MMA fighter Mark "Mugen" Striegl is one of those who strongly believe that success does not happen overnight. In a recent interview with Yibada, he shared some pieces of advice to aspiring fighters and athletes.
"Keep working hard," Striegl said. He was giving advice not only to those who are going to be a professional fighter or amateur fighter and athletes in general but also to those who are just trying to up their level of fitness and health.
"You don't have to improve huge at first," Striegl continued. "(It's okay) just to improve 1 percent every day and all that matters is that you keep working at it and make progress every single day. Don't give up."
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Striegl said it was his elder brother who inspired him to enter combat sports. He started wrestling in high school and included taekwondo, aikido and Brazilian jiu-jitsu in his list of fighting styles.
Striegl was in high school when he joined the Wajutsu Keisyukai Gods dojo, where he had started his training as a young fighter. In college, his family moved to San Diego, California. During those years, he shuttled between San Diego and Tokyo regularly as he remained loyal to his Wajutsu home.
It was in 2009 when Striegl made his MMA debut. He defeated Andy Jewett via rear naked choke at Total Combat 24 in San Diego.
In 2010, Striegl won his second MMA fight. He defeated Bae Young Kwon via unanimous decision at PRO Fighting 4 in Taiwan.
In 2011, Striegl fought his first MMA fight in the Philippines. He defeated Crisanto Pitpitunge via rear-naked choke submission at URCC Baguio 3: Invasion in Baguio City, where he currently lives, trains and teaches P.E.
A record of 14 wins out of 16 MMA fights is something to brag about but Striegl does not show any signs of slowing down. The best word to describe him is his moniker "Mugen," a Japanese word meaning "limitless." Watch a clip from the interview with the MMA fighter here: