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Danielle West
Danielle West
MMA pro record of 2-1-0
Videos
Fight with Willemijn:
Training:
Grapplers Showdown:
Danielle is sponsored by Cherry Active
www.cherryactive.co.uk
It's on14 Oct 2009 1:40PMAfter a few false hopes and false starts (for weight cutting) a fight has finally been confirmed. I'll be fighting Sara Moras at the Watford Coliseum for the Kayo MMA event on Sunday (Sunday, Sunday! Sorry I couldn't resist!) 22 November. This will be my second fight in a year which makes a nice change. The fight will be a real tough one so I've found myself back in the cycle of training for a fight.
It probably varies for everyone but for me I always seem to start off fat and out of shape. Not Ricky Hatton fat mind, but fat enough to have to cut my weight down, return to good habits and improve my cardio. I always return to fight training feeling like I'm scaling a cliff or a mountain. I gather all of the necessary tools or support and then begin the climb. The mountain always seems behemoth and steep and there always risks of injury and I definitely take a few falls or beatings on the way up. And every time I still manage to find myself reaching the top and walking into the cage. The mental toughness and emotions all now seem a familiar part of the journey. I'm tremendously grateful to be able to fight again this year (on a card with 2 other female bouts no less!) and am going to do everything I can to ensure my performance reflects this. With the fight six weeks away I am still far from the mountain peak and just emptying pebbles from my boots.
The other thing I'd been meaning to write or comment on (but got bogged down with work and training) was womens mma. Since the Cyborg v Carano fight womens mma has been getting the odd mention in the forums and mma press and even the mainstream press. I think the one theme or comment I notice occurring often is along the lines of how womens fights aren't terribly good or competitive. I found this especially interesting after I started watching the recent season of the Ultimate Fighter with Evans and Jackson. I have never seen so many boring or sloppy fights within a single weight class. I still wouldn't write off every heavy weight as rubbish, though. This is a small sample of guys in a controlled group with 50% chance of having a less than ideal coach. True I see lots of poor heavyweight fights but I also see some great ones. I often wonder how many (if any) womens fights these people have seen.
The sport is undeniably growing for women though some attitudes towards WMMA seem rooted firmly in the 1950's from some posts and comments I've seen and it baffles me. Every gym has fighters male or female, who train hard and fighters that don't just as they have fighters that are talented and competitive as well as fighters that just aren't as good. Instead of gender playing a role I would say that it's more of a matter of the coaching, the fighter's mental toughness and dedication. I would think gender is about as relevant as it would be for sprinting, basketball or football. I think the only thing where gender appears to be a hang up is on opinions and prejudices.
Down Time09 Aug 2009 4:13PMI returned from holiday to find the promoters couldn't find an opponent for September so it looks like I'll be bothering European promoters to see if they want a female fight on their card. I've been training fairly regularly and am using this "down time" to focus on my weak and sloppy areas.
The great thing about mma is that it's so multi-faceted in terms of disciplines. Instead of running where you are either good at sprinting or long distance or you suck at both, mma has loads of areas you can excel or suck at. A few weeks back in a class we were drilling two types of throws I happen to be rubbish at. Luckily there are hundreds of throws so as long as I try and keep my form tidy I won't lose much sleep over those two that aren't my best. The newbie guy I partnered with seemed less than impressed and muttered a smart arse comment about how he was surprised I had competed so I was only too happy to demonstrate a few throws and follow throughs I happen to excel at during sparring.
It's often said styles make fights and it couldn't be more true. If two fighters have similar strengths and weaknesses then the fight stands a fair chance of being a sleeper where the fighters cancel one another out. With mma I can't imagine anyone is going to excel at all areas of the sport aside from a few top level guys like St Pierre and Silva.
Yesterday I was at an open mat with some of the beginners who were frustrated or daunted by getting caught in submissions or at only know a few basics after a couple months. I explained that of all the submissions there are I stick to two maybe three simple ones and drill them from all angles so that I can see them in sparring or fights and am likely to catch them. I'm more focused on escapes and drill those frequently, especially the ones I have trouble with since sod's law dictates that those are the ones I'll likely get stuck in during a fight.
I miss the single minded focus of fight training but am currently enjoying the drills and slowly improving my weaknesses. Especially since I can have a beer and chips after.
Weighty Issues08 Jul 2009 4:06PMI'm hoping to fight in September after speaking to Dave Lee and Denniston Sutherland. I gave them the names of two potential opponents who are both within my size and weight. One girl I have been dying to compete against since early 2008. She was injured so the fight was cancelled and I've been giving her first refusal ever since.
After a few weeks of not hearing anything I emailed the promoters to see if they had an opponent confirmed yet so I could piece together my fight plan. I then got an email back with a question I hate being asked: "What is the lightest you can weigh in at?"
It's hard finding opponents since there aren't too many women competing yet but it gets even harder if you weigh in too heavy or too light. Having struggled to weigh in at 65 kg (and then fight at 72 kg the next day). I now won't go below 67 kg and know the heaviest I can weigh in at is 73 kg. It's key to make sure you're not losing strength or sacrificing speed ad fitness by adding fat. I also hate having to obsess over my weight when I should be focused on training which can be stressful enough.
I've told Dave I can go as low as 67 kg and as high as 73 kg. This also ensures I'm not dwarfing my opponent with an unfair weight advantage or being crushed myself. I lose out on fighting a lot of great fighters under 65 kg but as I walk around at 74 kg (79 kg after my fight at 73 kg) I know that I would be massive against an under 65 kg.
Weight cutting is definitely a discipline in itself that is commonplace among the men at all levels and the top level women like Rosi Sexton (though I think Gina and Cyborg still haven't mastered the art yet). If you are a lightweight or a middleweight you are obviously going to want to come in at the heavy end of the spectrum to ensure you are equal or slightly bigger than your opponent so you see how much weight you can cut without impacting your performance and voila, that is the weight you fight at. I'm not sure if other women fighters find this but I am always asked to come in at an exact catch weight (or below if I dare) as opposed to a regular weight class. Some fighters start their career at one weight and move up or down depending on who they train with and the amount of muscle or fat they start out with. My dream is to eventually come in under 65 kg but so far I actually seem to be getting heavier despite going down a dress size.
And so now I find myself starting to cut out booze, wheat and dairy and increase my training intensity while I wait to hear if they've found a match for me. If anyone is interested, I've included my diet which works a treat for me. Bear in mind that everyone is different so your metabolism, genetics, lifestyle may allow or restrict all sorts. And I should point out that as someone with OCD I am quite content to eat the exact same things day in day out but have tried including some variety.
AM - Black coffee. Cherry Active (if my immune system feels low I take this with Lysine and Glutamine), multi-vitamin, feverfew (headaches), glucosamine, omega oils (primrose or fish). If I have a fight in 2 weeks I will take arnica 3X a day to promote faster healing and reduce bruising. Smoothie with oat bran, banana, berry, mango, matcha green tea, fruit juice or soy milk. If available and feeling brave add scoop of living fuel. Litre water.
AM snack - 2 cups green tea. Soy rice cakes, or brown rice cakes with Nutella, or almonds and fruit or few chocolate squares (min cocoa solids 60%). Litre water.
Midday lunch - Green tea or Thai Iced Tea (the latter as a rare treat) brown rice or rice noodles with chicken, fish or tofu. Vegetables or sweet potato with soy sauce or sweet chilli sauce. Sometimes add edamame or seeds and nori. Alternates are fried egg (fry in rice bran oil) over brown rice cake with veg or sushi. Litre water.
Midday Snack (before 4pm) - Same as AM snack or matcha green tea frozen yoghurt with fresh fruit and mochi or sweet bean mochi as a rare treat. Two cups green or fruit infused tea a litre of water.
Post Training - Cherry Active, fish (tinned tuna or mackerel or fresh salmon), chicken or soy burger in 10 ml rice bran oil (and sweet chilli sauce if I'm feeling extravagant) with asparagus, spinach, peas or edamame. Grapefruit. Half litre water.
I try and keep portions small but if I'm still hungry won't deny myself fuel. I won't even start to describe my diet after fighting.
Heat Exhaustion02 Jul 2009 10:43PMThe MMA Clinic finally opened in Angel and I have been busy making the most of the day training sessions. Luckily my office doesn't seem overly fussed about my lunch time sessions since I'm in early and tend to stay a bit late. After taking time to heal injuries and being very relaxed about my training, diet and beer consumption I rather foolishly launched myself into training as if I were 4 weeks away from a fight.
-I managed a Sunday roll with shoot drills. -Monday was 60 minute mma fitness (think cross fit with a scary Irish guy yelling at you the whole time) the back in the evening for a 90 minute mma class focusing on double legs and scrambling up the cage while have said double legs attempted on you.
-Tuesday was a 90 minute mma fitness (with a scary Englishman yelling at you the whole time), later in the evening in lieu of training I spent 2 hours throwing sweaty guys around a mosh pit while getting thrown about myself at an Anthrax gig (this I would advise against 4 weeks before a fight).
-Wednesday evening was a 60 minute mma class of pad drills and grappling.
On Thursday I rested and on Friday evening my husband convinced me I needed a rest so I turned in early planning to train Saturday and instead woke up at 2 in the afternoon with fever, aches and chills. Whether I would have gotten the flu anyway I can't help but wonder if throwing myself in the deep end tired my immune system out. I was so ill I didn't train for a whole 7 days.
I've since returned and am trying to start slowly by training once a day for no more than 3 days on the go. The heat has made it a bit tougher though I take comfort that the new gym isn't in an alleyway that reeks of piss and garbage. I'm awaiting confirmation for an opponent so have started to curb the beer and have had to stop slathering mayonnaise on everything. It's hard but at least I'll fit into my swimsuit.
Friends and Competitors25 May 2009 5:24PMI've entered myself to compete again in the Grappler's Showdown this year. I competed last year confident that I'd be the biggest girl there and though I'm against competing against smaller weight classes I figured that my lack of training and preparation would make up for my weight advantage. Of course when I got there I was surprised to see that the other two women entrants were similar in size. After taking home the bronze last year I vowed to myself that if I were to compete again I would actually read the rules and train for it.
And so here I am on a train to Gravesend with my BJJ coach. I was originally going to train with my good friend Kath but her coaches said it was out of the question since we're both competing. Which is fair enough. It's always a mildly dreadful scenario competing against your mates. Where I train MMA and compete at 66 kg - 73 kg and Kath trains grappling, wrestling, bjj and competes at under 58 kg it seemed fairly unlikely we would ever be competitors.
It's a bit awkward since we're really good mates but she was absolutely fine when I asked if she had any objections to my competing (where its not my scene, it seemed only fair to check that I wasn't encroaching on her territory). I find tournaments tricky since the rules are so different but since it's in London and my BJJ coach is insistent, I thought why not.
The waiting is nearly over for both my fight footage and the opening of my gym. They apparently posted the footage on DVD this weekend so as soon as t arrives I'll have to post it online. My gym opening is less straightforward.
Pancrase London is on hiatus while Jess Liaudin focuses on his fight career. PL's head instructor Paul Hines is now at the MMA Clinic in Angel. They're holding opening day event on Sunday 31st May 2-7 so anyone interested in checking it out or having a roll or spar with me are welcome to drop by.
Athletic supporters06 Apr 2009 12:13AMI'm flying back from Denmark where I just fought and won against Maria Hougaard on Fighter Galla 8 in Odense. The event featured Dansh fighters against fighters from Holland, Czech Republic and the UK.
The crowd, however was decidedly unsupportive of the opponents from abroad. This is something I see a lot in the UK shows I've attended and now in Denmark (Sweden was an exception as the audiences cheered reversals, submission attempts and the out of town fighters). It is great to be supportive to the home town fighters, but it does take a lot of time, dedication and determination to travel abroad and face someone in the cage. Of course the local fighters have friends and family who will naturally feel protective and excited but it almost reminds me of pantomimes when the audience begins its chorus of boos. Perhaps it's because I'm a fighter myself, though in an odd way, the booing always makes me feel more determined (success is the best revenge).
At every fight I have had the highest esteem for each of my opponents for not only agreeing to fight me but then taking and making sacrifices to compete against me. At my first fight my teen daughter was attempting a staredown at my opponent and I scolded her for this explaining that I had 4 fights cancelled on me and was extremely lucky Willemijn was there. And after losing my second fight I took my daughter back stage with me to thank Taja for coming over and congratulating her on the win.
When I walked in to fight Maria this weekend I was able to hear the inevitable hissing and boos over my entrance music but I also saw Maria's mother applauding in the audience near the cage (she had been at the weigh-in and we had waved to each other after the rules meeting) which struck me as very touching. Despite her daughter losing a very hard fight, Maria's mum had thanked me after for coming out to fight as it was Maria's dream to fight MMA.
It was a very hard fight and I can safely say it was an all out war but at the end of it we were able to laugh about feeling sick with nerves and compliment each other which was really rewarding. It may be because I'm a girl, but I also find that same rapport after sparring hammer and tongs with the guys at the gym. It's difficult explaining to people as many who don't practice combat sports probably associate force with anger or dislike but there is definitely a bond however fleeting that you have with someone you've competed intensely with.
The only analogy I can think of is when you're white knuckling a bad flight with a stranger sat next to you. only with the fights you and your opponent are linked for 6-8 weeks in preparation for the fight, drilling gameplans, cutting weight, getting beaten up by team mates and sparring partners etc. My daughter understands it now as does Maria's mother. It's just a shame it's lost on the bulk of the audience.
Am hoping to get images or a video of the fight soon.
Win or Lose03 Mar 2009 10:49PMRecently I was talking to a friend who recently competed in an interclub. When I asked how she did she explained that she went the distance but wasn't happy with her performance. As it was an interclub there wasn't a definite winner. Having a record of 1-1 I explained that even after my win I found a lot of faults with my performance. The fact that she wanted to work on her game and continue to compete is what made her a fighter. And a good one at that. Win or lose you should always take something away from your match. You can always find some way to improve your game, unless maybe if you're Ken Shamrock.
In some ways losing, though disappointing, was in some ways a relief. I realised that aside from my record, nothing much changed; I still was good in some areas and need to work on others, no one shunned me, small children weren't lining up to cain my ass and take my lunch money. In some ways I feel a bit liberated and can now focus on enjoying myself in training instead of getting caught up in the concept of win or lose. Too much emphasis is often put on the hollow concept of winning which can in turn create pressure for yourself or even cause dull fights. There is nothing more boring than watching a fight where someone is being extra cautious to secure a win.
Some of the best fights I've seen are when the victor isn't easily defined as win or lose such as the Paul Taylor v Chris Lytle bout. The fight was fast paced, exciting and it was impossible to really appoint a winner or loser (though I gave it to Taylor). Neither fighter should have left that octagon disappointed with their performance as it was an exciting fight. And there's nothing worse than watching a fight where someone's losing heart and gives up on themselves. When Horn fought Palares it was clear that Palares was winning but Horn stuck in there and carried on regardless which you had to respect and admire. I also had admire Palares for sobbing openly on his entrance and then proceeding to suplex Horn as if he were two weight classes lighter(he is my new hero).
Last year I competed in a grappling tournament and despite losing (I will never get my head round the points system) I was happy with my performance. It was harder explaining that to friends that don't train or compete but fuck it, I also don't think they comprehend how hard it is training, stepping up and facing an opponent either. My favourite bit of advice about this was from Marloes Coenen (I actually saved the email and return to it often for meditation)
"Good luck with your fight, don't panic too much. As I always think it's just a moment in time. You can prepare for months and work really hard, when you have a off day..it's an off day. I have fight a lot of fights when I was really sick and know because of that, that it is a mental game. So if you say to yourself "f*ck it, I'm here anyway so I can better do my best" you will win no mater what of kind of preparation you had. Of course you have to train, but for 80% it's just in your mind."
Outside the Comfort Zone15 Feb 2009 1:32PMLast Friday I took the day off work and headed to Sweden. The Nacka Dojo in Stockholm held their Girls Only Fight Camp. For me it was a great opportunity to train with other women since I normally train almost exclusively with men, to scout for other women training mma and a great way to officially kick off my fight training for the April bout in Denmark. Having had two weeks off with a flu that is making the rounds through the UK and sporting a cold sore which always makes me look like a Victorian prostitute I was dreading being the slowest and least fit with hooker lips to boot. Training in new gyms is always an experience since you're exposed to a different routine, drills and the unknown variable of training partners. Add to that mix foreign language instructors and it is outside of my routine and comfort zone completely. It was especially important for me to do this since being in a fight or competition also takes you out of your comfort zone unless you're Jeremy Horn or Paul Jenkins who have fought so much it does seem routine.
The fight camp was BJJ and judo in the gi for two days and then on Sunday morning no gi submission wrestling. Whenever we had gi BJJ people train at Pancrase London they would always tell me how much different it was to roll in the gi. The worst thing for me was training in the gi. With the heating on and the heavy weight of the gi I felt like I was at a furry convention leading a callisthenics demo. I certainly prefer no-gi myself though love that the gi opens up a whole new set of possibilities with movement, attack & defence.I actually surprised myself and managed okay in sparring, even catching a few subs though was certainly worse for wear by the time we got to the submission wrestling class. And I also met quite a few women training mma who also shared the same troubles of finding opponents or even competitions to help prepare them for fighting pro.
I was thrilled to see several girls at my weight and bigger and even more thrilled no one seemed to notice my hooker lips. There were about 40 girls there from Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norwayand me from the UK. The instructors we had were amazing! I was able to learn under Shanti Abela, Jennifer Guiola Pettersson, Pernilla Ribeiro Novais & Devi Ahujaand. Plus I was able to spar with experienced women my own weight or even bigger. The Nacka Dojo was a really impressive space with a huge matted area, kitchen, men and women's changing rooms and heating (which was actually a mixed blessing).
Events like the Girls Only Fight Camp and even the UWC women's mma trials in Manchester last year were great opportunities to meet other women and benchmark your own level of skill, strength and speed. I only wish there were more events that encouraged women to attend and participate. I am certainly not alone in this desire and hope this is finally the year when women's MMA finally starts to excel and grow. The Nacka Dojo are doing a Summer Camp from 12-16 August for men and women and I am thinking about going though given the summer heat may "forget" my gi in London. For info on the camp, please go to the site; http://www.dynamixfighting.com
As for the fight socks, they were a hit. A lot of the girls that had their toes taped asked after them. They were lightweight and I escaped a heel hook with the same relative ease that I would have bare foot. The only thing I was not so keen on was the sticky dots on the sole were getting rubbed off after 3 days of constant sparring so wrote to the company to see if they could use stronger adhesive or stitch the sticky dots.
The Four Directions04 Feb 2009 9:52PMAlmost any fighter -myself included- will tell you their gym, camp, club, team, dojo, etc. is the best. And in a way each is correct. Whether it's the coaching, the sparring partners, facilities or even the location these factors will speak to each individual fighter and get them through the door. What keeps them there is a combination of support, encouragement and evidence of growth or improvement. My gym is not only where I trained, sparred and drilled endless sprawls, take downs and submissions. It also was a retreat of solace. I could arrive and shed my suit zombie uniform, leave behind the whiny minger on the tube, the messy kitchen, the fears, the doubts, the anger and aggravation of every day and become something else entirely. My mind can focus on my technique, my coach and sparring partner. For those 2 or 3 hours that is all I am responsible to and for.
I often get asked why I fight and as I write this I am struck that this ritual of punishment and renewal is exactly why I fight. It is the light at the end of a tunnel covered in black ice. Of all the disciplines I have practised MMA requires the most dedication, concentration and possibilities. For every sequence or move I mastered, a counter or variation evolves meaning I never stop learning or working. The bond I share with the guys I train with because of or despite the breaks, bruises and sprains are also what make a win all the more rewarding or a loss all the more bearable.
I'm not a particularly sentimental person but as my main fight gym is in the process of moving, I've really been struck by the huge part it plays in my life. I have two other places I train but the bulk of my blood, sweat and vomit has been shed at Pancrase London, my main fight gym. At the end of 2008 the doors closed on what could only be described as Spartan (read rough as fuck) training quarters. It was in a dark, piss stained alley two doors down from a
private S&M club under the train tracks in east London. The new gym boasts a ring, cage, lockers and nice bathrooms but the trade off has been the two month wait. After old gym shut I was struck by the Native American legend about the beginning of the world with the great spirits of the four directions; (this was the closest I could find to the story I read about 15 years ago). Although a lot of us have managed to train at other gyms or sharpen skills in boxing or wrestling or bjj we all seem to be keen for our gym to reopen. Every so often I meet fighters that don't have a particular gym and prefer to train transiently. I can certainly see the argument for mixing it up a bit since you never grow complacent and always learn new things but I am definitely feeling a bit lost without my gym. I have been able to attend and learn loads at a seminar run by Ian Freeman, am flying out to Sweden Friday to attend the Dynamix all women's fight camp at the Nacka Dojo in Stockholm and will get to train at Rosi Sexton's in Manchester next week but still really miss hearing my coach yelling at me as the sweat steams off us like dim sum in the arm pit of London.
In other exciting news my fight socks arrived in the post today!! I found them on eBay purely by chance thanks to having terrible sausage fingers looking for fight shorts. Apparently they are quite new and as of yet I only have seen them on eBay but they are supposed to protect your feet from scrapes, bumps and the fungus whilst on the mat without ever leaving you open game for heel hook enthusiasts (you buggers!!). I will try them out in Sweden and let you know if they live up to their promise.
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