Georgia Fighters

everything as far as clothes and material stuff, buthad mental problems after my dad died. She was realmean to me. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house or theyard. She was so strict and protective over me and Ihad to deal with a lot when I was living with her.”Morris quit school in the ninth grade, was homeless forthe next six years, sold drugs, hung out with alcoholics,drug users and convicted felons. He lived in hiscar, in a shed and never knew where he’d be sleepingon different nights. He had friends die of cancer, driveby shootings, drugs and everything else imaginable.“It was a rough neighborhood. It was a whole differentenvironment, but they accepted me in like family.I had to do whatever I could to survive. I wasn’t goingto school. I didn’t have a job. I was on the streetsbasically from age 15-20.“I wasn’t a bad kid,” Morris said. “I was just around thewrong people, the wrong group, the wrong crowd. Iwanted out. I knew I was better than that. I’veused all the negativity inmy life and turned it intosomething positive.That wasn’t who Iwanted to be. I knew Iwas better than that andI needed to find a wayout. The one positive inmy life that I rememberedwas my martial arts.”Before hitting the streets,at the age of 12, his uncle introduced him to Hapkido,a martial arts form that utilizes kicks, punches and jointlocks. He trained every day from the age of 12-14.After living for six years on the streets, he returned tothe gym at the age of 20. By the time he was 26 hehad become a second degree black belt in the sportand even helped teach classes at the gym.“I wanted to do MMA and I wanted to fight. That wasmy goal and my dream. MMA has always been thepath for me. Fighting has been a way out for all thenegativity in my life. I have a dream and a goal ofbeing a champion.”Morris entered his first two fights with no MMAor jiu-jitsu training at all. He won his first fight, but losthis second fight after gassing out in the second round.His MMA knowledge had been built just from watchingUFC on TV and other MMA related movies.“I didn’t realize the training you had to put into this!I watched some movies and the UFC and I thought“Dreams do come true.This is my dream. I just want to bean example and show that there’snothing you can’t do.”- Josh MorrisI could do it all. In my second fight I’m throwing kicksand trying jiu-jitsu moves and triangles that I saw onTV and I’m wondering why they’re not working whenthey worked for the guys on TV! After the first round Iwas gassed and the other guy is still bouncing around.It’s all growing experiences, and I got my ass kicked inmy second fight.”After that fight, Jorge Rodriguez invited Morris to begintraining at his gym, Rodriguez MMA.“When I started training for real with him, with a realteam, with real guys and real jiu-jitsu and training withpads, I won my next two fights in under a minute each.Then I fought for a championship and I beat that guyin 34 seconds!”Now with a new life ahead of him, Morris will belooking for his second amateur title. He’s stabilized hislife holding down a fulltime job, has a live in girlfriendand three sons to call his own (ages 6, 4 and a threemonthold). In his free timehe also helps out as anusher and with someSunday school classesat Ebenezer Baptist Church in Mount Airy.His mother has also founda better path in life. Shehas cut out drugs and hasformed a new bond withher son.“I didn’t break from seeing my father murdered. Orthe mental strain with my aunt and my mom not beingaround, and why I didn’t have parents like all otherkids. My escape was MMA and this was the only pathfor me to kind of find a clear way in life and live life likea martial artist. The martial arts fighting made me abetter person. I had to train and couldn’t be out hangingout with my friends. I want to be a pro fighter so Ican provide for my family.“I didn’t want my life to be like the past. I have somuch drive in my life and it’s all because of fighting.The more I fight the more I realize I don’t know muchabout fighting. But I know I have what it takes andI’m going to show everyone. It’s not just me; it’s mywhole town under me. Dreams do come true. This ismy dream. I just want to be an example and showthat there’s nothing you can’t do.”Please tell our advertisers you saw them in GF Georgia Fighters The Magazine 15