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Post date: 10-Dec-2011 18:37:55
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Martins-Melecis-Photography/216747095021209
Name – Gym/Team - Record ?
Joanne 'nae nickname' Calderwood, The Griphouse Gym and DNFT, 18-2 at Thai, 0-0 MMA.
Martial arts background ?
My one and only Martial Art is Thai Boxing.....well until I found MMA.
How many MMA fights have you had ? or how long have you been looking to be matched?
Zero MMA fights, I have been messing about with MMA on and off for a while but I cant commit to it when I have Thai fights scheduled, so after having a busy year fighting Thai, I took a break from the Thai and went back to working on my MMA (I've got the MMA bug big time). Every day I was drilling wrestling and BJJ, my team told me I could fight at the start of this year (2011), and that's nearly been a year now and I'm still waiting to make my début.
Would you be looking to fight Pro off the bat or did you ?
I wouldn't mind, fighting Semi pro just to get a fight and experience. But I think I will be going straight into pro which I will prefer.
Who are the key players UK and Worldwide in your weight class?
Anyone that's had a début haha. The ones that have got double figures in their records, that have experience on their side.
A top level competitor in Thai, how have your skill set translated to MMA and do you think you could go all the way in MMA ?
Apart from the fighting part, I also love the technique that's involved. With MMA there are three martial arts you need to learn and those three martial arts have so many techniques involved, I love the challenge of learning them all and drilling them in sparring and using the ones that work for me. It also helps being quite a quick learner lol. I do believe I will go all the way because I have great support and a great team that will get me there.
What’s the future like for womans MMA in Scotland /UK/Europe ? What do you think could be done to make it better ?
Its okay if you don't have a striking background lol.....obviously its still pretty new just now, I hope things will start picking up in the next few years, i'll probably still be fighting Thai but just with a zimmer! The only problem I see which I've been having problems with is if fighters, coaches and managers that are trying to protect their name or records, I don't think this is good for the sport or the fighters. Fighters should be going in well rounded and if they're not able to go in with a striker they shouldn't really be fighting, same if they are going in with a grappler, and they don't have a ground game, they also shouldn't be fighting. I also need to be prepared to go up and down in weight to get fights (obviously I don't mean fighting 10 kilos above my weight) but not staying at one weight, but hopefully someday the female MMA scene will be girls falling over each other to fight.
The Griphouse has a great reputation for producing top level competitors, does the gym also have classes for beginners, is anyone welcome ?
Yes, I'm in the Griphouse more of the time than in my own home. Its never empty, there's always first timers, beginners, fighters, coaches, lots of sexy half naked men and women, I love the 'everyone's welcome' vibe, I think that's why we have so many characters.
Top advice for a first time martial artist ?
My experience??-Don't get good at Thai. If your female - hurry up and we can get it on, or give in and get a sex change.....haha, seriously - your doing the right thing, and wont look back!....find a gym that your comfortable in and enjoy going to, if you enjoy it the hard work will be worth it and not be as hard. Make sure you have a coach/coaches that cover all areas.
What do you do to relax?
I have no idea now that Frozen Planet and Walking Dead are finished. I love sleeping so when I’m not training I’m usually doing this.
Anyone you would like to thank / give a shout out to / sponsors/ are you looking for sponsors ?
Thanks to the guys that are trying to get me matched, I have been annoying them every second of the day asking them if I’m matched yet. My biggest sponsor The Griphouse Gym, Yes I will be looking for sponsors for my MMA career but mostly be looking at anything that's edible or that can be blown up, some gloves that can shoot paintballs would be pretty cool or shorts that can turn different colours nothing too crazy though.
Final Words / Website / Twitter etc?
Can follow me on twitter @badmofo_jojo
If you fancy a fight with me.....I promise I wont bite, or if you fancy sponsoring me!! email me on jojocalderwood@hotmail.com
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