Namajunas: Not only can I express myself creatively on a piano but it stimulates my mind, helps coordination, and managing different things in my brain. Trusting you practiced enough and know the right keys. This mindset sounds similar to your classical piano training. During the fight, I try to breathe, trust my training, and not think too much. It’s important to learn that you can only control yourself and your response. We’re always in a constant fight with ourselves or a situation, whether it’s rush-hour traffic or a fight with a loved one. The fight is hardly ever about the opponent. Namajunas: We’ll spend a week figuring out a way to shut down their strength and attack their weakness, but then I train only to make myself better. Do you train around your opponent’s weaknesses? And you see that increase because it’s benefiting a lot of people’s lives. It’s a drastic change from when I first started and was the only girl. Today you can almost go into any MMA gym and find women practicing. When I first started, I was looking up to female fighters like Cyborg and Gina Carano. It’s about knowing yourself and patiently developing your skills. What I love about MMA is that it isn’t about being intimidating or having big muscles. I can’t think of many other sports where women can excel. It was a passion and now I’m the highest paid female strawweight. Namajunas: I took a risk going into this. As women, we grow up with cultural stereotypes pressed upon us. And if parents are worried about their girl not being “feminine” enough, know that MMA is about feeling strong, powerful and balanced. It’s beneficial to face your fears and learn how to stand up for yourself at a young age. Namajunas:If your kid wants to do martial arts, I would say jiu-jitsu is the safest form … but you can mess up your face walking on the side walk just as easily as an accidental kick. How can martial arts benefit young girls? That’s the key to being happy: knowing your purpose with everything you devote your time to. You’re not a hamster on a wheel, there’s a purpose behind every movement. No matter what’s going on, stimulating your mind, body and spirit helps you handle it all better. All the problems in your day can be solved much better once you let your physical energy release. I’d suggest starting with a jiu-jitsu or cardio kickboxing class. Namajunas: Everybody can benefit from martial arts, especially women. What are the benefits of taking even one MMA class a week? We did jiu-jitsu, stick fighting, wrestling, and kickboxing. Namajunas: I took taekwondo at four years old but my first combat class was at 14. Then on long travel days to UFC fights, she’s dreaming of changing the world through urban gardening.Ĭolorado Health & Wellness sat down with Namajunas at 303 Training for an intense look at the physical and mental benefits of mixed martial arts, her peaceful approach to fighting, and plans to make the world healthier and happier. She calls it “a family-oriented gym welcome to any shape and size.” Come evening Namajunas is back at home with partner and UFC heavyweight, Pat Barry, practicing classical piano. By day she trains in her Westminster, Colorado-based gym, 303 Training Center, which also caters to kids and adult classes. Namajunas became the UFC women’s strawweight champion last November. But such is the case for famous mixed martial arts fighter Rose Namajunas ( na-ma-you-nas), whose enigmatic fighting skills and surprising hobbies inspire many to take another look at the true meaning of holistic wellness and personal strength. You also wouldn’t expect a woman with a shaved head, nicknamed “thug,” who has a black belt in taekwondo and karate plus a brown belt in jiu-jitsu to be named anything as delicate as Rose. You wouldn’t expect a 25-year-old, 5’5”, 115-pound woman to be one of the top fighters in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. One of the world’s top female fighters shares how martial arts, piano and urban gardening teach her strength and balance. Posted on Sat, One-on-One with Colorado’s Rose Namajunas, UFC Champion
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