Exclusive ChokeHimOut Interview: Boondock
Interviews
Interviews
Recently ChokeHimOut.com caught up with well known MMA highlight maker Boondock. Boondock discussed why he got into making highlight reels, how he has been contacted by famous fighters and his role in the making of the upcoming MMA movie Owned...
C.H.O: Tell me a little about yourself.
BD: I grew up in the mountains of Colorado and started doing some traditional martial arts such as kung fu up as a kid. I left for Atlanta to work and have been down here for 12 years. I started working in the martial arts field and just got my jiu jitsu blue belt awhile ago, it's not a black belt but it's on the way. Currently I'm getting ready to move back to Colorado.
C.H.O: Where do you train?
BD: I was training with some friends who train/fight professionally here in Atlanta.
C.H.O: How many people know you are the guy that made such highlight videos such as 3rd Man, Furious Angel's and Hurt?
BD: I would say probably fifteen people or so. Not many people know what I look like although I finally did post some pictures after going to Elite XC and got a bunch of pictures with Bas Rutten and Minotoro. But obviously for many years no one really knew who I was and I kept it quiet.
C.H.O: What inspired you to make highlights videos?
BD: I kind of always liked video stuff and although I have had no training and I had never done anything with video before, it came pretty easily and has been a fun hobby. As for inspiration, I guess I watched one of the Robbie Parks video online and the emotional way he put it together. So then I just started watching any highlight I could; RVR, Wamrage, MickB. I thought I'd try one and first made Nogueira Vs. Fedor III. From there I went and made some funny videos. I got a pretty good response and decided to keep going.
C.H.O: You use a lot of Pride footage throughout your highlights. Do think the world of MMA is better or worse off since the end of Pride?
BD: I think it's yet to be seen. I did love Pride as a highlight maker because they had so many different camera angles and so much more footage and it is a lot easier to make a really unique video with Pride stuff than it is UFC. I made my first UFC video, Hurt, and I had to work to get a lot of the angles the way I wanted them. As far as the world being better without Pride, I would say no because I liked Pride a lot. But again, we'll have to see where this year takes us.
C.H.O: Most MMA enthusiasts have seen one or all of your videos and are familiar with your work. How many people, famous or not have emailed you and asked for you to do video work for them?
BD: Quite a lot. At different times I have talked to people like Bas Rutten, Zelg, and Mayhem Miller. I don't get a ton of offers but I do get some strange ones every now and then. Lately I have hooked up with James Hergott and will start working on an MMA movie named "Owned." That is going to hopefully be this fall and a lot of work for me.
C.H.O: I read that you are working for a production company. Can you tell me about this?
BD: Yeah, it's a cool project and unlike any other mixed martial arts movies that just came out, the guy in charge of Owned is a huge MMA fan and also has a lot of the credentials needed to make a really great movie. He started talking to me and said that he wanted true MMA fans to work on this and so he is going to hire a small core of underground MMA fans who are also talented. It's by MMA fans and it's going to be for MMA fans and it's going to have real fighters in it like Cung Le, Shogun, Ninja, Mayhem Miller, Shonie Carter and Dean Lister. Hopefully it will shoot in the summer and be out next year. You can read about it now at MMAmovie.com.
C.H.O: Did "Owned" approach you to work for them?
BD: Yeah on my Hurt video on youtube, I get this message saying "contact me to work on a movie." I get a little stuff like that every now and again it is usually dead ends. But I contacted this guy and it ended up being not only legit but he's a huge MMA fan and cool guy. We hit it off and went from there.
C.H.O: Have any professional fight organization such as the UFC, Elite XC, IFL etc. contacted about your work?
BD: No and they need to (laughs). One of the reasons I was so secretive and quiet for so long was because honestly I was concerned that if Dana White found out who I was, man I was going to have a pack of UFC lawyers at my door. I haven't tried to contact any of them but I'm still waiting for that call with Dana asking me if I want to be the UFC &$%@ing highlight maker.
C.H.O: Besides highlight video's can you tell me how involved are you in martial arts and MMA?
BD: I've done some submission grappling tournaments and did a lot of no-gi stuff. I did train some Mauy Thai, kickboxing, karate and Kali sticks and up until this last Friday I was working in the field. But my main focus was the no-gi jiu jitsu.
C.H.O: What can we expect from you in the future?
BD: Well for now, I'm moving back to Colorado and I'm kind of in a transition period where I don't know exactly what's next. I have a couple of really good opportunities as well as upcoming work on Owned so we'll see where all that goes. It's kind of like my highlights, it's always been a hobby and to have it open up professionally is a bit strange. I just riding it and seeing where it takes me. As for what highlights I'm working on. I have some funny ideas but nothing I've started on yet.
C.H.O: What's your name and how old are you?
BD: I am thirty one and my name is Dan.
Also, please check out Furious Angels and my other videos on my website, www.boondockvideo.wordpress.com. Feel free to contact me at Boondockvideo@yahoo.com with any questions, comments, or ideas.
Thanks to ChokeHimOut.com for the opportunity.
Long Live MMA!
-Boondock
Article by Tuesday on Apr 01, 2008