"Professionals are about money": athlete Rusina about amateur MMA, work as a coach and the desire to serve in the special forces

- Two weeks ago, the Russian MMA Championship was held in Kemerovo.

For you, the tournament was extremely unfortunate - you could not take part in the battle.

Tell us exactly what happened.

- Poisoned.

I drank magnesium sulfate, and the body reacted to it not in the best way: nausea, vomiting.

I waited, it would suddenly pass, but then asked to call an ambulance.

Subsequently, as a result, I realized that even if I go to the weigh-in, I will not have the strength to speak.

I stood and understood that I felt bad.

My pupil, Polina Baldina, took part in the tournament, and I didn't even have the opportunity to second her.

As a result, she won bronze in the weight category up to 56.7 kilograms without my support.

Now he will go to the European Championship.

- Many fighters say that it is harder to do weight with age.

How difficult is it for you?

- For women, this process is different.

Men sweat 50% more, the metabolism is completely different.

And here after 30 everything becomes even more complicated.

Still, we are reproductive creatures, there is a fat layer, so it is very difficult to make weight.

Or you need to keep within two or three kilograms of the limit, but this is not easy.

- How much did you have to drive before the Russian Championship?

- 15 kg.

And I almost succeeded, I stopped at the number 14. The fact is that during the preparation I was injured, and during the recovery period I gained four kilos.

So in the end, everything in the aggregate got in the way - both damage and age.

Weightogonka is the hardest part.

Recently, I was examined - with the heart in complete order.

Nothing, we'll work.

We will connect nutritionists, we will find a way out of the situation.

It is also difficult that the amateurs are obliged to pass the weigh-in before each day of the tournament.

- Were you surprised by the decision of the organizers to hold preliminary matches among girls in a six-meter cage?

- In my opinion, the organizers did the wrong thing.

The small cage is comfortable for female wrestlers, while drummers are extremely uncomfortable there.

At the same time, in the finals, the fights were already held in a nine-meter cage, therefore, the athletes again had to rebuild, change their plan for a fight.

I don't understand why it was impossible to put in two full, nine-meter cages.

In addition, the seconds and judges are also extremely uncomfortable to work.

You sit and see only the heels of the fighters.

But the arbitrators need to give marks, to make a decision on the winner.

- You have been preparing for the tournament for a year - and such a disappointment.

How did you feel at the end of it?

- I had very high expectations from this tournament.

Yet it was the first Russian championship after the pandemic.

Over the past year, we have repeatedly traveled, tried to compete in various competitions, but this is not the case.

As a result, in April, I partially tore my ligaments, and now I also have problems with the weight raiser.

I'm only glad that my pupil "shot".

We will continue to work in pairs, no matter that we play in different divisions.

I have a wrestling base, I used to do judo and sambo, calmly spar with a partner from any weight class.

The Varyag team told us that we would soon go to the training camp.

It is not yet known exactly where they will pass - in the Crimea or elsewhere.

And I will decide with a nutritionist, in what weight I will compete, and I will prepare for the next championship of Russia.

If there are no options with the transition to professionals.

- Did you receive any proposals?

- In my opinion, I am not yet ready for this.

Still, it is too tough there, and the experience is still not enough.

When I started to practice mixed martial arts, I only knew how to fight.

Over time, I was taught to punch, Muay Thai, but learning such techniques is not a quick process.

Of course, I want to make money.

If the authorities say that the time has come, then I will agree.

But you need to sign a good contract.

I will not fight for 20 thousand rubles.

I’m 41 years old.

- Are they offering 20 thousand rubles now?

- During the 2019 World Cup in Bahrain, I received an offer to try myself in the PFL.

I refused.

Now they again offered to fight.

She showed it to her superiors and promised to find out the details.

But I haven’t answered anything yet.

Then I learned a little about my possible rival.

It turned out that this is an Olympic champion who competes in the lightest category.

Apparently, they don't know how much I weigh.

I'm not going to drive from 80 to 61.2 kg.

As far as I can see, this girl is slipping "meat", but I would not want to act in such a capacity.

I would like to fight in a good league.

There would be an offer from Bellator, I would agree.

But this is abstract.

Now I represent the Varyag club, and everything suits me.

- Surely many fans are watching and do not understand what makes a person continue to perform in amateurs at 41.

Indeed, at this age, many professional fighters are already ending their careers.

- I started MMA at 38 years old.

She turned on the TV channel "Match!

Fighter ”and wanted to compete in professional fights.

I didn't know where to start, they offered to fight in the casino - I agreed.

But then there was a chance to play in the qualifying tournament for the Russian championship.

I decided to try it there, and in the end won the gold medal in the category up to 70.3 kg.

- How did you prepare for your debut in MMA?

- Literally half a year I worked out, got in shape - and immediately into the cage.

Before the first fight she said: "You at least explain the rules to me."

At first I just fought, and that was enough.

If you put a person on the canvas and confidently control him, he is unlikely to be able to rise.

But there is an opportunity to complete the fight ahead of schedule.

However, over time, I began to try new things, it became more and more interesting.

But she did not beat her with her feet.

I am short, it is uncomfortable for me.

Better to compete on the ground.

- Therefore, now you are attracted primarily by development?

- Certainly.

And not only as a fighter, but also as a mentor.

Look, in general, there are very few female specialists in martial arts.

At one time, I was not allowed to engage in coaching at home, in Altai.

And now they do.

- How did your coaching practice start?

- Equipped a gym with an area of ​​40 sq.

meters in the garage, we were given a tatami for a while.

Collected the village children.

Soon it will be a year since I have been studying with the guys.

It was there that Polina came to me.

She is a very educated girl, graduated from music school with honors, is engaged in volleyball, draws superbly.

At first, her parents did not want her to perform in mixed martial arts, but she achieved her goal.

- What caused the decision to recruit students?

Desire to have a steady income or pass on experience to the younger generation?

- At one time she graduated from the University of Physical Education with a degree in Sambo and Judo coach-teacher.

In sambo she won the world championship in 1996, was on a contract at the school of the Olympic reserve.

Then she worked as a teacher at school for four years.

I get along well with children, I feel comfortable with them.

But, to be honest, I recruited pupils to earn money.

As the champion of Russia in MMA, they offered to hold a master class at the school in the village of Aya.

I thought five people would come, and there were a hundred of them.

The director said: "If you work with children for free, then we will allow it."

I was surprised: “Do you teach yourself for free?

I need to live on something. "

- What happened next?

- I went to taxi, and after a while I bought a punching bag, then another one, exercise equipment, dumbbells, fitballs.

At first, 29 people came to study - 17 small and 12 adults.

Personally, I did not think that someone would "shoot", but over time I began to look closely at some of the students.

At that moment she noticed Polina and asked what she wanted.

She replied, "Fight."

In fact, not so many children go to practice, in addition, they are gradually eliminated.

These are not potential Olympic champions that parents are shaking over.

In addition, she herself would not be able to study with a large number of students.

Still, you also need to train yourself.

- Performing in amateurs and at the same time maintaining your own school is quite expensive.

Does the federation help you, or do you have to work in parallel?

- I play for the Tula region, KSE "Varyag", so flights, accommodation, fees and participation in major tournaments are paid.

- Women began to actively compete only in the 2010s, and in the UFC the first women's fight took place only in 2013.

And many still do not fully recognize girls in MMA.

- It really is.

But look what happened at the Russian Championship.

The fans literally hung on the cage when the girls performed.

They practically did not look at the boys.

Every women's fight is a real show.

I hope they will support us, put us on the roster, and women fighters will also be able to receive the titles of masters of sports.

It is necessary to continue to develop women's MMA.

Why is everything official in the same hand-to-hand combat, the girls get paid, but we don't?

What is the difference between mixed martial arts?

Perhaps we have seen enough professional fights, where everything is pretty cruel, blood, dissections.

But this is not the case with us.

- Do women support MMA better in other countries?

- We need to take an example from the same Kazakhs.

In 2019, their delegation arrived in Bahrain three weeks before the start of the World Cup.

Everything was paid for, the girls managed to get used to the climate.

You need to understand that we, women, have a much thinner body, and edema may occur during the flight.

For example, I gained two kilograms, but they must be somehow "drained".

Of course, it's not cheap to sponsor six girls, but they play for Russia, represent their country at international competitions.

Look at Victoria Dudakova.

Won the European Championship, won bronze at the World Championship, and is now fighting in Open FC.

We spoke with her recently.

She said that she had signed a contract with a promotion company that deals with the interests of John Jones (ex-UFC champion, former number one pound-for-pound).

- Is it true that at one time you dreamed of serving in the airborne troops?

- In 2000 I finished wrestling and came to the Altai Republic.

I wanted to get a job in special forces, OMON - something like that.

Everyone looked at me with wide eyes.

Looking at my track record, they said: "If you were a man, we would take you."

Subsequently, they called and offered to work in Novosibirsk, they said that there is one place in the unit - especially for women.

Refused.

- Why?

- By that time, I had already spent enough time in hostels.

I had an apartment in Gorno-Altaysk, so I wanted to work there.

I went to teach at school, and seven years later I was offered the job of a bailiff - I agreed.

She stood in a bulletproof vest at the inspection, learned to shoot from a pistol, machine gun.

- But then you quit.

Tired of it?

- Not only.

They were not allowed to go to the competition.

I was rafting at that time.

- Also rafting?

- Yes, I am the champion of Russia in rafting.

- How did it happen that you took up this sport?

- In 2006, they invited me to take part in a competition that was held on the Katun River.

They said that one of their partners got sick.

She replied: "What are you girls, I'm afraid."

But then she agreed.

At the World Cup, we took second place, then won the national championship and qualified for the World Championship - in South Korea, and Europe - in Austria.

By the way, later this experience came in handy for me.

During the performances on rafting, I learned to “feel” the water, see the underwater rocks and thought, why not carry people on a motor boat?

I bought myself one, so I earned for several years.

There was nowhere to put it, I had to buy a plot in the village of Aya.

Therefore, I moved there.

- Why did you stop rafting?

- In one moment I sold everything.

I didn't feel very comfortable.

Still constantly in the water.

The back made itself felt.

And then she started performing in MMA.

- What will be a signal for you that you need to finish with mixed martial arts?

- I plan to perform as long as my health allows.

Personally, I only need to solve the problem with nutrition.

It is necessary to find someone who will guide me, to work out specific issues.

It's hard for me to figure it out myself.

I'm a man of Sovdep's temper: they told me - I did it.

For example, I have a Muay Thai coach who is younger than me.

But I still refer to him as "you", with respect.

Now my goal is to help Polina.

If up to this point she worked for me, now I will already work for her.

First you need to help her perform at the European Championships, and only then get in shape herself.

- You speak so warmly about your pupil.

Do you have children?

- Not.

- Why?

- Because constantly in sports - here and there.

She was married at 18 years old, when her career was at its peak, but refused.

And then everything.

- Didn't you call again?

- You get married either on time or never.

Over the years, everything becomes problematic.

There are no children, but there are students.

What are not children?

I fiddle with them as with my own.

What's the difference?

They are all common.

I'll help the same Polina, then maybe she'll say thank you.

Once a judoka girl, a ninth grade student, came to me.

She said she wanted to go to police school.

They began to study, and everything worked out for her.

Works in the forensics department.

I am very glad that I somehow influenced her life.

She got married, has already given birth to her second child.

- Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the possible introduction of MMA into the Olympics program.

If this happens, what would be more prestigious for you - to successfully compete as a professional or to win a medal at the Games?

- Professionals are about money.

At the Games, you represent the country, and the title of Olympic champion is forever.

Look at the same Alexander Karelin.

A hammer!

He won three gold medals and forever inscribed himself in the history of sports.

He's not going anywhere.

And what about professional fighters?

Finish their careers - and no one will remember about them.

There are, of course, exceptions.

The same Fedor Emelianenko, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Alexander Shlemenko.

But these are legends, not everyone is given to achieve this.

For example, I will protect Polina from becoming a professional until the very end.

She is still young, beautiful, her face is soft.

It doesn't need horrible cuts on it.

- Does she herself see herself as a professional?

- She sees herself where the coach tells her.

Listens to me.

I explained to her that if you don't develop your career correctly, you can either break down or stagnate.

The person must be directed in the right direction, and the mentor must be thinking.