Interview with Jon Lewis - Team USA Kickboxer

This is GoKickbox’s first installment highlighting the members of the 2007 U.S. Team that will be traveling to the WAKO World Championships in Coimbra, Portugal in late November. GoKickbox.com will be highlighting a different member of the team every few days leading up to the event. The WAKO World Championships is the most prestigious kickboxing tournament in the world with over 600 participants. This year is special because the U.S. will be sending an all amateur team t0 c0pmete against pr0fessi0nals and amateurs fr0m m0re than 70 different countries.

Name: Jon Lewis
Record: 13-1/3 Ko
Fight Weight: 139.7 lbs or 63.5 kg
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Titles Won:
IKF Super Lightweight Amateur World Champion
USKBA Super Lightweight Amateur World Champion
KICK Middleweight Amateur World Champion
2007 WAKO/KICK U.S. Classic Welterweight Champion
2005 IKF N.A. Classic Super Lightweight Champion
MLB Warrior Super Lightweight Champion

GoKickbox.com: Where do you train out of?

Jon Lewis: Cellar Kickboxing. One of the finest gyms in the country and home to some of the most incredible people in this sport!

GoKickbox.com: How did you get your start in kickboxing and the martial arts?

Jon Lewis: Funny story here! As a kid I was always the one to get beat up. I wasn’t incredibly fast so my parents needed to figure out a way for their youngest child to make it to his 10th birthday. One would think that my brothers would just stop beating me up all the time but, they didn’t and so… Thank God and Mom for Tae Kwon Do.

GoKickbox.com: Do you have any pre-fight rituals or superstitions?

Jon Lewis: I have a few. Probably the most famous, or infamous is the mouth guard. I need my head trainer (Justin Whiley) to wet my mouth guard with water before the fight. This is sometimes hours before the fight. The really funny thing here is that not only do I need to see it but, after he wets it, I need to put it in to see if it fits! As if it wouldn’t! it’s my mouth guard!

GoKickbox.com: What is a typical training day like for you?

Jon Lewis: A typical training day for me (when I’m actually training) is to run in the morning for about 30 minutes. After the run, the afternoon consists of an hour and a half of one on one time with my trainer Justin. This is where Justin attempts to hold focus mitts, thai pads, body shields, etc and keep me from punching him anywhere I can! I mean anywhere! He pushes me to become the best I can be and he is a huge reason I’ve been so successful!

GoKickbox.com: Do you stick to a strict diet?

Jon Lewis: Is this question a joke? I don’t know a fighter who sticks to their diets! I do my best to prepare for every fight by eating properly but, I do cheat every now and again. Hence the nickname “Dilly Bar!”

GoKickbox.com: What are your thoughts on fighting in Portugal?

Jon Lewis: This is an honor! Nothing I’ll ever do in this sport will ever mean as much to me. Representing the USA and being a part of team USA is something I’ve always dreamed about. As a kid I dreamed of going to the Olympics but, as I got older I realized that it wasn’t the Olympics I dreamed about. I wanted to represent my country! I wanted to be a member of TEAM USA! I wanted the responsibility, the pressure, the challenge of it all! I wanted to be the one on the podium listening to the American Anthem, watching the American flag being raised high, knowing I accomplished a goal, not for myself but, for my country! Now I get that chance!

GoKickbox.com: Have you ever traveled internationally before? If so, where?

Jon Lewis: This will be my first trip internationally! Kickboxing has brought me across the country and now across an ocean! Here’s a fun fact for ya: before I started kickboxing I had never been in an airplane! Thanks to kickboxing I have had the opportunity to fly and fight in Virginia, (WAKO 2006) Florida, (IKF 2005) North Carolina. (IKF World Title)

GoKickbox.com: Do you have ambitions to fight professionally?

Jon Lewis: This has been discussed for sometime now, and I think after The World Championships, I’ll turn pro!

GoKickbox.com: Who is your favorite fighter?

Jon Lewis: I don’t have a favorite fighter right now but, I think Heath Fonnest, Peyton Russell, and Stephen Thompson, all bring incredible talents to the ring! These fighters are the fighters a beginner should learn from and try to emulate!

GoKickbox.com: What’s your nickname and how did you get it?

Jon Lewis: Nicknames? I have many. “Dilly Bar,” “Tiny fists of fury,” “Lights Out,” “Big Deal,” “Champ!” Dilly Bar became a nickname because I visited a DQ a couple of times during a slow time in my fighting career. This resulted in a ten pound weight gain. Tiny fists of fury was the first name given to me by a fan after I won a regional event with, I believe, 13 lefts in a row. Lights Out was the nickname given to me by a promoter to hype an event he was putting on. Big Deal was given to me by my head trainer because, I guess I’m needy at times. Champ was the name given to me after I won the IKF 2005 tournament.

GoKickbox.com: Any wisdom/advice you have for younger fighters getting into the game?

Jon Lewis: Train hard because the future of this sport will soon be in your hands!

GoKickbox.com: Any other information that people should know about you?

Jon Lewis: I have blue eyes, brown hair, I like long walks around the lake with the puppies… J/K GoKickbox is doing a great thing for our sport and I would like to thank them for taking the time to interview me and showcase me on their website. This is a great site for kickboxing news and a great place for information on everything from tournaments, to event results, and now fighter Q and A. Thanks again GoKickbox, keep up the good work.