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The single stroke of a bell is all Jill Fickes remembers about her first fight.
Fickes was so nervous before the fight she doesn't remember how she beat an opponent with a 50-pound weight advantage, but she does remember the adrenaline rush.
Fickes has chased that rush ever since on her way to becoming a nationally ranked mixed martial artist. The 31-year-old is a Golden Gloves champion, has studied martial arts for the better part of 23 years and has trained with some of the best fighters in the world.
Now Fickes has to prepare for her fight against Marie Colangelo, the main event for Battle at the Blast II, which will be held Feb. 9 at Sports Blast in Carbondale.
While Fickes said this would be her toughest opponent to date, she is excited to fight in front of the fans again.
"There is an adrenaline high when you get in the ring," Fickes said. "There is just no greater rush than hearing the crowd cheer for you. You're on a high."
The Herrick native said she is well prepared for the upcoming fight after traveling to Florida with her husband, Tim Fickes, to train with Marcelo Garcia, a five-time world champion in Brazilian jujitsu.
"He was surprised with what she was able to do," Tim Fickes said. "When they were done he turned to me and said 'So what's the matter?' She held her own against one of the best."
Tim Fickes is an elite martial artist in his own right, having earned five black belts in a variety of disciplines, and is a former trainer of the U.S. Marshals.
Martial arts have always played a major role in Jill Fickes' life, but she also obtained a biology degree from SIU and is raising an 18-month-old son.
Jill Fickes did not slow down with martial arts even when she was pregnant. When she was eight-months pregnant she was still shouting out instructions to her adult class at Dojo USA and was showing proper punching techniques.
"Martial arts defines me as much as my name and it's just a part of who I am," she said. "Martial arts pretty much takes priority, so I was able to balance my classes and things like that around my training."
After taking a break to spend time with her son, Jill Fickes is back and ready to pursue a career that has a lot more upside since the recent rise in popularity in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
While the Ultimate Fighting Championship only sanctions men's fights, doors have opened for women to make money in mixed martial arts due to stars such as Gina Carano and Kyra Gracie, a member of the family that revolutionized combat sports.
Jill Fickes said she is on the level where she knows she could fight the best women in the high-profile fights.
"At this point in the game I am not really getting girls that can compete with me on my level," she said. "If doors open up for me, and I think they will, I am going to pursue it as far as I can go."
Jill Fickes' devastating power and pinpoint striking accuracy could carry her to a big-money fight, said her husband, who is also the promoter of Kage One. Tim Fickes is negotiating for a fight with a former Elite XC fighter.
While she admits she only has a few more years as an active competitor in the sport, Jill Fickes said her body has held up well with only a minor knee injury occurring during her career.
A knee injury in mixed martial arts does not seem uncommon, but Jill Fickes' small injury came from a much smaller source.
"I was playing leapfrog with my son," she said. "The second time I aggravated it I was jumping through hula hoops with him, but I have never been injured in fighting."
Jill Fickes is thinking about the future and plans to go back to school during the fall to build off her biology degree with a nursing degree.
Until then, she will continue to train and teach her children's class at Dojo USA in Sports Blast. She said teaching the sport to children is important for its growth.
"MMA has gotten a bad reputation, but it teaches self-confidence and strength," she said. "The sport has been portrayed with the thug image so it is important the instructors teach it with respect so students can treat it with respect."
Jeff Engelhardt can be reached at
536-3311 ext. 269 or jengel@siu.edu.
