Title: 10 Questions With Daniel McWilliams (1/20/2008)
Tags: daniel mcwilliams darrick patrick interview interviews mma mixed martial ar
Blog Entry: 10 Questions With Daniel McWilliams (by Darrick Patrick) Daniel "The Animal" McWilliams is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in events such as the World Cage Fighting Organization, Strikeforce, Chaos In The Cage, and Total Combat. Darrick: What path led you to fighting professionally in mixed martial arts? Daniel: I've always loved all the martial arts, every since I was a kid. I started taking karate at a pretty young age, and I was always getting in trouble at school for play fighting with my friends and what not. I also had a really short temper as a kid, which led to me getting into a lot of fights that weren't for play. My anger problem was a serious issue for me growing up. I've been expelled from more schools than I care to remember. Training in martial arts helped me deal with a lot of those issues. It helped me learn about discipline and control. It showed me that when you lose your temper, you've actually given that person power over you. As a result of that, today I'm a very powerful man. I never lose control and I never let anyone take my power from me. You couldn't make me lose my temper if you wanted to. It's just not gonna' happen. Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up? Daniel: I didn't really have a lot of role models growing up. My dad left when I was three years old and I've seen him once since then. I had a couple of good teachers that made a positive impact, but they didn't really have any influence on the direction my life has taken. My mom has probably had the most influence on my life. She had it rough being a single mother of three children, and she made some mistakes along the way, but she's always been there for me when I really needed her. Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of MMA? Daniel: The most appealing thing about competing in MMA to me is the fact that it never gets old. It's the only thing that really makes me feel alive anymore. Everything else I've ever been interested in just gets boring after awhile. It's hard to explain. I've just been through so much crazy shit in my life that the "normal everyday existence" doesn't do it for me anymore. It's just like - been there, done that, don't care for it. Stepping into the cage is the only thing that gets me amped up, no matter how many times I do it. The rush I get from competing in MMA is something I can't get anywhere else. It's a one of a kind feeling. Darrick: How does a typical training session for you usually go? Daniel: I usually start out with a nice, long cardio session to get me good and tired. Then, I move on to a hour or so of Jiu-Jitsu and ground and pound, or stand-up, depending on what I'm doing that day. I like to mix it up. I go to different gyms and work out with different people a lot, so I pretty much just do whatever they usually do. I don't have any set routine that I do consistently. As long as I get some training in at least five day a week, I'm happy. Darrick: What would you say to younger individuals looking to compete in martial arts? Daniel: Do it. It's one of the most rewarding things that you can do for yourself. Especially for kids these days - kids that really need some direction in their lives. Not to mention the health benefits. With the way that child obesity is on the rise in this country, I think getting them into martial arts is one of the best things that parents could do for their children. Bottom line - martial arts will help you live a happier, healthier, and more fulfilled life. Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect? Daniel: I respect everyone in this sport, but the people who really stand out to me are those that paved the way for all the new breed fighters coming up today. People like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell, to name just a couple. Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests? Daniel: I do have other interests in life, but right now, between taking care of my family and training, I don't even have time to think about other interests. I like anything competitive though. I play a lot of chess, pool, darts, and things like that. I also enjoy learning anything new. I want to go back to school sometime soon to study psychology, and maybe learn Latin - I've always wanted to speak Latin. Darrick: If you had your own radio station, what would be some of the features? Daniel: I have no idea, man. I'd probably just end up paying somebody to come up with features for me. (Laughs) Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know. Daniel: I spent 14 months in a California State Prison. Darrick: What is your oldest memory? Daniel: I remember sitting on the floor in the living room of my parent's house on Edwards Air Force Base, where I lived until I was three years old. I couldn't have been much more than a year old, but I remember sitting on the floor watching my dad in the backyard with the weed whacker doing some landscaping. Out of nowhere, the weed whacker hits a rock and flings it through the sliding glass door I was watching my dad through, shattering it completely. I guess it was just such a shocking experience for an infant to witness that I never forgot it. FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK: http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4974388&blogID=343519835 You can also check out Daniel McWilliams in the following places: Official Daniel McWilliams MySpace Site: http://www.myspace.com/theMasochistApprentice Daniel McWilliams on Fight Finder: http://www.sherdog.com/fightfinder/fightfinder.asp?FighterID=22792 Daniel McWilliams Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com: http://www.sherdog.com/news/Picture_gallery.asp?f_id=22792@@Daniel%20McWilliams
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