Janet Todd Is Stronger Through Her Love For Martial Arts
Through martial arts, Janet “JT” Todd has become more confident and unlocked her potential.
The Californian – who will face Ekaterina “Barbie” Vandaryeva in a Muay Thai match-up at ONE: CENTURY PART I this Sunday, 13 October – admits she did not have much faith in herself before she began her journey to the global stage.
However, by pushing herself in training and testing herself in the ring, the Japanese-American has learned to trust in her skills and become one of the biggest women’s atomweight stars in ONE Championship.
“The big difference between Janet from five years ago versus Janet now is I’ve definitely grown a lot in terms of my technical skills, but I feel like my mindset has also grown,” she says.
“At the beginning of my career, I didn’t have much confidence in myself, and it’s still something that kind of comes in waves. You kind of have high confidence, [then] a little confidence.
“It’s something I still struggle with, but I think the biggest component that changed since I really started fighting is knowing what I’m good at and being able to use that to my advantage.”
The Californian’s newfound mental strength has helped her to reach the heights that would never have been possible before, but not just because of how it helps her to fulfill her potential in the Circle.
Her determination is vital in the gym, where she has to put in the hard work to get her body and mind ready for event night.
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“I’d say the toughest part is constantly pushing myself – even when my body feels tired, and sometimes my mind says, ‘Yeah Janet, that’s enough,’ but you get past those thresholds and change your mindset during those times,” she explains.
“[You have to] say, ‘You can do it, you can get past this, let’s push to make ourselves better.’”
“JT” adds that she writes these sorts of affirmations down on paper to make them concrete in her head. That way, her ability to push herself is instinctive.
However, even without that subconscious supercharge she gets, the Boxing Works representative can think about her hopes and dreams to push through the pain barrier.
They are not to do with World Championship belts, though, they regard much more personal matters.
“What drives me to keep going is my quest to learn more about myself, figure out who I am, and what I’m capable of,” she explains.
“That’s a big part of martial arts that I actually really enjoy. Being able to learn about myself is what drives me, and then being able to accomplish something that I didn’t think I was capable of and just kind of surprising myself.”
Todd adds that the level of personal and professional achievement would have been impossible if she did not love what she did so much.
And that is what she would encourage the global audience – who will tune in to watch her at the biggest martial arts event in history on 13 October – to do. Find something you are enthusiastic about, and use it to better yourself.
“I think it’s important to find something that you’re passionate about because it builds that self-confidence and, essentially, love for yourself,” the 33-year-old says.
“I feel like there’s a lot of joy that comes from accomplishing something that you didn’t think was possible, and I think that’s an aspect that I wish everyone can experience – being able to go to that uncomfortable place and then know that you’ve accomplished it.
“It’s a feeling that I always enjoy, and that I hope that other girls or men can enjoy as well as part of their path to self-discovery.”
Read more: Gallery – Athletes Face Off At ONE: CENTURY Press Conference
- Watch PART I in USA on 12 October at 8pm EST and PART II on 13 October at 4am EST
- Watch PART I in India on 13 October at 5:30am IST and PART II at 1:30pm IST
- Watch PART I in Indonesia on 13 October at 7am WIB and PART II at 3pm WIB
- Watch PART I in Singapore on 13 October at 8am SGT and PART II at 4pm SGT
- Watch PART I in the Philippines on 13 October at 8am PHT and PART II at 4pm PHT
- Watch PART I in Japan on 13 October at 9am JST and PART II at 5pm JST
ONE: CENTURY is the biggest World Championship martial arts event in history with 28 World Champions featured across various martial arts. No organization has ever promoted two full-scale World Championship events on the same day.
The Home Of Martial Arts will break new ground as it brings multiple World Title bouts, a trio of World Grand Prix Championship Finals, and several World Champion versus World Champion matches to the famous Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 13 October.
