Knuxx Interview With Rainy Whitsitt

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Posted by Mika Frankl

Knuxx made a special visit to Fitness kick on Thursday September 27, 2012 to talk with Jiu Jitsu Purple Belt Rainy Whitsitt. Check out the interview below…

I heard that you started training Jiu Jitsu in January of 2011, what got into you that made you want to go train Jiu Jitsu?

Actually my good friend Erin Fisher had brought me in on a Sunday afternoon because she was doing for MMA and she has no one in her weight class to actually work with there. So she just brought me in and my coach then Ron Trichel who’s a purple belt underneath  Mark Bradford my coach now tout  me what side control was and I just fell in love with it from that day on. It stuck and I’ve trained every day since.

So from that I believe I looked it was 3 to 4 months later you had your first match, your first tournament, what was that like after 3 months of training?

It was really nerve racking. I didn’t think I was ready, everybody said that normally you train for a year before you compete but, I come from a very competitive background in gymnastics and everything. So I wanted to give it a shot. My first tournament was at ZTS tournament in Oklahoma City and I had four divisions that day so it was really jam packed. I won first place in all of them. It was a blast.

How long was the tournament?

That was one day.

In one day you won four tournaments, how many matches was that in one day?

Seven

I guess you’ve never had any cardio problems during training or anything, if you can do that within four months?

Oh no I do, when I first moved out here to Albuquerque yeah I did. I go used to the elevation real quick.

How long did that take?

Two weeks.

Are you happy with the move from Arkansas to New Mexico?

Yes actually, I mean as far as my training goes it’s about tenfold better. My coach is still this guy that got me started in Arkansas, he brought me out here and I owe everything to him. Bradford again. I mean as far as training partners it can’t get any better other than California but I’m happy here.

It’s a year and 9 months you been training about, you’re already a purple belt. So for everyone that can’t get that how accelerated of a pace are you on?

I went on a very very very fast pace as far as my promotions to purple belt. I got my blue belt in June of 2011that was after 4 1/2 months. Purple belt I got in January 2012. Normally it does take 5 to 6 years. Maybe I would have preferred to stay a blue a bit longer and get few more huge tournament wins but I’m happy with where I am. I want to stay a purple belt for a while.

With gaining your purple belt and everything came so fast, what is one moment that sticks out in your mind that was really a learning experience? Like wow that was in lighting or something.

Right after I got my purple belt I went to Dallas, Texas to go work with Carlos Estrada and I stayed there for a week just training and as everybody says when you get a new belt everybody goes after it, wants to prove themselves. So fresh new purple belt and a girl I got big round about testing there. I got in line with what it takes to be a purple belt very very quickly.

To see the full interview click the video below.

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