Starting to write this article I asked myself do I include all the interesting events, ups and down I’ve endured along my Arakan journey hmmm….. yes. Just like training there will always be peaks and troughs and times where lessons are harder than others and times where the planets align and everything seems to fall into place. Whether its physical, mental or emotional Arakan has always taught me and given me the strength to battle through any situation. On the flip side of this Arakan is the place where I have had the best times of my life and met my best friends, amazing training partners and my partner and mother of my child. On top of this I’ve had such an incredible, patient and understanding mentor and instructor Rob Kyaw to guide me along the way.
Writing this, feels like a lot of Arakan lessons I teach. I always think to myself, "I have an hour to share as much as possible in an art that could easily go for a few lifetimes, yet I don't want to dilute anything". I guess that is one of the reasons why we are taught to always have urgency with what we do; there is so much to learn, so don't stuff around and make the most of the time that you have....
I remember meeting Richie when he was approximately fifteen years old, I was teaching at Southport High School, when Richie and his group of friends enquired about what is was that I was teaching. After a brief conversation, the boys convinced me to start teaching them on a weekly basis. I will always remember these classes very fondly, a group of boys just training hard without too many conscious desired goals. Richie was always very athletic and coordinated and would love to learn everything he could about fighting; a passion will still share approximately twenty years later.
I love spending time with Ben; we may be training really hard together or just having a laugh after training, Ben is always such a pleasure to spend time with. Ben has been training for over 9 years now and is a talent, successful, honest and humble person, these are qualities in a person that I value highly. Ben is always so open to learn and grow, no matter what the topic may be, which makes him a true warrior of life.
I love sharing Arakan with ladies. Seeing how much a student develops and grows, seeing them become more confident and empowered through Arakan. That has to be one of the greatest gifts as an instructor.