Mixed Martial Arts: A growing sport in Central Louisiana
MMA is not just about the big punches. It’s about consistency, love and desire for the sport.
“Man, I love what I’m doing. I love the sport, I do. I’ve met a lot of people. It changed my life.”
What started off as a casual conversation in the gym began a new lifestyle for Kalvin.
“I was just in the gym one day and I heard another guy talking about MMA. This is back when it just hit the scene and was getting real popular. And he mentioned wrestlers make really good fighters. Those are the guys that make you fighters.”
In the late 2000’s, he made his trips throughout the fields of construction and firefighting but he learned that fighting and fitness was where his heart was.
“So, if you look at the time 2006, I’ve been fighting about 14 years. I’ve been fighting about 15 years but I’ve been professional about 14.”
With his contagious passion of the sport, in comes Jose’ and Julius.
“I’ve been fighting really since I was 14, but never professionally. It was fighting in the streets.”
“It’s pretty cool to just be in such a unique situation in life. So, we fight February 29th. Also, playing college football, plus school, plus marriage is a whole different ball game so it’s a lot of stuff to do but it’s fun.”
All three of these guys will represent Alexandria in the upcoming AKA Rite of Passage Fight at the end of the month, this being the first of many for Jose’ and Julius and Kalvin will take on another fight later on in April.
“It’s good. I like it. I’m going to keep going for it and see what’s going on. It feels good to represent Alexandria because I’ve been here half of my life so I love it.”
“It’s fun. It’s different muscles than I’m used to using so it’s always intense. The warm ups you get sweaty right from the get-go and then we go into whatever workout he has for us. The fighting, just doing the rounds on rounds and the wrestling and jujitsu over and over again. It’s very intense because you also have to use your mind.”
Granted, mixed martial arts is seen as entertainment, it’s so much more. The desire will allow someone to learn but the passion will allow someone to grow.
“You can look at fighting in a negative way, just like you could do anything else on this planet. But, if you have the heart to look for the good in anything, in MMA you will find it. And when you find it, you’ll grow to love it. Once you grow to love it, the people around you will grow to love it too. So, I love this sport because of the people it brought me to be around and the kind of respect that I should give to my fellow opponent and 9 times out of 10 he’s giving it back to me too.”
