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I stood upright in front of the class, confident and with my chest held high. At least thirty pairs of eyes were on me, waiting for instructions. I spoke loudly and in a deep, commanding voice.
“Kick and hit on my command! Understood?”
“YES, SIR!” the students answered my command.
As an experienced martial arts instructor, I have earned the respect of those I teach. I make a decent salary doing what I love, which is more than most can say about their own job.
It is often said that if you love what you do, you will never have to work a day in your life. I take this sentence to heart. However, I had to overcome many obstacles to get to where I am now. My determination and courage were often tested. The path was demanding, but what is special about me is that I never shy away from a challenge.
The origins of a warrior
I grew up watching martial arts movies. My mother, another martial arts enthusiast, showed me movies like the Karate Kid, Drunken Master, and Enter the Dragon. These movies sparked my interest in martial arts and my obsession with ninjas. I dreamed of being able to take on hundreds of men in hand-to-hand combat, like a scene straight out of a movie.
My mother, who had noticed my interest in martial arts, enrolled me in my first karate class at the age of six, along with my older brother. It wasn't long before we both realized we had a talent for martial arts. We both learned quickly and together we quickly rose in rank, surpassing many of our peers.
As I rose in rank, the classes became more physically demanding. I was always overweight as a boy and was diagnosed with asthma, which greatly hindered my progress in martial arts.
On top of that, I discovered that I was terrible at fighting, even though I so desperately wanted to be great at it. I was good at learning individual techniques, but trying to use them in live sparring was a struggle.
I remember coming home every night sore, battered and bruised, but my determination never wavered.
In my free time, I worked out. I did endless push-ups, sit-ups, cardio, and anything else I could do to get my body in shape. Over time, I lost weight, looked more athletic, felt stronger, and no longer needed to use my inhaler.
I also improved my hand-to-hand combat skills significantly. I did countless sparring sessions to become a better martial artist. Every time I got beat up, I learned from it and came back better.
Now I am one of the best fighters in the entire dojo.
Turning an obstacle into an opportunity
Back then, my mother worked several jobs so that we had a roof over our heads and food on our plates and so that my brother and I could do karate.
Since my mother was always working, we often spent most of our time at the dojo. We stayed for many hours, practicing and honing our skills. We spent so much time there that it almost became like a second home.
Because of the many hours we devoted to martial arts, my brother and I thought it was only right to become teaching assistants at the karate school. Being a teaching assistant was a volunteer position, so despite the fact that we weren't paid for it, I was thrilled to have the opportunity.
As teaching assistants, our job was to assist the paid martial arts instructors. I took pride in this work and always gave 110% to improve the training environment. My sensei had named me Assistant of the Year three years in a row.
My martial arts career was at its peak. I was consistently placing first in local karate tournaments, frequently helping with teaching, and was in incredible physical shape, but it all suddenly came to an end. I still remember the day my mother told me we couldn't afford karate anymore.
I was devastated.
I thought all my dreams and hopes were thrown overboard, but my sensei had found a solution.
I was twelve years old and had six years of martial arts experience under my belt when I was offered a job as a martial arts instructor to help pay my tuition fees.
It was the best offer I ever received.
Training to become a teacher
Since starting my part-time job, I immediately started learning new skills. As a martial arts instructor, my job was to teach martial arts for self-defense, competition, physical fitness, and personal development. Before classes began, I had to keep the training environment clean by doing janitorial tasks such as mopping, sweeping, vacuuming, cleaning bathrooms, and more.
Being a martial arts instructor was very different from being a teaching assistant. I was given more responsibilities and more opportunities. I had access to the teachers' lounge and was invited to teacher-only dinners with the leaders of the martial arts organization. At these dinners, I was able to network with other martial arts instructors and learn unique teaching tactics and business strategies.
As a teaching assistant, I worked primarily with younger children. Unlike the assistant, I also had to teach the adult class. I taught children from four years old to adults in their early sixties. Teaching adults or even children my age had always intimidated me. I felt like they didn't respect me because of my young age. I knew if I wanted their respect, I had to earn it.
Whenever I stood in front of the class, I exuded confidence. I grew up faster than my classmates and spoke eloquently to make myself seem older than I actually was – and it worked. Most people thought I was eighteen or in my mid-twenties when in reality I was only twelve. I never missed an opportunity to show off my skills. I wanted my students to know I was qualified to teach them.
When I turned fourteen and started working for money, I earned my very first paycheck. I remember bubbling over with joy. I wasted no time in spending my money on a brand new skateboard. After spending my first paycheck, I decided it would be wise to save the majority of my hard-earned money for my education.
I made good money doing what I loved. I lived life. At the same time, I maintained high academic standards. I was in the top 15% of my graduating class with an unweighted GPA of 3.87. I also took a lot of AP, Honors, Advanced, and Accelerated courses. I had to learn to manage my time from a young age. Despite my part-time job and demanding coursework, I still had time to participate in extracurricular activities such as National Honor Society, CyberPatriot, and orchestra band.
My responsibilities included not only teaching martial arts, but also educating martial artists who I love as much as I do. To inspire others, I had to be one of the best martial artists. I traveled all over the country to compete in high-level international karate tournaments and did very well.
Over time, I have gained the love and respect of many students and parents. I am now eighteen years old and have twelve years of martial arts experience, three years of assistant teacher experience, and six years of martial arts instructor experience. I am proud to say that I have made an impression on my students. I often receive heartwarming gifts and drawings from students and praise from adult students and parents.
Dreams of defense
Working over 20 hours a week and still having time to train, participate in clubs and study has made me pretty good at managing my time, a skill that will serve me well in my future endeavors.
Having taught self-defense to hundreds of students and having an interest in the STEM field, I find it fitting to pursue a career in the defense industry. I plan to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida.
With this degree, I would ideally like to work for a defense contractor such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing or NASA. A career in one of our military branches may also be possible.
I am confident that by applying the leadership, communication and team building skills I have learned through teaching martial arts, I will make a great contribution to the defense of our country.
I will be sad when I leave my students to go to university. However, I will continue to train martial arts while studying while rigorously pursuing academic excellence. At the same time, I will look for a part-time job to continue earning money. I only hope that the lessons I have taught my students will help them as they pursue their own goals and aspirations.
About the author
Nelson Wu plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach campus).
This story was part of the Side Hustlin' Student Scholarship.
Check out the other winners here: Side Hustlin' Student Scholarship Results Page.
The post “Punching For Paychecks” first appeared on The College Investor.
Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
