Taekwondo Insider News recently got the chance to interview Jayson Grant. Jayson is a 2009 National Collegiate Champion, 2009 Pan Am Collegiate Games Team Mem
ber, and a 2009 Summer World University Games Team Member, just to name a few of his recent accomplishments.
Name: Jayson Dennison Grant
Birthday:10/02/88
Competition Weight: 79 kg Middleweight or Olympic Welter
Height: 5'10
College: Quinsigamond Community College
Coaches: Daniel Chuang And Fabio Takahashi
(TaeKwonDo Insider News): What first got you into Tae Kwon Do?
(Jayson Grant): My God-Father had been doing this and I liked martial arts and so my parents were looking around and my God-Father Introduced us to the school and signed the papers and that's how I got started
(TKDI): You have competed in several different weight classes in the past few years, how tough is the transition between different weight classes?
(JG): In my opinion I did not see it as challenging as some people make it out to be, but the harder thing was to keep my speed and my stamina up as well as my strength as I went up weight. For me, I was always the shorter guy coming up never the tallest for any division and so I had to have something they did not have. I have always believed you can fight any weight division if you have the skills and heart.
(TKDI): What’s your secret to cutting weight?
(JG): Believe it or not, I always fought my natural weight, my parents never believed in cutting huge amounts of weight. So during my junior years I never cut a pound and even as an adult as well, never cut a lot because I have seen what has happened to so many tkd athletes and their bodies. Most of the time their bodies can cut the weight but after years of abuse your body starts fighting you and it's never the same. The funny thing about me is I eat the same all year around but when I work out more and more, I shed weight very easily and sometimes get below my weight class but I still feel very healthy. So the secret for me is, eat and constantly workout and then up the workouts and your metabolism will speed up and weight just comes off.
(TKDI): What is your preferred weight class to fight at?
(JG): To be honest I would love to fight the new light weight class of 162.8 pounds would be realistic to me. That's a weight in my head I know I can have success at and could cut down to rather than the 158.7 weight that it use to be. I was a very talented light weight coming up but I then started track and field and started to build muscle. So I knew it would become harder to fight that weight doing track so I went up a weight class. I like welter though because it is a tweener weight class kind of like cruiserweights in boxing not extremely big or not small it's just right.
(TKDI): Do you have any pre-competition routines, or superstitions?
(JG): I tend not to talk much to people or try not to because it can be a distraction and my friends and teammates always worry when I don't talk the day I fight because I'm a very social type of person. I also tend to sleep because I like sleeping and it relaxes you, because if you are stiff and all wound up when you fight you usually don't do well. Rather than my relaxed and confident method because I feel you can make the game of tae kwon do easy if you relax but don't stay totally relaxed still be focused though.
(TKDI): What is a typical training week like for you?
(JG): It changes but this past month, run on the track for a few miles and do some stairs every day except Saturday and Sunday do cardio kick boxing Mon Wed and Fri. Then do open work out after Mon Wed Fri. Tues - Thurs is sparring workout and something I try to do every day is play basketball and on Sunday I train with my coach Fabio Takahashi and always do something new so it's always a surprise when I get there to workout. Saturday is usually my day off my time to do something exciting.
(TKDI): You recently got back from the Summer World University Games in Serbia, what was that like?
(JG): Amazing seeing and walking with so many different countries and sports was thrilling and how there was no political conflicts between the countries in the village or the games. The U.S.A. did receive some boos during opening ceremonies but the rest of the time the countries treated us respectfully. It was an epic event and was a once in a lifetime experience and I was at awe during opening ceremonies and the Games itself.
(TKDI): What was the most memorable competition moment so far?
(JG): I don't have one I have three of them in this order
1. Was winning 2006 senior nationals, the only time I have won and I was 18 years old when I won which was when I became an adult competitor, so I started my adult career off with a bang.
2. Was representing the U.S.A at the Pan American Championships and making it to the quarterfinals.
3. It involves me being there and that's witnessing Terrance Jennings or TJ capturing a bronze medal in the world university Games 2009 because it has gone on for 25 years. But I only know two African American males who have placed and TJ is one and the other is Rudford Hamon in 2003 and that to me is special on its own.
(TKDI): What was your favorite location you visited for competition or training so far?
(JG): Germany 2006 for training was very good and helped my tae kwon do game a lot and Canada in 2008 before my Pan Am Selection Camp was another camp that helped me out a lot as well.
My favorite location for competition would have to be Serbia because competition was high and we had a team which was one of the most talented Tae Kwon Do teams I have ever been on.
(TKDI): You have won gold twice at Collegiate Nationals in two different weight classes, competed at the Summer World University Games and the Pan Am Championships. What’s next?
(JG): Making senior national team for world championships winning pan am championships, pan am games, I also want to win all the top international tournaments in the world, it is a very big goal of mine. Hopefully one day when I retire from the game I can help evaluate and work with tkd athletes and scout them just like the NBA or NFL would is something I would love to do after my tkd career. Maybe Also Getting a program back at the Olympic Training Center because during the past two Olympics we have done well getting medals and at worlds and I think having a program back at the OTC would help our overall team. For example my opinion is if we could get 1/3 of the money that U.S Soccer has gotten we could get better results and in my opinion we have gotten better results then the U.S.A Soccer team overall in the last 8 years. That money could Be Used to develop more athletes more competition camps etc and that would put us on top of the tae kwon do world. That's my opinion on how to develop U.S. Tae Kwon Do.
(TKDI): Can you share a training tip, secret, exercise or drill with us?
(JG): Quality not quantity You can train for hours half ass and become good or you can train solid and efficient for an hour and a half and be great. So train efficiently and hard is my tip. I guarantee results will come if you do this.
(TKDI): If you could give one tip to up and coming athletes, what would it be?
(JG): To be confident in themselves and believe in what they have and remember what has gotten them this far in their young careers and try to progress from that is what I would tell a young man or woman.
(TKDI): What do you do for fun outside of Tae Kwon Do?
(JG): Play X-box fight night round 4 right now. Basketball is what I like to do also talk to my tkd friends and see how their life is going. But Saturday is mega movie day and I watch tons of movies on my digital cable box. Also dancing I love dancing during or out of practice and love to learn new dances and party of course.
Other Information:
(JG): I broke my thumb in early October and had to wear a cast for about 6-8 weeks with stitches and a pin to hold it together then after went to the national qualifier and qualified for world team trials.
(JG): I love any one that doubts me or anyone that hates on me because that is motivation for me to prove all of them wrong and as Muhammad Ali once said "Eat Your Words" is the feeling I want to leave the haters doubters and non-believers because I've heard you're too small for this weight why don't you cut weight. Or why don't you move down here because you can get the results you want if you comedown here to train. Or he is a one trick pony and is just a good athlete and won't be a good senior competitor. I love it when I prove them wrong and have a shell shock look on their face and as longs as I have them I will always be training to be the best.
Awards:
2008 NCTA Outstanding Freshman Male Athlete of the Year
2006 U.S. Cup Senior Player of the Year
2005 U.S. Cup Junior Player of the Year
2003 U.S. Cup Junior Player of the Year
Competition Record:
2009 SWUG Middleweight Team Member
2009 Pan American Collegiate Games (Gold)
2009 Pan American Collegiate Team Member (middle)
2009 National Collegiate Championships (Middle): GOLD
2009 National Team Qualifier (Middle): 3rd
2008 Pan American Championhships Quarterfianlist
2008 Pan American Championhships team member
2008 U.S. Senior Nationals (Welter): BRONZE
2008 Collegiate World Trials (Welter): 2nd
2008 Collegiate Nationals (Welter): GOLD
2008 York National Qualifier (Welter): GOLD
2007 World Tae kwon Do Open (olympic welter) Bronze
2007 Toronto Open: SILVER
2007 Olympic Trials (Light/Welter): 4th
2007 U.S. Senior Nationals (Welter): SILVER
2007 Pan Am Games Trials (Light/Welter): 3rd
2007 German Open Quarterfianlist Welter
2006 U.S. Senior Nationals (Welter): GOLD
2006 Pan American Open: GOLD
2006 Senior National Team Trials (Light): 3rd
2005 Junior Olympics (Lt. Middle): SILVER
2005 AAU Senior Nationals (Light): SILVER
2005 AAU Team Trials(Lt. Middle): GOLD
2005 AAU National Team Member (Jr. Lt. Middle)
2005 U.S. Cup (Sr. Light): GOLD
2005 U.S. Cup (Jr. Lt. Middle): GOLD
2005 Senior Nationals (Light): BRONZE
2004 East Coast Open (Junior): GOLD
2004 AAU Nationals (Junior): GOLD
2004 AAU Team Trials (Junior): GOLD
2004 AAU National Team Member (Junior)
2004 U.S. Cup: GOLD
2004 U.S. Cup Team Member (Junior)
2004 Irish Open (Jr. Middle): GOLD
2003 U.S. Cup: GOLD2003 U.S. Cup Team Member
2003 Germany Park Pokal (Jr. Lt. Middle): BRONZE
Favorite International Tae Kwon Do Athletes:
Choi Yeon ho ,Hadi Saei Bonehkohal and Daba Modibo Keïta and Servet Tazegul , Sebastien Konan , Chinedum Osuji.
Favorite U.S.A Tae Kwon Do Athletes (No Particular order):
Jason Han , Juan Moreno, Steven Lin , James Howe, Terrance Jennings, Rudford Hamon, Jermaine James , Johnny Nguyen, Jason Neville , Anthony Bell, Charles Smith jr., Nia Abdallah , Simone Devito, Elisha Voren, Eleini Koutsillianos
Favorite Athletes:
Muhammed Ali , Roy Jones Jr , Pernell Whitaker, Anderson Silva , George St. Pierre , Fedor Emilienko, Michael Jordan , Tracy McGrady , Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant , Lebron James, Kevin Durant , Vince Carter , Roger Federer, Robihno , Ronaldinho , KaKa , Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Ladanian Tomlinson , Randy Moss Peyton Manning , Chris Johnson , Ronnie Brown Antonio Cromartie , Ray Lewis Justin Tuck Osi Umenyiora , Brandon Jacobs.
Favorite All Time Winning Athlete:
Bill Russel Quote Greatest Celtic To Ever Wear The Uniform.
Taekwondo Insider News recently got the chance to interview Jayson Grant. Jayson is a 2009 National Collegiate Champion, 2009 Pan Am Collegiate Games Team Mem
