Interview - Jinh Yu Frey

Photo by Esther Lin

Jinh Yu Frey is a Pro MMA athlete based in Texas. She officially reps my Meerkatsu brand so I thought it would be a good opportunity for my readers to find out a little more about her martial art exploits:

Jinh, in full Meerkatsu bow and arrow mode

Q: Hi Jinh, could you please give a brief introduction about yourself - where you train, the disciplines you train and what level, when started etc? 

I am a blue belt under Allen Mohler, the first American black belt under the Alliance system. I've been training Muay Thai and boxing for about 6 years and wrestling for the last 2.


Q: I've read you have a very interesting day job, care to explain what it is you actually do? And how do you find time to fit everything in?

I am a Nuclear Medicine Technologist during the day. I inject cancer patients with radioactive materials for diagnostic testing. There's definitely never enough hours in the day to do everything that I want. Something is usually being sacrificed, that usually being my social life. I'm usually at work, school, or the gym.


Q: When was your first MMA fight and what were you emotions leading up to it and after? 

My first amateur MMA fight was in November of 2009. It was an outdoor event in winter. Not sure who thought that would be a good idea, but luckily I won via KO in the first round and was able to put my coat back on quickly. It was a bit nerve wrecking, considering I had never been in a fight in my life.

Q: What attracted you to fighting in the cage in the first place?

At first I just enjoyed the workouts, but I am a competitive person at heart. It was only a matter of time before I wanted to test myself in that manner.


Q: One of your fights became a bit of an internet sensation with a quite astonishing knockout and almost 2.4 million views! How did all that press and publicity affect you?

It is really a bit surreal to have so many people know who I am from that video. I meet people all the time that have seen it. It made the front page of yahoo one day, so it was extremely weird to see myself on the front page. I've always been a thick skinned individual, but I really had to learn to ignore people's opinions. When people are at home safe, hidden behind their computers they really have a lot of ugly things to say. Really hateful things. At the end of the day, you are always going to have people who are rooting for you to fail and there will always be armchair quarterbacks. You just have to learn to take it all with a grain of salt.

Here's the video:

Q: Your most recent victory at Invicta 10 featured a match-winning RNC - how much of a role is your grappling training a part of your overall style and gameplan?

For the beginning of my career I mostly focused on striking. Now that I am at a reputable and structured BJJ school, I've really been putting in the time to round out my game. The last 2 years have been mostly focused on wrestling. I'm blessed to have a lot of really skilled wrestlers to train with. I haven't had much of an opportunity to showcase it, but that's ok, everyone can underrate it for the time being.

Photo by Mike Calimbas

Q: You train in the gi too, any plans to compete BJJ? 

I would like to compete in BJJ, most of the tournaments are on the weekends and I'm usually in class on Saturday mornings.

Q: Your husband Douglas also fights, how supportive and involved are you two of each others' training and preparation leading up to a fight?

My husband is a very integral part of my fight camps. He handles all the nutrition stuff, but he also provides mental and emotional support. I think he believes in me more than I believe in myself. When I have bad days he is the rock I lean on. He picks me up, dusts me off, and then pushes me harder.

Q: Womens MMA is currently experiencing a massive surge in interest and growth, who out there past and present do you admire in the game?

I think Megumi Fujii will always be one of the greatest. It is sad that her time ended before women's mma really blew up. She'll never really get the credit she deserves.


Q: I have noticed that some fighters/promoters focus on a slightly more sexualised approach to their social media and online appearance, what are your views on this aspect of fighter marketing?

Unfortunately, those are just the rules of the game. People will be much more interested in watching you fight if you have an attractive face. There are entire discussion threads about what women wear to weigh ins. That would never happen with guys. That being said, some fighters take it a lot further than others. I won't judge people who do, but it's just not for me. I'm someone's wife, someone's sister, someone's aunt. I don't want my bits all over the internet.


Q: What are your fight and training goals over the next year and beyond?

I just want to continue to develop as a fighter. I want to be a serious contender and be known for my fighting prowess.


Q: Thanks very much for talking to me Jinh, any peeps you wish to give a shout out to?

I definitely could not have made it this far with out my coaches, gym, and husband. Also, I would like to thank the sponsors who believe in me and help me out on my journey: the amazing Meerkatsu , Apocalypse MMA, My Urban Swagga, Gamma Labs, KV Cattle Co, Soul Electronics, Damage Control Mouthguards, Fritz Fowler, and Cruz Combat.

Mascot design I created for Jinh

You can follow Jinh's exploits via her official website and Facebook page.

.