wear them out. I mean, I go to our um I'm I'm talking about and you know, I'm not the best in shape either. I will go eight to ten rounds on the bag just because I got so much built up inside of me, and I gotta get it out, you know, and that's what keeps my temperament level, you know, just hitting the bag, you know, and getting right back to it.
SPEAKER_02That's that's good, man. That's good. Like I'm I'm listening to your story. I'm like, Mark, I ain't no way, man. I'll be drinking that.
SPEAKER_00Oh, trust me, bro. You know, that has been, you know, that has been a part of my life, you know. Going to, you know, the to the alcohol and substance abuse, you know. I'm not I'm that perfect, and I never speak on it because I don't ever want to put that in the universe. I don't ever want my kids to, you know, not my kids, I mean the community, the kids of the community that look up to me. But I want them to know that I struggle. But I they are the reason why I fight so hard. They are the reason why I don't, I move, I got this. I'm drinking water, I'm focused for y'all. I got a sober mind for y'all. If you ask me a question, you come for me for any assistance or guidance. I'm coming to you as sober minded, and I'm gonna give you give you the best answer I can to the best of my ability. So it has a lot to do with with you know fatherhood and being a man in the community. That all is is a reason why I fight so hard. I don't go pick up a drink, I don't go pick up some drug. Because how can I, how can I, how can I preach, you know, being strong and walking, you know, righteous when I'm I'm behind closed doors, failing. Yeah, I'm failing myself, failing as a man.
SPEAKER_02You don't want to be a public success and a private failure. Yeah, because it's gonna it's gonna spill over. That's powerful, bro. It's gonna it's gonna spill over. For sure. For sure. Talk to like how you get your program, because like what is your program about and how you get that in school? Like, I be seeing the kids like boxing and all that. So you basically teaching them like mindset of, or are you putting them in like act like reenacting real life situations?
SPEAKER_00We reenact real life situations, but we also focus on discipline.
SPEAKER_02Okay.
SPEAKER_00I think that's a lot of these youngers lack. You know, they ain't getting discipline, and I mean real discipline, you know, just holding, just holding your hands up for a long period of time. You know, it's all mental. You know, just doing something repetitive repetitively that you don't like doing, and you keep doing, you don't keep doing, and you become very good at it. Just like your homework, just like your school, just like anything in life. You do something repetitively, you you become good at it. If you if you're if you you do something on the street and you you you say you're robbing, you're doing a lot of robbing, you become a good robber. But if you're doing something positive, you keep doing it, you keep doing it, you keep doing it repetitively, you become the best at it.
SPEAKER_02So that's what's up. I think I'm yeah, I mean, just thinking back to the book that I wrote, my title, you just making me think of that. Like, you're not broken, you just fighting the wrong battle. Like, yeah, I think a lot of these youngers, they they fighting the wrong battle. Like, they think you know what I mean. They especially the social media and all this stuff, they think they gotta be this certain type of way, and it's like you don't, right? We would we were taught wrong.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, just be yourself, man. And I don't blame because honestly, if we if you know, growing up, I think about it all the time. If we was social media so heavy like it was when we grew up, you know, like I mean, because we was, you know, yeah, we was off the hook ourselves, you know, and it but it's our job now to uh to kind of make the fix our wrongs with our youngers.
SPEAKER_02And you're not getting away with anything, there's cameras everywhere now. Like I remember my grandpa told me he got away with murder before he passed away. He was like, Yeah, one no cameras back then in them back rows, like you just leave somebody stinking. It was it is what it is, and it's like y'all gotta realize it ain't that type you're going to get caught. There's cameras everywhere, yeah. It's technology everywhere, like the things that they do.
SPEAKER_00Exactly where you was, and a lot of them ain't small enough to leave the phone at home, so they're getting caught up, they're getting caught up, and especially they good, they get that hold of that phone, it's over.
SPEAKER_02That's crazy, man. Hey Mark, man, you've been creating and impacting so many lives, bro. You done ran up 300,000 plus on YouTube. Yeah, yeah. Why we ain't seen the video from you, bro?
SPEAKER_00Honestly, it took a little, you know, after the raid, I posted a few videos, you know, but I wanted to go off the radar and do something impactful, do something powerful. And I believe the best way to do that is to get the writing, the power of the pen. I started writing, I started writing, I started writing, and I finally finished my book called The Armed Mind. Seven Steps to Becoming a Living Weapon, you know, psychologically, physically, and emotionally, you know, just having having strength in all areas. So the book, the book name is The Armed Mind, and I'm probably gonna drop um the second week of March. So if you guys are watching this, man, make sure you go on Amazon and look and see if my book is out. The armed mind.
SPEAKER_02The armed mind, man. The seven steps, a lot of people need that, man.
SPEAKER_00And it's just not about, you know, it ain't about being violent. It's about being capable of violence. You know, it's about being peaceful, not not harmless. Because if you if you if you're harmless, you you really don't have no choice of the matter. But uh it's about being capable, uh, and it's about, you know, not having the um, even if you don't got the proper tools, but you got your mind, and that uh that'll get you far in life.
SPEAKER_02That's good, man. Like, I watch you, I know you be like be with some high profile people too. Like, who are your mentors? Because it's like you are living proof that you could be treacherous and then be that person that's now teaching you not how to be treacherous. Yeah, yeah. That's crazy, right? Yeah, yeah. Like who are your mentors? I know, and I don't know if you learn from any of those high profile people like Black Roman Rambo or Boosie or anybody that you be around. Yeah, but who like who are your mentors? What what who are you learning from as well?
SPEAKER_00Um, man, God, man. God. I talk to God every night. I never had a mentor. I never had somebody pull me up and and and and pull on to me, you know. Yeah, those are some good men that you name, good brothers, you know, solid brothers. Um I love them, but they ain't never, they, they not my OG. They not my mentors, they didn't, you know, teach me, you know, what I'm doing now. You know, they taught me a lot, you know, especially Black Ramos. Black Ramos taught me a lot, especially in the 2A community, you know, building my brand as a 2A influencer. He's taught me, he didn't hold withhold no gems, you know, none at all. You know, any sponsors he had, he would make sure that I had, you know, or he'll put a word in for me. So, uh, but as far as like just being in the boost on the ground in the community, man, everything I'm doing, that's all God right there. Yeah, that's the man upstairs. We have conversations, you know, and people think I'm crazy, but you know, he talked back.
SPEAKER_02Man, that's crazy. Because off air, I was just telling my producer, he was asking me those questions. Like, nothing without God. Like, you know, every time I don't follow his footsteps, I'm in out of alignment, in the wrong place.
SPEAKER_00In the wrong place, every time. Every time. Every time.
SPEAKER_02Every single time. I'm like, man, listen, like, all I gotta do is just buckle down, listen, and I'm like, this this is what we create. You know what I'm saying? So, man, it's absolutely crazy, man. Like, where do you see yourself in 10 years, Mark? Man, you you you didn't over you started your own security company 16, man. You didn't now then taught people, you didn't try to do good, and then you know what's crazy? Every time you try to do good, disruption follows.
SPEAKER_00Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it's been multiple times where we had, you know, we had training compounds. We had a few training compounds that's been been shut down by the government, you know, and we doing nothing but, you know, educating the people, training the people, we train as a union. We talking about hundreds of families coming out every single Sunday to train and be around fellowship, you know, and be around, you know, just love. And it was frowned upon, you know, it was frowned upon by by a lot of people. And mind you, we welcome all walks of life. It wasn't inclusive, you know, but of course we, you know, we come together. It's like it's like a cookout for us. Cookout when we learning and we having a good time. But um, it was always always it's always some pushback, you know, and it's okay. It just it it pushed us to go go harder, man, and go stronger.
SPEAKER_02Man, if y'all watch it, leave Mark alone, man. He's doing good. I know he got the tattoo, you know, the tat on his face. I know he got the dreads, he got the DC accent, but leave him alone. He's trying to do good, man, because people don't understand that we can be good, we can do it no matter how you look, right? You listen, you got a title in fate that doesn't discredit you, right? It's all up in here. He got so much knowledge, man. And I just want to know where you see yourself in 10 years, man. Like, because I'm I'm hearing your story, and I'm like, Mark, like we got, we got to get out of our comfort zone because you got to be on the big stage, man. You you got a voice, yeah, you know what I mean, to keep growing, right? Yeah. And I know like that, you know, the ATF rate in your crib got you off, you know, probably put you in a mental state. And now you're coming back out with your book, man. But I want you to keep pushing. But what do you see yourself in 10 years, bro?
SPEAKER_00Um, still, still putting in the work, man. But just I I realize now, you know, how powerful my voice is. You know, a lot of times I would make a lot of videos, but man, the people want to hear my my opinion. They want to hear me speak. So that's what I'm gonna do do more of. And uh, I would like to be, I like, I would like to be on a on a farm, you know. I like peace, I like animals, I like a little creek in the back, you know. Because I'm I'm I'm really I'm really a country boy for real, for real. You know, my grandmother used to get dropped off in my grandma's house down down uh West Virginia. No, it wasn't the West Virginia, it wasn't that far, but it was deep, it was deep Virginia. Well she had she had acres out there, she had acres out there, and uh just we just we me and my brothers we just loved it out there. So I would like to get some acres, man, get a couple animals, get a couple chickens.
SPEAKER_02I ain't never heard nobody from DC say that. That's it.
SPEAKER_00A couple chickens, man, and um, and and still continue to push the message, you know. You know, unity is key. You know, we gotta uh you know, we gotta continue to stand up for our youth. You know, we can't back down from them, we can't be afraid of them because they is traachers, but they is our babies, man. You know, that's how I look at them.
SPEAKER_02And you definitely doing God's work, man. I need I need anybody that's watching this, man, please help Mark get his programs in more schools, man, because I'm telling you, it's helping these kids. Like, what was your biggest success story with these kids that you've seen? I know, I know you we we talked about the worst, right? Which is I can only man I can only imagine what that looks like, but what was your biggest success like? You saw this kid come in, came to your program, and now what are they doing now?
SPEAKER_00Keon. Um that's my baby boy, man. Shout out to Keon. You already know I love you. And uh when you first uh joined me, man, you had a mean temper, man. You had the whole school shook, you had the staff shook, you know. Um, but you you showed up. First person to show up, last person to leave, you put in 150% of work. You got it mad at me when I was slack a little bit, you know. When I would show up a few minutes late, you'll be sitting there waiting. Tell me, Coach, I've been here 30 minutes. I'm like, well, ain't nobody tell you to be there no 30 minutes early. Um, but he just made me so proud. And now the whole staff, they talk so highly of him. You know, they always seen his potential, but now it's like he done showed how powerful he is, you know, how kind he could be, how respectful he could be. And I just really proud of you, Keon. And you graduated this year, and I'm gonna be there when you walk across the stage. And um, it's gonna be definitely one of the proudest moments of my life, man. Seeing you, seeing you walk that stage and living up to your full potential. And um, when the time permits, we get back, we get back to work.
SPEAKER_02Let's get it, young Keon, man. From from me, you know, growing up in the same city that you living in and going to these schools, bro, just stay on point. All right. The community got you. You got yourself, and you got everything that you need inside yourself. All right, just stay on, stay on that track, man, because I'm telling you, it takes the same amount of energy that to be negative as it does positive, man. All right. Mark, man, for the person watching who feels like they can't protect themselves, man. You know what I mean? From from from what is it, legal to lethal?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. You better learn quick. This world is not full of uh rainbows and and and unicorns, man. That's a lot of evil out here, and you gotta be prepared. You stay ready, so you don't gotta get ready.
SPEAKER_02So what what would you say like they they need to have? Like if you was to go back before you get out of here, what do what does somebody need to have to always be in protection of themselves, right? What would you say in your words, Mark Chopper?
SPEAKER_00You need to have the mindset to be able to put somebody in the dirt if you need to. If you don't have that mindset, you're useless. You can have a big 40 cow sitting right there right there. But if you ain't don't have the mindset that I'm protecting what's mine, I'm protecting myself, I'm protecting my family, and I will, I will, I'm I will be okay once I put you on the ground. I don't know what to tell you. And in order to get that mindset, you gotta put start putting in the work, start training, start mentally preparing yourself, muscle memory, you know, train, train, train.
SPEAKER_02For the youngers out here, I'm telling you, listen, go make sure you certify, then make sure you go train. Do not be out here willy-nilly, just toting guns, shooting up the neighborhood just because you think it's cool, or you hear it on an NBA Youngboy song, or whatever y'all listen to, man. Like, go out here and get the right mindset to say, let me de-escalate first, and that's my last resort. All right. Not your first. It's not your first option. That's not your only option, right? You have a choice to walk away. But I had to learn, I'm about to be 35 this year. Real men, they walk away. They go home, they they they make sure that their family have the man of the house. They take care, they take care of theirs, man. So, Mark, man, I appreciate you chopping it up, man. And listen, I'm telling y'all, y'all gotta go get my guy a book when he dropped, man. This this is an exclusive. Mark, man, let them know where they can find you, where they can tap in.
SPEAKER_00And you can um hit me on Instagram, Mark Chopper, M-A-R-K, C H O P P A. Um, on YouTube, Mark Chopper TV, and um tap in for the book at Amazon. The on mind.
SPEAKER_02The on mind, listen, on Amazon is dropping, y'all. So when y'all see this, go to Amazon, go cop the book, man. I'm telling you, make sure you go follow Mark. Because he listen, that message what he's been through, that's living proof, right? Like he's sitting here, he could have gone the wrong way. He could have said, you know what? Man, you know, I got I got everything to I got everything to lose. Why don't I lose it? But he said, no, I got everything to win, man. So listen, tap in with my guy Mark Chop, but go get his book. Listen, I appreciate you stopping past the Living Proof. And y'all seeing somebody that's living proof. Let's get it.