10 Questions With Lacey Shuckman (9/20/2009)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Lacey Schuckman (by Darrick Patrick)

Lacey "The Ladie" Schuckman is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Fearless Fighting Championship, HOOKnSHOOT, and C3 Fights. She is also slated to appear on the Ultimate Women Challenge television show which premieres in December. At the time of this interview, her next scheduled match is against Jeri Sitzes in Strikeforce at ShoMMA: Strikeforce Challengers 3 on September 25th, 2009.

Darrick: What was the path that led you to competing professionally in mixed martial arts?

Lacey: My husband started in traditional martial arts, so he was always beating me up. I was always a scrappy kid and eventually I decided that I really wanted to start training as well. Then through training we met several influential people such as John Cronk, Hale Hilsabeck, and Rex Payne that guided us into serious MMA training. We started in Muay Thai, then worked our way into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. That's also when we started implementing collegiate wrestling and boxing into our style. I had twelve amateur Muay Thai and MMA fights and was decently successful. Then in January of this year I made the decision to vacate my amateur title and go pro.

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

Lacey: Well, I definitely deal with the obvious obstacles such as people thinking that women can't fight and that we can't compare to male athletes. I take that as a challenge and do everything in training to the best of my ability. I have a bit of an edge because I train strictly we male competitors, so I can't ever slack or I'll pay for it. Now I see that things are growing in FeMMA and it is certainly getting easier. Educated fans and fighters are now beginning to give women a lot more respect. I feel that it is up to every female fighter out there to put on great fights that are technically sound and the sport will grow. I do hate the whole "female MMA" thing, it's all MMA whether it's female or male. The more we try to put emphasis on there being a difference, the further back we step. I am not comparing women to the men's caliber, but it is all mixed martial arts.

Darrick: Your next scheduled fight is against Jeri Sitzes on September 25th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming match?

Lacey: I am very excited! I have been training extremely hard for the last four months with several fights falling through. I am just so pumped to get back in the cage - that is my home. I am looking forward to fighting a fighter of Jeri's caliber. She has a very reputable name and that is always my goal to work my way up the chain with respectable opponents. I just can't wait!

Darrick: What are the details with the upcoming Ultimate Women Challenge television show?

Lacey: The show premieres on NBC affiliate stations on December 28th, 2009. We have done some hometown filming and are preparing to leave in October to complete the production. The show is similar to programs such as The Ultimate Fighter and The Contender. There are sixteen girls in the house, eight 135-pounders and eight 125ers. We will be doing elimination fights to win a contract at the end of the show. We will also be competing in charitable contests to raise awareness for certain causes. The idea is to show that there is more to a female fighter than just fighting.

Darrick: Who are a few of the people in the sport that you highly respect?

Lacey: I guess I will start with my husband Randall. He shows so much dedication to training and progressing his fighters. I really look up to his tenacity and drive. Next I would say Vitor Belfort, I really love how he fights for the Lord and makes it known. I'd also have to say Thiago Alves, he is such as driven individual who came to this country with about three dollars in his pocket and he is just a machine. I know he will be a champion one day! I also really respect Hillary Williams, Lana Stefanac, and Tara LaRosa because they are great for the sport and are so very good. They deserve way more credit than they get.

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

Lacey: Training kids. We have a small group of kids ranging from five to fourteen that train MMA with us. They do everything such as Muay Thai, BJJ, weightlifting, cardio, etc. To see what they get out of training is amazing. They improve in the gym as well as in their lives. They learn discipline and respect and it is awesome to see the people that they are morphing into being.

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

Lacey: I love to work on Japanese drift cars, I like to decorate my house, and I love to read anything! I have four dogs - a Miniature Dachshund hound named Fenway, a Lhasa Apso named Shaggy, and two American Pitbull Terriers named Keeva and Kaos. They are my world, I love my dogs. In Colorado, Pitbulls are illegal in some cities. So, my husband and I like to help out shelters by walking Pitbulls that otherwise wouldn't see the light of day and also lobbying against breed specific legislation. Don't punish the breed, punish bad owners!

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

Lacey: That's a tough one, I'm a pretty open book. I guess it would be that I love to eat. I don't care what it is, I am a foodie! I love ice cream and Chipotle and everything in between.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Lacey: I don't know about my oldest memory, but my coolest memory is of the first time I went to Disneyland with my dad. The Dumbo ride was like the most amazing thing in the world. Those teacups, man!

Darrick: If you lost one of your senses, which could you stand to be without?

Lacey: I suppose I would choose hearing. I have taken some sign language classes and the deaf really interest me. The non-hearing community is just so intriguing. Unfortunately it is dying out due to cochlear implants, but I understand both positions. I also see how Matt Hamill is still able to compete in the higher levels of the sport, so I know I could still be successful in mixed martial arts. If not hearing, I would say smell but that might curb my food addiction!

FOR OTHER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS BY DARRICK PATRICK:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=4974388&blogID=343519835

You can also check out Lacey Schuckman in the following places:

Official Lacey Schuckman MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/theladielacey

Official Lacey Schuckman Facebook Site:

http://www.facebook.com/theladielacey?_fb_noscript=1

Lacey Schuckman on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Lacey-Schuckman-43350