Interview with MMA Fighter Jason High

I was recently fortunate enough to be granted an interview with the great Jason High, a fantastic athlete who has fought for UFC, Affliction, as well as DREAM overseas. Jason is currently looking to overcome his last loss against Charlie Brenneman, which was made by a difficult decision from the judges. Jason offers a unique perspective on fighting and training internationally. He also describes what it's like to come up as an amateur, eventually evolving into his current state as a professional MMA fighter.

How did you get your start in the sport? How long have you been competing?

-I started fighting 4-5 years ago. My first fight was an amateur fight in KC that I got when one of my high school wrestling coaches was fighting and he asked me if I wanted to fight. 

So you started off with classical wrestling, and then later discovered BJJ. What was it like to make that transition?

 -I first discovered Jiu Jitsu in Costa Rica. A friend and I took a semester abroad during college and the instructor saw that we were wrestlers and agreed to let us come to class for free if we agreed to wrestle with him and show him some stuff. It was fun. 

What's your motivation to train? Is there anyone in particular that inspires you?

 -Generally my motivation is to be the best fighter that I can be. I'm not inspired by anyone or anything in particular. But watching sports or life in general can be inspiring: watching my daughter try to walk, for instance. Kids have no fear of failure. She's fallen so many times but she never stays down. That's inspiring. Watching that long ass tennis match the other day was inspiring [referring to the Isner—Mahut match at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships]; mental fortitude at its finest. 

What was the most difficult aspect of training you've encountered?

-I really enjoy training. It's like therapy for me. I'd say the most difficult part is when you're preparing for a fight and you're sore and tired. Just getting out of the house is difficult sometimes. 

What was your hardest victory; your toughest defeat?

 -My hardest victory would be the Galvao fight I think. It was a tough fight, but also a lot of fun. Losing is never fun-- I hate it. I've lost 3 times, and they all sucked. 

You started training others in Costa Rica, what have you gained from that experience?

 -That was really my introduction to MMA and submission grappling. I took to it pretty well, learned quickly. It was an easy transition from wrestling. 

What are the biggest differences in MMA between now and when you first started fighting?

 -For me, when I first started I had 3 jobs and was training when I could, it was more of a hobby. I got into a lot of fights in high school and college so when someone told me I could fight and get paid for it I was pretty excited. In general though I think now a days you see more complete mixed martial artists instead of one trick ponies. 

Do you have any words of advice for young fighters out there?

 Take a lot of amateur fights and get as much fight time as possible. 

Alexia is a lifelong fan of sports and fitness. She is a passionate writer of issues close to her, including mixed martial arts. She is happy to be working with MMA Industries, proud suppliers of MMA training gloves to athletes around the world. Alexia continues to bring you the latest news in the mixed martial arts world on everything from breaking developments to the newest MMA shirts.

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• Martial Arts, MMA, Wrestling, Training