Biography of Mark Bristow Mix Martial Art fighter
I am well versed in boxing which I did for 10 years, having won the Natal title and Midlands title as an amateur, I then moved onto to San Shou ( chinese boxing ). I also competed in Baltimore in the USA getting a gold medal for the men’s heavy weight full contact.
I made my professional MMA debut at 40 years as this was where martial arts were heading. The best fight I had was against a Korean guy in Johannesburg, I was undefeated in my division in San Shou and my rivals in Johannesburg imported this scary looking guy to compete against me, he looked the part and walked the walked. Round one started and it was pretty evenly matched as we traded kicks and punches, towards the end of the first round I caught my opponent with a short right hand which put him onto the canvas, the bell went and he beat the count. Round 2 started and he launched at me with a flying kick, instinct set in, I side stepped him and landed a sweet right hand which put my opponent to sleep, that had to be a highlight in my career, everyone thought I was going be the loser that day.
You will find me training at my gym, Train on Point, 76 Point Road, Durban six days a week. I am a cardio freak. Lol. I always maintained that if I’m not the most skilled fighter in a bout then my fitness would give me the win.
I have never chosen opponents, I firmly believe as a fighter you should fight anyone put in front of you, one thing for sure is that the meanest looking guys are usually not the hardest to beat, watch out for that quiet placid fighter sitting at the back, those are usually the dark horses you need to watch out for.
My training schedule consists of a 6 km run every day followed by light weights and cardio, evenings consists of boxing, MMA, San Shou sparring and of course a 1000 stomach exercises. I try to live a clean life style and diet as much as possible with the occasional treat, I have a soft spot for chocolate.
I encourage youngsters to get involved in martial arts, the discipline and self-control you learn helps you with life’s everyday challenges.
A true martial artist is humble and avoids fights outside of the arena. Let’s see Mark Bristow is your everyday kind of guy who follows God and wants to help people, I really get a kick out of putting a smile on someone’s face, I am happily married with 3 great sons. I eat and sleep martial arts and love training myself past my limits, I use martial arts to change people’s lives for the better. My wife Jo works with me at the gym and is probably more obsessed with training than me; my students call her little Hitler. lol, she is known to be brutal when taking class.
By Mark Bristow