SPORT
The 2018 MoreFM
Sportswoman of the Year, was
unable to attend the awards late
last year as she was en route
home after winning her second
MMA world title in Bahrain.
We managed to catch up
with Gase to find out a bit more
about her passion for MMA.
How did you get into Mixed Martial Arts?
SARAH HODGETT PHOTOGRAPHY
Amazing things
come in
small packages
Standing at just 1.54 metres, in her bare
feet, you might be fooled into thinking
Gase Sanita does not look like a force
to be reckoned with, but she is!
The mixed martial artist is now a two-
time amateur world champion after
competing in a sport she started just
three-and-a half years ago.
Congratulations Gase!
Marlborough Sports Woman 2018
I first started watching my partner train
and compete in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, he was
the one who encouraged me to try it. So
after I had my son I started BJJ ( Brazilian
Jiu-jitsu). After about a year of training in
BJJ I played with the idea of having a MMA
fight and talked, mostly laughed with my
partner about it because I was super unfit
at the time. Then an oppotunity came
up, my coach Marcelo Lopes asked me if I
wanted to fight, I said yes and now 3 years
later with many hard lessons, pain, sweat
and tears I'm loving it even more!
How do you balance life outside of
training?
I was a preschool teacher and have
recently left to turn pro. So now I’m a
stay at home mum/fighter. The balance is
always busy with trainings 6 days of the
week and 2-3 trainings a day. Both my
partner and son also train so the laundry
pile just never ends.
What do you love about competing in
MMA?
I love the learning, the fear, the
excitement, the feeling you get when you
step into the cage! It brings this sense of
the unknown that fills me with curiosity
of ‘what will the outcome of this fight
be?’ There's something in that unknown
that has driven me to love the sport of
MMA more and more, while continuing
to develop and learn more about the
fight game. My journey so far in MMA
has offered so many opportunities and
taught me more about myself then I
could have experienced in any other
journey. It has definitely changed and
challenged me psychically and just as
equally strengthened me mentally. It has
definitely been a fun filled journey with
lots of learning, laughs, pain and tears.
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What are your short term and long
term goals?
When I first started MMA I had a goal:
1. get fit, 2. have fun. Although the result
of that fight didn't go in my favour I can
proudly say I did complete both of these.
Since then my goal of keeping myself fit has
been maintained while being able to drop
weight to fight at feather weight 65kg. My
first fight was within the 95kgs division.
Now that I have turned pro, my goals
long term are to learn and develop my
skill set to the next level, challenge and
test myself both psychically and mentally
and most importantly, enjoy the journey.
As this journey starts I hope to be able
to fight around the world representing
my family, team and little old blenheim.
I hope to one day be fighting at the top
level of women's MMA.
My short term goals are to enjoy this
journey with my family, friends and team
mates. Sometimes our routines become
too routine and we end up in a loop life
where we forget to take a step back reflect
and actually appreciate your hard ‘mahi'
so I try to always reflect and remember
where I started and use that as fuel to keep
going especially when we just have days
where its mentally hard to show up.
What training is involved in MMA?
Strength, conditioning, cardio and power
are just the first coat of different types of
trainings involved within the sport of MMA.
Using the training of our first coat you can
fuel and help develop your Martial Arts e.g
Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, kick boxing or boxing. My
fight game-plan is based on my ability to be
able to control on the ground and apply my
knowledge of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. When we
hit the ground I'll hold and base my weight
out effectively enough to be able to set up
my opponent and try different submissions
to get the finish. That being said you will
obviously need to develop all kinds of
Martial Arts and be some-what all rounded
within the game. I have recently been
working on my stand up fight a lot more
and I’m loving learning new techniques.
I really do enjoy all parts of this game.
What do you love to do in your ‘chill out’
time?
A lot of stretching!
Relaxing with my boys and family mainly.
It's a crazy schedule being a fighter, training
hours are both early and late. The physical
punishment on the body is intense and the
mental presence you need to take in when
you're learning is draining. All of these take
time away from family, who put up with a
lot (mostly moods when fight camp starts
lol). The fight game is a way of life that we
have adapted to as a family. So when we
have chill time it’s usually together.
How did it feel winning Marlborough
Sportswomen of the year?
It was unexpected but felt nice, I felt quite
honoured and privileged to be able to
receive such an award. I know there were
some great and outstanding sportswomen
also nominated so I feel very grateful.
As an inspirational women, what advice
or wisdom would you like to pass on to
future women of inspiration?
I encourage every women to find their true
passion in life. We all have had that 'thing'
that you've always wanted to try but never
really done anything about. Whatever your
passion is, find ways to build it up, where
ever you wrote that goal down pull it out,
dust it off and try again or find time to fit it
in 5mins, 30mins, an hour, do it and give it
everything! Strive to be the best you today,
to build your happieness for tommrow.
No one ever said it will be easy or happen
over night but the harder it is to reach, the
sweeter it's going taste when you reach
it. We are all ambitious, passionate and
determined wahine toa, go get it!
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