Just want to take a moment and share with you something that means the world to me. I am 43 years old. About 23 years ago I had started taking Tae-Kwon-Do classes at my local Do-Jang (School). I ended up following that up with Hapkido and in college, Judo and Aikido. I was doing really good, then my money ran out. The college classes ended, and I quit the TKD studio.

I missed it.

Flash forward 20 years, I’m married now, a father of three beautiful girls, very much out of shape and overweight. But that little voice has always been there and that desire to complete that task that I had started 20 years before. Well, my little girl “won” a month of classes at our local Karate school. They took classes and I couldn’t help but notice how much fun they were having. In that school, Dad’s are free in January.

So here I go, 40 years old, 300+ lbs and I took my first steps. It’s hard, it’s challenging, you cannot expect results overnight, but just keep moving. I had equated it to a freight train when it first starts to move, it requires so much effort.

Guess what…

Like a freight train, once it’s moving, once your moving, it gets less impossible. Notice I didn’t say “easy”. It never gets “easy”. But you start to realize that, hey, YOU can do this.

Whether your 6 years old or 60, don’t give up on yourself. Starting to move is the hardest thing you’ll ever do.

Flash forward 3 years to today. Next month, I will be testing for my black belt. My 23 year old dream is in my grasp.

Martial Arts for me is a huge stress relief. In the right school, you’ll find out quickly, it’s not about hurting others, it’s about lifting each other up. It’s about others showing you what true grit you have.

If you’re sitting there now, depressed, angry at yourself, or just feel “ugh.” Do some research, find the right school and start. Once you start, don’t ever stop…

Learn from my experience… YOU CAN DO THIS.