Daniel Herbertson is the General Manager of Absolute MMA and the man who keeps this wonderful gym running behind the scenes. Devoted father of two, Herbertson also boasts the record for longest running blue belt in the gym and has an equally long record of working in the martial arts industry. Prior to Absolute MMA, Dan was one of the only foreign martial arts journalists and photographers in Japan in the early 2000s. Known to give stellar advice and for being one of the wisest people in the gym, we truly would be lost without this man. Read on to find out more about Dan!
Nicknames & Fight Names?
I have never been considered dangerous enough to earn a nickname that didn’t have a healthy dose of sarcasm.
What would you consider your greatest achievements in Martial Arts?
I was never going to be the fastest black belt or the best competitor so I am going for the world’s longest blue belt – currently 15 years and counting.
It takes a serious lack of talent to train for so long while not getting any better.
What made you start Martial Arts?
Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles, 3 Ninjas and the Karate Kid got me interested in martial arts at a young age although I couldn’t actually train because I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere. I was a very angry boy and used to beat up my two younger brothers quite a bit so my parents weren’t really supportive of me pursuing martial arts when we moved to a larger town later on.
When I started university my interest was renewed when I found some Pride FC video tapes at a VideoEZY. I had seen the early UFC events but nothing had inspired me to train until I saw Kazushi Sakuraba in action.
I started training BJJ in Geelong and was soon training Muay Thai and boxing six days a week all around Ballarat, Geelong and Melbourne. There weren’t really any MMA gyms around in those days and wrestling was hard to come by.
How did you first get involved with Absolute MMA? (What industry were you in prior to Martial Arts? What made you change?)
As I was getting near to completing university I didn’t like the direction my career was heading so as soon as I finished my exams I moved to Japan to train MMA, have a bit of fun and to try and get a job in the MMA industry there.
I bought a camera and all of a sudden I was the only foreign combat sports photographer/journalist in the region and the only foreigner allowed ringside in Japan. I was exceptionally poor for a few years (which was a valuable experience in itself) but then landed some great jobs and covered most of the big fights throughout Asia Pacific.
Following the 2011 Japanese earthquake and the downfall of Pride FC, K-1, Dream, etc. the industry in Japan was in tatters so I lost my job and it was time to come home. Based on my experience in Japan I landed a job with Absolute.
Mantra/Quote to live by?
“Be Here Now.” – You’ll realise that a lot of life’s problems are due to your imagination if you remind yourself of this.
The Serenity Prayer:
“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.”
Tell us about your life growing up, what is your favourite memory from when you were younger?
I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Hamilton with two younger brothers. We had a TV but it didn’t work for a long time (I think Mum and Dad were lying about that – why would we keep a TV that didn’t work?) and we had to make our own entertainment.
I once made a bow and shot my youngest brother in the back with an arrow. It stuck between his shoulder blades and he fell face first into the dirt with the arrow straight up in the air. I’m not sure which parts of that story are real.
One day we tried to make a stink bomb by gathering all this cow poo and mixing it up in a big bucket with all this other stinky stuff we found around the farm. We ended up just throwing it all at each other and I remember jumping over a fence to try and run away. It was a barbed-wire fence though and I caught my leg on it and it opened up like an over cooked hot dog. I don’t have any scars so I’m not sure if that’s a real story either.
One day I had some friends over and we tied one of my brothers to a pole and left him there all day. I think that story is real. I bullied my brothers a fair bit.
I made a bear trap out a big roll of wire and a tree. The plan was for a bear to get tangled in the wire and then lightning would strike the tree and electrocute the bear. I don’t think we ever caught one.
Who is an inspiration to you, and why?
Shantideva was pretty good:
“May I become at all times, both now and forever,
A protector for those without protection,
A guide for those who have lost their way,
A ship for those with oceans to cross,
A bridge for those with rivers to cross,
A sanctuary for those in danger,
A lamp for those without light,
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter,
And a servant to all in need.”
If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My wife’s cooking. The amount of effort and love she puts into her cooking (while wrangling two kids) is not lost on me and I appreciate it every day.
What do you like to do to relax besides training?
Recently I’ve really gotten into woodworking with hand tools. I live in a small apartment and have two young kids so I don’t really have the space or time to build much but I enjoy getting my plane irons and chisels really sharp and then shaving my arm hair with them to impress my wife. She pretends that she isn’t impressed but I know she is really into it.
What is your favourite travel destination? Why?
I was fortunate enough to travel a lot when I was younger but really appreciate settling down and family life now. Seeing the world is eye opening but there is depth that you can’t experience if you are always travelling and looking for the next experience. I look forward to travelling with my kids when they are old enough though and my wife is Korean so I also really enjoy going there to spend time with family but that doesn’t feel like travel – it’s like another home.
What were some funny/interesting/weird hobbies you had when you were a teenager?
I was really into Warhammer (that’s a war game with figurines) and Magic the Gathering (that’s a card game) for a while but then my friend burned all his stuff and told me it was the work of Satan. That was all very confusing for 13 year-old Daniel.
Besides martial arts, what else are you passionate about and why?
I’m really interested in (primarily Eastern) religion. I struggled a lot with depression and anxiety when I was younger and was becoming quite self-destructive. I didn’t want to keep living like that so I decided to try and sort it out rather than just ignore it or circumvent it.
Eastern religion provided a very direct way to unravel the issues that I was carrying around in my mind.
Who are the kind of people that you look up to and why?
Those good people who help for the sake of helping and just do what they can to make life better. It takes a lot to give up being self-centered and to truly focus on what good you can do in the world in a way that doesn’t turn back on you and end up being self-serving. That self is a slippery little thing that keeps working it’s way back in there. I publicly aspire to be one of those good people and then privately wonder what’s in it for me.
Do you have a “useless” talent that makes people smile every time you use it?
I have attempted to acquire many useless talents but I’ve not yet found anything that I’m actually talented in nor managed to make anyone smile yet. The work continues.
Have you done other sports besides martial art and which teams/athletes are your favourite? Any funny stories?
I had a growth spurt very early on and was 180 cm tall when I was like 11. I played basketball and football and smashed everyone because I was a giant. Then all the other kids grew up too and it wasn’t fun anymore.
What’s your favourite music genre and musicians? Why do you enjoy their music?
I really like Krishna Das. He sings Hindu devotional music. Singing Hare Krishna and dancing about with my kids is fun and good experiences can be had if you get into it.
Is there a book you’ve read that has influenced your outlook on life or the way you approach certain situations or people?
Be Here Now by Ram Dass totally changed my life.
If you could go back in time to your first martial art class, what would be the advice you give to your past self?
I’ve been training off and on for 17 years and I’m crap. My advice would be to not take my own advice.
During an Absolute MMA staff retreat a zombie apocalypse breaks out. You get separated with 3 AMMA team members. Who would be part your dream team and why?
You’re all part of my dream team. It’s my dream – don’t tell me I can only have 3 people.
“Hahaha…*nervous laugh* Smeagol. Love you, Dan.” – Apryl Eppinger
“If Absolute MMA is what it is, it is also because of Daniel Herbertson. He is a very important piece on the chessboard. Daniel is the queen.” – Thiago Stefanutti
“Is he a black belt in UFC?”- James Walters
“Dan Herbertson, cool supportive genuine mate! Who keeps the team tight! The Bruce Wayne of Absolute MMA “- Moses Bentley
“Without Dan Herbertson, everyone at Absolute MMA would be lost. Every person, staff or member, any gym, national or international. To say he is the heart, soul and brains of Absolute is still somehow a gross understatement. Without him, none of us would have an amazing facility to train in, and I would not have had this opportunity to do what I love for a living, for that I will forever be grateful to him. Beyond that he is one of the most insightful people to talk to, always providing a point of view that I would not have thought of myself. I can’t say enough good things about Dan, he has adorable children, on point carpentry skills, a laser pointer and is always there with his handy knife.”- Amit Narayan
“Daniel is an incredible human. A quiet achiever, he is always willing to help out, no matter how small or big the job is. Dan simply gets stuff done. I can also always count on him for some solid, objective advice. He is also the worlds longest blue belt. I think soon, he may beat the world record, but everyone has to be the best at something, right?!”- Livia Giles
“I have worked with Daniel Herbertson for two and a half years. I think Dan and I get along just fine. Our first trip away together was for the staff holiday. Dan is the general manager of Absolute MMA, anything you need he’ll help you with. He is a genuine person.”- Laos Toohey
“Herbertson is the wisest man in the entire world. Somehow, he still cops the most s**t at Absolute MMA.” – Darren Gn
Dan is a man of many skills, one of them being able to speak and read Japanese and (!) clocking the longest years as a BJJ blue belt that I know of anyone haha. Jokes aside, although very behind the scenes, genuinely he’s one of the very reasons Absolute is as successful as it is and runs as smoothly as it does.”- Tina Trinh
“Dan is a legend, always look after his friends and keep ample supply of squat racks and kettlebells. Thanks, Dan!”- Stanley Huang
“Mr Daniel Herbertson one of the people that I look up to as a human being. He is an extraordinary man, he runs and manages a business, he has high-level skills in jiu-jitsu, trained and fought MMA, very creative of his craft which is photography and is a very loving father. Also, Dan has a kind heart in so many ways. But one of the memories that I can’t forget about his kindness is that I was in Absolute 6 years ago I was very shy and very quiet because I couldn’t speak English fluently. Then there is this person Mr Dan trying to reach out to me help me in so many ways. He inspired me and guide me to become a better MARTIAL ARTIST. Very grateful and blessed to meet Mr Daniel Herbertson in my journey.”- Luke Catubig
“Buddha has a Daniel Herbertson poster hanging in his bedroom.”- Richard Lattemagi
“Dan is always there with a welcoming attitude and a smile. And what a beautiful family he has! This guy works at the best Martial Arts gym but I don’t see him on the mats?! Well… Nobody is perfect. “- Cris Soares