Gina: My name is Gina Carano; I have lived in Nevada for the 
majority of my life.  I am 22 years old.  My life consists of staying 
true to God, my wonderful family, a handful of true, loyal friends, 
my two pit bulls (Gotti and Layla).  

I work on traveling as much as possible, staying positive, Muay Thai, 
school and making the most
 positive possible impact in this life that I am capable.  I go to the
  University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) where I am majoring 
in Psychology. 

Out of all us girls, I am the youngest and have been
 a part of Muay Thai for the least amount of time.  I have been doing
 it for almost two years now, but when I love something I put my 
whole heart into it, like I’ve done with Muay Thai.  Fighting has 
changed my life; I’ve never felt such an awesome rush. 

  My ambition as a fighter is to allow Muay Thai to push me to my 
limits, to see what I am truly capable of and to give back to the sport 
as much as I am capable. 
  It balances me out mentally, physically, and spiritually, Muay Thai 
will always be a part of my life.  

As for others things I like to do, I 
would like to travel more and see the world.  I love to meet genuine 
people.  I love the beach as little as I get to go.  I like to play 
basketball and volleyball, and definitely love to snowboard.  I love to
 write and listen  to music.  I love peoples different styles in expressing themselves 
through  art.  I like to keep things new and fresh by pushing myself 
to new places in life through new experiences.  And I love spending time with my 
loved ones. 

Lisa: My name is Lisa King, I am a mother of two (both of which 
are involved in Martial Arts themselves).  Professionally, I have 
an extensive background in marketing.  Currently I work as an 
Area Sales Manager for four local publications in Las Vegas.


  There are many sports and hobbies that I enjoy.  Starting off with
 Karaoke, Volleyball, Softball and Skiing.  I am competitive in anything
 and everything ranging from board games to go carts.  I do NOT excel
 in swimming, bike riding or going to traditional gyms to just work out.  
Ironically the thought of just working out in my vocabulary is 
unheard of - its just something I cannot enjoy!  

Personally,  I train in Muay Thai as it is my ongoing outlet of doing 
something for myself.  I incorporated Muay Thai as a form of exercise
 years ago,  I liked the fact that since it was a "full contact sport" there was no down
 time in my exercise regime.  I chose this style -vs- the others as I thought
 it was the most practical in every day self-defense.  Basically by taking 
up the sport I killed two birds with one stone - I got a good work out and 
was able to learn self defense.   


My trainers consist of Master Toddy,
 Master Chan, Master Lookchang, and our recent addition to the Masters
 is Master Ronnie Green.  I got into fighting basically by default.  As
 mentioned previously my professional background is in marketing.  
Therefore, I began assisting Master Toddy with the planning of his
 promotions, then moved on to a natural fit - Commentating.  After that 
I tried my luck at Ring Announcing and low and behold decided to test 
my skills in the ring. Muay Thai is definitely a sport that challenges
 you not only mentally but physically, both of which I really enjoy.  
I have a lot of fun doing what I am doing at the present time.  I often get
asked how long I plan to fight, in which my most common response is 
"until it is no longer fun".  

I have plenty of responsibilities and again 
I do this is an outlet.  Once it becomes a job, it might not have the same effect!  
My motto in life is to "do unto others as you would have done to yourself", 
and to "live life to the fullest".  Both of which I do my best to live by.  
I encourage others who are interested in this sport or maybe have a different
 type of dream to go for it and NEVER allow others to limit you.  It's pretty 
simple, if you can dream it - you can achieve it!

2.It seems no where you go,or who you fight, you guys find yourselves to be the center of attention-even when you travel to far away places. And anytime your names are mentioned there are strong emotional reactions. It really seems that very few people are able to be neutral in their feelings about you. What do you suppose it is about Toddy’s Angels that evokes such strong emotional responses from the public and makes you the focus of such intense media scrutiny, and fan curiosity?

Christine:  Unfortunately, the public uses judgement upon first impressions and hearsay.  For anyone in the public eye, that is an issue. With Muay Thai being a niche market, it’s more difficult to open to those outside of it. Many people will judge by looks and by what they hear, and that’s just the reality. We’re a new target for gossip.  That is not entirely a bad thing. As for those that have strong emotional reactions towards our presence being seen or heard of,  a person either likes what we’re doing or doesn’t.  And if they don’t like who we are and what we do, it’s not our problem. We encourage people to watch our fights, come see us train, and learn the truth about us, before making any negative comments. For those that support us, we thank you.

Gina: Some people might notice us because of the way we look, the way we fight, the way we act, what we do for a living, where we live, what and who we are surrounded by, where we train, who we train with, where we’ve been.

 3. How does it feel to know that you are known, talked about and recognized by people you have never met?

Group Answer: It’s flattering…good, bad and indifferent because we have people talking, and that to us is flattering in itself.

 4. How do you feel when you see things written about you that may be unflattering, unfairly critical, false or inaccurate? How do you handle that?

Christine: I get upset, but then I take a moment to realize that if these people really knew me, they wouldn’t have such things to say. These people don’t know who I am and what’s REALLY happening. There will always be those people that have negative and/ or false things to say.  Sometimes it’s just plain funny, and I find it entertaining. The world has to spin somehow, I guess.

Ardra: I don’t take negative things to heart because if you do, you’ll only be full of negativity.

Gina:  It kind of sucks because these people are feeding the public information that they have no idea about but the truth will always come out in the end and that’s all that matters. 

Tasha: It doesn’t bother me at all to hear people’s opinions , because that’s all they are… just opinions.

Lisa: I feel the need to get on the forums and post, to educate them on who we are and what we are up against.

5. Are there any misconceptions, or misinformation circulating about any of you that you would like to correct?

Gina: Yes, we’re not all the same person, we’re individuals who come from different places, no, we’re not all playmates, we don’t all work the same jobs, we are not all college students, we don’t all have children, we are not all the same weight with the same skill.  We are 5 EXTREMELY different women who have Muay Thai in common, let’s not confuse things.

Tasha: Yes, I am the playboy model..and I have worked very hard for my playboy career, but I work even harder for my Muay Thai career and I take it very seriously. So when I’m in there I’m not just a playboy bunny…I’m a FIGHTER!

Ardra: I never really thought that people would talk about me, but they always categorize us together…me and Tasha because we’re best friends and we are always together. She’s a great person, has a great career…I am also a nice person…I work hard…and train hard and I am my own person.  So I would like to be talked about as my own person.

6.  Some of your fans are almost as emotional as your critics. How does it feel when you read complimentary things written by adoring fans that may be seen by some to be exaggerated?  Are you flattered and appreciative? Or does it make you feel slightly uncomfortable?

Group Answer: It is both flattering and uncomfortable because we don’t want people to think that we are more than we are… We are growing just like everyone else and there is something special inside all of us. Do you think that Mohammad Ali sat around thinking he was normal? He knew he was something special and he was going to do something great, isn't that a big reason why he is so great. 

7. Shortly after your return from that successful tour of Thailand the bulletin board of www.womenkickboxing.com was inundated with more than 150 posts most of them from very emotional fans, and some critics also. We have never has such an overwhelming response to a women’s fight event previously -including world title fights. How did you feel when you saw the overwhelming response you received?

Group Answer: We were shocked, overwhelmed and complimented. We had no idea that people even knew we were gone or what we were doing. We didn’t even know that people cared or knew who the Toddy’s Angels were. It was very discerning that people assumed that we fought “little Thai girls” (in reference to the posts that started the long topic on us) and that we couldn’t hold our own. Why do people have to take away from the training and dedication that we put into making this fight a success? Don’t disrespect the girls that we fought in Thailand . They trained hard and they are real muay thai fighters.

 I would like to switch gears a bit, and talk about the public image of both the public persona of Toddy’s Angels and also the public perception of women fighters.  Do you think there is a stereotype of women fighters as being sort of hard or even slightly “masculine”? If yes, do you think that image has been somewhat changed by Toddy’s Angels ?

Group answer: We’re just bringing out our individuality and it surprises people. We feel that there shouldn’t have to be a cookie cutter approach to female fighters. It doesn’t matter what you look like it is what you bring into the ring. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

10. On the other hand, could there be a fear among some people that because of the popularity of Toddy’s Angels, that women fighters will eventually become as much valued for their looks as for their ring skills? And do you think some of the resentments to Toddy’s Angels may stem from those fears? What if anything would you like to say to people who feel that way?

Group: Our looks isn’t what we value most as fighters. It’s the uniqueness of who we are as individuals and how we come together as a group that makes us Toddy’s Angels. We are trying to help promote Muay Thai, not change it, nor are we giving ideas of what women fighters should look or be like. We’d all agree that it’s not the way we look that makes us fight the way we do. We are all skilled and that’s what matters most when we fight. There’s a lot of hard work put into that.

11. You are branded as "Toddy's Angels”. How do you feel being branded as a group and not as individuals? It seems when people talk about one Angel, it reflects on all of you.

Group: What makes up a team?  Individuals.  What makes our team unique?  That we are completely different from one another.  We expect people to at least give that a thought.  We will defend each other because we are a team.  It comes with the territory.  We are a family and we will take the good and the bad together. We understand that Muay Thai isn’t a team sport because only one person steps into that ring to face his/her opponent. But we’re here to support each other and we all share a common ground… that’s what makes us a team.

12. I can’t remember exactly the first time I saw the name ”Toddy’s Angels” applied to you. But, the name suddenly caught on and has definitely associated with you in the mind of the public. After giving it some thought, it occurred to me that the name was likely taken from the Old TV show,  “Charlie’s Angels”, or maybe the much more recent movie by the same name. Both shows featured three very beautiful women who were extremely skilled in martial arts and used their skills to fight criminals, and bad guys. And,  apparently, the public saw in you, a similarity to the characters in the movie. So, what do you think it is that makes beautiful women who can also fight like men so appealing and fascinating to the general public?

  Gina: Girls wear pink, play with Barbie’s, have tea parties and join sororities; they don’t get in rings and fight, join the military, and purposely get dirty.  The public might find it fascinating because of stereotypes.  (Especially when referring to one on one combat).

Christine: Fighting was known to be a “man’s” sport.  Women are continuing to prove otherwise. That in itself is fascinating.

 Lisa:  It’s just different, people like things that are not the norm.  Female’s risking getting hurt, is not typical.  Many men wouldn’t think about doing it themselves.

 13.What do you feel "Toddy's Angels" brings to women in muay thai? How do you set yourselves as good examples for women in the sport? What message do you have that will encourage other women who aspire?

 Lisa: Exposure.

Ardra: Don’t be afraid to be your own person. Let it out.

Group Answer: We are ourselves and we don’t allow the public to dictate what we do and who we are.

 14. Do all of you get along all the time? If not, how do you make up for your differences? Do you always pull for each other even of one of you is fighting another fighter you are friends with? And do you give each other advice on how to beat a particular opponent?

Group answer: No of course not. You can’t take 5 strong willed women anywhere and expect them to get along all the time. But just like a family you have your fights, but you all pull for each other during and in the end. Strong individuals working together makes us a better team. ut it can also get pretty entertaining when we are not all on the same page.

15.What is the mission for "Toddy's Angels"?  Is there a purpose and goal for creating all of you as a branded group?

  Group answer: Please reference no. 13. We are trying to personally grow and help this sport grow as big as it can be.

16. Do you feel Master Toddy is using your looks to help promote the sport? If yes, what are your personal feelings about that?

  Group: Of course, he has method to his madness. He is doing his best to bring in other people who are curious about it…he is trying to make it more marketable and more main stream. Everyone knows boxing and wrestling…he wants to make Muay Thai a household name and to all mainstream audiences.    lso, he wants to prove a point. Looks can be deceiving. "These girls can really fight and they take their training seriously. You look at them once and you'd never in a million years think they are fighters".  It’s our real lives outside of Muay Thai that amazes him and others that get to know us as individuals.

17. What makes Toddy's Angels different from other female fighters?

Group answer: We don’t know…you tell us.  

18. Do you feel that the image you set out for yourselves portrays women fighters at its best?

   
Group answer: No, not at best, not just yet.  We are still molding ourselves into becoming better fighters, But as far as being women fighters at the point we are in our lives, we exemplify dedication to the sport and having the capability to manage our lives outside of it.  Please refer to question #1.

  19. Do you feel you get the respect you deserve as women fighters?

Group answer:  No,  Because we are more often seen as women, not fighters.   We are tired of hearing people say “she’s a good fighter – for a chick”.  A good fighter is a good fighter – male or female.

  20. Do you all have different training schedules and routines or do you train together at the same time and work on the same things? What does your training routine consist of?

Group answer :  We all train at different times, with different trainers.  Obviously we train at the same gym so our paths cross from time to time.  We fit in our training to coincide with our everyday lives. Our training consists of:  running, jump rope, stretching, bag work, pad work, sparring, conditioning, shadowboxing, technique training, strength training, sprinting.  The works!  (Does KFC give away their original recipe?  We don’t. )

  21. How do you feel about Muay Thai and why would you encourage other females to fight Muay Thai ? Wold any of you ever take a K-1 rules fight-modified thai with limited clinches to five seconds?

  Group answer: We would love to fight K1. Modified rules or not.

  22. What do you say to people who think bare knuckle fighting for women is uncivilized and barbaric?

  Christine: And bare knuckle for men isn’t?

Gina: Go Christine, shake yo booty, get busy… To each her own.

Lisa: Represent Girl

Ardra: Yes it is barbaric and uncivilized! Siiiiiiiiiike!

23. What do you say to people who think women should not be fighting at all?

  Gina: Don’t watch.

Lisa: those are the same chauvinistic people who think women should stay home and take care of kids.

Christine:  Arrhhhhhhhhh!

Ardra:  Uhhh, Sorry!

  24. Should women also fight three minute rounds like the men? And what about elbows?

  Group answer: Yes and yes. 

  25. It is well known that in a few places in Thailand, there are so-called “bar girls” who are not fighters who are wiling to climb into a ring and fight a trained fighter -just to make a little money. How do you feel about the practice of fighters taking on “bar girls” in rings set up in beer bars?

  Christine: Bad practice. I don’t like it.  Wouldn’t support it.  It’s like prostitution of the sport. It’s a shame.  What’s a skilled fighter to gain? Where is a woman’s dignity?

  Lisa:  It really isn’t a challenge to yourself to fight an unskilled fighter.   Why would you want to?

  26. When you came back from Thailand, some one had started a thread on the womenkickboxing bulletin board alleging that your opponents in Thailand, were either poor, underprivileged, unqualified or smaller women who were fighting you because they were desperate for money? What can you tell us about the opponents you faced in
Thailand ?

  Gina: Ya know, I think it is completely disrespecting Thailand, Muay Thai and most importantly the Thai fighters we fought.  Do you really think that they would bring us all the way to Thailand from the United States to disrespect their sport, their way of life and their people?  All the respect in the world to the girls we fought.  They fought with all their hearts and more and would probably not appreciate a bunch of people making up excuses for a well fought fight, I know I wouldn’t.

  Lisa:  I think the threads were cleared up once we got back to the states, and the viewers/fans were able to see the results and fighter history.  I even remember some apologies to Chris tine and I for the inappropriate statements people were making.

  Christine: There were a lot of false statements that were made even prior to us making it back to the states to respond to the post.  Goes to show how many people on that forum like to jump the gun.

  Ardra: The girls we fought were definitely qualified, skilled fighters! We all had some very hard fights. I personally was very intimidated, going into these girls’ country and fighting them at the sport they grew up with. They had all of their people there backing them and I knew I was in for the fight of my life! The Thai girls deserve way more credit then they were given on the website.

27. Lets talk a little about sportsmanship and so-called “trash talking”. There have been a number of instances were both male and female fighters have been criticized or either doing or saying things that were considered poor sportsmanship. Other fans actually thought some of this was simply fun, or good showmanship, to hype the fight and please the fans. I am going to list a few things that are very common practices especially in women’s pro boxing. But, some people might consider these controversial in kickboxing which is much closer to traditional martial arts than pro boxing.In each of your opinions, are these items a “big deal” or not a “big deal”?

A.  Predicting you will KO your opponent?  

     Gina: Each fighter is different, do whatever works for you.

      Lisa: Confidence is key, no one walks into a fight saying they’re going to lose.

      Christine: I never expect a KO but if it comes GREAT.

      Ardra: I don’t go in looking for a KO, I just go in looking to win.  

B.   Staring down or intimidating your opponent at the weighin. 
(or while receiving ref instructions?)  

b)   Lisa: That’s two separate questions, at the weigh in I am everybody’s best friend, at a fight, I come to fight.

Gina: You use different ways of getting in peoples heads. Personally, I kind of like it when my opponent is a little overconfident.

Christine: At the weigh in , I acknowledge my opponent’s presence and greet them in a friendly manner. I’ve never done a stare down at weigh in. I’m not one to do that.  In  the ring, I look my opponent straight in the eyes. I have a natural fire in my eyes and I know that I want to win the fight more than she does.

 
 Ardra: I am always very nice to my opponents and even introduce myself at weigh-in  

C. Standing over your opponent after KO’ing her and“celebrating”?

Group answer:    A reaction is not premeditated.   

D. “macho” talk aimed at your opponent to hype an upcoming fight?

 
Group answer:  It’s marketing, they do it in every sport.  

E. Talking to, or “taunting” your opponent during the fight?

Group answer:  None of us have ever talked or taunted our opponents during a fight, we’re focused on fighting.

F.  So where do you draw the line between showmanship, entertaining the fans, expressing confidence, issuing a challenge, and “poor sportsmanship?”

 Group answer: As disciplined fighters we never disrespect the sport. Where do you draw the line and who draws the line?  What’s acceptable in one culture might not be accepted in another.  We are all different fighters with different visions of showmanship and sportsmanship, we do our best to stay respectful of our opponents, masters, and the sport.

28. In the last couple of years there have been several instances where a woman fighter agreed to fight a male challenger or opponent. In each case (except for one) the woman won the fight. Fighters  who have fought men  include Asako Saioka, Sunshine Fettkether, Takako Shimoseki, Sachiyo Shibata, Kyoko Kamikaze, Melita Carnavas, Kim Messer, and Lucia Rijker.  

What is your feeling about those fights?  Could  there some extenuating circumstances where such a fight might be understandable or justified in your opinion?  

Group answer: If you’re a woman and you want to take a fight against a man, to each HER own.  

 

29. What do you think can be done to increase respect, appreciation and enthusiasm for women’s kickboxing?  

Group answer: We are trying to gain exposure for the sport by planning more promotions so that the spectators can gain respect and appreciation for all of the new and upcoming female fighters.  And that’s all we can really do.

30. Which female fighters are your role models? And why? What makes a female fighter highly respectable?

Christine: Kim Messer, Lisa Howarth, and Lucia Rijker.  I have never met them in person but from watching their fights and interviews, it seems they each have a humble persona and they carry themselves well.  I personally think both characteristics makes a fighter more admirable. They all show a passion for the sport, are amazingly talented in the ring, and they all have been successful becoming world champions deservingly. All my respect to them each for being strong women, and all my respect to each of them for being great fighters.  

Gina: Christine Toledo, for being an awesome fighter and a great role model.  And all the other female fighters who have the heart to get in the ring, we all deserve respect for that.  And all the women who are truly talented and excel in the sport, who keep raising the bar to what the rest of us are trying to become.

Lisa: Angela Rivera, she is a great technical fighter who has more than proven herself and deserves the respect that she’s been given, she’s done a lot for women in Muay Thai here in the U.S. and has successfully made a career out of it as well.  

 
Ardra: I would also have to say Angela Rivera. She is a great role model and someone I have definitely looked up to and I have also learned from.

 31. What is your most satisfying accomplishment or moment to date?

Lisa: Getting in the ring. (without falling J)

Christine: Experiencing Thailand .

Gina: Becoming a part of Muay Thai itself, it’s given me more than I could ever give back.

Ardra: Fighting in Thailand , because that was something I only dreamed of.

32.  Why should people come to watch your fights?

Group answer: Why shouldn’t they?

33.  When is your next fight, and whom are you fighting?

Group answer: March 26^th at the Stardust Hotel in Las Vegas , NV . Go to www.mastertoddy.com to see fight card lineup.

34. Are any of you going to be in a movie any time soon? If so, can you tell us something about it?

Group amswer: All of us will be in a movie entitled Ring Girls.  We were discovered when we were asked to do a reality tv show for ESPN.  A producer for “Charlie’s Angels” and 2 individual directors thought the sport and our training and dedication would be good for the big screen.  They attended one of our fights and decided to make a movie about who we are, what we do and how much time and dedication we put into Muay Thai.   They filmed two of our recent fights to put into the movie.  Their vision is to do for Muay Thai what the movie “Fast and the Furious”  did for car racing.

35. What would you like to say to the fans in closing?

Group answer: Thank you to Dan for allowing us to do this interview.  Thank you to our fans for being supportive of what we do.  To the naysayers – we realize we can’t make everyone happy we just ask that you at least see one of our fights and judge us individually for our skills  and dedication.

FAN QUESTIONS: Inquiring minds want to KNOW!!

Below are some of the most frequently asked  (also some of the funniest and weirdest) questions that fans have written in for Toddy’s Angels: The first four have been paraphrased by womenkickboxing to make clearer exactly what the questioner wanted to know.

 BTW: The Angels may or may not decide to take a crack at some of these…

A.  Roger asks: Would you fight another Angel, if she held a title in your weight class that you wanted? If yes, would you KO her if you could, or beat her just enough to win, since she’s your friend?

Ardra: Never!

Christine: No

Gina: Gina: Depends on the day, J ha ha No, you don’t fight from under the same roof.

Lisa: As far is it is concerned you never fight someone from the same camp.  It’s just not something you would do.

B.  Larry asks: Have any of you ever used your fighting skills either to defend yourselves or others on the street, or anywhere outside the ring?  And can you give an example?

Ardra: No

Christine: No

Gina: Ever since I started Muay Thai the fights outside the ring have stopped, I don’t know maybe it just taught me how to handle situations better.

Lisa:  No

C. Gustavo asks: Is it true that professional fighters hands are considered “deadly weapons” and “registered like guns, by the state?

Group answer: Anyone with a martial arts background that can use their skill effectively is considered a weapon, and only in self defense can it be used, if not for competition.

D.   DuSean asks: Being trained fighters, how do you relate to guys who are not fighters?  If you met a really nice looking, polite, educated man with a great personality, would his inability to fight make you feel uncomfortable with him as a potential boyfriend?

Ardra:  It would not matter to me if my boyfriend could fight or not, just as long as he was good to me.

Christine:  A successful, confident, and well educated man is admirable.  Not being a trained fighter doesn’t prove a man’s inability to protect a woman. Fighting in competition is a skill. Not everyone has that. It wouldn’t make me uncomfortable that he isn’t a fighter, but I’d hope he’d be comfortable and very supportive that I am.

Gina: Guys that don’t fight in the ring and that don’t train to fight, find women fighting absolutely fascinating or they hate it.  I relate fine to guys who don’t fight because even though fighting is such a huge part of my life; I have a lot of other passions as well.  However, it does make it easier when the guy understands what you go through to train, get ready for a fight and the love for fighting, it’s nice to have that understanding.

Lisa:  Because of my profession, I am surrounded by professional men who have never seen or heard of Muay Thai.   I find that once they are introduced to the sport – they love it.   In order to date someone I would have to know that they were supportive of my passion for the sport and the time and dedication that goes into it.  (Just as you would want with interest or hobby  you were involved in).  If you have that in common, it’s all good.

E. Mike asks: Are you guys fighting as a way to get into the movies? I heard that you were all interested in movie careers.

Ardra:  I started fighting for me and because I love it. I’ve never even thought about being in the movies, but the opportunity has come up so why not?

Christine: No. Muay Thai is more important to me than landing an acting career because I’m in love with it.  Don’t get me wrong though, I’d love to do fighting scenes, or take a role as a fighter or something that involves my muay thai background, if ever I was given the opportunity. Actors work hard for their careers. I work hard to be a fighter.

Gina: Um, no, anything that comes along with something that I love to do everyday of my life, is great.  Muay Thai is what I love to do and loved to do before any of this attention came along and it is something I will love to do after it all passes.

Lisa:  I NEVER imagined in my wildest dreams that the opportunities that have come our way was a possibility.  As Christine and Gina mentioned, if you are afforded an amazing opportunity doing what you love to do – why not?  I don’t know too many people who would turn what has been recently presented to us.  We were some of those people who you hear about who were in the “right place, doing the right thing, at the right time”.  Fate is sometimes good like that!

F. Susan asks: Do you accept or ever answer fan mail? If yes, where can fans write to you?

Group answer: Lisa King and Christine Toledo have a website where you can email them or sign a guestbook

Lisa - www.theblackwidow.us

Christine - www.christinetoledo.com

For the other angels you can go to www.mastertoddy.com and drop an email attention to whichever Angel you choose to send a message to.

Gina: Never gotten fan mail before, but if someone wanted to write me, of course I would accept it.

Ardra: I’d love to answer fan mail!

G.   Ted asks: Can any of you break boards with your hands or feet?

Group answer: Can you?

H. Julie asks: would you allow your daughters to be fighters?

Lisa: My daughter has trained Muay Thai for the past 2 years, I personally feel that she should not fight until she is at least 16 years old.  Others can be assessed on an individual basis.  So to answer your question – yes – just in due time.

Ardra: My daughter is 8 and has been doing muay thai for a few years now. And I would love nothing more than for her to follow into my footsteps.

I.  Jim asks: if an opponent fouls you, and the ref doesn't call it after the second time, do you complain to the ref, or just foul her back?

Christine: It won’t happen a second time.

Gina: Well, if the ref doesn’t call it, I would try to make it to where she wouldn’t want to foul me again.

Lisa:  Ditto - Gina

Ardra: I’d give her my own warning.

J.  Kevin asks: Who in your opinion is the toughest fighter today in women’s kickboxing or Muay Thai?

Christine: Naoko Kumagai, Lucia Rijker.  As of active fighters today, I couldn’t tell ya.

Lisa:  Angela Rivera, and my most favorite up and coming :  Christine Toledo (she’d fight to the death)

K.Linda asks: How does it feel to fight in front of a bunch of people?

Christine:  Once that bell rings and the fight begins, I block out the crowd and zone in on the fight.

Gina: I normally hate to be in front of a bunch of people, like giving speeches and stuff but fighting is kinda becoming my comfort zone, so it feels natural, also after the first hit everyone kinda disappears anyway.

Lisa:  Fortunately due to my professional life – being up in front of people is my comfort zone.  We spar so much in class – I also block out the crowd once the bell rings and do what I came to do – fight!

Ardra: It gives me such a rush and motivates me! Once the fight starts, there is only two of us!

L.Katherine asks: Aren’t you afraid of possibly getting your teeth knocked out, or getting scarred or disfigured in some way and maybe not being as attractive as your are now?

Christine: As fighters, we are trained to protect ourselves in a fight. I don’t think any of us would be fighting if we worried about the damage that can be done to our looks.

Gina: No, challenging yourself and living is a much better feeling then what looks could ever bring.

Lisa:  Christine touched on a perfect point.  We just aren’t worried.  Of course we realize that there could be ramifications to what we do.  That is why we train hard and work on defense as much as offense so we are confident going into the ring that we can defend ourselves.

Ardra: I don’t think of getting scarred or disfigured. I only think about getting in there and having fun and doing what I’ve trained for.

M.Nigel asks: Do any of you have tattoos? And where?

Lisa:  Come to our next promotion on March 26^th and view for yourself!

N.Amy asks: Do you ever lose your temper and get mad at an opponent? And without using names can you give an example?

Christine: Never. Once you lose it, you lose control of the fight.

Gina: No, I let them lose their heads, I keep my head as clear as possible.

Lisa: No, staying in control in any bad situation helps you do just that – stay in control. 

Ardra: Nope, I try to keep my cool.

O.  Wolfgang writes: How do you feel when you KO somebody?

Christine: I’d guess I did something right. If you are asking whether I have pity on the opponent, to some degree, yes. But both fighters agree to fight, given the rules and know what they risk.

P. Mercedes asks: Does being a fighter make you feel really powerful and confident on the street, and in public places?

Christine: Not overly confident. But yes, there is a confidence that I once lacked before Muay Thai became a part of my life. There’s a sense of safety and if need be, I am capable of defending myself with the Muay Thai skills that I have from someone that doesn’t expect it.

Gina: It definitely helps with being confident and even comfortable, because after sparring, training, and fighting, the regular drama doesn’t seem so important anymore.

Lisa:  I think I am a pretty confident in all that I do – Muay Thai I am sure helps but it certainly does not give you a false sense of security.  In the sport we are trained to be aware at all times and make split second decisions without doubting ourselves which I feel I carry over to my everyday life.

Ardra: Being a fighter makes me feel confident within myself and in sometimes awkward and comfortable situations.

Q.  Vincent asks: have any of you ever beat up a guy you were dating?

Christine: No

Lisa:  No – why would I?

Ardra: No

R. Carson asks: do you or your opponents ever swear or call each other names during heated moments in a fight?

Christine: Never

Gina: No, I couldn’t get it past my mouth piece,  ha ha just kiddin, no, never.

Lisa:  I don’t think I’ve ever even spoke in a fight.  You don’t have time to.

Ardra: During heated moments I’m not worried about talking. I’m focusing on letting my hands and feet do the talking.

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Letter to Dan that summed the whole interview up before we submitted our answers…

It was the first time that we all were together to analyze who we are as a group and what affect we have on outsiders.  Honestly, what we've become and are going to become never really sunk in that deep.  We were just the girls at the gym that were always training for our fights and suddenly out of no where we became toddy's angels. No real thought to it when it all began, but from there ideas grew and master toddy liked that we were 5 completely different girls who share 1 thing in common - our love for muay thai. And that's what really brought us together. That's what made us a team.  With that we've become Toddy's Angels.   Master toddy loves this sport more than anyone.. our commitment and dedication to muay thai brings meaning to him.   That's what  he loves about us. yes he uses our looks.  We made it to that question last night. His notion stands good reason for Toddy's Angels existence. Many times have we all been asked the question "you are so beautiful, what makes you want to fight?" To us, it was never a question we asked ourselves. Looks can be deceiving. that's really what he uses our looks for. He wants to prove a point. "these girls can really fight and they take their training seriously. you look at them once and you'd never in a million years think they are fighters". that's the idea.  It's our real lives that amazes him and others that get to know us as individuals. Toddy's Angels is not a gimmick made up to reel people in. We are the real deal.

There's a synergy that brings us together that master toddy doesn't find common in his gym or anywhere else.  So, from his marketing perspective, we are bringing something new to spectators. Master Toddy is taking a different angle at promoting what he loves. We support the idea because We love muay thai too. Who's says it'll work? We're just being who we are. We're not TRYING to be something we are not.

It's still a little hard for me to fully grasp the concept that we are team, because everyone knows that muay thai is not a team sport and you go into that ring fighting for yourself, no one else.  What I have to keep reminding myself and others (especially those who like to categorize us as one) is that we share the same passion for muay thai and that is the ground which we all stand together on overall. Our lives outside of it is who we are as individuals.

As far as encouragement to other females, it's difficult being asked questions that steer us towards giving others advice or words of wisdom. There's nothing that says we are role models at this point. we are still pretty green to the sport and we have a lot to live up to. But what we can share as words of truth and what we believe is that you have to love the sport. You have to love training. It's hard work. You have to WANT it. We all believe that we'll get what we want if we can prove it to ourselves. We're not out to prove anything to anyone. We all want to be better fighters and perhaps someday we'll gain the respect that we have for those we have respect for, those who we look up to right now. It's a long way til we get there. And we know that.

It can simply be said: those ropes are our gate, that canvas is our ground, that ring is where we belong.

Thanks to Toddy's Angels for taking the time to grant  this interview to womenkickboxing.com