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GeneChing
11-12-2009, 11:12 AM
This is a long interview. I'm just going to cut&paste the Shaolin part. :D


Confessions of a Shopaholic: Dan Hardy talks Mike Swick, Shaolin monks and his affinity for shopping (http://www.examiner.com/x-26337-Mixed-Martial-Arts-Examiner~y2009m11d8-Confession-of-a-Shopaholic-Dan-Hardy-talks-Mike-Swick-Shaolin-Monks-and-his-affinity-for-shopping)
November 8, 11:39 PM

“They (UFC) put the heads on the chopping block and I keep taking them off.”

I’m willing to bet that you wouldn’t think this quote came from a aspiring artist who happens to love to shop, play video games, and train with Shaolin Monks? OK, well maybe the latter.

But that is exactly the way Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy likes it. He likes being unassuming. Forget the colored Mohawk and the vicious striking prowess--this resident of Nottingham, England is a true renaissance man.

Hardy (22-6-1) burst on to the MMA scene at UFC 89 defeating PRIDE FC legend Akihiro Gono in a bloody war that saw the judges award a split decision to the flamboyant Brit. Since that time he has built a steady following of MMA fans, walking that fine line between underground legend and full blown superstar. A line that Hardy walks with immaculate precision. And in an era of “making it rain” at strip clubs and charging for signatures, Dan Hardy prefers to stay in with his girlfriend and take in a movie, or maybe play a little Xbox--all the while taking time out for the people who made him what he is today, the fans. “The Outlaw” is a fighter who likes to stay close to his fans, often times taking time off on the eve of a fight just to say, “thank you“ to the fans who make it all possible--a man who recognizes the importance of “keeping it real.”

In just about a week Hardy will be facing his toughest opponent to date in Mike Swick (14-2), at UFC 105 in Manchester, England. “Quick” Swick is by far the most dangerous opponent Hardy has ever faced, and with a title shot on the line, he is also his most important. In this exclusive Q and A learn what makes Dan tick. What he enjoys doing (shopping?!) in his time off, and just what it was like training with the legendary Shaolin Monks in northern China.

...


(Examiner.com): Well here is what I’ve wanted to personally ask you about for a long time--the Shaolin Monks. How did a lanky kid from Britain get to train with some of the most polarizing figures in the history of Martial Arts. I mean we are talking thousands of years here man. Just talk about how you got there, what happened when you were there, and what you learned.

DH: You know, I get asked about this a lot and I’m actually thinking about writing an article about it with accompanying photographs and stuff. It really was a crazy experience and it’s not something people really expect from me. It’s very different from what other MMA fighters have done in the past as well. The way it came about is, I actually saw a documentary on the Discovery channel about the main Shaolin temple in central China. At the time I was just so into Kung-Fu and the old martial arts movies like, ‘36 Chambers’ and other stuff you know what I mean? I did a lot of research and I found out I wouldn’t be able to go to the main temple in central China because I wasn’t Chinese. So I looked around and managed to find a place that had taken a few monks and opened a temple in northern China where foreign students could come over and train at. So I contacted them and arranged to go over there and train for a couple of months. It was just the craziest and most awesome experience I’ve ever had really--obviously aside from the UFC success. Because it was just crazy, it was like watching a movie you know? Almost to the effect that it was like a movie that I watched and I remember in such crazy detail for it to NOT be a part of my life, do you know what I mean?

(Examiner.com): Oh yeah.

DH: So yeah, I spent a couple of months there and it was just…it was…the first couple of weeks were just really tough. It was the first time I traveled on my own and to be that far away from everything you’ve known was just a real shock to the system and on top of that you have 12 hour training days, 6 days a week. It really just breaks you down physically, and then once that is done you have to struggle with the mental breakdown, and I struggled with that for the first couple of weeks. You know I really didn’t enjoy it and I wanted to leave to be honest. I had long hair when I got there and they shaved it off, and it was just a lot of things changing. I really threw myself into the deep end. After a couple of weeks though, I met a couple of friends and I kind of found my rhythm a little bit and it was just awesome. I met some really good people and I learned a lot of stuff about Kung-Fu and all the philosophies that come with it. More importantly though, I learned a lot about myself and what I could accomplish if I really wanted to and the boundaries of my abilities. I mean I’ve always been pretty tough mentally but when I got there and I woke up on a Wednesday and Thursday and couldn’t bend my legs because my muscles were too tight and sore, and I really had no energy. Then I had to push through 10 more hours of training and then I kind of realized I was more mentally tough than I was giving myself credit for. And I think a lot of that has carried over to my training in MMA--that I’ve got such good work ethic and a lot of self confidence. Because I know that my boundaries are so distant and I have so much to learn.

(Examiner.com): What was your moment? Your breaking moment if you will? Was there one specific event?

DH: That 1st week was a real tough one because I just got there and didn’t know anyone and they had no electricity…it was actually in a castle. It was a temple inside of a castle. So there was no electricity in the whole place and maybe two showers for fifty people. There were rats in the windows and rats in my bed when I slept at night. I just went from comfortable living in England, with central heating and TV, to being in the middle of northern China right by the Mongolian desert, with nothing that I was used to, on top of a mountain, totally out of my element. I mean, we started training at 5 in the morning and if we weren’t up by 5 the monks would come and wake you up…with a stick. That was quite a shock at the time. Then we started the day with a walk, which was all the way down a hill and then back up---something like 460 steps I think, and that was an everyday thing. I mean I was new to it, I thought, “OK, up to the top of steps and then on to Tai Chi and Qigong.” And as we got to the top, my teacher was waiting at the top of the steps for me and I wasn’t really sure why he was there. For the next hour he had us going back up and down the steps. And when your legs gave out, you used your hands and…it was just very, very difficult. After that session, your training would continue until about 8:30 at night and after that I really had just nothing left. It was just a matter of pushing through it because you had no other option, you know what I’m saying? It was either do it or go home, and there was no way I was going to quit. I had set 2 months in my mind and that is what I was going to do. There were just a few times that the physical pain was something I never thought I would experience.

(Examiner.com): Wow, I’m really just blown away. I mean, this was 2002 and you were 18 or 19--hell were are the same age! That’s just insane. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and just from talking to you I can see you have a ton of self determination--so that had to feel pretty good for you when you walked out of that place, accomplishing what you did? It’s safe to say you were a changed man?

DH: Oh without a doubt, yeah. I was a completely different person. If I took those 2 months out of my life, the Dan Hardy that is here today would be a totally different person. First off, I wouldn’t be here talking to you. I wouldn’t be fighting in the UFC. I wouldn’t have traveled as much as I have. I would just have a regular job and be a regular guy drinking every weekend or something. Those few months really helped me focus and recognize just exactly what my existence was. And the years that I have left on this earth, I want to make the most out of them. If anything, that is what I took away from that experience, and to me that is just invaluable and I wouldn’t trade that for the world.

(Examiner.com): Well before we talked I read about this whole thing but I didn’t know the extent. It really is amazing to hear, just to the extent, that this event had on your life.

DH: Yeah, you know it was only a couple of months in my life but it felt like a lifetime. So many lessons learned and so many things gained from it and it was probably the two most important months of my life up until this point.

Now I'm going to steal this for the Shaolin forum. ;)

Jimbo
11-12-2009, 11:40 AM
Good article! But the thread title was a bit misleading...I thought it would be about Mike Swick talking about Shaolin. :)

It's always cool hearing the different experiences that shaped some of the MMA fighters. I especially appreciate those that are open to, and come from or incorporate, training and MA's that differ from the "conventional" systems that make up modern MMA. I think a lot of people might be surprised how some of the top MMA fighters can be open to different MA's. I remember many years ago, Frank Shamrock wrote an article talking about the virtues of tai chi training.

Lucas
11-12-2009, 11:47 AM
thats a great story of martial arts spirit, and how truly important that spirit is in connection with the physical.

GeneChing
11-13-2009, 10:14 AM
If Hardy wins, I'll switch the title. ;)

GeneChing
11-16-2009, 10:34 AM
It was all that Shaolin training, I'm sure of it. ;)

UfC 105 Results: Dan Hardy VS Mike Swick (http://www.ecanadanow.com/sports/2009/11/16/ufc-105-results-dan-hardy-vs-mike-swick/)
Posted by Staff on Nov 16th, 2009

UFC 105 was an exciting event filled with many surprises. Dan Hardy and Mike Swick are known rivals and they did not hide that during their fight. Their extreme dislike of one another was clear from the moment they stepped into the ring. The fighters stared each other down and didn’t even touch gloves. The crowd was in for a great fight.

Dan Hardy was originally supposed to fight Dong Hyun Kim, however he sustained an injury and was unable to participate. This was good new for Hardy. With Kim out of the way it would bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal of meeting the number-one contender Georges St-Pierre in the octogon.

The fight lasted three exciting rounds and seemed to be a very close match. In the end Hardy beat out Swick by unanimous decision, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Hardy admitted that is “was a tough fight” but he did it for England. Hardy has expressed that British fighters are underrated compared to American fighters and he knew that he had to win the fight to prove everyone wrong. Now with another victory under his belt, he is preparing for the fight of his career against GSP

sanjuro_ronin
11-16-2009, 10:42 AM
I really loved that description of the training at the temple.
It reminded me of the "hell week" we used to get in Kyokushin.
A few other systems had those nice and fun initiation tests, designed to make you fail physically but make you stronger mentaly ( if you don't give up) than you've ever been before.
I am sure that mental toughness transfered well when he decided to be a pro fighter.

Jimbo
11-16-2009, 05:52 PM
Hardy had Swick hurt/in trouble a few times during their fight, and never seemed to be in trouble himself. I'm not sure if he's ready to beat GSP yet, but it's going to be a fun fight, nonetheless. Hardy is a perfect example of 'heavy hands!'

Frost
12-21-2009, 02:35 AM
It was all that Shaolin training, I'm sure of it. ;)

Or it could have been all the fight training he did with LSF's you never know :D

GeneChing
03-09-2010, 11:07 AM
Cineplex is doing this in the U.S. too. Of course, I'm rooting for Hardy. We have an exclusive interview with him in our 2010 Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56631) about his training at Shaolin. We hit the newsstands after the fight (4/6/2010) so if he wins, that will be great for our coverage.


March 9, 2010, 10:22 a.m. EST
Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) Debuts Live on Cineplex Entertainment's Big Screens With UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy-Saturday, March 27 (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ultimate-fighting-championshipr-debuts-live-on-cineplex-entertainments-big-screens-with-ufc-111-st-pierre-vs-hardy-saturday-march-27-2010-03-09-1022400?reflink=MW_news_stmp)

TORONTO, ONTARIO, Mar 09, 2010 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- For the first time ever, Canadian fans of the UFC can head to select Cineplex Entertainment /quotes/comstock/11t!cgx.un (CA:CGX.UN 19.04, +0.34, +1.82%) theatres and take in all the action in the Octagon(TM), broadcast live in high-definition on the big screen starting with UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy on Saturday, March 27 at 10:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Pacific.

"We are thrilled to partner with UFC to bring one of the most highly anticipated events to our big screens. UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre is a native of Montreal and a hero to many Canadians. This is going to be an event to remember," said Pat Marshall, Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations, Cineplex Entertainment.

Advance tickets are now available online at www.cineplex.com/events as well as at participating theatre box offices. General admission is $19.95 + taxes.

UFC 111: St- Pierre vs. Hardy features reigning UFC welterweight champion Georges "Rush" St-Pierre vs. British bomber Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy and former heavyweight champion Frank Mir vs. number one contender Shane Carwin for the interim UFC heavyweight title. In addition, moviegoers can watch the entire UFC 111 live card, including welterweights Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves, lightweights Jim Miller vs. Mark Bocek and welterweights Ben Saunders vs. Jake Ellenberger broadcast live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Cineplex Entertainment will present UFC 111 - St-Pierre vs. Hardy at the following theatres:

BRITISH COLUMBIA
----------------
Coquitlam
SilverCity Coquitlam Cinemas, 170 Schoolhouse Street
Kamloops
Cineplex Odeon Aberdeen Mall Cinemas, 700-1320 Trans Canada Highway
Langley
Colossus Langley Cinemas, 20090 91A Avenue
Nanaimo
Galaxy Cinemas Nanaimo, 213-4750 Rutherford Road
Richmond
SilverCity Riverport Cinemas, 14211 Entertainment Way
Victoria
SilverCity Victoria Cinemas, 3130 Tillicum Road
ALBERTA
-------
Calgary
Cineplex Odeon Sunridge Spectrum Cinemas, 400-2555 32nd Avenue
Edmonton
Scotiabank Theatre Edmonton, 8882-170 Street
MANITOBA
--------
Winnipeg
SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas, 817 St. James Street
SASKATCHEWAN
------------
Regina
Galaxy Cinemas Regina, 420 McCarthy Boulevard N
Saskatoon
Galaxy Cinemas Saskatoon, 347 2nd Avenue
ONTARIO
-------
Brampton
SilverCity Brampton Cinemas, 50 Great Lakes Drive
Etobicoke
Cineplex Odeon Queensway Cinemas, 1025 The Queensway
Gloucester
SilverCity Gloucester Cinemas, 2385 City Park Drive
Hamilton
SilverCity Hamilton Mountain Cinemas, 795 Paramount Drive
London
SilverCity London Cinemas, 1680 Richmond Street
Scarborough
Cineplex Odeon Eglinton Town Centre Cinemas, 22 Lebovic Avenue
Toronto
Scotiabank Theatre Toronto, 259 Richmond Street W
Windsor
SilverCity Windsor Cinemas, 4611 Walker Road
Woodbridge
Colossus Vaughan Cinemas, 3555 Highway 7 W
QUEBEC
------
Beauport
Cineplex Odeon Beauport Cinemas, 825 rue Clemenceau
Brossard
Cineplex Odeon Brossard Cinemas, 9350 boul. Leduc
Kirkland
Coliseum Kirkland Cinemas, 3200 rue Jean Yves
Laval
Colossus Laval Cinemas, 2800 rue Cosmodome
Montreal
Scotiabank Theatre Montreal, 977 rue Ste-Catherine O
SilverCity Montreal Cinemas, 4825 ave. Pierre de Coubertin
Rock Forest
Galaxy Cinemas Sherbrooke, 4204 rue Bertrand
OTHER LOCATIONS
BRITISH COLUMBIA
----------------
Abbotsford
Landmark - Towne Centre, 1518 McCallum Road
Fort St. John
Landmark - Aura Cinema Centre, 9600-93 Avenue
Kelowna
Landmark - Grand 10 Kelowna, 940 McCurdy Road
Trail
Royal Theatre Trail, 1597 Bay Avenue
ALBERTA
-------
Fort McMurray
Landmark - Fort McMurray, 10015 Manning Avenue
QUEBEC
------
Granby
Cinema Elysee, 160 rue Simonds Nord
Jonquiere
Cinema Jonquiere, 2445 rue St-Dominique
Lachenaie
Cinema Triomphe, 1100 rue Yves Blais
Saint-Jerome
Carrefour du Nord, 900 rue Grignon
Ste-Adele
Cinema Pine, 24 rue Morin

UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre (fighting out of Montreal, Quebec, 19-2 professional record) has been unstoppable since regaining the title in 2008. The 28-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt holds two career wins a piece over the legendary Matt Hughes and current UFC lightweight champion and former welterweight champion BJ Penn. The 170-pound champ defended his crown most recently against feared striker Thiago Alves at UFC 100 last July, and now St-Pierre makes his fourth title defense against one of the fiercest threats to his crown in UK superstar Dan Hardy.

Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy (fighting out of Nottingham, England, 23-6 1 NC) is unbeaten in the UFC and fresh off wins over Marcus Davis and Mike Swick. A black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a purple belt in Brazilian jiu- jitsu, the brash 27-year-old is looking to extend his seven-fight win streak as he becomes the first British fighter to contend for a UFC title. With 11 wins by KO/TKO and three by submission, the UK fighter with the 4-0 mark in the UFC always looks for the finish.

Winner of four of his last five fights, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir (fighting out of Las Vegas, Nev., 13-4) has put on the necessary muscle and weight to face the biggest challengers in the heavyweight division, and he is refocused on earning back the world title. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt with immensely improved striking, the 30-year-old knocked down feared striker Cheick Kongo at UFC 107 and then proceeded to submit the French contender with a guillotine choke, putting him firmly back in the title picture.

Originally scheduled to face UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, No. 1 contender Shane Carwin (fighting out of Denver, Colo., 11-0) has been on a tear ever since he stepped foot into the Octagon. A former national wrestling champion with dynamite in his fists, Carwin has made quick work of all three of his UFC opponents, finishing Christian Wellisch, Neil Wain and Gabriel Gonzaga within 91 seconds each. Now he takes the next step in his career against Frank Mir.

Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) - www.ufc.com

Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, and headquartered in Las Vegas, Nev., UFC(R) produces over twelve UFC live Pay-Per-View events annually and 30 live arena events around the world. UFC programming is distributed in the United States on Viacom, Inc.'s Spike TV and on Comcast, Inc.'s Versus network. Globally, UFC programming is broadcast in over 130 countries, territories and jurisdictions, reaching 430 million homes worldwide, in 20 different languages. Ancillary businesses now include UFC.com with over 5 million unique visitors per month, the best-selling UFC "Undisputed" videogame franchise distributed by THQ, UFC Gym(TM), UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo(TM) festivals, branded apparel, trading cards, articulated action figures and other media including best-selling DVDs and a U.S. bimonthly magazine.

Ultimate Fighting Championship(R), Ultimate Fighting(R), UFC(R), The Ultimate Fighter(R), Submission(R), As Real As It Gets(R), Zuffa(R), The Octagon(TM) and the eight-sided competition mat and cage design are registered trademarks, registered service marks, trademarks, trade dress and/or service marks owned exclusively by Zuffa, LLC and licensed to its affiliated entities and other licensees in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks referenced herein may be the property of Zuffa, LLC, its affiliates or other respective owners.

Cineplex Entertainment

As the largest motion picture exhibitor in Canada, Cineplex Entertainment LP owns, leases or has a joint-venture interest in 130 theatres with 1,347 screens serving approximately 70 million guests annually. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Cineplex Entertainment operates theatres from British Columbia to Quebec and is the largest exhibitor of digital, 3D and IMAX projection technologies in the country. Proudly Canadian and with a workforce of approximately 10,000 employees, the company operates the following top tier brands: Cineplex Odeon, Galaxy, Famous Players, Colossus, Coliseum, SilverCity, Cinema City and Scotiabank Theatres. The units of Cineplex Galaxy Income Fund, which owns approximately 99.6% of Cineplex Entertainment LP, are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (symbol CGX.UN). For more information, visit www.cineplex.com.

Contacts:
Cineplex Entertainment
Georgia Sourtzis
Manager, Communications
416-323-6728
georgia.sourtzis@cinepelx.com

Cineplex Entertainment
Pat Marshall
Vice President, Communications and Investor Relations
416-323-6648
pat.marshall@cineplex.com

UFC
Jennifer Wenk
United States
702-221-4790 (office)
jwenk@ufc.com

Lucas
03-10-2010, 12:06 PM
Go Dan Hardy!!!!!

Shaolin
03-10-2010, 08:29 PM
http://i117.photobucket.com/albums/o52/Goddhand/riddum.jpg

Frost
03-11-2010, 02:58 AM
although he is about as temple trained as i am got to root for your class mates, go Dan :D

Dragonzbane76
03-11-2010, 04:31 AM
yeah frost i figured you were going to root for him. Although he's going up against one of the best fighters in the world. I like rooting for the underdog. :)

Frost
03-11-2010, 04:46 AM
yeah frost i figured you were going to root for him. Although he's going up against one of the best fighters in the world. I like rooting for the underdog. :)

yep if he can keep it standing he has a real chance...of course thats not exactly easy against GSP who seems to have learned that very valuable lesson, play to your strengths and not your weaknesses (would love to see him stand and trade but i think serra cured him of that little folly:( )

sanjuro_ronin
03-11-2010, 07:02 AM
On any given day, everyone has a chance.
As Frost mentioned, GSP has learned to fight his fight and won't be making too many mistakes.
BUT, he is, at heart , a striker and as much as he likes to grapple now, maybe Dan can sweet talk him into it, who knows?

Frost
03-11-2010, 07:37 AM
On any given day, everyone has a chance.
As Frost mentioned, GSP has learned to fight his fight and won't be making too many mistakes.
BUT, he is, at heart , a striker and as much as he likes to grapple now, maybe Dan can sweet talk him into it, who knows?

i hope he can because i know who i back in a stand up fight... but GSPs camp is very clever...still should make for a fun fight:)

GeneChing
03-17-2010, 09:43 AM
There's so much buzz for this fight. I hope it delivers.

Dan Hardy: I've got nothing to lose as underdog against GSP (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/ufc-and-mma/2010/03/17/dan-hardy-i-ve-got-nothing-to-lose-by-being-underdog-against-gsp-86908-22117822/)
Mar 17 2010 By Iain Hepburn

BRITISH star Dan Hardy insists he's in a no-lose situation when he makes history next weekend as the first UK fighter to land a UFC title fight.

The Nottingham-based MMA fighter will go up against Georges St Pierre early next Sunday morning in Newark, New Jersey - where he will bid to become the first British champion in the fight league's history.

The 27-year-old Brit is unbeaten since making his UFC debut in 2008, but St Pierre's formidable record and reputation has seen him labelled as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world right now.

"I’ve got nothing to lose,” he admitted. "I’m in a situation where I can go and have a good time and be myself and make a fight out of it.

“Marcus Davis was supposed to put me out. Swick was too fast for me. I’ve heard it all the way through my career.

"I’m stepping into this fight a bigger underdog than I’ve been before, which is just going to make me perform even better. I take that pressure and I deal with it better because it raises my game. It forces me to fight better.”

Hardy has made his name with an impressive stand-up game, including a first-round knockout win over Rory Markham last February, but admits going against the well-rounded ground skills of the Canadian would test his ground skills.

"No one’s really been able to force me to a ground game yet and I’m hoping Georges is that guy because I have a lot more to show," he said.

GeneChing
03-22-2010, 03:24 PM
I'm not sure if I'll be able to see the fight live. I'll probably have to catch the replay.

Dan Hardy ready to make history in UFC world title fight against George St Pierre (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/boxingandmma/7499332/Dan-Hardy-ready-to-make-history-in-UFC-world-title-fight-against-George-St-Pierre.html)
When he was studying fine art at Nottingham Trent University, Dan Hardy followed the traditional wisdom that artists should always stick with what they know.
By Jim White
Published: 6:34PM GMT 22 Mar 2010

So Hardy, a black belt in taekwondo who first engaged in martial arts at the age of four, did the following: he hung a large panel of perspex from the ceiling of the university's art studio and alongside it installed a punchbag. He then invited observers to watch as he created the performance part of his piece, which consisted of him subjecting the bag to six hours of non-stop bare knuckle pummelling.

That, though, was not the end of it. As much sweat from his brow, spittle from his throat and blood from his suppurating knuckles as he could collect during his exertions, he smeared across the perspex. He then hung the sheet on the wall of a gallery. As far as modern art goes, not even Tracey Emin could top that.

This week, Hardy's blood, sweat and tears will be shed in more traditional manner. He will become the first Briton to fight for a UFC world title when he takes on Canadian George St Pierre for the welterweight crown.

The Premier League of mixed martial arts, which allows fighters to employ all the skills from wrestling through kickboxing to karate all at the same time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is currently the flavour of the month in pay-per-view television: its last major outing of intense cage fighting attracted 150 million paying customers across the globe.

Even if defeated, Hardy is expected to pick up around £150,000; victory could see him trouser double that. Which is rather more than he ever received for his artistic efforts.

"I know, it sounds a contradiction, a fine art student fighting in UFC," says the 27 year-old, who gave up his degree course to pursue a life in the cage back in 2004. "But I'm not that unusual. Because it's a young sport, the participants are coming at it from all sorts of backgrounds. If they come from wrestling, well that's a very college sport in America. I've fought a maths teacher, one of my sparring partners has a degree in biochemistry; there's a lot of brain in the octagon."

And he doesn't mean splattered across the canvas.

"The difference between a successful fighter and the rest is that the successful fighter is smarter," he adds. "Believe me, the best mixed martial artists are smart fighters."

If Hardy, the fighting artist, who combines sporting a vibrant red Mohawk haircut and a stomach load of tattoos with a keenness for German expressionist art, sends out ambiguous signals, then he is in keeping with his sport.

UFC is innately contradictory. With its arena presentations replete with pounding rock music, hyperbolic commentaries and a huge steel cage as its glowering, fearsome centrepiece, it trades on an unspoken hint of lawless brutality. Yet its participants are anything but street thugs. Successful UFC fighters are predominantly bright men schooled in the disciplines of martial arts.

"Actually, there's not a coincidence there," says Hardy. "I'm a firm believer that the power of the mind can overcome pain. Confidence is so important, and that's entirely a mental construct.

"I trained with Shaolin monks in China and I faced a lot of limitations I had to get over. I got hurt, I got injured, I got tired, but I always came back for more because my brain told me I could overcome it all. It was a mental puzzle I was being asked to solve. You know what they say about jiujitsu? They call it 'physical chess'."

Besides, he adds, it takes a heightened mind to appreciate the sport's subtler attractions.

"It's a very special place," he says of being inside the cage. "Time really does slow down; everything is enhanced, from the smell to the feeling of the canvas under your toes. As the adrenalin pumps, so time slows, so your reactions sharpen. You do have time to think things through. The truth is, in the ring you live a heightened life. Yes, you're frightened. Yes it's terrifying. But people would pay a lot of money if you could bottle the high you get in there."

But some might argue, though, given the urgent requirement of your opponent to separate you from your senses, the intelligent thing would be not to go anywhere near the place.

"No, the opposite," he insists. "You can't really appreciate how good water tastes until you've been dehydrated. It's the same in the ring: you don't know how good life is until you have overcome the fear of facing someone trying to end it for you. You feel like an alpha male in there: strong, dominating, going to a place above the ordinary. I guess going in that ring validates you as a man in a way doing a fine art degree just doesn't."

However incisive his analysis, though, Hardy is not above using his brain for a less elevated purpose. Before his victory over Marcus Davis in Cologne last June, for instance, he engaged in the kind of crafty verbals that would not have looked out of place in the court of Muhammad Ali in his prime.

"I apply the psychological side with mind games," says the Mourinho of the cage. "If you can, before a bout, you try to throw somebody off their game plan. I completely undermined Davis by the way I was in the build-up. There was a lot of trash talking going back and forth. I started it and stirred it, and he responded just as I hoped.

I didn't let it affect me, but it really got to him. He hated me. He came in the cage wanting to kill me and that played into my hands. The one thing you can't be in the cage is angry. Davis is still ****ed off with me. He posted a comment on Twitter the other day saying, 'I hope Hardy catches Aids and dies'. I'm embarrassed for him, to be honest."

But does Hardy himself not feel a little uneasy? Apart from accusing the Irish-American Davis of being "a plastic Paddy" whose website looked like a "St Patrick's Day gift shop blow up," he encouraged his supporters systematically to question Davis's sexuality via the sport's burgeoning internet chatrooms. It was hardly fine art.

"I have no qualms," he says. "It's part of the armoury. You've got to put a distance between reality and tactics. There's a big difference. People try it on me, Davis did, but because I employ it myself, I can spot it. While he got mad, I enjoyed it. It was a game. It was fun."

There has, however, been no repeat of it ahead of Hardy's bout with St Pierre in New Jersey on Saturday night. Largely because, the challenger insists, there would be no point trying it.

"GSP is such a nice guy the only way he'd be cast as a villain was if he were to fight Jesus Christ," he says. "He wouldn't rise to bait like Davis did, so only a fool would waste energy trying. That doesn't mean I haven't got a game plan. People tell me he is invincible. I've never come across anyone I see as invincible. The more I study someone, the more weaknesses I see. From a fan's point of view GSP looks amazing. But it's my job to read the body language, study the moves, make a game plan. I have the plan."

According to those who know their UFC, were Hardy to win this week it would be the equivalent shock of Lloyd Honeyghan defeating Don Curry in 1986, the mouthy British upstart overwhelming the best of his era. And like Honeyghan, ahead of his date with destiny, Hardy sees no reason why he won't succeed.

"The thing that makes a person dangerous is having nothing to lose," he says. "I have nothing to lose. And he has everything."

And if the former art student does win, could there be another work of art in it? "Probably not," he says. "I'll be too busy celebrating."

MasterKiller
03-24-2010, 06:49 AM
TORONTO -- English welterweight Dan (The Outlaw) Hardy's stomach tattoo was airbrushed out of the UFC 111 fight poster because it is "anti-Chinese government stuff," according to UFC president Dana White.

"I'm trying to get into China," he told fans at a question-and-answer session Tuesday. "I don't need anti-Chinese government stuff on my fighters."

Hardy, however, says the tattoo -- the fighter's favourite -- is a Tibetan Buddhist prayer written in Sanskrit.

"It's basically just like a prayer for focus," Hardy said. "It keeps me walking the path that I should be walking without veering off and distracting myself."

Apprised of that explanation, White said: "That's not what I heard."

"This thing popped up and I heard that it was anti-Chinese government, so I ripped that thing off it. I'm not going to put him on a poster with anti-Chinese government writing on it when we're trying to get into China. . . . I don't what this stuff means, so I've got to be safe."

Hardy challenges Canadian Georges St-Pierre for his UFC welterweight title Saturday at UFC 111 in Newark, N.J.

sanjuro_ronin
03-24-2010, 06:53 AM
What does it say?

MasterKiller
03-24-2010, 07:02 AM
What does it say?

Maybe "o mani padme hum"?

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/articlefiles/5238-HardyGarcia_646_CWRH5.jpg

http://krypton.mnsu.edu/~spiral/MRTweb/webart/ArtWrx/OmManiPadmeHum.gif

GeneChing
03-24-2010, 10:12 AM
Here's something equally funny to me.


Must See: Dan Hardy Training with the Shaolin Monks (http://thegarv.com/Must-See-Dan-Hardy-Training-with-the-Shaolin-Monks.html)
Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:35 | Written by Dallas Winston

Don't let the levity of the photoshop above skew the fascinating truth of this story.

For anyone who hasn't watched the "UFC Primetime" series featuring Dan Hardy and Georges St. Pierre and their impending collision at UFC 111 on March 27, a segment of the show is posted after the jump in which Hardy divulges that he journeyed to north China at a young age to take in two months of isolated training with the one and only Shaolin Monks, complete with home video footage.

I would say that this is clearly the most cogent piece of evidence to refute Georges St. Pierre's statement that Dan Hardy is not a martial artist.

http://thegarv.com/images/stories/Dan_Hardy_Training_with_Monks2.jpg

Frost
03-24-2010, 10:27 AM
I really can’t understand GSP’s comment, I mean hardy has a black belt in TKD and a back ground in Thai, has trained in china and has a BJJ purple belt (ok so it’s with Eddie Bravo so doesn’t mean that much but it still just about counts) what else does he have to do to be a martial artist?!

Lucas
03-24-2010, 10:37 AM
beating other martial artists asses apparently doesnt count either....

GeneChing
03-24-2010, 02:31 PM
jibengong sweep
http://www.shrani.si/f/19/wB/1MGzCKEn/har-3.gif
Line of palm strikes
http://www.shrani.si/f/l/Ue/UcSJG1Q/hardy-1111.gif
wubuquan variation
http://www.shrani.si/f/3o/rQ/3H1zytTL/hardy-444.gif
concluding sequence
http://www.shrani.si/f/5/sF/Vx8kkTK/har333.gif

If Hardy can take out GSP with one of these moves, it would be way up there with Gisele Bundchen endorsing kung fu to keep her figure after pregnancy (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showpost.php?p=999674&postcount=109). :p


Event Date: 03/27/2010 UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy (http://www.ncm.com/Fathom/Sports/event/UFC_PierrevsHardy.aspx)

EVENT OVERVIEW
NCM Fathom and Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) are making history by teaming up for the first time to present UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy LIVE in over 300 movie theaters nationwide on Saturday, March 27 when UFC welterweight champion Georges “Rush” St-Pierre takes on Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, and former heavyweight champion Frank Mir goes for the interim UFC heavyweight title against Shane Carwin. Both world titles will be on the line in this one-night event broadcast LIVE from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey at 10:00 p.m. ET/ 9:00 p.m. CT/ 8:00 p.m. MT/ 7:00 p.m. PT. Experience the action alongside other UFC fans as the entire Pay Per View event, through the co-main events are shown LIVE like never before – larger than life in high-definition on the big screen.

TICKETS
Tickets on sale NOW! Enter your zip code above to purchase tickets for the event in a movie theater near you. Limited seats available – buy your tickets early!

Participating theatres. Please check back often as additional theatre locations may be added.

EVENT DETAILS
Two world titles will be on the line for the first time in 2010 when the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC®) returns to the East Coast. UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been unstoppable since regaining the title in 2008, and he aims on extending his reign and his six fight winning streak against British bomber Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy, who is unbeaten in the UFC. Also, former two-time heavyweight champion Frank Mir will attempt to make history when he squares off against number one contender Shane Carwin in a clash of the titans that will leave the winner with the interim UFC heavyweight championship belt.

Fighters throughout the country will be hosting the evening with Q&A, autograph and other fan sessions at select movie theatre locations. Check back often as new fighters are being confirmed.

UFC 111: St-Pierre vs. Hardy LIVE, Saturday, March 27th in Select Movie Theatres Nationwide.

Lucas
03-24-2010, 03:06 PM
hey thats cool with the movie theater thing.

goju
03-24-2010, 03:35 PM
I really can’t understand GSP’s comment, I mean hardy has a black belt in TKD and a back ground in Thai, has trained in china and has a BJJ purple belt (ok so it’s with Eddie Bravo so doesn’t mean that much but it still just about counts) what else does he have to do to be a martial artist?!

i didnt like how hardy whipped out the tkd and kf training in that episode

its obvious he still doesnt keep up his tkd training look how long ago he started it and hes onlya 1st degree?and he only did two months of kung fu

Lucas
03-24-2010, 03:37 PM
i didnt like how hardy whipped out the tkd and kf training in that episode

its obvious he still doesnt keep up his tkd training look how long ago he started it and hes onlya 1st degree?and he only did two months of kung fu

i did wing chun for 5 months....does that mean i'm a wing chun guy now?

GeneChing
03-24-2010, 04:30 PM
I'm just happy to hear of someone coming from something other than BJJ and MT. ;)

If you trained Wing Chun on the rooftops of Hong Kong for that time, Lucas, that would definitely be something to add to your martial vitae. Two months training at Shaolin is pretty intense, certainly not something to just pass off as trivial.

goju
03-24-2010, 05:12 PM
i did wing chun for 5 months....does that mean i'm a wing chun guy now?
i personally believe youre a stylist of a certain art when youve been at it an kept it up for years

Frost
03-25-2010, 08:15 AM
i didnt like how hardy whipped out the tkd and kf training in that episode

its obvious he still doesnt keep up his tkd training look how long ago he started it and hes onlya 1st degree?and he only did two months of kung fu

he has alot more tkd than kung fu in his background, but he is all thai and BJJ now, of course a different angle sure helps the marketing process, but thats all it is trust me he is about as much a kung fu guy as tyson is

Frost
03-25-2010, 08:17 AM
I'm just happy to hear of someone coming from something other than BJJ and MT. ;)

If you trained Wing Chun on the rooftops of Hong Kong for that time, Lucas, that would definitely be something to add to your martial vitae. Two months training at Shaolin is pretty intense, certainly not something to just pass off as trivial.

Sorry but his background is thai and BJJ (with some TKD when he was younger), unless rough house and LSF have suddenly started teaching shaolin...its a nice marketing gimic though

And when all he actually uses is BJJ and Thai in the cage and no kung fu, and kung fu is nowhere near his camp when its fight prep time, then you can pass it off as just marketing

Lucas
03-25-2010, 08:59 AM
i personally believe youre a stylist of a certain art when youve been at it an kept it up for years

dang i guess i shoulda added a smirky face. :rolleyes:

:p

GeneChing
03-25-2010, 09:33 AM
I guess you missed my ;).

Hardy spent two months at Shaolin. That's enough for me. Few people here have done that. Does that mean he'll take Shaolin into the Octogon? Not likely. Nevertheless, two months at Shaolin make for some great character building. And if there's one weapon you must take into the cage, it's character. ;)

You can read all about it - directly from Dan himself - in Dan Hardy: An Outlaw in Shaolin Temple by Melissa Leon-Guerrero Do, in our latest issue, the May June 2010 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56633), which is being shipped now.

Lucas
03-25-2010, 09:45 AM
its all about impact. mentally and emotionally his time shaolin had an effect on him that helped give him the will to enter the cage. may not be shaolin wushu hes bringing, but definately a part of shaolin spirit has fought with him. oh ya, and marketing. :D

GeneChing
03-25-2010, 10:12 AM
...but society is to blame.

I hope Hardy wins mostly because I want this issue to sell well. I want every issue to sell well. It's all about promoting CMA (and keeping myself gainfully employed). :o

David Jamieson
03-28-2010, 10:40 AM
...but society is to blame.

I hope Hardy wins mostly because I want this issue to sell well. I want every issue to sell well. It's all about promoting CMA (and keeping myself gainfully employed). :o

You have to start working the shaolin angle somehow with GSP I guess. :p

maybe offer him a trip and some training? Run a raffle? I don't know, but nobodies taking GSP out just yet.

GeneChing
03-29-2010, 09:15 AM
At least he went the distance. And Hardy is young. He'll have other chances...

There's interview video on this - follow the link.

Updated: March 28, 2010, 9:06 PM ET
St. Pierre unhappy with performance (http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=5035164)
By Franklin McNeil
For ESPN.com
Hardy On UFC 111 Loss To St. Pierre
UFC welterweight Dan Hardy looks back on his unanimous decision loss Saturday to champion Georges St. PierreTags: Mixed Martial Arts


NEWARK, N.J. -- On a night when he again proved to be the best 170-pound mixed martial artist, Georges St. Pierre was not a happy man.

He manhandled Dan Hardy to retain his UFC welterweight title Saturday at the Prudential Center, repeatedly taking down the challenger. St. Pierre nearly submitted Hardy on a couple of occasions en route to a lopsided unanimous decision.

It was an easy fight to score: The judges had St. Pierre winning by margins of 50-44, 50-43 and 50-45. ESPN scored it 50-44 for St. Pierre.

It wasn't so easy for St. Pierre. "I'm not happy about my performance," the Canadian said. "I wanted to finish, to have a clean win.

"This fight will not be remembered. I want to win my fights in beautiful fashion."

At no time did Hardy, 23-7-0 (one no-contest), pose a danger to St. Pierre. Even during stand-up exchanges, which were rare, St. Pierre used jabs or kicks to keep Hardy off balance and set up takedowns.

Wherever the action took place, St. Pierre was in total control. It was a performance just about any other fighter would have found satisfying, but not St. Pierre.

His goals entering this fight were to put on a mixed martial arts clinic and end the session early. He failed to accomplish either at UFC 111.

St. Pierre had a couple of opportunities to end this fight in beautiful fashion and send the sellout crowd of 17,000 home early. One of those opportunities came in the fourth round, when he caught Hardy in a kimura.

The hold was tight, and pain was etched all over Hardy's face. It appeared that unless Hardy tapped, his arm would snap.

Hardy refused to quit, however, and eventually escaped. He got to his feet briefly, but St. Pierre easily took him down again. Seconds later, the round ended.

His inability to finish Hardy eliminated any satisfaction that St. Pierre might have garnered from his 20th professional win. (He has only two losses.) Technical errors by St. Pierre put the result of this fight in judges' hands.

A true mixed martial artist finishes what he sets out to accomplish in a cage. St. Pierre, a self-described martial artist, failed to meet his goals.

"I tried sometimes to power out of some armbars and kimuras and forgot the technical elements of it," St. Pierre said. "Sometimes those little details make the difference.

"When I had the kimura, I made a mistake, a technical mistake. The armbar was not as tight as it should be."

St. Pierre did not perform better in this fight than in his previous bout -- a unanimous decision win over Thiago Alves at UFC 100 in July 2009. Each fight, St. Pierre is driven to perform better than before -- it's a battle he wages with himself. Against Hardy, he lost that personal battle.

"I won, but I did not beat the performance of my last fight," he said.

On the other hand, Hardy has a newfound respect for St. Pierre. And despite the disappointment of falling short, he remains upbeat.

"I can see why he is the champion. He is a very strong athlete," said Hardy, who suffered his first loss in UFC. "I wasn't quite there tonight, but I will be back."

Hardy was beaten easily and booed by those in attendance in the later rounds, but he gained respect afterward for not quitting. Although his physical limitations were well documented, his never-say-die attitude was never more visible than against St. Pierre.

Hardy took his lumps but never wilted. He gave everything he had in his limited arsenal, including that no-quit mentality.

"One thing I do have above everything else -- I might lack technicality, I might lack strength -- there is no quit in me," Hardy said. "I don't give up. … I don't know the meaning of 'tap.'"

He appreciated the smallest of victories, like surviving that fourth-round kimura. However, simply going the distance with the champion won't cut it in UFC. If Hardy plans to seriously contend for the 170-pound title, he must develop a takedown defense.

"Dan Hardy came in to fight the best 170-pound fighter in the world," UFC president Dana White said. "When you show up to fight [St. Pierre], you better have some takedown defense.

"I think Dan Hardy has a great future. He has a big hole in his game, and that's his takedown defense. … Dan needs to work on his wrestling."

Hardy likely will return to Nottingham, England, to work on defending takedowns. St. Pierre, meanwhile, already has begun fine-tuning his game.

Immediately after leaving the cage with his belt, St. Pierre conversed with his trainers to find out what he did wrong. He got the answers, but none improved his spirits.

Being a mixed martial artist is a way of life for St. Pierre, physically and mentally. He made several technical errors against Hardy, and they spoiled his evening.

St. Pierre is now on a mission to have a clean win the next time he steps inside the Octagon. If he succeeds, he will again be a happy man.

There's Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, I suppose...;)

David Jamieson
03-29-2010, 09:59 AM
At least he went the distance. And Hardy is young. He'll have other chances...

There's interview video on this - follow the link.


There's Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro, I suppose...;)

It wouldn't hurt to have GSP in your magazine, even if the connection has to be made with mma, his MT background. Maybe there's something in his life that made him admire the shaolin way. I mean, I don't know a single martial artist anywhere who hasn't heard of Shaolin and doesn't think taht at one time, those monks were the baddest asses there ever was. :)

Couldn't hurt to call him up. I know he enjoys traditional stuff. :D

goju
03-29-2010, 04:12 PM
i wasnt suprised hardy lossed at all

darn i should be a betting man i woudl havemade some good money off of these fights

Siu Lum Fighter
03-30-2010, 03:56 PM
Too bad. I wanted to see Hardy win just 'cause he's representin' tradition CMA's. I guess he should have studied the real Shaolin (Bei Shaolin, aka Bak Siu Lum ;)). I have to admit I've always admired GSP though. I'd love to see a fight between him and Anderson Silva. Now that would be a clash of the titans!

Frost
03-31-2010, 02:23 AM
Too bad. I wanted to see Hardy win just 'cause he's representin' tradition CMA's. I guess he should have studied the real Shaolin (Bei Shaolin, aka Bak Siu Lum ;)). I have to admit I've always admired GSP though. I'd love to see a fight between him and Anderson Silva. Now that would be a clash of the titans!

i think he was reping traditional TKD and thai more, i am sure his 2 months in shaolin had an effect on him but it was more spiritual than anything to do with fighting or training (he is in fact very religious)

Silva would negate two of GSPs best weapons, his strength and ground game, silva walks aroundabout 220 i believe and its all muscle he would be too big for GSP (and if henderson had trouble taking him down and holding him down then GSP would have fits)

goju
03-31-2010, 02:39 AM
i am sure his 2 months in shaolin had an effect on him but it was more spiritual than anything to do with fighting or training (he is in fact very religious)


GASP!!!!! i thought i was the only one who believed this lol

yeesh i wandered over to sherdog a while back and posted this ina thread and it got jumped on and attacked for pages on end:rolleyes::D

Frost
03-31-2010, 02:42 AM
GASP!!!!! i thought i was the only one who believed this lol

yeesh i wandered over to sherdog a while back and posted this ina thread and it got jumped on and attacked for pages on end:rolleyes::D

well if it had any impact on him it would have been mental/spiritual, i have never chatted to him about his time their so not too sure how big an impact it was, but i have sen his fight prep and it has nothing to do with CMA:D

goju
03-31-2010, 02:45 AM
well if it had any impact on him it would have been mental/spiritual, i have never chatted to him about his time their so not too sure how big an impact it was, but i have sen his fight prep and it has nothing to do with CMA:D

yeah that was obvious just watching the countdown episodes lol

and like has been said its only two months you arent going to able to use much of a style in that little of time

sanjuro_ronin
03-31-2010, 06:08 AM
I remember my training at the Kodokan and at the HQ of Kyokushin, it was quiet awesome in the mental sense.
Technique wise, well, you get better because you are training everyday and hours and hours and training with top level people, but you don't actually learn anything "new" per say, well, that's not true, you learn more about YOURSELF.

GeneChing
03-31-2010, 09:20 AM
I could cite the old 'East is East, West is West' but there's an intrinsic problem with that because in order to understand it, you must observing from either an eastern or western perspective so it ultimately falls flat.

CMA is all about spirit. That's the key of qi, which is the essence of CMA. Spirit is really the best translation of the word qi as long as you discard any religious baggage. You can lack spirit and be a good soldier/fighter, but to be a successful martial artists, it's a requirement. To be a successful CMAtist, you must have qi.

Okay, I confess, that's pretty taiji woo-woo, even for me, but you'll all really have to engage our upcoming article on Dan Hardy to stay in this discussion. That's our Subscribers (http://www.martialartsmart.com/19341.html) should be receiving their issues starting now. The March April 2010 (Shaolin Special) (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56631)drops on the newsstands next week.

Siu Lum Fighter
03-31-2010, 07:33 PM
originally posted by Frost
Silva would negate two of GSPs best weapons, his strength and ground game, silva walks aroundabout 220 i believe and its all muscle he would be too big for GSP (and if henderson had trouble taking him down and holding him down then GSP would have fits)
Oh, I forgot, Silva was never a welterweight. I thought he fought welterweights in Pride though. If GSP and Silva could both get to 180 lbs they could fight. Then we'd see some action!

GeneChing
03-10-2011, 10:55 AM
We covered Dan in our 2010 Shaolin Special: Dan Hardy: An Outlaw in Shaolin Temple By Melissa Leon-Guerrero Do

Shaolin represented in UFC! ;)

Our 2011 Shaolin Special (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=59604) is now at print! Subscribe now (http://www.martialartsmart.com/19341.html) for special 'subscriber only' inserts.


Shaolin torture was the making of me, says Dan Hardy (http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/notw/nol_sport/1240183/Shaolin-torture-was-the-making-of-me-says-Dan-Hardy.html)
By Steve Lillis
March 10, 2011

DAN HARDY was a 20-year-old art student when he spent two months being put through mental and physical torture by Shaolin monks.

After 48 hours at a ramshackle castle in Northern China close to the Mongolian desert, he was struggling to walk or raise his arms and surviving on portions of rice.

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00235/ufc_hardy_05_619x40_235065a.jpg
Dangerous Dan... Hardy is fired up for his meeting with Anthony Johnson in Seattle Dangerous Dan...

Hardy is fired up for his meeting with Anthony Johnson in Seattle His body would be put to the test for 12 hours a day, before collapsing into a deep sleep in a rat-infested room.

"I got hurt, I got injured, I got tired but I always came back for more because my brain told me I could overcome it all," recalled Hardy about that trip in the summer of 2002.

Hardy, 28 will draw on the mental strength he discovered then when he bids to earn a vital win against Anthony Johnson at UFC Fight Night 24 in Seattle on March 26.

The punk rock-loving welterweight said: "I was a fan of old school kung fu movies and went to live that life training with a bunch of monks and a few foreign guys.

"It made me as mentally strong as I am today because of what I had to do there.

"I pretty much lived on rice. In the morning you would eat rice with boiled eggs, lunch and evening meals was rice with steamed vegetables.

"It was very basic but what you need to get through a day of training.

"I slept on a metal frame bed with wooden slats, my pillow was a bag of rice, the bedroom window had no glass and there were rats under the bed.

"I was training so hard that the lack of comforts didn't matter. I was so tired I would have slept on a washing line.

"We would rise at 5am and if you didn't the monks would wake you with a stick. We would start every morning running or walking up 460 steps where your legs would give way. You would use hands.

"Straight after that were tai chi and breathing lessons for internal strength and mental focus.

The boundaries I had set and limitations I thought I had, I'd surpassed within a couple of weeks of being there

"Breakfast, followed by stance training and body conditioning. You could sleep for an hour after lunch before weapon and combat training."

"I did quite a bit of sparring in the evening. There were a couple of other British guys there who were keen on boxing so we would beat the hell out of each other."

It was a different to home town Nottingham and studying art at Trent University, but the man hoping to be Britain's first UFC champ wouldn't have it any other way.

He added: "After two days I was struggling to walk, my legs were sore and I couldn't lift my arms up because I was so worn out.

"At that point you can't rely on your physical fitness and conditioning because it is all about applying yourself when you're at your lowest.

"The boundaries I had set and limitations I thought I had, I'd surpassed within a couple weeks of being there.

"If that period hadn't happened in my life I would not be in the UFC. I would be a regular guy working and going out drinking at weekends.

"It was the two most important months of my life up until this point."

Hardy started last year as one of MMA's rising stars. His stock increased after lasting the five-round distance with Georges St Pierre in a title fight last March.

A stunning first-round KO defeat against Carlos Condit at UFC 120 crushed his reputation despite many considering him to be Britain's best MMA fighter.

Beating Johnson may lead to a Condit return and he added: "I had fought the best in GSP to a decision and didn't see what Condit had that could hurt me.

"I would fight Condit at the drop of a hat. If I fought him 10 times I would win nine times.

"The thing that annoys me is that he thinks he is better than me because he has that win. I need to get back to him and let him know that he is not."

Hardy is slated to fight Anthony Johnson in Ultimate Fight Night 24 on March 26 in Seattle.

GeneChing
03-29-2011, 09:31 AM
Mon Mar 28 11:22am EDT
You tell us: Should the UFC keep Dan Hardy? (http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/You-tell-us-Should-the-UFC-keep-Dan-Hardy-?urn=mma-wp715)
By Maggie Hendricks

Despite sustaining his third loss at Ultimate Fight Night 24 -- often the death knell for a career in the UFC -- Dan Hardy still has the confidence of UFC boss Dana White. After Saturday's fights, White had this to say about Hardy's future employment:

"Not necessarily," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "We'll have to wait and see. I [expletive] love that kid."

Apparently, love will keep them together. But considering the competitive nature of the UFC, and the fact that some fighters get cut after just one loss, White's stance is surprising. After looking at both sides, you tell us: Would you cut Dan Hardy?

Yes: Three losses is unacceptable at this elite level of MMA. Sure, one was in a title shot against Georges St. Pierre, but since then he's been taken out by Carlos Condit and Anthony Johnson. He also has not improved in wrestling since coming to the UFC, and lost to both GSP and Johnson because of it. In fact, his last big, convincing win was a KO of Rory Markham more than two years ago.

No: Hardy makes fights fun. From the pre-fight trash talk right down to his mohawk and interplay with Bruce Buffer during introductions, you look forward to watching Hardy fight. He also brings in a fanbase from the UK. The man can sell a fight, and let's face it, the UFC is in the business to make money. Why would they cut such a valuable commodity?

He's calling out Chris Lytle now. If he can get that fight and win, he's back in the game. If not, maybe he needs to go back to Shaolin.

goju
03-29-2011, 09:44 AM
hopefully shaolin can help him with his tdd :D

honestly he should be cut its going to be obvious by now the guys grappling is horrible so everyone in his division is going to prey on that like sharks smelling blood in the water

GeneChing
08-15-2011, 10:16 AM
Hardy better win the next one...for the honor of Shaolin! ;)

Dan Hardy: The Shaolin Punk (http://www.heavy.com/mma/ufc/2011/08/dan-hardy-the-shaolin-punk/)
Author: Duane Finley
3 days ago

Welterweight Dan Hardy shot to title contention on the strength of a powerful left hook and razor sharp wit, but “The Outlaw” now has his back against the wall after losing three straight fights. Most fighters in his position go back to the drawing board, but the headstrong Brit has chosen to evolve his game rather than rebuild it.

“I think because I started at such a young age and have trained in so many styles, I have a system of training that I know works for me. I can make my training sessions more focused and cut down on the unnecessary stuff that I don't need to add to my game. I also have a lot of techniques that I have drilled into my brain at a young age I can draw on to catch my opponent off guard.”

This Sunday night at UFC on Versus 5, Hardy will face slugger Chris Lytle in the card’s main event. While Lytle is also coming off a recent setback, the Indianapolis native has made his name as a fighter that never quits and always shows up to fight. Those attributes have Hardy excited to mix it up.
 
“Fights can get very boring when one guy is playing it very safe and not trying to take the fight from their opponent. In order to beat an opponent within the distance, usually you have to at least expose yourself a little and some people don't want to take that risk. Chris isn't that kind of guy and he will try to take the fight from me, and that will give me the opportunity to take the fight from him. Neither of us are scared of taking risks and that is what makes this fight so exciting.”

While Hardy’s striking is considered to be among the best in the division, his seeming lack of ability to stop takedowns have garnered criticism. To remedy this part of his skill set he has made a change in his training camp, splitting time between Las Vegas and England. The results have him confident he’ll be prepared, no matter where the fight takes place.
 
“I feel awesome right now…the move to Vegas was a smart choice and I really see it paying off come fight night. Roy Nelson has put a lot of time into me and my camp has taken on quite a different structure, which gives me a very fresh outlook on my career. It was time to change things up and put myself in a different situation to force some self evolution.”

“It really doesn't matter to me,” Hardy elaborated about the matchup with Lytle. “But it’s not about whether the fight goes to the ground or not. I have seen many boring striking fights. It’s the intention of the fighter that matters. The equivalent to the lay and pray fighter is the striker that doesn't engage. If the fighter comes to fight, no matter where the fight goes it will be exciting. Chris is an aggressive and active fighter at every range so it doesn't matter where the fight happens.”

As Hardy continues to refine and progress his grappling skills, he compares the challenge to the work he has invested to become a powerful striker.

“I think years spent hitting bags and pads develops an ability to land shots with speed and power that can't be earned over a short period of time. On the other hand, years of drilling in wrestling and jiu-jitsu makes it second nature, but there are a lot of techniques in both styles that aren't suitable for MMA, whereas striking is a lot more straight forward and usable in the Octagon."

“The Shaolin Punk thing is in reference to my training and mindset of a few years ago, when I was out in China training with the monks. After my last fight I spent some time on my own, thinking over my journey through martial arts and remembering what I have put myself through to get to where I am. The time I spent in China was tough both physically and mentally, but I made some real progress while I was there, not only as a martial artist but as a person. Reminding myself of those struggles reminds me how to dig deep during training and what it takes to get better.

Hardy also let his fans know what to expect when he steps into the octagon this weekend in Milwaukee.
 
“The fans are going to see The Shaolin Punk! The Mixed Martial Outlaw, the guy that comes for a war and doesn't take a backward step.”

Brule
08-15-2011, 11:13 AM
Hardy better win the next one...for the honor of Shaolin! ;)

While Hardy’s striking is considered to be among the best in the division, his seeming lack of ability to stop takedowns have garnered criticism. To remedy this part of his skill set he has made a change in his training camp, splitting time between Las Vegas and England. The results have him confident he’ll be prepared, no matter where the fight takes place.

He clearly needs to work on his Ma Bu. :D

Frost
08-30-2011, 11:00 AM
While Hardy’s striking is considered to be among the best in the division, his seeming lack of ability to stop takedowns have garnered criticism. To remedy this part of his skill set he has made a change in his training camp, splitting time between Las Vegas and England. The results have him confident he’ll be prepared, no matter where the fight takes place.

He clearly needs to work on his Ma Bu. :D

thats what you get if your main sparring partners are all mainly stand up guys....and you mainly train BJJ in the states, personally i think paul daley had the best idea: go get a wrestling coach to teach you take down defences...i think he could have gone far in the ufc...shame he didnt stop hitting koscheck when the bell ended :eek:

Lucas
08-30-2011, 11:28 AM
i dont like koscheck, i can see why he didnt stop hitting him :p

unrelated but it thot it was hillarious when gsp destroyed koscheck with 3 rounds of jabs haha

sanjuro_ronin
08-30-2011, 11:32 AM
i dont like koscheck, i can see why he didnt stop hitting him :p

unrelated but it thot it was hillarious when gsp destroyed koscheck with 3 rounds of jabs haha

Don't you hate when you something as silly as a jab takes you apart?
Especially when your mouth was writting chq's that the little old jab just wouldn't let you cash :D

Frost
08-30-2011, 11:32 AM
i dont like koscheck, i can see why he didnt stop hitting him :p

unrelated but it thot it was hillarious when gsp destroyed koscheck with 3 rounds of jabs haha

if koscheck had said to me what he is reported to have said to paul...well id probably still be hitting him................

Lucas
08-30-2011, 02:52 PM
lol seriously. got to love it when guys get put in their place.

GeneChing
05-29-2012, 09:50 AM
I was away from TVs over Memorial Day Weekend. Sounds like this fight went well with both this and Roy Nelson (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=63759)'s results. :cool:

HOTSHOT HARDY DOWNS DUANE (http://www.dailystar.co.uk/inthering/view/253819/Hotshot-Hardy-downs-Duane/)

There have been some moans that Hardy had retained his place in the UFC

29th May 2012
By Steve Lillis

DAN HARDY has saved his UFC career following a sensational first round KO of fellow big hitter Duane ‘Bang’ Ludwig.

The Nottingham cage ace faced the sack had he lost to the American at last weekend’s UFC 146, but a spine-chilling left hook ended it in just 235 seconds.

Hardy’s demolition job in Las Vegas earned him a £45,000 ‘Knockout of the Night’ bonus and the promise of a fight when the UFC lands in his home town later this year.

Hardy, 30, said. “You can put all the work in and if it goes wrong for 15 minutes, then none of it matters.

“I’ve had a bad run. I took some time off, and then I changed everything. New team, new training.

“It feels great. When you connect with the right shot, you know it’s over. “I put my arms up in celebration a little prematurely, but when he looked back up, I wasn’t going to let it slip away. So I went in and got the finish.”

There have been some moans that Hardy had retained his place in the UFC.

Three straight losses usually see you chopped from the roster, but the backing of President Dana White looks justified.

When Hardy lost in a welterweight title challenge against Georges St Pierre in March 2010, he was still being tipped for the very top.

But inside-the-distance setbacks against Carlos Condoit, Anthony Johnson and Chris Lytle saw him kept on, although relegated to the undercard leg of the show.

Punk rocker Hardy shifted his base to Las Vegas and joined the team of Frank Mir, who failed in his heavyweight title bid against Junior dos Santos the MGM Grand show on Saturday.

Hardy added: “I can’t watch those last three losses. I have no real connection with the person I’m watching. I don’t feel I was 100 per cent myself at that point.”

It had been two-and-a-half years since Hardy’s last victory and he admitted growing tired of cage fighting.

He added: “I stepped into the cage for the first time in a long time with a 100 per cent confidence I was going to win.

“And that brings a whole new level of excitement to being there. I’ve needed to go through this to appreciate the work that I’ve put in.”

Liverpool’s Paul Sass also picked up a £45,000 bonus at UFC 146, winning ‘Submission of the Night’ for his triangle armbar on Jacob Volkmann.

Sass, 23, can expect a step up in class when the UFC heads to Nottingham.

GeneChing
10-09-2014, 09:06 AM
I had lost track of Dan. Nice to hear he's keeping busy.


Morning Report: Hoping for a 2015 return at lightweight, Dan Hardy would like to teach Diego Sanchez a lesson in martial arts (http://www.mmafighting.com/2014/10/8/6943673/morning-report-ufc-dan-hardy-diego-sanchez-dana-white-conor-mcgregor-georges-st-pierre-mma-news)
By David St. Martin @SaintMMA on Oct 8 2014, 8:00a
http://cdn0.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/41245622/112gspvshardy.0_standard_709.0.jpg
Esther Lin, MMA Fighting

Sidelined since being diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome in 2012, UFC welterweight turned commentator Dan Hardy plans to return to fighting in 2015.

"I'm looking at getting cleared the beginning of next year," Hardy told MMAnytt. "I've spoken to a few doctors and it's looking positive. I don't see a reason why I wouldn't get cleared to fight, so now, really, it's just about getting back into training camp. Getting back into the groove of preparing for a fight."

Training every day, Hardy says his new physique more closely resembles the one he enjoyed prior to joining the UFC in 2008.

"When I was fighting at 170 [pounds] I was walking around 215," said Hardy. "Although I was a big, strong athlete in the weight class I was never as quick and agile as I used to be. That was my fighting style. I'm not a power puncher. My skill is speed, being a technician and just being better than my opponent. I feel like when I joined the UFC I got away from that."

Frustrated by the two-year layoff due to the rare heart disorder, Hardy wants two to three more fights before shifting his focus entirely to commentating.

"My natural weight has leveled out to about 178," said Hardy. "Even if I go back to fight at welterweight I wouldn't be a great deal bigger than I am now. I think lightweight would be a great challenge for me. I think there are a lot of good fighters at that weight class, a lot of good kick boxers so I could have some good fights."

One man Hardy has already set his sights on is Diego Sanchez. Scoring just a pair of controversial split decision wins over Takanori Gomi and Ross Pearson, Sanchez claims a shaky 2-3 record dating back to 2012.

"He's always kind of irritated me," Hardy said of Sanchez. "I like Diego, I respect him and I forgive him for his strangeness, but in my opinion he's kind of the problem with mixed martial arts. He started off as a really good fighter and he's just slowly gotten worse throughout his career. That is the opposite to how martial artists should develop.

"He's discarded technique, he's discarded logic and intelligence and he's gone with hard-headedness and blocking punches with his face. That is not a good example for future mixed martial artists. I just feel like, particularly with my fighting style and how it's developing the last couple of years, I think that I could really expose him and hopefully teach him something about the martial arts and where he's gone wrong."

If the booking should ever happen, Hardy isn't worried about ending up on the business end of another infamous Sanchez decision.

"I wouldn't need 15 minutes. I'm sure of that."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5bI0kaVJ3Y

GeneChing
02-23-2017, 09:22 AM
Congrats to Dan on his upcoming autobiography! I haven't heard from him in some time and I'm glad to know he's still at it. He does have an interesting story.


Part Reptile: UFC, MMA and Me
by Dan Hardy (https://www.amazon.com/Part-Reptile-UFC-MMA-Me-ebook/dp/B01MSY8DY7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487820453&sr=8-1&keywords=Part+Reptile%3A+UFC%2C+MMA+and+Me)

For fans of Ronda Rousey's My Fight Your Fight and John Kavanagh's Win or Learn comes the first book from UFC fighter and now analyst Dan Hardy, who lifts the lid on his own career and writes with insight and eloquence on all things MMA and UFC, the brutal and ever-evolving sport that launched such superstars as Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, Georges St-Pierre, Nate Diaz and Amanda Nunes.

Dan Hardy's first book is much more than a straightforward MMA autobiography. Taking the key fights from his career, Hardy explores the sport with the unparalleled insight that has made him the best analyst working today.

From training in China with Shaolin monks, to how MMA helped him channel his rage, to psychedelics and the ceremony in Peru that changed his life, to tapping into his 'reptilian brain' and the psychological warfare of UFC, to his epic title fight with Georges St-Pierre.

Hardy also speaks eloquently of the heart condition that forced him to stop fighting, the road to recovery, and the evolution of a sport that flies in the face of mainstream disapproval to entertain and thrill millions of obsessives around the globe.

Pre-order Price: $9.99
Sold by: Hachette Book Group
Price set by seller.
This title will be auto-delivered to your Kindle on March 23, 2017.

GeneChing
05-03-2017, 10:39 AM
Follow the link to a trailer and the full podcast interview.


UFC trailblazer trained with Shaolin Monks
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p051f209)
UFC trailblazer Dan Hardy discusses travelling to China when he was 19 to train with Shaolin Monks.

Hardy said: “It took me four flights to get there and then like a three or four hour drive out into the mountains and it was in this old castle on the side of a hill.

The Englishman was the first British fighter to challenge for a UFC title against Georges St-Pierre in March 2010.

Hardy said: “There was no scientific approach to it at all, it was holding stances for long periods of time, carrying rocks and conditioning your hands in buckets of sand,

"We would be kicking each other and kicking trees and it was the most raw and basic training form of training that I’d ever done."

Georges St-Pierre will soon fight Michael Bisping for the the UFC middleweight belt, Hardy hasn't fought since 2012.

This clip was first broadcast on 'At Home....with Colin Murray', Friday 28 April 2017.

Release date: 28 April 2017