聽 聽 聽Fifteen-year-old Carlyle athlete Nathen Schmidt cannot officially participate in mixed martial arts until he is 18, but he continues to practice Brazilian jiu jitsu, karate, and 鈥渁 little kickboxing鈥� in pursuit of his ultimate goal-becoming an MMA (mixed-martial arts) fighter.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚'm not allowed to compete in mixed martial arts until I'm 18,鈥� says Schmidt. 鈥淯ntil then, my goal is to understand my body, to learn what I can do.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淢artial arts are all good for fitness, for defending yourself, for understanding yourself. You learn so much.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Schmidt has won competitions in both Brazilian jiu jitsu and karate and also practices kickboxing, although he doesn't compete in the latter.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 did my best and came out with some golds at the Queen City (Martial Arts) Open in Regina this past October,鈥� he says. 鈥淚've had a few losses as well. Nobody likes to lose, but even if I do lose, I have something to learn from it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Schmidt's start on the road to MMA competition began when he was 13. 鈥淚 used to play video games and a friend at school talked me into trying jiu jitsu. Now, I pretty much train every night, whether it's at Built 4 Life gym in Carlyle or during karate, kickboxing, or jiu jitsu (classes).鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Schmidt credits his coach, Scott Nicholson, and karate sensai, Jayson Humphries, both of Carlyle, for teaching him valuable lessons in and out of competition.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淪cott taught me a lot,鈥� says Schmidt. 鈥淎bout myself, and about patience and respect for other people, my teachers and my opponents.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here's a lot of adrenaline and aggression when you fight. Scott and Jayson have both taught me a lot of the same things, like working with your aggression, being disciplined, being patient, and being respectful.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淣athen is so dedicated,鈥� says Nicholson, 鈥淗e's very talented and he's a good kid.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Nicholson, who holds a purple belt in jiu jitsu, says Schmidt is exceptional, because of his raw talent, his work ethic, and his positive attitude.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've coached Nathen since he started,鈥� says Nicholson. 鈥淗e comes to class every night, whether I'm there or not. He'll even teach (jiu jitsu) classes for me, if I can't make it. I coach him in Brazilian jiu jitsu and very loosely in kickboxing. He's already got his four-stripe orange belt and he's on the road to getting his blue belt in jiu jitsu.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 knew right away Nathen was talented,鈥� adds Nicholson. 鈥淏ut I was also impressed by his respect and discipline. He came in with a good attitude and it shows.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Humphries, who has instructed many students over his 25-year karate career, agrees, and says that Schmidt is a standout student.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淣athen is a very humble kid, but he's aggressive, too. He's like a sponge-he just soaks it all up. He wants to learn and that's part of what makes him such a pleasure to teach.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淚've taught him for a couple years now,鈥� continues Humphries. 鈥淰ery seldom-if ever-does he miss a class. He's just a delight to instruct. He has an amazing attitude and skill set. You don't see a lot of kids in martial arts with that combination, especially at such a young age.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e's one of the elite kids. There are only a handful of adolescents with that skill set, who combine it with the level of dedication Nathen has. He makes it look so easy, especially in competition, but that's only because he takes it so seriously and works so hard.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 Humphries says that he has 鈥渘o doubt鈥� that his young student will achieve his MMA ambitions.
聽聽聽聽 鈥淗e's got his (karate) orange belt and he's won a lot of competitions. He'll do it (MMA) for sure. He's one of the elite kids who has an amazing skill set, coupled with a great work ethic and attitude.鈥�
聽聽聽聽 鈥淣athen's won multiple divisions already,鈥� agrees Nicholson. 鈥淚 enjoy teaching him because he's so respectful and he's always there to learn, so he can succeed in martial arts, and he's going to.鈥� 聽
