Anna Arboleda Gonzalez Media TV interview on suicide prevention

The Anna Arboleda Gonzalez Media TV interview with Jose G covered why Arboleda began competing to raise awareness of suicide prevention after her younger sister died by suicide, how martial arts helps her express herself, and why she sees herself as a martial artist who chooses to fight rather than a fighter chasing a title. She also described training at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts in Indianapolis while working as a strategic operations consultant.

How did Anna Arboleda become a martial artist at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts?

Anna Arboleda became interested in martial arts through early UFC events and the action films she watched growing up, but she did not begin training until her late twenties. After a difficult first tournament experience, she decided to learn boxing and eventually began training at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts in Indianapolis.

From hockey and soccer to a UFC gym

Born and raised in Chicago, Arboleda played hockey and soccer in high school. She also watched WWF and WWE, Power Rangers and martial arts films. Seeing performers who looked like her in action movies mattered to her; she named Jackie Chan and, from later films, Tony Jaa, Donnie Yen and Michelle Yeoh among the figures she followed.

In her late twenties, she entered a boot camp at a UFC-branded gym and took part in a tournament. She said she was outmatched. The experience stayed with her: after moving to Indianapolis, she decided that losing to someone with strong hands was a reason to study boxing.

Finding Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts

Arboleda said she has competed out of Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts for roughly five or six years. She trains there in boxing and other martial arts, and described Sean Eichenberg as her master. Outside the gym, she works as a strategic operations consultant and estimates that she trains 15 to 17 hours a week.

Training also extends to her garage, which she calls the bat cave and has equipped with bags. For Arboleda, that schedule is not a step toward making fighting her full-time job. She described martial arts as a daily part of her life.

Why does Anna Arboleda fight for suicide prevention and The Jed Foundation?

Anna Arboleda began using competition to raise awareness of suicide prevention after her younger sister, a mother of two, died by suicide. Arboleda said the loss shifted her attention from coaching toward fighting and gave her a reason to compete beyond testing her training or trying to win.

She had followed The Jed Foundation before her sister’s death. Arboleda said she had struggled with mental health as a child and young adult, and she wanted to draw attention to support for other young people who might be struggling, including those who do not yet recognize it themselves.

As Arboleda put her reason for fighting:

I don't mind getting punched in the face to help kids

She described The Jed Foundation’s work as helping educational institutions and their leaders identify ways to recognize mental health difficulties and provide support. She also emphasized the need to help administrators notice when a student may be struggling. In Arboleda’s view, timely recognition is central to suicide prevention.

What did Anna Arboleda say about martial arts, mental health and discipline?

Anna Arboleda said martial arts helps her express herself when words are difficult to find. As a neurodivergent person, she values the physical practice as a way to communicate and regulate herself, but she also believes discipline includes knowing when to stop training and sit with discomfort.

That distinction shapes how she describes herself. Arboleda called herself a martial artist who chooses to compete, not someone whose identity depends on a win or a world title. She looks to martial artists including Georges St-Pierre (GSP) and Max Holloway as examples of people who continue refining their practice regardless of a result.

Training when motivation fades

Arboleda does not put much stock in motivation because she considers it fleeting. Discipline, to her, is continuing the work on days she does not feel like doing it. It also means recognizing days when training is not the right choice, rather than using the gym to avoid something she needs to face.

Practicing stillness during an injury setback

Recent problems with her toe and thumb had limited the training she wanted to do. Arboleda said she had feared her toe was broken, though it was not, and had lost a piece of her thumb. Being unable to move as usual deprived her of a familiar form of regulation, so she had to practice emotional discipline while resting.

She wants people to know they can study combat sports without competing. The practice can serve different purposes for different people; competition is her choice, not a requirement she places on others.

How does Anna Arboleda train for competition with her eyes closed?

Anna Arboleda regularly shadowboxes with her eyes closed, an exercise she does with boxing coach Taylor Deer. She said Deer has told her that her form is best when her eyes are closed. For Arboleda, the drill helps her pay attention to her movement and find a meditative state.

Staying composed during a kickboxing bout

Arboleda recalled joking backstage before her kickboxing debut and smiling in the corner with Eichenberg while her opponent approached. She said she was not nervous. Her attention in competition goes to the other person, the adjustments she needs to make and whether she can hear her corner—or rely on herself when she cannot.

Using memory, music and rhythm in training

She first experimented with closing her eyes during exercises that tested her memory of nearby objects and her sense of where she was standing. That developed into throwing punches and kicks with her eyes closed. Before training, she checks how her body feels and simplifies her warm-up if something seems off.

Music gives her another way to test movement. Arboleda likes dancing and uses changing beats to explore different footwork and striking rhythms, sometimes working against the tempo she hears. She said that approach helps her notice when she is ready to move freely and when she needs to slow down.

Which wrestlers, UFC fighters and training gear did Anna Arboleda name?

Anna Arboleda named four wrestlers she would put on her personal Mount Rushmore: The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and Rey Mysterio. Asked for three UFC legends, she chose Georges St-Pierre (GSP), Chuck Liddell and Matt Hughes. For everyday training gear, she pointed to ONX Labs.

WWE favorites and UFC legends

Arboleda grew up watching WWF and WWE during the Attitude Era. She took a moment to settle on her fourth wrestling pick, Rey Mysterio. Her UFC choices reflected how difficult she found it to narrow fighters from different eras to just three.

ONX Labs equipment

For training, Arboleda said she uses ONX Labs wraps, boxing gloves, MMA gloves and shin guards. She named Trevor Whitman in connection with the equipment and said the gear has held up through the amount she trains.

What did Anna Arboleda say about her team at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts?

Anna Arboleda credited Sean Eichenberg, Taylor Deer and her teammates at Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts with supporting her through more than training. She said they help hold her accountable to her purpose while offering love and acceptance, and she expressed gratitude for the place she has found among them.

Arboleda said Eichenberg and Deer, along with the rest of her team, had carried her through difficulties they might not fully realize. On days when she struggles to hold herself accountable, she said, they continue to show up for her.

She described having often felt like a social migrant. At Triumph, she said, she experienced being chosen and accepted as the person she is.

Who is Anna Arboleda?

Anna Arboleda is a martial artist and competitor representing Triumph Boxing and Martial Arts. She advocates for suicide prevention through The Jed Foundation and is a mother and gamer.