Ask Jared Gordon for a generalized picture of his upbringing and it might sound something like this – New York City born, Roslyn Heights raised, 15-year Astoria resident. Born to a Sicilian Catholic mother, English Jewish father, the middle child of three boys, Dylan, Jared and Dean. A classic hard-working, upwardly mobile New York family. If you dig a little deeper, you will find a tight-knit household whose fierce bond was cemented by challenges brought on by arson, drug dealing, the peaks of a rapidly climbing career and the valleys of debilitating addiction. It is a story documented in detail by MMA journalists, with a plot reminiscent of a film script. It is a story that many would have loved to have written. But it is not THE story. “It is a typical story. It is not all that unique,” he will say, with unconcerned warmth that contradicts the timeworn scars and steely eyes of a fighter. And in truth, he is correct. Addiction stories are numerous, destructive and usually dramatic. But what is unique, what is the actual story, lives in the here and now, the day to day, his approach to his life, his sport and those around him. I could tell you a story of an active and athletically gifted but directionless teen, whose career choice was drawn from curiosity about martial arts as a fitness outlet. But somehow that seems not quite accurate, for those who know him can feel that unknowingly, he was born for it. That somehow, no matter how the journey started, it was always meant to end up here. A considerably epic set of attributes locked inside a compact featherweight powerhouse, Jared “Flash” Gordon. The Punch In what’s regarded as the “world’s toughest sport,” a successful MMA fighter must possess athletic talent but cannot be without superior mental and physical prowess. “A professional fighter’s life is very rough. I literally eat, sleep and breathe this stuff,” he said. “Injuries are an understood occurrence, and I have no social life; I sacrifice a lot to be where I want to be. I hurt my neck training, which ultimately led to my struggles with opiate addiction, and yet, fighting and my career pulled me out of that hole. If it were not for MMA I would be dead or in prison due to my previous lifestyle. It has kept me in line and F Line given me purpose.” Mixed Martial Arts requires adaptability, intelligence, an elaborate training schedule and many, many coaches. It is typical for a fighter to spend multiple sessions a day at multiple facilities refining the varied skills and techniques necessary for the sport. Jared spends a great deal of time at the world-famous Church Street Boxing gym in lower Manhattan working with head striking/boxing coach 6 I BOROMAG.COM | JUNE 2016 BODY & SOUL
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