Mixed-Up Martial Artist

Mixed-Up Martial Artist caught up with a very inspirational student of the martial arts, Steve Stickler, for an interview.   

Who is Steve Stickler you ask and why he is inspirational?  Here’s why:

MMA:  How old are you now Steve?

SS:  27.

MMA:  Now you’re missing your left foot, how did you lose it?

SS:  When I was 20 months old, I caught a rare disease called Leptospirosis from my babysitter’s dog.  The disease gave me 107-degree fevers and put me in a coma.  My heart stopped three times due to the fevers.  My organs began to fail.  Before I eventually began to recover, the veins and capillaries had died in my left foot, and I caught Gangrene.  After a few months, the doctors at Children’s’ Hospital in Los Angeles were forced to amputate my left foot.

MMA:  That didn’t stop you from training though.  When did you eventually get into the martial arts?

SS:  I started training at the end of 2005.  I love the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and have trained in kickboxing and Muay Thai.  I have mostly dedicated myself to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I’ve trained in Muay Thai for less than a year in total, and kickboxing for about a year.

MMA:  Where have you done most of your training?

SS:  I started at Fight Academy in Santa Clarita and then moved to Baca’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Sherman Oaks.  I often visited Gracie Barra Encino and Culver City.  I also traveled to new schools all over California about once a month – sometimes more.  I’ve taken private lessons too in Muay Thai from Mike Bunyamanop and in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from Steve Baca.

MMA:  Knowing folks who have trained with you and are inspired by you, MMA wants to know who inspires you?

SS:  There are many Mixed Martial Arts athletes that I like.  But as far as an inspiration, one name that comes to mind is Mike Bunyamanop.  He is a close friend of mine.  But he actually inspires me to train and better myself.  He is a pro fighter, but with a traditional Thai work ethic.  He’s good people.

MMA:  How has losing your left foot impacted your training and abilities in the Martial Arts?  Has it helped or hurt you?

SS:  I don’t like to think my amputation has hurt me in any ways, but truth is it has its disadvantages.  I find that my right roundhouse kicks are not as effective because I don’t have any toes on a left foot to pivot off of.  I also don’t feel as fast on my feet as other fighters because I don’t have the bounce boxers and kickboxers develop.  In terms of BJJ, I guess you could say my butterfly hooks tend to be one-sided.  Ha Ha.  But on the upside you can only get a heel hook or straight ankle lock on my right leg, so my left leg is a good bait.

MMA:  Do you actively try to be a role model to others?

SS:  I’m sure there are many athletes who are better role models than I.  I play many sports though besides just being active in Mixed Martial Arts and I guess you could say set an example by doing so.  I know many handicapped people who are great athletes.

MMA:  Is there anything you rely on to stay centered and focused?

SS:  I have a passion for acquiring knowledge in the Buddhist ways.  I believe the book of Buddha could inspire anyone to live a more positive life.

MMA:  We have to ask you, with all the news stories about the TSA harassing people at the airports and the body scanners, do you wear a prosthesis and have you been harassed?

SS:  Yes, I do wear a prosthesis.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to travel by plane in a while and test out the TSA.  My prosthesis is made of high-grade materials, no metals.  So, maybe I can just sneak by.

MMA:  To wrap up, do you have any advice to keep people hungry to train?

SS:  To tell you the truth, everyone gets inspired differently.  I believe true inspiration comes from the feeling and desire you can’t explain to someone else. Every fighter knows the feeling for him or herself.  That feeling inside is what really drives me.  If you’re looking to get into training and haven’t yet enjoyed the experience, you’ll be in for a life-awakening change.  I don’t think you truly know yourself without fighting or training to fight and seeing what you have inside.  You learn your strengths and weaknesses along the journey.  That’s where the hunger comes from – in training you really see the strengths and weaknesses in you that you wouldn’t find in your average everyday life.

Good stuff Steve!  Thanks for being an inspiration to the rest of us.