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I was doing judo before anybody knew it existed in this country.

Kids don't like what they don't understand, and judo was always my social outlet. I always felt really socially awkward, and I couldn't speak very well when I was younger. When I was doing judo, it was something that I could understand and someplace where I felt that I belonged and fit in.

Judo was one of those sports where they give you guidelines but then try to tell you to develop your own style.

When people show you who they are, believe them. I carry that with me a lot. It has served me well.

That's why I liked judo so much right from the start - I got to beat up all the boys.

I was a judo athlete, while taking modeling as my side job, before I eventually quit my professional sports career over a knee injury.

I want people to believe me when I play a part and they are less apt to if they know a lot about me and have associations about me.

I am the world's most appalling martial artist. I am so bad. I've studied jujitsu, kickboxing, t'ai chi. Once, I was sparring with someone, made a mistake, and managed to knock them down. I was so shocked that I dropped to my knees to see if they were all right, and then they knocked me out cold. From the floor.

One of the great things about wrestling is how it interrogates this silly idea that you have one authentic self.

People don't believe in me very much, but I have my teammates and my family that believe in me so much; they see how hard I work.