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MMA: Danny Kingad credits martial arts for turning his life around

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ABS-CBN News

Before becoming one of mixed martial arts’ top flyweights, Team Lakay fighter Danny Kingad was leading a life without direction.Kingad tragically lost his dad at the age of 8 and fell into bad company.“I had lost my way back in my elementary school days. I fell into a bad crowd,” said Kingad, who is due to face Japanese newcomer Yuya Wakamatsu on the undercard of ONE: Conquest of Heroes in Jakarta on September 22.Without a strong male role model to guide him, Kingad frequently skipped school, sold bootleg merchandise, and even slept on the streets.“I dropped out of school twice. I would not come home, and my mother would come looking for me. Sometimes, they would find me sleeping on the streets,” Kingad said.In high school, Kingad stumbled onto the right path when his cousin and Team Lakay member Roldan Sangcha-an introduced him to wushu.“My family never gave up on me. They kept pushing me even though I resisted. I did not want to let them down,” he said. “When I discovered martial arts, from that point on, my life changed. There was all this positivity coming from martial arts. I gradually distanced myself from all my vices and got rid of my bad habits.”As he excelled in the discipline and dedicated himself to his training, Kingad earned a scholarship to attend the University of the Cordilleras to compete as part of the school’s varsity wushu squad. There, he crossed paths with coach Mark Sangiao, who also handles the college’s wushu program.Under the tutelage of Sangiao, Kingad won a regional wushu championship in 2015 and built an impressive 29-1 win-loss record.With a natural talent in wushu and his dedication to the art, Kingad got an offer from Sangiao to join Team Lakay.“The great thing about coach Mark is that he has so much experience, and a lot of stories to share that we all learn from. I have taken that to heart. A lot of the values I live by, I have learned from coach Mark. He has been a major influence in my life,” he said.With Sangiao at his side, Kingad is confident that he could pull off a decisive victory in his next assignment.“My victories are his victories. At Team Lakay, we learn from each other through our shared experiences. It is one of the best things about our little family. With coach Mark by my side, I am confident that I will be able to ace my upcoming test,” he said.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Before becoming one of mixed martial arts’ top flyweights, Team Lakay fighter Danny Kingad was leading a life without direction.

Before becoming one of mixed martial arts’ top flyweights, Team Lakay fighter Danny Kingad was leading a life without direction.