MMA Leiticia Pestova Interview
Articles of Interest . ProfilesAn Interview with Leiticia Pestova Up & Coming Martial Artists Series
Leiticia thank you for sitting down with us for this Interview. While you have given a few interviews somehow many people still do not have a sense of who Leiticia Pestova “is”. This is surprising given your impressive resume and the amount of time you have spent in the public eye. To give our readers a sense of who you are I thought we should start from beginning.
Sensei Mitch: Provide some background on yourself. How did you get started in the fitness/martial arts industry?
Leiticia Pestova: My father was a black belt in free-style martial arts and began teaching me at age 10. I also started training with Master Steve Fossum in CA. I got my brown belt a few years later.
Sensei Mitch: Did feel you faced any unique challenges as a young woman training in the Martial Arts?
Leiticia Pestova: Of course! People would look at me and say “YOU”RE a fighter? WHY??” or they would put me down for my career choice. It would bother me at first but it doesn’t anymore. It’s MY life, MY way. Everybody else can kiss my ass.
Sensei Mitch: How did you get involved in the filming of the TV program βThe World of Martial Artsβ?
Leiticia Pestova: Master Steve Fossum was the director of the TV show and offered me and my siblings a part in it. My brother Luke was the star in one of the episodes, “The Adventures of Master Luke” is what we called it. I played a victim and he karate chopped the bad guys and saved me and my family π Good times.
Sensei Mitch: What did you learn from working on the filming of this program?
Leiticia Pestova: It’s not so much what I learned as what a great experience it was. I had friends on the set and I always looked forward to helping where I could. I actually helped direct one episode.
Sensei Mitch: You have an extensive musical background, classical pianist, violinist and vocalist. You also are a member of the Mesa, Arizona based band CJA, recognized as one of Arizona’s best pop bands! Has your involvement in the music industry helped you with your Martial Arts career?
Leiticia Pestova: Yes, being a classical musician, I have performed many times in front of large audiences so I’m not afraid to get under any spotlight. Fighting in cages is extremely intimidating sometimes. You have to put on a show for the crowd, AND defend yourself while being locked in a tiny octagon. I am aware that crowds want to be entertained and I try to incorporate that into my fights.
Sensei Mitch: When you are sparring, do you ever worry about an injury that may negatively affect your music career?
Leiticia Pestova: Not until you asked the question! Only if I broke my fingers or hands would I not be able to play for a while. But that’s the wonderful thing about the human body, we heal well.
Sensei Mitch: You are not new to competing; you began competing as a musician when you were 12 years old. You continued that and added modeling when you were 16 years old, winning 1st Place awards for Best Model, Sponsor’s Choice, Favorite Model and Best Dressed and were featured in FAME Magazine and Photo Shoot Monthly. Have these experiences helped you in the sparring ring (or cage), and if so how?
Leiticia Pestova: I’m VERY competitive……and that’s what drives me in the cage sometimes. I have to win. I have to be first. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a really good sport, Lord knows I’ve had my ass handed to me more than once and I always respect the women who win over me, even if there’s bad blood between us. Being the way I am, I’m not prideful, I just want it ALL!!
Sensei Mitch: Do you feel that your modeling exposure has been beneficial in promoting your Martial Arts career?
Leiticia Pestova: In some ways. I’ve had several magazines interview me just because of the way I look. I don’t think too much of it. It’s beneficial too because some don’t even care if I can throw a punch, they just want to see me step into a cage. Personally, I wouldn’t mind watching cute girls actually fight a professional bout. When I fist came into the sport I couldn’t tell the difference between the girls and guys.
Sensei Mitch: We have established that you are a beautiful, musically talented woman with a desire to be a recognized name in the Martial Arts industry. However, there is a lot more to Leiticia, you entered college at 15 and earned your Real Estate license when you were only 18! You started college at 15 to most people this seems like an impossible feat! What type of K-12 education did you receive that prepared you for this step?
Leiticia Pestova: Homeschooling baby!!! And no, we didn’t skip grades, I just never took a summer off, always reading, always studying. School and martial arts was my life. It’s good that my mother put me in my place, and it was hard at times. I was a brat and very rebellious. I’m surprised she didn’t drown me, HAHA. ::thank you mum:::::
Sensei Mitch: During your college years you continued to train in the Martial Arts, did that help you focus in your studies or was it a distraction?
Leiticia Pestova: A distraction, who wants to study when you could be beating the crap out of someone.
Sensei Mitch: You are an active member in the Rotary Club, a group that works to benefit the community through charity and service to the community. Your interests also include volunteering. What type of charities and fundraisers is the focus of your volunteer work?
Leiticia Pestova: The ABC Center, Boys and Girls Club, Sunshine Acres…..to name a few. I love kids, I want to help them and be a role model for them. If I ever start getting ungrateful for anything, all I have to do is go volunteer at a children’s hospital…..I always leave with a clearer mind.
Sensei Mitch: Given your relatively young age, have you found any resistance to your involvement in business or volunteer activities? If so, how did you overcome these situations?
Leiticia Pestova: Not at all, people trust me and I’m glad for that. Mind you, I have to go through the tedious paperwork and tests like anyone else. But I’m a people person and I’m usually welcomed wherever I go.
Sensei Mitch: Do you think that involvement in the Martial Arts promotes involvement in community service?
Leiticia Pestova: I don’t really think so. Fighting as a career is one thing, putting yourself out there and volunteering is something else. I believe in giving back to the community but I do so in person.
Sensei Mitch: In 1994, you began studying free-style martial arts at Delgadoβs School of the Dragon. What prompted to you to choose free-style over other available styles?
Leiticia Pestova: That’s what the school taught. I didn’t know there were other forms of MMA offered. I learned what I could.
Sensei Mitch: What is your typical training session like?
Leiticia Pestova: Start with stretching, abs workout, back workout 30 minutes (gotta have that solid core) bag training for 15 minutes, sparring for 30 minutes, grappling for 30 minutes, and then more sparring. That routine is four days a week, then I will exercise three days a week and do several strenuous exercises (such as hiking) two times per week.
Sensei Mitch: When did you decide that you wanted to get involved with cage fighting?
Leiticia Pestova: I was watching Rage in the Cage in 2003 and that’s when I knew I could become a great fighter. I ran upstairs in the arena to the manager’s office and told him that he was looking at the next lightweight champion! .
Sensei Mitch: What was your first cage fight experience like?
Leiticia Pestova: Not a good one. I was in the cage ready to fight and suddenly my manager comes ring side and announces that my opponent wouldn’t fight me. I had to walk out and the audience was booing.
Sensei Mitch: When is your next expected cage fight?
Leiticia Pestova: September 9th in San Diego. I’m fighting Jessica Penne.
Sensei Mitch: Outside of training in a Dojo or other controlled environment, what is the scariest situation you have found yourself?
Leiticia Pestova: I was riding my Suzuki Bandit 600 on the freeway 60 a few years back and I was doing 120 mph. I came over a hill and ran into unexpected traffic. I slammed on my brakes, but I slid side-ways, crashed into the back of the ford and I went through the windshield. I was wearing my helmet and leathers but still got glass in my left arm. This really nice lady took me aside when I started walking into the middle of the road (I was out of it). I still ride motorcycles, but I should have died in that accident.
Sensei Mitch: The past few years have been very busy for you! You are still involved with CJA producing three CD’s, a music video, CJA merchandise, and in the process of opening a nightclub! You have designed and are marketing the Felony Clothing line. In 2005, you established the Musician Masters, LLC music school. You are actively training for up coming Free-Style and MMA cage fights and competitions. How do you find the time?!
Leiticia Pestova: I’m an insomniac. I don’t remember the last time I slept well, so I stay up at night and work on projects. Id DOES drive me crazy sometimes, but that’s my extra time right there “‘winks””
Sensei Mitch: Where do you see your various careers taking you over the next few years?
Leiticia Pestova: I plan on becoming the lightweight champion in MMA. I’m training in Muay Thai right now and want to be one of the best. I’m very happy teaching music right now and just attained my Bachelor’s degree in music. I’m content where I am in my life and I don’t want anything to change for the moment. I’m young, I’ve got time π
Sensei Mitch: Do you think you will open your own Martial Arts school in the near future?
Leiticia Pestova: I don’t see that happening, I would rather train in MMA than teach it.
Sensei Mitch: We have established that you are an amazing woman who has more accomplishments then most people twice your age. I noticed that your pictures and biography all focus around your career, what about your personal life? What is a typical day like for you?
Leiticia Pestova: Get up at 8:00, eat breakfast, feed my two doggies, clean up their mess, go train at 1:00, eat lunch, go train, go shooting in Tempe, call my manager, call my sisters. Meet with other agents, discuss my clothing line. Come home, play with my dogs, return my phone calls, have friends come over. Drink a glass of wine, eat dinner, talk about my day and then go to bed.
Sensei Mitch: Here is the most loaded question of the day; is there anyone βspecialβ in Leiticaβs life right now?
Leiticia Pestova: Yup, and that’s all I’m tellin’ ya.
Sensei Mitch: Another interest you mentioned was cooking. Do you have any favorite recipes or diets that you use when you are training that you can share?
Leiticia Pestova: Ooohhhh food, I could talk about that subject all day. When I’m training, my favorite thing to eat is a mix of brown rice, egg whites and tuna. I put sweet n’ sour sauce in it and it takes great. If I’m not dieting, I love cooking steak and chicken with lots of onions, lemon and spices. I’m getting hungry, I’m gonna go eat.
Sensei Mitch: Is there anything else that you would like to tell us about or share with our readers?
Leiticia Pestova: If you ever have a question, hit my up on MySpace, I always reply to messages even if it takes while. And thank you to all my fans, I love you, you keep me going.
Sensei Mitch: I want to thank you for granting KarateTraining.org this interview; it has been great to get to know you better. I look forward to doing a follow-up interview in a few years but in the meantime please send us updates so we can keep our readers informed. We also hope you post some of your training and fight pictures to the Gallery space we have made available, thanks again and good luck in all you do.
To all of our readers, if you happen to meet Leitica tell her you read about her on KarateTraining.org!!
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