
Living In Action – The Beginning
Growing up, I never thought I would run a self-defense business. Sometimes you fall into adventures you never would have planned but are created by only your wildest dreams. This adventure was designed by my nightmares.
Of course growing up I wanted to do martial arts. Enter the Dragon was an all-time-favorite film. Also, I wanted to be like my mom and dad. They studied Judo. I didn’t know much about it, but I knew it made my mother’s hands fast as lightning and gave my dad confidence that exuded throughout his body when he was merely standing in my presence. I wanted that confidence and my mother’s fearlessness. In elementary school I felt fearless, protected by my older brother and parents. It was middle school that I learned to fear. One in four youth is affected by bullying. Strangely, I was the lucky one. I don’t even remember her name. I just remember her fist connecting with the back of my head on the school bus while I sat looking out at the evergreen trees on the ride home. There was no interaction before that point. I kept trying to recall over and over if I had said something to offend her and if so, what it could have been, but there was nothing. I never wanted people to know that I was hurting. However, shortly after that event, I said I liked walking to my father’s school to take the car ride versus taking the bus home. “I like the walk. It’s great to look out at the water.” That was my mantra. High School I became hypersensitive to people around me, developing extreme social anxiety and tried to be overly friendly to other classmates. I would think over and over again about conversations I had or conversations I would have, calculating what would be the best way to move forward. Playing basketball and being a member of the school choir, to the outside world I appeared very social, inside though, I was on pins and needles.

Article written by Tasha Ina Church
The story continued, but this was the beginning. And for all of those who are afraid to speak out, I want you to know that you are strong and there are people in your life who love you. They will listen to you and if they don’t, find someone who will.