Meet STAMINAPRO Ambassador Khai Wu, a martial artist based in Tracy, CA. Despite being based in the United States, Khai has strong roots in Taiwan, and in fact, made his pro debut there.
From a young age, Khai has always been an active person, but his passion and dedication for martial arts started early on and has remained strong. In the wake of the challenges brought on by the pandemic, Khai has been focused on staying healthy and positive, ready to take on whatever life brings his way.
Tell us a bit about yourself and how came to be a pro fighter.
I was born in San Jose, CA and then I moved to Taiwan around 3rd grade for about two and a half years. When I moved back, I moved to Tracy, CA where I'm currently based. I've always been active since I was a kid. I loved playing basketball, but I stopped once I started getting more competitive in my martial arts training.
When I was younger, I had to deal with bullying and that’s what led me to doing martial arts. I did jiu-jitsu with my brother-in-law, and just got more and more into it. Next thing you know, I became a pro fighter. I think about the process that got me here and it sounds like it was so fast, but in reality, it felt like the longest journey ever.
Is there a career highlight you're most proud of?
I’ve got to say it's the first time I fought in Taiwan. MMA has never really been legitimized in Taiwan, there's no big MMA promotions outside of clubs. They’re cool to watch, but it's not legitimized. However, I fought in a stadium where they sell out concerts in and I was the very first fight of the night. It was cool to see my posters up in the arena and then I got a 60-second knockout. It was just awesome. My first amateur fight was also a big deal to me because that was the first time I competed and thought, “Maybe I could make a living out of this.”
Who inspires you to keep moving forward in your martial arts career?
My mom. She's a very strong and tough woman. She didn't have the greatest educational background, but she's still smarter than a lot of the people I know.
You know, weight cutting sucks. The training sucks. You're bumped and bruised and tired. And you don't want to go to the gym to get punched in the head that day. So, a lot of times when I think about fighting, I think “As tough as things are, how tough was it for her in life to get on this journey and come over to America — how hard did she work?” She's the main inspiration for me.
What's one thing you’re hoping to accomplish in the next year?
I used to have really big dreams and aspirations, but the only issue with that is because of events like the pandemic, plans constantly change. So, I no longer aim for these extraordinary plans that take many steps to achieve. Now I just look at things like, “Let’s stay healthy for the next year because if I stay healthy, then I get to fight. If I'm not healthy, but I get a bunch of fight offers, it doesn't mean anything.”
So, I would have to say staying healthy and staying active in terms of fighting is my biggest goal and plan. The past couple of years have been tough just because of injuries and events the world is still coming out of.
What lesson have you learned that has changed the way you think or do things?
I keep referring back to the pandemic because that was one of the biggest lessons I learned. Before the pandemic, I was on a four-fight win streak. I was getting TV deals in Taiwan to broadcast fights. I was getting a Lululemon sponsorship to help them pioneer their sports line in Taiwan. And then Adidas was reaching out. A lot of good stuff.
I planned for all these things, but then the pandemic happened, and a lot of these things fell through. I realized it's not about creating these big actions — you can't plan for all these big things if you don't wake up the next day and just simply fold your clothes, put away your laundry, do the dishes.
I think that has really helped me understand how to get things done. Stay consistent and just chip away at the goal that you want.
What other passions do you have besides martial arts?
Well, I have long-term passion goals. I want to be able to help give back to the community. For example, when I see homeless people, I always wonder “How did they get here? How can we help them?” It's not so simple as just giving them money or food. That's not the solution, it's just a temporary Band-Aid.
So I think of long-term projects where if I get enough influence and make enough money, I can create an ecosystem that funnels itself. A system where there are enough people to go around and help each other and help the communities.
I know people that are social workers, and they explain to me the challenges and the tasks that they face every day, so it would be great to be able to give back.
I know it's a random switch, but aside from that, I'm actually very passionate about comic book movies and films. I'm a nerd. I've known a couple people that are actors and whatnot in that realm, and they've suggested I try acting after my career, so that’s something I might be dabbling into just because I'm so interested in that world.
What in your life do you feel most grateful for?
What's not to feel grateful for? I live in a house. I have parents who are healthy. I have a good family. It's one of those questions where it's hard not to list everything just because I try to find more positivity in life. I try not to look at what I don't have. I remember when that’s all I used to think about and it wasn't the healthiest.
But what's funny is that you must think like that when you’re a fighter. You can't be happy with where you are currently in terms of skill level. You think, “I'm not good enough. I need to be better here. I need to be better there. I need to lift more weights. My cardio needs to be better. I need to be stronger. I need to recover faster.”
As an athlete you have that different mindset.
Tell us how you use STAMINAPRO and why it has remained part of your routine.
My go-to is the medium recovery patch and the reason I like it the most is because a lot of my injuries are in the neck, shoulders, or the bottom of the feet. I move so much, and kick so much. I'm not trying to say MMA is the hardest sport in the world because a lot of athletes work very hard. But MMA is the one where you're like, I'm going to kick you 100 times, so you get stronger and I'm going to kick you 100 times, so you get a better reaction. I'm going to punch you in the face, and you have to try to move your head as best as possible or block. And in jiu-jitsu, it's like I'm going to try to choke you unconscious or dislocate your elbow.
I'm going against these guys, and they put me in these submission attempts, so a lot of damage is on small joints. So, I'd say the medium patches are best for me because I get to put it on the bottom of my feet and my ankle areas, or my neck and they fit in perfectly. It’s a product I could use every day and one I find very effective.
Follow Khai on Instagram!
