Well, I decided to expand on my webpage a little by including a little section on something that I have always been a big fan and practitioner of, the martial arts. It always amazes me, the discipline and dedication any kind of fighter has…and not everyone reading this will really truly comprehend what I am saying. My first experience in martial arts came when I was 11 years old when I enrolled in a Tae Kwon Do academy. I guess I just took it for granted what I was learning because I never really took it seriously. I always just thought of it as something that my parents were making me do. Well, after I graduated from the junior class and started the adult classes, only then did I realize the importance of what I was learning. I received my first degree black belt five years after I started. During those five years, I competed in two tournaments. One was the 1989 Open Championships, in which I failed to place. The second was the 1994 Virginia State Junior Olympics. In this tournament, I placed first in the state for forms and third for sparring. Tough competition that taught me a few things, like despite the following that may gather behind you, despite all the coaches or trainers that you may have, it all comes down to YOU and how dedicated YOU are. When I was up there fighting this other guy who was noticably bigger and faster than I was, I looked past that, and just concentrated on doing my best. Even in the shadow of defeat, I still kept my head up high and never allowed myself to look down on my performance. After a few more months of tae kwon do, I decided to expand my knowledge onto different styles. This led me to the Virginia Academy of Martial Arts. I had seen the school before, but never really knew what to expect. The Sifu, or head instructor, offered me a job to teach part time after I told him of my previous experience. I gladly accepted the offer. From there on, I practiced in several arts, among them were Shaolin Kempo and Filipino Kali. It was a short experience of only a few short months, but a much valued one. I had to leave for college that same year, and I ended up in International Hall at Old Dominion University. My first roomate was from Japan. Interestingly enough, in Japanese public schools, boys are taught Judo at a young age. This led to further instruction and learning. Also on I-Hall were two Brazilians that were competitive jiujitsu players back in Brazil, and they both trained at Carlson Gracie's Academy of Jiujitsu. These people were VERY experienced in the martial arts having been schooled in boxing and taekwondo as well. I also picked up a few lessons in Arnis and Kali. Despite all of the different styles of martial arts I have studied though, I still have yet to find a discipline that requires as much heart as good old-fashioned BOXING. There is just so much more to boxing than just mindless punching…as most people think. This takes us to the present day, where I train every now and then with old friends of mine in Boxing. It is the most basic form of fighting, and yet the most challenging. In order to become an efficient fighter, one must study and train in boxing with a passion. At first, one must know humility. This is important. To know humility is to be able to accept the fact that there are other people out there in the world that can defeat you. Some people are too scared to accept this fact, therefore train too lightly, are afraid to get hit hard, or make constant excuses of their lack of training or interest. I confront these people all the time, and I can only shake my head and look down on them…as they most likely do to themselves unconsiously.

That UFC stuff is pretty cool...It shows someone what works and what doesn't work. However, you have to be careful with what you see. Just because the majority of fighters are ground-based, you must remember that a fight always begins standing up. The most simplest of rules…if you can't punch, you can't fight. Once you learn to utilize your fists in a fight, you can then move on to explore your other options. You can survive a ground fight for about as long as it takes your opponents friends to put two and two together and decide to deliver a can of whoop ass to ya, because once they show up, you instantly become a bullseye for their steel-tipped boot.