Today we’d like to introduce you to Devin Jenkins.
Hi Devin, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Devin Jenkins and I’m Professional Slap athlete! Power Slap is a combat sport where the fighters open hand slap each other in the face! Now this may sound silly or even brutal, but its actually very technical and involves high-level accuracy, precision and toughness! The sport has only been in the United States for 3 years and I’ve been on the professional roster for about 2 years and the sport is growing rapidly.
My journey with Power Slap started May 2024 when i flew out to Las Vegas to compete in my very first, slap competition Honestly though, it was my first attempt at any combat sport, so I was hella excited and maybe a tad bit nervous. Upon arriving in as Vegas we began taping Road to the title; season 3, the show allowed the fans to get to know the slap fighters, and a closer look at the training required to be a professional athlete. Fast forward, to my first fight in Las Vegas, no audience, so it was dead silent, tons of cameras, big lights and a beautiful UFC combat stage with a Power Slap podium. I soaked up the moment, and felt a sense of calm as walked up on that UFC stage for my first time.
I lost that fight, and i wouldn’t say it was a clean loss either. To better understand, here are the basis rules of Power Slap:
OFFENSE:
A coin toss decides who will be striking first.
Slaps must be below the eye but above the chin, outside of that area is a clubbing foul
Slaps cannot lead with the palm, all hand, palm and fingers must make contact at the same time (clubbing foul)
Striker may not lift heel or pivot until after contact is made (stepping foul)
DEFENSE:
Those being slapped may not flinch, which means movement that affects the strike
Those being slapped may not tuck the chin, raise shoulders in a way that blocks the chin
Now that the rules have specified, I lost my first fight because I was clubbed in the neck. The foul wasn’t called and that left me feeling cheated and disappointed. With that being said, I understood that this was a new sport and that I wouldn’t be able to dominate on the first try. Being a nationally ranked powerlifter, being deployed to Afghanistan, and even surviving a nearly fatal motorcycle accident taught me that resilience is a key factor to success. As soon as I got back to Atlanta, I started training and applying what I learned from my first match, so that I wouldn’t lose again.
Nothing worthwhile comes easy….struggled included.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I wish the road to success was a yellow brick road, but it doesn’t work that way! I’ve dealt with many struggles, periods where I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep going, questioning is all the time spent training worth it? Especially for a sport that many find stupid or barbaric, but for me the sport represents a deeper journey within myself.
In Jan 2024 I under went patellar tendon knee surgery, I’ve dealt with injury before, so knew in order for me rehabilitate effectively, it helps to have a goal. That’s where my journey with Power Slap really began, but also my struggles as well! I had no idea when filled out the application for Power Slap, that I would casted so quickly. That’s been the biggest struggle of my career, I had only been 6 months post-operation of a major knee surgery and I was trying to make it at the highest level of a new combat sport.
When the matchmakers of Power Slap called me in February, and told me that I’d be on the tv show “Road to the Title”. I didn’t want to miss a once in a lifetime opportunity, even if wasn’t feeling 100 percent, or even 50 percent. To top it all off, when I arrived to Las Vegas for the filming of “Road to the title” There were other fighters who arrived with COVID and when the shoved us in close quarters for a week, then I unfortunately got sick with COVID as well!
To recap: I’m 6 months post major knee surgery, I’m trying a sport that only less that 1 percent of athletes have even attempted, and I’ve just caught COVID from another fighter. Its funny how the other fighters took my calm demeanor, and silence as cockiness, but really I was just trying to remain mentally tough during a difficult situation. Nobody heard any complaining from me about anything I was struggling with, and I believe that to be one of the qualities of mentally tough people-Not ignoring that there were issues I was struggling with that put me at a disadvantage, but acknowledging the disadvantages, and committing to, “I’m not going to let anything stop me”.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Jinx Strength & Aesthetics?
When I’m not professionally slapping people, I’m in the business of helping people. I’m the proud owner of Jinx Strength & Aesthetics, a Health and Fitness company that specializes in sports performance training, rehabilitation/injury prevention. and nutrition. I hold a bachelors Degree in sociology with a minor in kinesiology, and been a certified personal trainer & Functional Movement Specialist for over 15 years.
I’m most know for my unconventional methods in training and recovery. One service that is highly recommend, is stretch therapy. what separates stretch therapy at J.S.A from other stretch facilities, is the systematic approach to finding the root cause of pain, using various stretch modalities, cupping, massage, blood flow restriction and compression techniques. Where as the conventional stretch place just performs a general stretch routine. Assisted stretching or “stretch therapy” is one of the services that I’m most proud of because of the results! I’ve seen people struggle with pain for years trying gadgets, massages, and quick fixes for pain management but with stretch therapy I’ve seen people regain control of their life by successfully managing their pain.
As much I brag about stretch therapy, if you’re wanting to lose weight, gain strength, speed, longevity or any goal that you could imagine with your body, I can make it happen. Only if you’re willing to put in the hard-work, ask a ton questions to learn & understand why? and understanding that in order to have the fitness you want, you must have the health you need first!
It’s not called Health & Fitness for no reason..
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Any way you can support, follows, likes, shares is greatly appreciated. Much Love!
-Devin Jenkins
Pricing:
- Stretch Therapy 60 min- $120
- Stretch Therapy 30 min- $60
- One-0n-one Training 60 min- $85
- One-on-one Training 90 min- $125
- Consultation 60 min- $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jinxsa.com
- Instagram: @big_jinxx
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/deven.Jenkins.3
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@bigjinxx
