Fighting a hectic schedule

by Daniel S. Archuleta

Daily Lobo

She's a student and a wife, but

that's not keeping her from fulfilling

a third role as well.

Crystal Barringer, a senior at

UNM, practices mixed martial

arts at one of the nation's top

mixed martial arts academies,

Jackson's Submission Fighting, in

Albuquerque.

Despite the fact that martial

arts is mostly practiced by males,

she's right at home with all the

guys, she said.

"It's really great," she said. "It

just empowers me, because they

really care about my development

as either a fighter, competitor,

what have you. It feels really

good."

The academy trains some of the

world's most elite fighters, like

"Ultimate Fighter" season one

champion Diego Sanchez, King

of the Cage middleweight world

champion Joey Villasenor, and

"Ultimate Fighter" season two

stars, Keith Jardine, Rashad Evans

and Dan Christensen.

If it weren't for her husband,

Barringer might never have come

across mixed martial arts at all,

she said.

"Actually, my husband found

this place," she said. "We've

known Greg Jackson for about six

years. So he started coming here

to train to be a fighter. I just did it

because it's fun."

In the hectic shuffle that is the

life of a college student, it is hard

enough to balance work with school

as well as extracurricular activities,

but Barringer said she doesn't let a

little thing like studying keep her

from her time on the mat.

"I drag my butt in here. I get in

here, and I'm probably up late at

night studying, cramming," she

said.

Jackson said the students who

juggle training and school are the

fighters who have more than just

the requisite amount of drive.

"It's an amazing amount of dedication,"

he said.

Couple that focus with the

sheer amount of time needed to

be a good fighter, and you start

to see how much responsibility

students who want to be fighters

have, Jackson said.

"Just to be a professional fighter,

you're talking about a full-time

job," he said. "If you've got a job,

and you go to school, and you're

a fighter, you've got two full-time

jobs."

Jackson is one of her favorite

teachers because he treats all of

his students the same, Barringer

said.

"He builds well-rounded fighters,"

Barringer said. "I don't know

how he does it. He teaches really

well. He makes it applicable. He

makes it relevant, and it feels really

good. He's an awesome teacher."

Majoring in secondary education

with a focus in language arts,

Barringer hopes to be a teacher

herself.

And after a tough day with

unruly students, she knows she

can use Jackson's to release some

steam.

"It will help me a lot when I'm

a teacher," Barringer said. "I will

have frustrating days ahead of me,

and I can come here at night and

roll around - maybe choke some

people out."