SPIRIT

KUMDO

“The warrior guided by the spirit serves humanity, the warrior without, serves the ego.” – Soke Behzad Ahmadi

The decision to study martial arts and persevere to become a blackbelt changed my life. Repeated bullying centered around my small stature and tongue-tie, combined with asthma and severe eczema, overwhelmed me with fear, self-doubt, and anger. Kumdo taught me that it was possible to stand in a storm of negative emotion and still present yourself with confidence. It also gave me the courage to start wrestling.

WRESTLING

“But it’s the wrestler who can put the fatigue out of his mind and break through the ‘wall,’ like a marathon runner after 18 or 20 miles, who will survive. The key to that survival is in hard workouts that develop mental confidence to the point where you won’t submit to fatigue and pain descending upon you.” – Lou Banach

Wrestling helped me build an indomitable spirit. I learned how to rise up from failures, compete with strength and honor, and stick to my beliefs and convictions. Matches present an opportunity to practice bringing my best self to a challenging situation.