My Other Passion | Andy

I have many hobbies which I follow on a regular basis such as sport cars, playing soccer and even guitars. There is one hobby which I have a great passion for but never really chased due to “sensible reasons” and that is kickboxing / martial arts.

Some may see martial arts as violent and unnecessary, and some see it as a way of getting fit. I see martial arts as a way to strengthen the mind and body. From learning simple Karate techniques and steps to actual contact inside the ring, I’ve always had a sense of passion for the sport. Even at times when we were pushed to the limit time after time, I feel martial arts have taught me discipline and more importantly to appreciate the safety we get in our everyday lives.

Now to why I never pursued this sport intently. I returned home one night from training to be met with the question from mum, “were you involved in a fight?” I’m not sure what gave it away, maybe it was the bruises on my face arms and legs, or perhaps the wraps which were still on wrists. “No Mum, it’s from training” I replied. My reply was instantly met with another question from mum “do you know why we ran from our home country?” Knowing well what mum was thinking, I assured her it was simply training and nothing more. Mum’s thoughts were however, is why would we escape from violence to get into more violence? My thoughts were different, I believed martial arts is more than just plain old violence, it teaches me discipline and respect.

It was since then that I stopped pursing this “violent and dangerous sport”. Not because mum’s words changed my mind on martial arts, but because I believe my parents have had their fair share of fear arising from violence and didn’t need me to contribute to it further. Plus keeping the folks happy is a good thing too I suppose, as I couldn’t afford expensive clothing and footwear back then. I still hit the old punching bag from time to time, but just to keep fit and mind sharp.