Nathaniel Boyle -  The Interview

Nathaniel a young fighter from Australia, he participated in our Kid Fighter Profile on the first season, he's been training real hard and has been in several tournaments testing himself to the limit. This is the interview of a brave Australian fighter.

Nathaniel, How did you get involved in Martial arts? I started freestyle wrestling to start with because I wanted to become a WWE wrestler. I had a lot of fun doing the wrestling and realised that there was more to wrestling than just WWE wrestling. I started loving wrestling just for what it is rather than wanting to do it to become a WWE superstar. Then I started BJJ. My mum would train in BJJ after my kids MMA class so I would study the adults doing the BJJ and after a while mums Professor asked if I would like to join in. So i joined in the adults BJJ class and would train with them five nights a week. I used to be able to train in MMA but the gym we went to closed down and the closest place that does it now is like over an hour away in heavy traffic so I don't get to train specifically in MMA now.

When did you start in the way of Martial Arts? I started Freestyle wrestling in August 2008. I went to wrestling practice straight after Australian Rules football training. I did one training session in wrestling and had to choose between football and wrestling because they were on the same night. I gave up football that night and have been training in freestyle wrestling ever since. I started Brazilian jiu jitsu in March 2010.

What martial arts have you trained? I have trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Freestyle wrestling and a small amount of MMA. Here in Western Australia there is not a lot of training for kids like me to do.

Do you like BJJ? (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) YES very, very much! BJJ is fun, enjoyable and relaxing for me. My Professor Jason Gotch is an amazing trainer and I’m glad I have been welcomed by him and other members at Cherubin Jiu jitsu Academy in Fremantle. I also get a lot of help from my friend Josh Moore who is really skilled in BJJ.

What BJJ technique do you like the most? D'arce Choke. I have my own way of doing this choke and it makes it really uncomfortable for my opponent. I am also really good at the guillotine. But my go to move that I always love doing is the D’arce Choke.

What do you like about Mixed Martial Arts? I like everything about MMA.  I like that you learn more than one type of martial arts. I like that the fight can end standing up or down on the ground or by knockout or submission. There is just so much to learn in MMA and I actually like learning. Who knows who is going to come out on top. You could be a black belt in BJJ but you could be knocked out before you get to use your skills. You have to be well rounded in everything to be the best and that's why I like MMA.

What is your favorite Technique? BJJ. When I make it to the UFC or Strikeforce I will be known for my BJJ skills. I will be able to use my wrestling skills to take the fight to the ground and then I will be able to utilise any number of the submissions in my arsenal. 

Do you have a favorite kick? i love doing low leg kicks. I love watching fights where they wear their opponents lead leg down by using kicks. That's my favourite kick because it actually really helps in a fight if you can take out the lead leg.

Who is or are you favorite Mixed Martial Art fighters? George St Pierre: He is a respectful fighter, and very talented. It would be great if one day I could train with him. He is a fighter that I look up to and would love to follow in his footsteps. Chuck Liddell: he is a talented competitor and love watching his unorthodox style. A true champion of the sport.  I also really love watching George Sotiropoulos and Kyle Noke two of my fellow aussies. Would love to meet them all one day.
 
How do you feel when you compete? I feel a little nervous but mostly I feel excited. I just want to get out there and and show people that my training has paid off and do my best to bring home a medal. I am very passionate about competing and I do get pretty emotional if I lose a fight. Even though I get upset about losing I make sure I learn from my mistakes in that fight and train harder to become even better. 
 
Can you tell us what you like to do when you are not training? I love playing and doing most sports so at home and school I will play a lot of sports if I am not training.  If I had my way I would train every night of the week and on the weekend but I can’t so I have to fill in spare time with other sports. I like playing Australian Rules Football, Basketball and Cricket. I love watching MMA fights in my spare time with my mum, dad and brother as well. I like to analyse the fight I’m watching to see what moves I would do if I were in that fight, see what positions open up and stuff like that. I also love playing UFC undisputed 2010.
 
What goals you have in terms of Martial Arts? I am planning to go to the UFC or Strikeforce and be a dominant competitor in the cage like George St Pierre. I want to get a Wrestling Scholarship in an American Collage to start with. I have wanted to do that since I was  eight years old. If I can get the scholarship it will open up so many doors for me. I can get to the USA and train with the best coaches in wrestling and also will be able to join a specialised MMA gym and be able to train everyday if I want. The hardest part of living in Western Australia is there are not many gyms around to cater for kids like me who want to train in MMA. None in my area so I can only at the moment train in BJJ and wrestling. I'm lucky that although at the moment I can only train in BJJ and wrestling I have the best coaches in both Chris Butler for wrestling and Jason Gotch in BJJ so I am making the most of my time with them and want to absorb everything they teach me to take it with me to America when I go there. Daniel Mitchell and Rhea Duff also help me a lot at Fremantle Wrestling.

So far Nathaniel has only been able to go to one seminar and that was with one of Australia's best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu  practitioners Dan Cherubin.
 
Here is list of his achievements:
 
WRESTLING
2010 Daniel Starr Memorial trophy
2010 Freestyle Wrestling State Champion (Gold Medal)
2010 Most outstanding Wrestler at State Championships
2010 First place Freestyle Wrestling Competition
2010 First Place Freestyle Wrestling Competition
2010 Most outstanding Wrestler at Freestyle Wrestling Competition
2009 Freestyle Wrestling National Champion (Gold Medal)
2009 Freestyle Wrestling State Champion (Gold Medal)
2008 Freestyle Wrestling State Champion (Gold Medal)
 
BRAZILIAN JIU JITSU
2011 State Champion Runner up (Silver Medal)
2011 BJJ Competition (Gold Medal)
2010 National Champion Runner up (silver Medal)
2010 BJJ State Champion (Gold Medal)
2010 BJJ Competition Gold Medal
2010 BJJ Competition Gold Medal
 
GRAPPLING
2010 State Grappling Champion (Gold Medal)