VIDEO: Cosplaying Kitana pole dances, scores a flawless victory

Earlier this week we posted some mighty impressive photographs of Tanya “MsTooney” Jordan, a competitive athlete who just won the Ms Fitness California 2010 competition. Jordan is a self-proclaimed geek. For her, videogames and cosplay go hand-in-hand with physical training. As an animator and illustrator, she is proficient in the art of Photoshop and Flash - and she is more than proficient in the exquisite art of kicking ass.

Dressed in a sharp Kitana outfit, Jordan crushed the competition with a pole routine that incorporated gymnastic and martial arts moves. Check out our exclusive video of Jordan’s sensational pole routine, and stick around for a quick interview with the lovely and deadly fitness champion…

Above: See Jordan deal a deadly FATALITY to this pole for a FLAWLESS VICTORY at the Ms Fitness California 2010 competition

GR: Congratulations on winning the Ms Fitness (Southern) California 2010 competition! What’s next for you, now that you’ll be moving on to the Ms Fitness USA competition?

Jordan: In terms of preparing for Ms Fitness USA it will be more weight training, fine tuning my routine and, most importantly, diet. I have to make some modifications to my routine to add more floor work and martial arts. I have some new tricks up my sleeve for Nationals that will give it a bit more of a “Kombat” feel.

I plan on attending E3, Anime Expo, and Comic Con as Kitana between now and Nationals, so I have a little bit of play time as well.

GR: Can you tell us a little about the physical challenges of performing a pole routine? It looks intense (and a bit dangerous) from the photographs of the competition that we recently saw.

Jordan: I liken the type of pole that I perform to gymnastics. It requires strength, flexibility and a little bit of guts.  My background as a competitive gymnast has helped me push the envelope and given me a great base for performing pole.

One “badge of honor” that comes with learning pole is the bruises. The pole likes to bite, but any pole performer will tell you that we wear our bruises with pride because that means we have conquered a new skill.


"The pole likes to bite, but any pole performer will tell you that we wear our bruises with pride..."

GR: Do you still get nervous before you step up on stage before the judges? If so, what are some tips for keeping your cool?

Jordan: Yes, absolutely I get very nervous. I think that is all part of the fun though. I have stage fright, but get a great sense of accomplishment each time I can go out on stage. Before I go on stage I like to do a few jumping jacks, close my eyes, take a deep breath, and smile.


"The first game I fell in love with was Prince of Persia on our 286. I've completed every Prince of Persia game since then!"

GR: We understand you like videogames. We like videogames, too! What was your first system? What’s your favorite game?

Jordan: Ok, I am going to date myself here… but my first system was the Atari 2600. I don’t remember the names of the games we had, although I do remember playing a cops and robbers type game.

The first game I fell in love with was Prince of Persia on our 286. I’ve completed every Prince of Persia game since then! I am going opening night to see the movie.

My all time favorite game thus far is The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I am a huge Zelda fan. If you can’t tell by the two games I have mentioned, I love playing 3rd person action adventure games.

I am also a big RTS player and have been known to rock out on a guitar in my free time. Something I am not all that proud of was an unhealthy WoW addiction I had for about 2 years. I had to quit cold turkey and haven’t looked back. I am sure my Level 60 Troll Hunter (For the Horde!) is feeling very scared and alone right now.