What got me started

I suppose since I'm writing this blog I should write the reason I started martial arts in the first place. when I was young my father would kinda force me to watch that old "Kung Fu" series every Sunday. Eventually I grew to like it. I think it had some influence on me. The biggest influence would be the neighborhoods I was raised in. These hoods were filled with drug dealers, gang members, and petty crime. I would constantly get my ass whooped just for being white, and any other really stupid reason they could come up with. I finally brought this to attention to my father, and he showed me some techniques. He never told me he knew some martial arts until then. I was determined at that point to learn the arts. My father taught me what he knew, then got me enrolled at the local Karate school. I didn't train there very long. It was about a year. Then after I quit, I started reading books. I became obsessed with old Edo period Japanese culture, and Japanese martial arts. Once I started reading Maasaki Hatsumi's books. I was hooked on taijutsu. The whole time growing up I'd attend dojo after dojo, never staying for very long at one until I found the Yamaneko Dojo. The teacher there was very skilled. I was around 13-14 at the time I started. My family really couldn't afford to pay, so they would pay him by the day whenever they could. I had to stop because I just couldn't afford it. So I hit the books again. the whole time I practiced everything I learned every day. I practiced feverishly. I was completely obsessed. I would go to the Yamaneko Dojo whenever I could afford it. I learned ALOT from this dojo. I'd watch students go up in rank, then pass me, then teach me themselves. They had the money to pay for testing fees and annual dues. They basically paid their way up. I started to feel uncomfortable that people who I helped train would act "holier than thou" towards me because of some rank they obtained. I absolutely hated it. When I originally joined the Yamaneko Dojo they had no rank system. They did it the "old way". I liked it better that way. So I trained off and on for like 10 years. Doing it when I could, reading, and practicing. I then got involved in a Pima Community College Taekwondo class which I earned a brown belt (1st kyu equivalent. Which is a rank just before black belt). I ended up running into problems with the teacher and had to quit. I finally attended an aikido class at the same college which I earned a few kyu ranks. I started teaching my own version of taijutsu around the age of 25. When i was 22 I got a job as a stunt man at Old Tucson Studios which I worked at for about a year. Then I worked at the bars on 4th ave. (that is like an arts district). I also worked at a couple "gentlemen's Clubs". Working the bars and the stunt job gave me ALOT of real life experience that I Incorporated into the taijutsu that I teach. That's what makes training with me better than training with many other teachers. I have hands on experience with the martial art. I think that says alot about me. That is my history in a nut shell for all those who wanted to know.