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Posted by Mika Frankl
Knuxx recently paid a visit to the Chavez Dojo to interview and learn more about the 2012 XFC summer open try outs winner, now XFC Flyweight Joby Sanchez.
MF: First off how did you get involved in combat sports?
JS: The way I got into combat sports was, when I was 7 years old my dad used to watch a lot of boxing fights on the TV and I wasn’t the greatest baseball player so I thought I wanted to try out boxing and kickboxing. My parents brought me here to the Chavez Dojo.
MF: So here at the Chavez Dojo, you’ve been here since you were a kid this is where it all started?
JS: I been here for 14 years.
MF: Here at the Dojo, what rank do you hold?
JS: I hold a black belt in kajukenbo karate. I started off with kickboxing and I went into karate when I was 10 years old.
MF: So how did you go from being 32-2 in amateur boxing to kickboxing to karate and end up in MMA?
JS: That’s not just a boxing record it also includes kickboxing too. Here at the Chavez Dojo Grandmaster Chavez will fight you in anything, you better be ready. He’ll put you in anything weather its jiu jitsu, wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, karate sparring we do it all here at the Chavez Dojo.
MF: Then specifically how did it go then into competing an amateur and going pro in Mixed Martial Arts?
JS: Well ever since I was a young kid, I’ve always wanted to be a pro fighter. At the time it was to be a pro boxer or kickboxer, but as MMA blow up as I was growing up it switched over to that, which led me to doing wrestling in high school and to pursuing this dream. Basically it’s been my dream since I was a little boy.
MF: Being here since that young age and then having the boxing/kickboxing experience along with the wrestling how more experience do you feel that you have compared to a normal fighter with 4 pro fights?
JS: I feel like I’m pretty experienced, I’ve had 9 amateur MMA fights although they were amateur, it still gaining experience being in there. I feel like I’m on my way to becoming a complete fighter, I’m very well rounded I believe. I wouldn’t say I’m great in one specific but I’m good everywhere all-around.
MF: What’s one specific thing you feel you need to work on what is it?
JS: That’s the thing about this sport; you have to work on everything I believe. Like just when you think your stand up is there, you go and get knocked out your next fight. Just when you think your jiu jitsu is there you go and get taped out. There’s always room to improve everywhere, I believe personally.
This and much more is covered in the video below…
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