Name: Joe Leonard
Age: 33
Height: 5'8"
Fight Weight: 145lbs
School: Ravenous MMA
Record:MMA 2-2 Amateur
Wins via 1st Rnd K.O./ 1 Submission and Losses via 2 1st Rnd Ref Stoppages
Record:MMA 2-2 Amateur
Wins via 1st Rnd K.O./ 1 Submission and Losses via 2 1st Rnd Ref Stoppages
City/State Born: Holyoke, MA
Achievements: Competed in King of The Mat, Gold Medal at NAGA No-Gi Tourney, 2 MMA victories, Warrior Nation XFA 7 Fight of the night award, 4 years as a Ravenous MMA student under Jeremy Reipold and Todd Selva.
1. When and
Why did you get into MMA?
I began to train with Todd Selva in
2010. He introduced me to the sport
while we were working together to improve my strength and conditioning
following my second bowel resection. I
was invited to see Sic Nick Vaughn fight his amateur debut in NH for GFL. After making the 3 hour drive out there to
meet him and his team, watching his fight in a killer venue surrounded by the
most enthusiastic sports fans I'd ever been around, and hanging with everyone
in the lobby afterwards to celebrate I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be healthy enough to
compete someday.
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| Nick Vaughn at GFL fighting Sean Nichols. My first live mma event. I was hooked. |
2. Did you have a background in martial arts, boxing , wrestling etc prior to being a licensed in MA?
I actually have a decent history of martial arts training, but it has always been broken up for one reason or another. The first school I attended as a child was on Center Street in Chicopee, MA. It was run by Ken Canton and it was a Karate dojo. Sensei Canton was a kind man who was very patient with us children. I was about 7 or 8 at the time. My father's health was a lot like mine is now and when he was hospitalized for long periods my parents couldn't afford to keep me in classes. I don't remember testing for rank ever, but I do remember practicing my Kata's. I later moved to Greenfield, MA where as a young adult working for my own money joined the Tae Kwon Do Center lead by Master Johnson. It was a great school and a cool bunch of people to be around. I was a young teen and had lots going on in my life so I would drop out and rejoin every so often. I learned hand to hand combat basics in the short time I was enlisted in the U.S. Army. That about sums up my prior experience. Ask anyone though who knew me then and they would tell you that I was a gentle person. I don't like confrontation and until I had to overcome my illness and really learn what fighting was about I would avoid it even if it meant getting my ass handed to me.
I actually have a decent history of martial arts training, but it has always been broken up for one reason or another. The first school I attended as a child was on Center Street in Chicopee, MA. It was run by Ken Canton and it was a Karate dojo. Sensei Canton was a kind man who was very patient with us children. I was about 7 or 8 at the time. My father's health was a lot like mine is now and when he was hospitalized for long periods my parents couldn't afford to keep me in classes. I don't remember testing for rank ever, but I do remember practicing my Kata's. I later moved to Greenfield, MA where as a young adult working for my own money joined the Tae Kwon Do Center lead by Master Johnson. It was a great school and a cool bunch of people to be around. I was a young teen and had lots going on in my life so I would drop out and rejoin every so often. I learned hand to hand combat basics in the short time I was enlisted in the U.S. Army. That about sums up my prior experience. Ask anyone though who knew me then and they would tell you that I was a gentle person. I don't like confrontation and until I had to overcome my illness and really learn what fighting was about I would avoid it even if it meant getting my ass handed to me.
3. What's
your nickname, how did you get it?
I have two nick names. I was given one by my friends at
WesternMassMMA.com when I joined them.
Jeremy and Travis began calling me "The Artist". I believe it is because I write well, but you
would have to ask them. It may be
because I could paint your face red.
Either way I like it for the site.
My other nick name was given to me by my wife and it will be the one I
use in my upcoming bout. She calls me
"The Wild Ginger". I'll leave
you to figure it out, but rest assured whatever you call me before the fight
you will be calling me "The Winner" afterwards.
4.
Can you tell us something about your supporters and why they believe you should
be a Mixed Martial Artist?
Well I can try. I have been following the sport for many
years now and extremely humbled by the varieties of people I meet on an ongoing
basis. First impressions are huge to me
and I could say that despite the fact that I have been burned by many many
people over the years I am still loyal to many of them. I believe that one is not a bad person until
they do something truly bad. My
supporters are a reflection of myself. I
am human and prone to errors. I make
them every day in judgments and actions.
I embrace these things because they help redefine me to make me better. The men, women, and children that motivate
me, that truly support me and my efforts, have my unconditional love and mutual support.
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for those select few and I know they
would say the same. Fighting isn't for
everyone and I think that is important to point out. Not every one of my supporters supports my
decision to fight a physical test in a cage, but they understand that it is a
goal and a statement that I've been preparing myself to make since I was
diagnosed with Crohn's Disease. I want
to bring my fight into the cage so I can conquer the fears and the doubts I
have about my life and what it may bring in the future as the disease spreads
and my age steals my abilities to keep it under control. Barriers need to be broken and I will do this every day for the rest of my life.
5. What does family think of your passion for
combat sports? Do you have
children? Are they involved in the
martial arts? Do you have a spouse or
significant other? What role do they
play in helping you prepare for combat?
My family runs the gamut in opinions. Most are excited to see one of their own be
in a cage like a UFC fighter. Some are
terrified that something horrible will happen to me. Both are fine with me because it gets me amped,
but reminds me how much I am loved.
I do have
children. I have three. One son, an 12 year old boy,
unfortunately he was torn from my life when he was only one. His mother and I were sweet hearts and dated childishly
when I was 20. I moved to Arkansas
during her pregnancy which she hid from me.
I was living there when an adoption agency contacted me to test for paternity. Turns out he was mine and I moved back to MA
to be in his life whatever in any way possible.
He was 6 months old at the time that I first saw him. He is a beautiful boy with blue eyes, blonde
hair, and a huge ear to ear grin. He was
starting to crawl, but could really only get around by scooting on his tummy
backwards the first time I saw him. He was in foster care because his mother abandoned
him in a shelter for battered women. It
seems as though she fell for the wrong guy and he was abusive. She would later tell me that she was seeing
me on the side while she was actually committed to him. Odd how life works. Long story short I had no money and my mother
who is my only surviving parent was not willing to help me get custody of him. I had to say goodbye to my little boy. I hope someday he will know me, but until
that happens I will remember him as the little blonde that came from me. His name was Zander Corey, she named him
after her abuser. His adopted parents
renamed him Joshua Allen. I just call
him my angel and hope that he is happy and healthy wherever he lives now.
I am so lucky though because I also have
been a step-father to two gorgeous girls for the last 12 years. My sixteen year old is the spark that never
seems to diminish. She is a natural
musician who has taught herself to play the guitar. She's a gamer and loves to shoot things. Her nerd boyfriend is like the luckiest geek
in the whole world because when I say geek I mean zitty, scrawny, high pitched
voice, awkward silence kinda geek and she is beautiful, friendly, well spoken,
fit, and loyal. She is in school
learning to program websites and video games at the local Voc High School. Her goals are to be a CSI photographer and
video game programmer. Her sister is 19 and has a way with animals. Although she
and I are very different and hardly see eye to eye I love how she is no one's
bitch. She has an attitude so large that
it sometimes gets between us, but never for very long. They both love MMA and I hope they will find
time in their busy schedules to come cheer me on. Neither girl is involved in Martial Arts now,
but Avery did try Tae Kwon Do briefly.
They'd rather be riding horses.
I am married. We are two very different people though. Angela's support comes in many forms, but the
best is when she plays tough guy.
Sometimes I need to be reminded that my needs aren't the only ones that
matter.
 |
| My favorite photo of all time. I took this with my Moto Razor flip phone back in 2002. |
7. What's your favorite part about competition?
I love cheering on a good fight. I love the nights that my team goes head to
head with each other in our gym on our mats and I get to just let it all
out. Egging on the guy on the top and
pushing the guy on the bottom. I love
when I can't hear myself think during these times because everyone is yelling
some instruction from one vantage point or another. To me competition is just another word for
team building. I see it as
necessary. I hope I can compete a long
time.
8. If you had the ability to change anything
about the sport what would it be?
Huh, that's a tough one. I think I would like to see an official database that we fighters could access. We could see the status of our licenses and leave feedback for the commission about things that need improvement in our sport.
9. Can you describe for us what it is like to
discipline yourself as you prepare to make weight and develop or improve skill
sets before fight night? Do you feel
like your team plays a significant role in that discipline?
I have to be pretty hard on myself because
Crohn's Disease is not a joke. The food
I eat and the activity I enjoy are all dictated by this illness. In some ways I think it makes training easier
because I can't cheat. Cheating only
ends in disaster. A big wet, smelly
disaster. Realistically though I have to
say that I enjoy the motivation it gives me.
Instead of being a reason to cry and whine it has been a reason to
strive and excel. For this fight I am
concentrating on staying at a stable weight until the last week of
training. I have to consume more
nutrients more often as the training intensifies which is a challenge. It has to come out at some point and can
really screw up a training day if I am not paying attention. I am working on a few new skill sets, but
mostly I will rely on those that I am able to execute without thinking
about. My team is everything. If they want to be a part of the victory they
know I have to be ready.
10. In your time as a competitor what stands out
to you most when a promotion offers you a bout?
Have you ever turned down a potential match? If so why?
Could you offer the up and coming combatants any advice in these
situations?
To be honest, I make no
decisions about fights myself. I leave
that to my coach and friend, Jeremy Reipold.
His expert understanding of the sport allows him to make judgments that
are appropriate for our team. We
actually have an agreement that he won't tell me of any fight until he decides
on one to take. That eliminates the
whole, "I won't back down from any fight ever" syndrome that seems to
hamper this sport from time to time.
Especially in the older set of fighters.
I will be able to say that as well, but I will also be able to add that
it was because each fight made sense and was a smart one to fight.
14. How else do you spend your time when you are
not training?
I am a part of two MMA centric
operations. WesternMassMMA.com was
founded by Travis Sinclair and Jeremy Reipold back in 2009. In 2010 I was asked to join the team and
create a brand new site that is very close to the one we use today. It has been a great experience that has let
me capitalize on all my strengths. I
love to be around so many dedicated people at all the events we attend. It also allows me to show all my weaknesses
though. Like my uncanny ability to piss
off perfect strangers in 50 words or less.
I have also been fortunate in finding a home for my Ravenous family and
that was the beginning of my second project, The Web MMA Training Center. I am the gym manager and an instructor. Neither projects pay me a
salary, but they are self sustaining and allow us to enjoy very important experiences
within the realm of extreme combat sports.
I want to
close this interview out by saying thank you to my wife Angela, my coaches
Jeremy Riepold, Todd Selva, Charles Garbiel, and Estelle
Bonachetto. Without your patience and
your guidance I would be a very sick man who would find very little joy in his
life. You are my guardian angels and I
won't ever forget it.
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