The Martial Artist
Updated: Sep 6
How two hobbies became a career.
For those of you who have been before you may have noticed I changed the start. Don't worry I've changed the ending as well, as I look at it from a new prespective. I guess it was a little cliche to say that something that could be seen as so small saved my life, but it's true that in this case it gave me a new perspective and sense of control.
Shall we start from the beginning?
During lockdown, like most of the world I got bored, felt lost and unsure of what to do and how to spend my time. I spent my days sat in front of the TV and my nights in bed, I could feel myself slipping away.
One day something clicked, I had free time, time to do what ever I wanted, and that’s what I did, I brought airdry clay and started moulding, random animals, sculptures, and pots, giving myself something to focus on, a creative outlet.
shortly after lockdown I got a job in a pottery painting studio.
I loved learning to glaze and load the kiln, It was like a daily science lesson, my painting skills improved with every piece, and I started to learn more about the different types of clay and how to hand build. My fascination only grew, and it dawned on me that I had outgrown this small business as I had learned all they had to teach me.
It was at this point, well actually a little earlier, that I started to learn wheel throwing being taught by someone I now consider a good friend and contact within the pottery world, with a starting story similar to my own. Eventually, I got a job in a wheel throwing studio closer to home, I taught classes, loaded the kiln, mixed my own glazes and even learned to throw consistently.
Whilst working in the pottery studio, In 2023 I started kickboxing for real, not just pad work in the garden with my brother, after signing up for a free trial, multiple times due to the type of anxiety we all feel starting something new, I finally made it through the door.
After this session, I was hooked. I trained weekly. By the end of the year, I had started with my PT in the gym to add strength a condition to my plan, I had a clear plan but no idea how to get there, so we worked, and worked hard.
I trained consistently, eventually training twice a week and even doing 1:1 sessions at kickboxing to better improve my skills.
And then, it happened.
September 2024, I had lost my job, and was sofa surfing at a friends house, With no money coming in and a bleak future, or so it seemed, I decided to do what some may see as the unthinkable, but for me I had thought about it and I had thought about it a lot, over months and even years and this just so happened to be the final thing, the straw that broke the camels back, the event that brought my then reality crashing down. Had I been through worse?
Yes.
But in that moment none of that mattered, there was no worse, no better, no light at the end. Just an ending. An ending that had waited for so long, a constant demon in the shadows.
Honestly, it was kind of humbling, I fell a sleep for a few hours, and then to my surprise, I woke up.
I felt groggy, extremely sick and lightheaded, I probably should have gone to the hospital but instead I went to kickboxing. Training was hard that day, for obvious reasons, but I pushed through and once I got home I felt calm.
It was after this I told my coach I wanted to fight, and I decided I wanted to run my own ceramic business, so, I got to work, I started training full time 6 days a week, 10 sessions most weeks training twice a day.
To start my business? I contacted the Kings trust in the hopes of getting a grant.
And this I guess is where the story actually starts, as usual the context was long but necessary for you to fully understand.
Whilst training full time my coach asked if I wanted to start helping out with the kids sessions, occasionally running the stretches in the adult sessions, and later running the warm ups, everything was moving forward and everything started falling into place, new opportunities opened up and it felt as though I was on the right path.
A few months went by and I started training for a coaching course to officially qualify, as an instructor, though the course got cancelled twice I ended up qualifying with my coach, surrounded by the people who had supported me from day one, the fitness test challenged me, pushed me to new limits, there were times I wanted to give up. But I kept going, pushing through discomfort and pain.
This is what I’ve been training for.
I pushed through to the end, laying on the floor when it was all over.
A strong sense of accomplishment and for the first time in a long time I was proud of myself and the person I had built. With a little help of course.
A happy ending, the credits role, and the screen turns black.
But this isn’t a movie and life keeps moving forward.
And as for the business?
Well you can see for yourself.
Comments