Unlikely Martial Arts Idol

 I still have last Thursdays meeting on my mind, and this time around I'm thinking about when we were asked "Do you guys have a martial arts idol? Someone you want to emulate?" 

I didn't think I had anyone specific in mind, but as I kept thinking about it, someone did pop into my head. (Please hear me out and stick with me on this because what I'm about to say is incredibly stupid,)

My martial arts icon is Tony Hawk.

That skateboarder? The guy from that awesome PlayStation game? The one people on twitter can never recognize out in public? Yes. Sometime around when COVID started, I fell down a YouTube Rabbit-Hole of non-stop Tony Hawk videos, and once I came out on the other end of it, I realized that this is a person who I want to strive to be like. 


You can just tell anytime he talks about skateboarding, he has such a persistent passion for it. 

"I'm going to skate until the wheels fall off." -Tony Hawk


Someone who whole-heartedly loves what they're doing, and dedicates their life to doing it, and doing it well. (Tony Hawk: 50 tricks at Age 50)

Someone who pushes the boundaries of what they are capable of and invents things that change the way people look at this thing, both from an outsiders and insiders perspective. (Tony Hawk becomes the first skateboarder ever to stick the 900)

Someone who inspires people within this community, and encourages others outside of it to become part of it (The Skatepark Project). 

Someone who is still learning new things despite their massive experience and history (First Downward Spiral Loop). 

Someone who despite countless injuries, bruises, broken bones and concussions continues to participate in this thing they love so much. (Breakdown of The Worst Injuries Of Tony Hawk's Career)

Someone who is still humble and willing to learn from others despite everything they have accomplished (Tony Hawk Learns A New Street Trick at 51).

Someone who sees the value in this thing they love and tries to spread it to others because they know how much it was able to transform their own life. 

I know even after writing all that it's still a bit silly, but even if Tony Hawk isn't a master level black belt with a rich lineage in the martial arts, he is still one of my kung fu heroes. 


Psssst if you have like 5 minutes and want to watch something, I highly recommend this video (https://youtu.be/gaf8zHp-iaY). Fun to watch and some good lessons in here! 

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