Growing up, I thought I was white. It didn't occur to me I was Asian-American until I was studying abroad in Denmark and there was a little bit of prejudice.

OK, it was black, it was below grade, I was female, Asian American, young, too young to have served. Yet I think none of the opposition in that sense hurt me.

We were unusually brought up; there was no gender differentiation. I was never thought of as any less than my brother.

You should be having more fun in high school, exploring things because you want to explore them and learning because you love learning-not worrying about competition.

There's a teacher at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York named John Danaher. He's leading this whole group of fighters named the Danaher Death Squad, and they're revolutionizing how that world works. I actually went and signed up for classes mostly because, man, if there's innovation like that happening in New York, I want to be around it.

U.N.-orchestrated gatherings are typically the death of all spontaneity and innovation.

If I were dying, my last words would be: Have faith and pursue the unknown end.

There's something about death that is comforting. The thought that you could die tomorrow frees you to appreciate your life now.