Don?t look for Georges St-Pierre to become a coach when his fighting days are over.
But the mixed martial arts champion seemed to enjoy being a teacher for a day on Friday as he led a small group of newbies through the basics of kicks, blocks and chokeholds.
?Twelve years ago I was teaching delinquent kids in a program for the government and it was a lot of fun,? the Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king said.
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Not enough to want to be a coach, however.
?I loved it, but I don?t know if I like it that much to do it every day,? he said. ?I like teaching kids better than adults, to tell the truth.?
St-Pierre spent an hour at his training base at Tristar Gym teaching the MMA basics to a contest winner and others from across Canada chosen by a sponsor, the NOS energy drink.
They learned how to throw a leg kick without getting clobbered by a punch, how to block a kick (never with the hands) and other moves.
Contest winner Lawrence Pernica of Vancouver called it ?unreal.
?I?ve really enjoyed watching him fight. I?ve been a fan of his for years.?
St-Pierre is on a bit of a break since posting his 11th win in a row, a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz on March. 16 at the Bell Centre.
He opens training camp in September for his next bout Nov. 16 against Johny Hendricks.
Earlier this month, he was in Las Vegas to play a little poker and watch Chris Weidman?s stunning victory by second round knockout over Anderson Silva for the UFC middleweight title. The loss ended Silva?s record 17-bout undefeated streak that began in 2006.
?I?m happy for Weidman, he?s a friend and a training partner,? said St. Pierre. ?It couldn?t happen to a better person.
?He lost his house, he has (two) kids and now he?s going to start making more money.
?I?m not surprised at the result. I predicted he would win, but I should make it clear: I?m not happy Silva lost. I?m happy that Chris won because he?s my friend.?
Weidman lost his home during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
UFC boss Dana White pushed for a super-fight between Silva and St-Pierre, even though the St-Isidore, Que. native would need to go up in weight class against the Brazilian.
St-Pierre did not rule that out for sometime in the future, but for now, he is thinking only of Hendricks, while Silva will be concentrating on his rematch with Weidman, which is expected in December.
While in Vegas, St-Pierre took part in the World Series of Poker. He hung in till the end of the first day before opting to go all-in on a hand and going bust.
His tournament ended early for a second year in a row, but he said he is not a gambler at heart.
?I did a stupid move at the end,? he said with a laugh. ?I?m too emotional when I play poker and I lost like an idiot.
?It was the last hand of the day and it was either go to the next round with a big pot of money like a champion, or lose like an idiot. And I lost like an idiot.?
St-Pierre is looking forward to fighting in Las Vegas again. His last four have been in Canada, with three of them before home town crowds in Montreal.
?Vegas takes a lot of pressure off me,? he said. ?Promotion, for example.
?When I fight here, I do it in English and French, so I do twice what my opponent does. And the last one, my opponent (Diaz) did nothing at all. So that will give me a little bit of a break.?
Still, he hopes to fight at least once more in Montreal before he gives up MMA.
The 32-year-old is asked repeatedly when he?ll retire, but he has no idea.
?It?s not happening yet,? he said. ?I?m in better shape than people think. I have no injuries. I?m fit.?
St. Pierre will get plenty of help while training for the Hendricks bout. Famed boxing coach Freddie Roach and Thai boxing champion John Wayne Parr are among those slated to take part.
16:28ET 19-07-13
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