What made you start training?
As an 18 year old, I tried kickboxing in 2011 and liked it, but was too gassed after my first session and felt unconfident and didn't come back. At 22, I tried three boxing gyms, and two of them threw me into sparring amateurs on my first lesson, and I got knocked about and had to get an MRI.
I didn't come back to combat sports until last year: when 3 events happened:
- Dating a girl with a violent ex-boyfriend. Wanted to feel more confident in case he wanted to confront me.
- Was confronted by two men at a pub. They didn't attack physically (I'm stocky; one mentioned that), but I felt I wanted to be more confident.
- Got confronted after an acting lesson by an furious acting teacher. He was about 6 foot 3 and 210 pounds and got in my face pointing at my chest and yelling, and blocked the door when I tried to leave. I'd had a few boxing lessons so just smiled at him and backed away; palms up, but I still felt I needed to know how to defend myself.
So - I started training kickboxing, boxing and MMA at the ripe age of 32, at a good gym, and have for about 8 months now. I love the feeling you get after finishing a hard session - like you just won a battle and all the demons are driven away and the skies clear, just for a moment. I feel the cost, and discipline in avoiding a fight, and am calmer, more confident and don't feel any need to prove myself or my masculinity.
What made you start training?