10 Questions With Tony Hervey (7/19/2009)

[DarrickPatrick]

10 Questions With Tony Hervey (by Darrick Patrick)

Tony "LionHeart" Hervey is a professional mixed martial artist who has appeared in organizations such as King Of The Cage, Combat USA, X-treme Fighting Championships, Evolution Fighting Championships, Xtreme Freestyle Fighting, Toledo Fight Challenge, Xtreme Fighting Organization, and FightFest. At the time of this interview, his next scheduled match is against Victor Valenzuela in King Of The Cage at KOTC: Super Stars on August 13th, 2009.

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

Tony: I am in an ongoing class of self-enlightenment. I have studied several forms of martial arts and they have all lead me to the same fountain. I am a highly intense type of athlete. I have wrestled for twelve years, but you never would have guessed that growing up I was pushed around and beat up until I was about fourteen years old. I just got sick of being picked on. You should try growing up in Detroit and starting school there. It wasn't all bad, but I mostly remember the bad times first. I am an artist with a brush to the canvas. This is in my heart. I am a true martial artist.

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

Tony: Fighting isn't hard. If you think about it, we are born with it bred into our genes. Some people just choose to withdraw from it within their minds. Others embrace it. If you're going to get into this sport, do it for the right reasons. This is part of the entertainment business so bring something to the table that makes you stand out, but also be a smart fighter and of course know how to fight.

Darrick: Your next scheduled match is against Victor Valenzuela on August 13th. What are your thoughts about this upcoming fight?

Tony: First off, Victor doesn't have anything to offer that I haven't faced yet. He's tough, but so were a lot of the other fighters I've fought. Personally, I think Victor is going to have to outpace me and I have not come across anyone faster than me yet. I'm going to continue running a 4.3/4.4 40-yard dash.

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

Tony: My main idol isn't in MMA, but he has fought in K-1 and other leagues. His name is Serkan Yilmaz and our fighting form is very similar. I look up to him not only because he reminds me of myself, but he is very entertaining as well. I pride myself to fight just like him. I also look up to Andrei Arlovski even though I don't know him personally. My sensei loves his fighting style and striking techniques. I truly respect these caliber of fighters because of their stage presence. You can learn so much from just watching them train and the techniques that they demonstrate. Oh, and how can I forget Cung Le? I was fourteen when my cousin showed me a tape of Cung training. I didn't expect at that time that I'd be involved in the sport one day, but Cung Le is neck and neck with my idol. Speaking of which, look up Serkan Yilmaz on http://www.youtube.com - you'll be impressed.

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

Tony: Most people don't seem to understand that martial arts is like an art form or a dance. Kind of like ballet or more modern dance forms. You see, art is art because you say it is. So when you look at mixed martial arts, you tend to not see the art. At least I don't! My enlightenment in this journey of martial arts is about self-expression. To me, that is art. When people come to the gym and just want to fight, that is not art. It's like someone coming to a dance school and saying, "Teach me only Hip Hop." It doesn't work that way. You have to learn this within yourself. A fight should be like a play, but one that's played very seriously. So, what brings me the most fulfillment is that I am able to express my true self in it's purest form. When I smile in a fight it's not because I am getting the better edge over a person, it's because I am in harmony and happy with what I've done.

Darrick: Who are some of the people that greatly influenced you while growing up?

Tony: This is the sad part of why I have become who I am. I didn't have anyone to look up to. The television, cartoons, movies, and sports was all that I had. My parents acted like they cared. My father was just a child support check. To be honest, I never looked up to my step-dad either, but he was a good hard-working guy. Actually, if it wasn't for him I probably wouldn't be fighting. He didn't play sports, but he was a bodybuilder. He didn't get involved in competitions - he was more of a laid back, simple guy. I took his knowledge and evolved it into something more. Nowadays, I try to be the influence in my kid's life and my wife's eyes. I am probably the most goal-oriented person that I know. I have never given up, not even when the times got hard or scary. I want my kids and their friends to look at me and be able to have someone to look up to. If you look at sports and entertainment today, we are losing our legends that we grew up with. We had Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Buster Douglas, Michael Jordan, Barry Sanders, and the late Michael Jackson. Just a whole lot of greats that you could admire. I mean don't get me wrong, there are some out there today, but who is truly being hung on your kid's wall and giving them that inspiration to believe? I want to become one of those cornerstones. "Remember, you can't force it - it just happens."

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

Tony: Other than mixed martial arts, I am also a techie guru. I am actually a graphic designer, as well as a family man to three kids and a wonderful wife. I have too many interests outside of the sport, but everything I do ties into a future dream of owning my own gym. Just think of it this way, it's top secret but every gym is missing out on what they really need in their facilities. The west coast has it, but not on the east coast. One day with the right investors, there will be the LionHeart MMA Gym. Home to the evolution of mixed martial arts fighters.

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

Tony: I am so much more than a fighter. It kills me to be constantly stereotyped as just a fighter. I truly don't talk about myself much, I let my work do the talking for me. I am also a pro b-boy (breakdancer) and get into anything creative that I can. On August 13th, I will prove why I am called LionHeart, the only true Shinobi of MMA.

Darrick: What is your oldest memory?

Tony: I think my earliest memory would have to be the first time I watched the movie The Last Dragon. I am still today a huge '80s and '90s movie fan. After watching The Last Dragon I felt empowered, as if that movie was a straight depiction of who I am to become. It's a lil' silly, but I am no average fighter. From Capoeira to Wing Chun, I study and practice these many different art forms.

Darrick: If you were the last person alive on Earth, what do you think you'd do to entertain yourself?

Tony: Man, if you had popcorn and could watch what I'd do...one of the perks of being creative is that I wouldn't be too bored. Unless you put me in the desert, then I'd be ticked! (Laughs) One thing that would be a bummer is that I suck at building things. My wife is like Bob the Builder while I can only design. Just like my daughter's dresser for example, my wife took it apart and it took me three days to get it back together. It's also all jacked up now and the drawers are put together wrong. That's why my wife is great!

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 Tony Hervey in the following places:

Official Tony Hervey MySpace Profile:

http://www.myspace.com/vampiress7506

Tony Hervey on Fight Finder:

http://www.sherdog.com/fighter/Tony-Hervey-18986