Issue 001
March 2005
Why did you start training in martial arts?
As a kid I was really into watching the martial arts movies and always wanted to learn to protect myself. When I was 14 I started to hang around with the ‘wrong crowd’, so my mother took me along to the martial arts club in Catterick Garrison to see if they could offer me a way to channel my energy into something more constructive. I started in the junior class, but was soon asked by my instructor if I wished to train with the adults, as he felt the adult training was more suited to me.
So what made you interested in MMA competition?
When I started training with the adults there were several people who were already competing in MMA, and I was really interested in the training and the way they put their skills to the test by entering contests. At the club I was also lent some videos and DVDs of past events by my instructor, and I was amazed by the level of skill of the fighters. I decided then that I wanted to train to my maximum and enter the ring/cage myself. About this time I got the chance to meet Ian ‘The Machine’ Freeman when he came down to the club where I trained to help with a charity event that the club was organising. I had only ever seen Ian on video and in magazines. Hearing him talk about his fights in the Octagon in America and the cages of Russia made me feel even more determined to train as hard as it took to one day get there myself.
So when did you have your first contest?
When I reached 16 my instructor managed to match me for several events, but unfortunately my opponents kept pulling out due to injury, etc. I got my first chance to fight at the Pride & Glory Clash in Consett II event in 2004, against a fighter named Tom Churchill from the Fighting Chance Academy in Batley.
What did it feel like getting into the ring for the first time?
When I got to the venue I felt really nervous and started to doubt whether I really had what was needed to enter the ring. When I saw my opponent looking a lot bigger than me as well as relaxed and confident, I felt like running away. As the time of the event approached, I grew even more nervous. As I stepped into the corridor leading to the hall where the event was being held, I could physically feel myself shaking. Then my instructor came up to me, grabbed me around the head and told me that he knew I was a winner, and it was time to go to work!
So how did your first fight go?
As my entrance music played, I was told by my instructor to take my time and make my way to the ring, but I was told afterwards that I nearly sprinted into it, I was so nervous, but when I got there and I looked out, I could see all my friends and family and hear them cheering — I knew that I couldn’t let them down. As the bell rang for the first round I nearly dived across the ring to get at my opponent and I threw a flurry of punches, but from what I have been told, not one of them connected. Then we went to the clinch and I managed to take him to the ground and into a guillotine. As I tried to force a submission though, he managed to slip out and turn me. We then grappled for position before being stood back up. The remainder of the round was fairly even. At the start of the second round my opponent again came at me strongly, but as he ducked in to clinch, I again managed to secure a guillotine, and this time I had it sunk in deep. I knew that the fight was mine. My opponent submitted in 1.42 minutes of the second round.
?How did you feel following the fight?
I just couldn’t believe it, as all my dreams had come true. I had got into A ring and proved that I had the skills to win. It was the best moment of my life. So what are your plans for the future? At the moment I am training hard for my next fight in Brigg, where I will be fighting Gregori Fenolosa from Spain.
Name: David Smyth
Nickname: The Boy
Weight: 63kg
Born: Munster, West Germany
Date of birth: April 19, 1988
Nationality: German
Lives: Colburn, North Yorkshire
Occupation: Glass collector
Club: Catterick Garrison Martial Arts Club / Team Shotai Kai
Favourite Fighter:Chuck Liddell
Record: 3-0-0
Contests: Clash in Consett II — Opponent Tom Churchill. Win by Guillotine Rd 2.
Battle in Brigg I — Opponent Mark Atridge. Win by Guillotine Rd 1.
Clash in Consett III — Opponent Andrew Ferris. Win by Guillotine Rd 1.
Ambition: To be the top fighter in my weight group in the UK and eventually to fight in the UFC.
Background and family: David was born in West Germany in Clemens Krankenhaus, Munster. His father, who was serving in the Queens Royal Irish Hussars, and the family eventually settled in Colburn, North Yorkshire after his father completed his military service.
Martial arts background: Started training in Tang Soo Do and Atemi Jutsu in 2002. Also now studies kickboxing and Greco Roman wrestling.
Coach/manager: Mick Nokes
