10 Questions With Molly Helsel (9/10/2008)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Molly Helsel (by Darrick Patrick)

Molly Helsel is a professional mixed martial artist who has competed in organizations such as Bodog Fight, Hardcore Championship Fighting, Kick Enterprises, HOOKnSHOOT, Smackgirl, Warriors Quest, and Rumble On The Rock.

Darrick: What was the road that led you to competing in professional mixed martial arts?

Molly: I had come to a point in my life where I felt that I needed a change, but wasn't quite sure what it was that I needed. I happened to be watching a documentary on martial arts one night and was really impressed with a female doing Kung Fu. I started calling schools the next day and stumbled across Burton Richardson's Jeet Kune Do Unlimited school. I showed up early for my free trial class, saw these people beating the crap out of each other, and fell in love with it right then and there.

I had always wanted to get into martial arts and I just knew I was cut out for it. I was at the top of my class after a short while, but was still just training for fun and self-defense. I didn't know at the time that they allowed women to compete in MMA until I saw a local fight with two women. Of course, I am sitting there thinking "I could whoop both of those girls" and the next day at training my coach asked if I wanted him to start looking for a fight for me. About a year later, I had my first fight in Hilo, Hawaii at Rumble on the Rock 2.

Darrick: Do you have any words of advice for other individuals looking to train in MMA?

Molly: I'm full of "advice", just ask my training partners. (Smiles) I encourage anyone to train MMA, but if you decide to fight MMA - make sure you think it through well. Your motivation to fight should be mostly internal reasons. Don't get dazzled at the prospect of all the attention and a big payday. There is a long, hard road ahead of you if you choose this life. Be ready to sacrifice. There will come a point when your training becomes more than a hobby two or three times a week and martial arts will start to encompass all aspects of your life. If you are not ready to bust your ass for little recognition and even less pay, then find another job.

Just make sure you are in it for the right reasons and if you are, then I say go for it. You will have days when you're frustrated and you doubt yourself, but you just need to shake it off and keep coming back. Just keep moving forward and don't take no for an answer. Be one to make things happen, not watch them happen.

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

Molly: There are a ton of role models, great athletes, and skilled fighters out there, but I think the people that have impacted me most in the sport and that I have most respect for are my opponents. I respect them all personally for different reasons, but what I admire most about them is that I have learned something from each one. I know it sounds weird, but when you fight someone it's like sharing an intimate experience. After a fight, especially a real war, you share something in that ring/cage. It's very primal. Whether I like an opponent personally or not, I always have to respect that this girl trains just as hard as I do. She has struggled and suffered in the same ways that I have, she has shed her blood, sweat and tears just like I have, and we are all in this for one common goal. You have to respect that.

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

Molly: There are pros and cons to both. Of course there are fewer opportunities and less pay for women. On the other hand, since there is a smaller pool of competition, it is easier for a female to get to the top and to get the opportunities and exposure that are available. Of course women will always receive some type of predjudice or stereotype as a fighter. Perhaps it's in the gym - you may not be perceived as tough, durable, or knowledgable. Sometimes people don't want to train with you or take you seriously as a fighter. Outside of the gym, people tend to think you are super violent, not feminine, or a crazy femme-nazi. It seems sometimes you just can't please 'em all. I've learned to let it roll off my shoulders and keep doing my thing.

I think recently both the men and women's divisions have struggled equally with MMA going more mainstream. While it is bringing more exposure to the fighters and educating the general public, it seems that the best fighters have not been getting the biggest opportunities. Both divisions are seeing fighters picked more on entertainment value and looks over skill and true dedication to the sport.

Darrick: What does a typical training session for you consist of?

Molly: We begin with two five-minute rounds of jump rope and three five-minute conditioning/warm up rounds. Then probably forty-five minutes of technique, drills, or sparring - and maybe another thirty minutes of sparring/rolling. We'll finish off with leg or body conditioning and abs. If I'm getting ready for a fight, I add in specific classes like Muay Thai, BJJ, and wrestling. Also, cardio and strength training.

Darrick: In your experience so far, what brings you the most fulfillment out of martial arts?

Molly: For me, internally, it's when I face a really challenging obstacle and conquer it. Whether it be something related to training routine, the fight, something mental, or weight cutting. It's just that feeling of accomplishment. That you did it even when you didn't think you could. Obviously the feeling of winning a fight is like nothing else - best adrenaline high you could get. Externally, I love watching new fighters learn and grow. I like to help them get through their own challenges and I love seeing when "the light bulb clicks on" and they start really getting and understanding something they were having a hard time with.

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

Molly: Is there anything more interesting than MMA? Honestly, there is not much else that captures my interest like this sport and everything surrounding it does. I like the subjects of history, anthropology, and cultures. I like games like poker, dominos, darts, and pool. Love being outdoors and in nature - I like exploring and traveling, going on little mini-adventures. I like to debate and I try working a little bit every day to change the world.

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

Molly: I got sent to a wilderness boot camp in Utah for bad kids when I was thirteen. Then, I got sent back again when I was fifteen because they had a money-back guarantee. I actually think it was the best thing that happened to me. It made me mentally tough, taught me to push my limits, and helped me to expect more from myself and my life.

Darrick: If you had three wishes, what would they be?

Molly: First would be to fly - to be able to experience that kind of amazing freedom and to hear the silence above all the craziness of the cities. Secondly, to always be able to make the right decesion and to have all the information available when choosing which way to go. To be able to see into the future a little bit and see if the consequences will be worth the rewards. The third wish would be time travel, I am fascinated by ancient cultures and I would love to be able to experience the lives of people from different times.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Molly: I went to a private preschool and during nap time the teachers would let me stay awake to play in the art room. I'd color, paint, or make god's eyes while the rest of the school was sleeping. There was a bus driver named Mrs. Brown and she would let me go with her to pick up the first and second graders after school. We would stop at the 7-Eleven before getting them and she would buy me some candy. Usually it was a candy ring, Big League Chew, or Lick'um Stix. We'd get back to the school and I'd be tired because I didn't take a nap. So every time my mom came to pick me up, I'd be asleep on the sidewalk with the rest of the kids playing around me. I'm still like that, I fall asleep wherever I'm at when I'm tired. My parents have a few pictures of me asleep in my spaghetti at the dinner table.

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 Molly Helsel in the following places:

Official Molly Helsel MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/maulinator

Molly Helsel on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Molly-Helsel-7063

Molly Helsel Photo Gallery at Sherdog.com:

http://www.sherdog.com/pictures/gallery/fighter/7063