Adriano Moraes explains how skateboarding helped him improve as a martial artist

Skateboarding is more than just a hobby for Adriano Moraes. The Brazilian enjoys indulging in the sport, not only as an escape, but also as a means to improve as a martial artist.

The ONE flyweight world champion discovered skateboarding at a young age and kept the hobby even as he delved deeper into his mixed martial arts career. In an interview with ONE Championship, Moraes shared how skateboarding has helped him find balance.

The 32-year-old said:

“Skateboarding helps you to have a lot of balance. It helps you to move with both arms and both legs because it has the maneuvers on the [regular stance] and on the switch – which is the [regular stance] reversed. So that forces you to have the ability to walk on both bases.”

Many factors needed to navigate a skateboard can be essential in developing skills for MMA. However, Moraes also credits the other intangible benefits he gets from the sport for making him a better athlete.

He continued:

“Skateboarding helps me a lot. It helps me with my skills, it helps me to be calmer, to be more patient, to have more control. And best of all, balance. An MMA athlete today who doesn’t have a balance, he can’t go very far. And skateboarding helps me with all that because it’s a complete sport.”

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Adriano Moraes will need balance against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X

Adriano Moraes will need all the benefits he can get from skateboarding and training as he faces a dangerous foe in Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X on March 26.

'Little Piranha' climbed the rankings on the back of five straight victories to claim the No.2-spot behind only Demetrious Johnson. He has an overall professional MMA record of 15 wins against four losses and is a student of the Japanese martial arts legend, Ryo ‘The Piranha’ Chonan.

The 27-year-old has looked sharper in every outing and looks ready for a run as the division’s king.

Meanwhile, fans are waiting to see how Moraes can top his previous appearance. In his last bout, the Brazilian defended his world title with a career-defining knockout of the top-ranked Johnson.

Will Wakamatsu be the newest world champion of ONE Championship or will Moraes prove why he’s the best flyweight in the world today?