Sawn Young, October, 2011, vol. 1, no. 24

Bored.

That was me, 8 years ago. I felt like my life was on autopilot. It wasn't going anywhere interesting. I had a job that paid the bills, but it wasn’t fulfilling. I worked out, but more from a lack of things to do than with a purpose. I was in a rut. And spending a Saturday afternoon in front of the TV, I realized I was bored. To be fair, I was watching a documentary about Bruce Lee and compared to the full life he led, I think most people would feel a little dull.

Still, my mother always told me that "bored people are boring". She may have just been trying to shut me and my sister up but it was those words that forced me to stop and actually look at myself. It was true, I had become boring. It was time to shake things up.

Inspired by the Bruce Lee documentary that day, I began reading everything I could about him. He seemed like the best person to go to for advice and he did not disappoint!

His physical training programs were full of new ideas for my tired old workout routine, but what really inspired me were his philosophies on life and his quest to understand the full potential of his mind and body. He said, "There are no limits. There are plateaus, but you must not stay there, you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you. A man must constantly exceed his level." In those few short words he gave me all the advice I ever needed. Get off your ass. And that is exactly what I did.

Within a few weeks I was taking yoga classes and loving every minute of it. I pushed myself to limits I didn't know existed and began to learn the power of mindful exercise. Breathing, moving, listening to my body, and being mindful of only the task at hand. I remember the empowering feeling during my years of swimming, of rugby, of skiing and rock climbing that came from fully focusing the body and mind on a singular goal, but yoga pushed it to a new level. The clear, simple beauty of mind and body working together was what I had missed for so long. It was what I had forgotten in my momentary bordum.

Yoga was the first step, but I needed more. I wanted to reach farther. I wanted to discover more about myself. And that is when I came across WBK. Growing up, my father and I would watch fights on TV. This planted a seed. Through him, I gained a real appreciation for the science of boxing, the mental and physical conditioning that fighters go through. This sort of preparation was what I saw in WBKs philosophies.

With the focus on training and learning skills, this just seemed to fit with my new goals. No babying, is what I thought. Just ass-kicking. I signed up that week. By the time I got to the punch-out of my first class, I was hooked.

In the months that followed I focused on technique instead of power or speed. With each class it became easier to block out the world and just concentrate on getting the movements right. It was my weekly meditation session. My chance to leave the world behind and just live in the moment. Let’s not forget, I was also getting one of the best and most consistent workouts I had ever experienced! I felt great! I felt like my life was more fulfilled. I certainly did not feel bored any more.

It’s been almost 7 years now and I have yet to tire of training. Every time I start to get comfortable with what I’m doing Chris throws a twist at me. Punch harder. Hit faster. Jump higher. Push yourself. Don’t be satisfied with mediocre. And just when I thought I was getting good, suddenly there was a whole new set of things to work on. A new level with new challenges, and the incredibly humbling experience of going from a vet to a rookie. Then, just when I thought I was going to settle into a long stretch as a level VI, Sparta came along. Quickly followed by level VII - coaching.

For me, coaching was the next logical step and I was ready to take it. Or, I thought I was. But it had been years since I had coached skiing, and that head start I thought I had seemed to turn backwards on me. I had forgotten how hard it can be to express things which have become second nature and how easy it is to over explain things. My heavy bag symposiums, as Chris called them, were putting me at risk of becoming a boring coach. But there is just so much information to share! It’s about taking a thousand thoughts and distill them down into a single sentence. There’s so much information in a simple “keep your hands up”.

As an athlete, I continue to train and benefit from the WBK program. A program that I believe in. And as a coach, I continue to train in a new way. Not only do I get to enjoy the benefits of my workout, but I have the opportunity to help others enjoy them as well. I have seen athletes arrive as a level I rookies looking tired, stressed and overworked and seen them graduate to vets with a new bounce in their steps and huge smiles on their faces. Training has helped them reach their goals and improved their lives in many ways. It is a privilege to be part of this - helping students go beyond their limits one punch at a time and the world a little less boring in the process.