For the fans of kickboxing and muay thai the name Enriko Kehl doesn't need much introduction. The 23 year old Kehl became a pro in 2009 and broke through and into the international scene in 2013 when he won the K-1 World MAX Final 16 and advanced to the quarter final. Also he fought Muay Thai legend Buakaw Banchamek twice and in his latest bout Giorgio Petrosyan. Despite his young age Kehl has over 46 fights, won numerous titles and he's just getting started! Enriko Kehl on the beginnings, training, his days and "messing with the best"!
Q: - How and when did you start training combat sports?
A: - I started combat sports when I was 6 years old with my older brother Juri. We have started with Kung-Fu / Wu-Shu and after a couple of years our coach changed to Thai-Boxing and we followed him.
Q: - How did you parents, relatives, friends reacted?
A: - We have trained together with my brother from the very beginning and our Dad supported us a lot. He drove us every day to training and still follows us whenever we fight. He's a very important person in our career.
Q: - Did you fall in love immediately with the sport and knew that you want to become a pro?
A: - Yes immediately. My brother started fighting before I had my first fight so that also inspired me a lot. We started training together and trained harder and harder.
Q: - Do you have a morning routine, a ritual?
A: - No, actually I don't have one because I have a full time job. I'm working as a police officer so I have to be very flexible and train before and/or after work. It's not easy but if you want to be the best other things like partying or going out with friends have to wait.
Q: - Who are your main training partners at the moment? Do you travel for training camps?
A: - Because of my job I don't have much time for having lots of training camps but if I have a couple of days free, I drive to other camps in Germany or the Netherlands to get better and train with good fighters.
Q: - Do you study lot of tape on your opponents or you just try to pick up a few key points and focus on yourself?
A: - My team is studying my opponents for me and focus the training on them in my preperation. I have a very strong team and I belive in them that they do their work right!
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Q: - How much time do you spend to prepare mentally? Do you work with someone like a sport psychologist?
A: - As I mentioned I have a very strong team and they are - just like my family - always there for me.
Q: - You fought a pretty impressive list of fighters but two names stand out even from that list. How was it like to fight Buakaw and Giorgio Petrosyan from the inside?
A: - I always say that if you want to be the best you have to mess with be best. It doesn't matter to me who I fight. You have to focus on every opponents as we are on a level now where every fighter is strong and dangerous!
Q: - What did sports teach you about life, yourself?
A: - Be yourself and respect everyone. And never forget who are your friends and family!
Q: - What advice would you give to other young up and coming fighters?
A: - You have to take care of everything - friends, fighting, family, work and training all together. Be a human being and not just a fighter.
