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10 Questions With Kaitlin Young (6/28/2008)

Posted On 02/17/2009 01:17:30 by DarrickPatrick

10 Questions With Kaitlin Young (by Darrick Patrick)

Kaitlin Young is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Bodog Fight, HOOKnSHOOT, Brutaal, and at the time of this interview recently appeared on the CBS network premiere of EliteXC against Gina Carano on May 31st, 2008.

Darrick: What was the journey that led you to professional mixed martial arts competition?

Kaitlin: I started Tae Kwon Do when I was a kid, which led to kickboxing, then to Muay Thai, and finally MMA.

Darrick: Who is someone that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Kaitlin: I think my father influenced me a lot. He never made excuses for me, nor did he allow me to make excuses for myself.

Darrick: Are there any extra hurdles being a female in mixed martial arts or do you believe it to be basically the same struggle for both genders?

Kaitlin: You know, I didn't think so at first, but I am beginning to see otherwise. As MMA becomes more popular and mainstream, I worry that women's fighting may not progress with it. Unfortunately, women in a "violent" situation doesn't sit well with our society. People don't seem to mind watching it in a movie or television show, but perhaps MMA is a little too real. It's silly, but not much can be done about irrational public opinion. In all other areas, I think that women actually have the advantage in the fact that our side of the sport is less saturated than the men's divisions. I think hard work can get you further faster in women's fighting than men's fighting.

Darrick: What brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

Kaitlin: I really enjoy learning new things everyday - and as a result of being at the gym, I am surrounded by people who are constantly trying to better themselves. It is a great environment to spend so much time in.

Darrick: Who is someone in the sport that you highly respect?

Kaitlin: I respect Sean Sherk a lot. He is so incredibly disciplined and driven. Though he has been featured on UFC All Access, I don't think you can really grasp how hard he works until you see him day in and day out training his butt off. I also respect him for being so down-to-earth. He has never acted as though he is too much of a "big name" to help beginning martial artists. Even before I was fighting MMA, he would always take a second to give me tips on a technique or move that I was trying to learn. It's awesome having someone like him around the gym.

Darrick: Generally speaking, what does a typical training session for you consist of?

Kaitlin: It really depends on the day. We do a bit of everything - pads, rolling, drilling, clinch, sparring, sparring with takedowns, conditioning, weight lifting, etc.

Darrick: Outside of MMA, what are your other interests?

Kaitlin: Other interests? As lame as it sounds, I don't have a lot of time for those! I am also at the University of Minnesota studying Kinesiology in addition to training full time. As a result, I have decided to drop down to half time in college this fall to keep up with my training schedule. I figure that you can go to school forever, but you are only fighting as long as your body can hold out!

Darrick: If you had superpowers, what would they be?

Kaitlin: I wish I had the ability to eat enormous amounts of Chipotle burritos and chocolate chip cookies while only building muscle and not gaining any chub. That would be my superpower.

Darrick: Tell us something about you that most people don't know.

Kaitlin: I hate jewelry and absolutely refuse to wear it.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Kaitlin: I remember getting my first puppy for Christmas when I was three.

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 Kaitlin Young in the following places:

Official Kaitlin Young Website:

http://www.kaitlinyoung.com

Official Kaitlin Young MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/kaitlinryoung

Kaitlin Young on Fight Finder: