Cornerstone trainer keeps life as rock star under wraps

Sumo wrestlers devote their lives to their sport. They eat and fight for a living, and for that they are idolized.

Jonathan Osorio may bear little resemblance to the stout, stone-faced Japanese combatants, but the 28-year-old musician who performs under the stage name “Sumo” does have his convictions: his young son, his music — and his career as a personal trainer.

But that last one is kind of a secret.

Most people who know Sumo the musician aren’t aware of his alter ego, the one who works long hours as a trainer at Cornerstone Fitness.

“I don’t have people coming up to me on stage asking me how many crunches they need to do to get six-pack abs,” he laughed.

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A few years ago, Jonathan Osorio toured three states as the drummer for local band The Child Forgives and Creates.

“Being on the road, showering in car washes … I really missed my bathroom,” Osorio said.

While on the road, Osorio would sometimes pick an acoustic guitar for fun. At the end of the tour, Osorio made up his mind: The band thing wasn’t for him.

He had a newborn son at home, and it would be difficult for him to raise his baby while on the road.

Osorio still had a desire to play music but more as a form of therapy than anything else. So he started writing songs and recording them at home. He played drums, guitar, bass and keys for all of his tracks — but the project wasn’t meant for the public.

“I never really meant to play a show,” he said.

Then a friend convinced him to put his songs on a MySpace page. Not long after the new songs hit the Internet, a friend of Osorio’s booked a gig for him.

Suddenly, Osorio needed a name for his one-man band, and he recalled seeing a program on the Discovery Channel about sumo wrestlers. Thus began a fascination with the men who eat and fight for a living, and become celebrities of sorts in Japan, Osorio said. “I thought it was beautiful.”

Osorio wanted to have a career in health, nutrition and fitness, so he focused on a career as a nurse. After six months, he realized it wasn’t the right path.

“I couldn’t handle the puke and blood,” he said.

Osorio still wanted to work in the same field, so he tried his hand at physical therapy, but again, it wasn’t quite right. Then he discovered the world of personal training — a world he keeps separate from his nights on stage.

“It’s sort of a Superman/Clark Kent thing,” he laughed. “I keep a nice separation between my real life and my fictional life as a rock star.”

As a trainer, Osorio loves watching the transformation of his clients — some of whom he’s had for a year. And he practices what he preaches. After a 13-hour work day, he will stay at the gym and put in a two-hour workout himself.

In a way, Osorio provides therapy in two different ways with his two roles. He helps people get fit and healthy as a trainer, and as a songwriter he writes lyrics about life and death that his fans strongly relate to, words that help them through hard times.

“I get messages online from people thanking me for writing a song like, ‘A Midnight State of Mind,’ and that feels really good because, these songs are coming from a guy who never intended anyone to hear them.”

WATCH HIM PERFORM LIVE
WHEN: 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23
WHERE: McAllen Convention Center, 700 Convention Center Blvd., McAllen
COST: Free

Amy Nichol Smith covers local music for Festiva. You can reach her at (956) 683-4420 or at asmith@themonitor.com.