1. What Inspires You To Train? The idea of changing and learning something new about yourself and what you are capable of.
2. How Has Martial Arts Changed Your Life? Your Perspective? It has made me a stronger and better person, taught me patience with myself and with others. It has also taught me how to deal with adversity, and the struggles of personal growth. It has given me focus.
3. What Inspires You To Teach? That’s a tough one; mainly the ability to awake something in someone that they maybe weren’t aware was dormant within them. Seeing that moment when change finally occurs within a student, whether it is physically, mentally or otherwise
4. How Did You Find Martial Arts? My father and I have always watched movies together since I was a kid. One of my fondest childhood memories was sitting with him and watching this little Asian man in a white wife beater, in an alleyway in Rome, demolish 5 or 6 guys single handed with lightning fast punches and kicks! Hearing him scream and “roar” every time he’d take out one of the bad guys, I was immediately hooked!!! After that day, we’d sit and watch Bruce Lee movies every weekend, back when they used to play it on channel 5 (for those of you that are old school)
5. What Is Your Single Most Defining Factor In Training? Exploring all the different path and roles; student, fighter, teacher, coach… It’s a cycle, you’re never truly one or the other, but all, at the same time.
6. What Was Your Biggest Hurdle In Martial Arts? And How Did You Get Over It? The physical aspect. I was born a very sickly child; I was anemic, had a heart murmur, wore glasses and was always too small for my age. I remember the doctors told my dad I shouldn’t play sports, that I will never be athletic. Oh, how wrong they were…
6. What Was Your Biggest Hurdle In Martial Arts? And How Did You Get Over It? A lot of rock music. Anything fast paced, loud and heavy… gets the blood boiling!
7. Whats On Your Play List In Class? Muay Thai, JKD Phase classes… I’ve trained capoeira and karate outside of AMAA, but Andersons gives me everything I need!
9. One Go To Move? Axe kick or Spinning Back Kick. Style? … I don’t know… I love to kick a lot, hence my moniker “Vic the Kick” I borrow a lot of moves from arts that are very esoteric; like capoeira, savate, some karate styles, and JKD. Thankfully, Sifu gives me the freedom to implement it all in to my “style” and find ways to make it all work. As far as workouts go, I hit the gym at least 4 days a week and stretch every other day… nothing fancy.
10. How Do You Get Your Training In, Even On The Busiest week? I always find time somehow, even if that means taking my lunch break to run to the academy, take class and then run back to work… (hopefully without anyone noticing how long I was gone for).
11. How Has Martial Arts Transformed Your Body, Your Health, Your Mind, Your Ability, Your Confidence? Like I said before; I was anemic, told would never be athletic or play sports, super skinny and very shy throughout high school. Martial Arts gave me a way to overcome so many things. It definitely kept me out of trouble and off the streets as a kid. Training has taught me the importance of loving and taking care of your body, mind and spirit… that there will always be a balance. It also gave me the sense of purpose and an understanding that there is no end to what the will can accomplish. With this knowledge, I applied to everything; work, friendship, family, self-confidence, my view of the world, etc.
12. Why Should I Try Your Class? You’ll leave with something new, whether you realize it or not.
To try an Anderson’s Martial Arts Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Class – email us at webinfo@andersonsmartialarts.com – CLICK HERE To Schedule Your Free One-On-One Introductory Lesson At The Academy
