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As sophomore Hailie Rydel steps into the ring, she can hear her heart pounding.  Rydel climbs underneat the ropes and onto the sticky floor of the ring and adjusts her plastic mouth piece.  As she faces her opponent, Rydel can feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins, and her hands start to get clammy inside her gloves. The referee brings the two girls together to start the fight. “Let’s have a clean fight. Touch your gloves. Go back to your corners…”

Rydel is like any other Marian girl. She’s involved in a few clubs, does trap shooting, plays violin, etc.. She enjoys Marian cookies and loves puppy chow at bake sales. She goes to sporting events to support her fellow classmates. But what many people in the Marian community do not know is that she is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

“MMA is a mix of wrestling and boxing. It has TaeKwonDo*, Hapkido**, grappling***, wrestling****, and more combined. The same rules apply, like when you’re grappling you can’t bite, scratch, or pinch people. You can get someone by a knockout or submission through different holds,” Rydel said.

“My uncle was an MMA fighter and he fought for awhile. I started out when I was about four for the traditional martial arts like TaeKwonDo. I gradually escalated, and my coaches thought I was some- thing special so they put me in MMA. My main style is Muay Thai*****,” Rydel said.

In the past, Rydel has had an array of coaches. A few of those coaches are Mick Doyle and Ryan Jensen. Many students know Doyle from the self defense class in Sophomore Seminar. Presently, her coach is John Miller. Miller is a fourth degree black belt.

Compared to other sports, the off-season is unique. “Our off-season is about eight to nine months. During the summer, we have our official fights,” Rydel said. Rydel and her fellow fighters always have a great time. “It’s a stress relief. My favorite part is the team atmo- sphere. There are four of us, so it is really tight knit,” Rydel said.

*Taekwondo: the art of self defense, originating in Korea

**Hapkido: a Korean martial art characterized by kicking and circular movements

***Grappling: to engage in a close fight or struggle without weapons

****Wrestling: the sport or activity of grappling with an opponent and trying to throw or hold them down on the ground, typically according to a code of rules

*****Muay Thai: a form of hard martial art practiced in large parts of the world, including Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries