UFC's Dan Hardy - Shaolin Temple trained!

[GeneChing]

This is a long interview. I'm just going to cut&paste the Shaolin part.

Confessions 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]

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]

thats a great story of martial arts spirit, and how truly important that spirit is in connection with the physical.

[GeneChing]

If Hardy wins, I'll switch the title.

[GeneChing]

It was all that Shaolin training, I'm sure of it.

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]

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]

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]

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

[GeneChing]

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 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

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]

Go Dan Hardy!!!!!

[Shaolin]

[Frost]

although he is about as temple trained as i am got to root for your class mates, go Dan

[Dragonzbane76]

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]

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]

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?