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Jill Coleby Female MMA Fighter Interview

Jill Coleby Female MMA Fighter Interview Jill Coleby is an 18 year old kickboxer out of Canada that is looking to make the switch to MMA someday. Interview done by and used with permission of Showdown Fightwear. This interview was done and used with the permission of Showdown Fighterwear in Canada. We’d like to thank them for letting us use it. At first glance, Jill Coleby may not look intimidating standing at 5’5″ and weighing 120 pounds but rest assured, Living and training out of Ingersoll, Ontario,

In addition to fighting professionally, Jill is also a Karate instructor with a special interest in working with children and teaching women’s self-defense. In person, Jill is well mannered and well spoken. In competition her punches and kicks do her talking. In and out of the ring, she is an inspiration and role model to her training partners and her peers at the Coleby’s Kickboxing Academy.

Jill Coleby Female Fighter Interview

At only 18 years of age, Jill is building a solid foundation in kickboxing and looks forward to one day competing in the Mixed Martial Arts arena.

Showdown In addition to kickboxing professionally, you are also a full time (straight A) student. What are you studying in school?
Jill Coleby I currently attend high school, where my focus is on Science and Physical Education. I plan on studying kinesiology at University.

SD How do you think your training partners and coach would describe you (as a person? as a fighter?)
JC I think that my coach and training partners would describe me best as a determined woman with her goals in mind. They know I will never give up and they also know how responsible I am. I believe they even enjoy my sense of humour on the long car trips. They recognize that I am a sensitive person as well and that I know what I have to do and how to do it. They have a lot of respect for me!

About Jill Coleby Kickboxer Fighter

SD As a professional kickboxer, you also have a first-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate. How did you make the transition from traditional karate to full contact? (was it easy for you? what needed to be adapted mentally and technique / strategy-wise)
JC Fights that I witnessed at my own dojo inspired this transition. I just loved the sport. At the time, I told my instructor Shawn Tompkins that I wanted to start kickboxing and he made me promise that if he trained me to fight, that I would be serious about it and give him 110%. Of course I was all for the challenge. And man was it a challenge! The type of fighting that I was used to was point sparring, basically a game of tag. This made the transition to full contact difficult. I had a hard time hitting people when I first began. Shawn spent many hours working with me on how to hit properly and how to change my techniques from flashy tournament karate style, to dangerous, full-contact strikes. The work did pay off though, and I enjoy the mental and physical challenges that kickboxing presents to me.

SD You have competed all over the world and your current record is (6-2) with one KO. Of those fights, which was your most memorable? Why?

JC I think that my most memorable was my first fight, where I knocked out my opponent. I loved it. It was awesome that I won but, for me, I finally got to see how effective the techniques I had been working on for years, really were. I also remember the look on everyone’s face that day and how proud of me they were. That is probably my most memorable. I also remember my first loss very well. I know the entire fight, all of my mistakes and how I felt before and after. This is my biggest tool when I fight now. I remember what it felt like to lose, and I try not to repeat it. It was a great learning experience.

SD To whom (or what) do you attribute your success in professional competitions?
JC My family and friends. They are all great to me. I have made a tonne of changes recently and they were all right there behind me. They are the ones that cheer me on at my fights and they have to listen to all my stories and suffer with me through my losses. They have been through some of my life’s most difficult situations and they still love me for it. Thanks guys!

SD What do you consider to be your greatest strengths and weaknesses?
JC My greatest strengths are my jab and my heart. I am an extremely determined person and once I decide that I want something, I make it happen!! My biggest weakness would have to be that I sometimes think too much and I am too stubborn. This can make coaching me or just being around me difficult at times, but somehow people seem to pull through it all!

Jill “the Bonecrusher” Coleby is a Showdown Fightwear sponsored athlete and competes for the Coleby’s Karate and Kickboxing Team.
Promoters interested in having Jill compete in professional matches can contact her at jill@showdown.ca.

You can also contact Jill Coleby at:
Coleby’s Karate and Kickboxing Academy
28 King St. East
Ingersoll, Ontario
N5C 3L8
Tel: (519) 425-5372

Thanks again to Showdown for letting us use this interview.