Hidden Fist Gooch Inclusive Kung Fu & Multi Disciplined Amateur Martial Arts Club
has been set up for the Disabled and able bodied communitee’s of Scunthorpe and Hull.
Set
up in Feburary 2011 by Sifu Mitch Gooch former member of Hull Kung Fu Martial
arts Club for Charitable Purposes, to cater for Low Income families,Vunerable
Adults/Children and Individuals who lack the funds to participate in martial
arts.
MITCH’S STORY:
…. A BROKEN CHILD ….
In
the 1990's Michael Gooch was Diagnosed with a Rare Child Growth Disorder Known
as ‘'Russull Silver Syndrome’ It helped him understand why he was the way he
was and made hime understand why he had to deal with some of the things he had
to deal with back then. This is His Life
story how he became the Instructor he is today and why he Does what he
does. The reason why he set up his organisation
and what he hopes to achieve through setting up this Organisation.
This
is his story in his own words….
Every
day since I was a young child I was a victim.. A victim of constant Bullying
not just verbal or physical abuse and violence but mental and emotional abuse
as well. I was constanly bullied in the
play ground by school Bullies at Junior School Which back in those early years
quite the norm for a Child of my years. The Bullying is something I
don’t talk much about I won’t go to deeply into it, but it changed my way of
thinking both in and out of school.. I was a lonely child the Child that always
quietly kept out of peoples way at home and at School. In Junior School I had a few friends. When I
started senior School the Bullies from Junior School became my classmates. I many unspeakable things in my childhood which is something to this day I will never be proud of but it was
lessons of a misspent youth that made me into the man I am today so I cannot
deny the person I was in the past.
Regrets as people say I have a few.
….CONSTANTLY BULLIED AT SCHOOL AND THROUGHTOUT HIS
COLLEGE YEARS BECAUSE OF HIS SHORT STATURE & I DECIDED ONE DAY TO LEAVE THE
FAMILY HOME & MAKE SOMETHING OF MY SELF WITH THE KNOWLEDGED GAINED THROUGH
MANY YEARS OF TRAINING IN MULTIPLE MARTIAL ARTS STYLES TOO DEVELOP A BRAND NEW
SYSTEM FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TOO STUDY AND OF ALL ABILITIES….
In
1987 I started senior School “Thomas Sumpter Comprehensive” senior school was
supposed to be a new start for me. But
on my very first day of School I became the unwitting victim of the School
bully my parents told me back then if someone starts on you, 'hit
them hard then run. Which was exactly what I did. The Bully in question grabbed me from the
front and lifted me up to his head height so I head butted him in the face and
as he dropped me I kicked him where I knew it would hurt and as soon as he
realised me I ran as fast as my little legs would carry me away from the
situation. I’d loved to say I was proud
of that act but I knew he would soon catch up with me and at 3ft 2inches I
didn’t really stand much of a chance against a 2nd former who was
apparently one of the hardest lads in school (Which I later learnt) I spent the rest
of that first day constantly looking over my shoulder,’ Eventually He (The School bully) caught up
with me and I made a choice. I was sick of being a victim of bullying,' Something snapped and I said no,'I thought enough
was enough there was no way I was going to spend the next 5 years of my life at this school being someone's
punching bag so I stood my ground and didn't run. The
way I figured it was that if I was going to get a battering I might as well
fight back so I waited for the first hit. But to my surprise the School Bully came up to
me and shook my hand
“If anyone starts on you whilst I’m at this school let me no and I will sort them out for you” he told me,’ then he simply walked away. Me,'I was in shock to say the least. Because I didn’t get it at the time. That first day ended I returned home tired and exhausted after a long day at school. The first week of school was a whirlwind so many knew things to look forward to, 'eventually weeks turnt to months and eventually summer holidays began. Life of freedom again at least for awhile.
I wish I could say that my days of being bullied where over but they wasn’t.
“If anyone starts on you whilst I’m at this school let me no and I will sort them out for you” he told me,’ then he simply walked away. Me,'I was in shock to say the least. Because I didn’t get it at the time. That first day ended I returned home tired and exhausted after a long day at school. The first week of school was a whirlwind so many knew things to look forward to, 'eventually weeks turnt to months and eventually summer holidays began. Life of freedom again at least for awhile.
I wish I could say that my days of being bullied where over but they wasn’t.
I
wasn’t the smartest kid and this to caused me to become bullied. I didn’t learn how to read or write to a GCSE
level until I was about 14 years of age the “No Child left behind” rule wasn’t
around back then and most teachers just left me out in the hallway because I
could cope with their lesson plans back then.
There was a few teacher’s that took pity on me when I was at school one
taught me how to cook and taught me how to use a washing machine because of my
problems with having a weak bladder and being incontinence problems which I had
been born with. (Which was another
reason why in my mind my mothers love was lost to me to top everything off)
Another
teacher Mr Allen taught me how to do research in the study centre for my
classes and even made me a study centre steward over time.
I will always believe that without him giving me that chance I would of become a worser person in life than I am today. Having a responsibility made me want to learn more even though my brain refused to allow me to learn at the time.
There was other teachers just has Mr Smith and Mr Joy who had a impact on my life back then by just being their for me. A few wise words from Mr Smith made my day and a story Mr Joy once told me a story that was a resemblance of my life back then and in which the main character overcome the difficulties he was having that gave me hope at that time that one day I would overcome and prevail in my own goals in life.
To these teachers I say thanks because without them I would of given up along time ago. But Life was still hard at School and even harder at home despite my best efforts and those who I admired and respected at the time,’ a Child that can do no right in the eyes of his parents makes a very sad and lonely Child. Known or Unbeknown to my parents I was a victim of emotional,’mental and Psychological abuse from many people in my life both in and out of school. I kept it all to myself and became a stranger in my own childhood and home to my family wasn't home for me, 'that I felt was unable to talk to anyone about my day to day problems, 'or worries in life. My Childhood wasn’t all bad,' their were times in my life when I loved the outings with my family,' and the holidays together the times we all spent together as a family, when my parents would dance to the last love song of the night to the slow dance on the dance floor. My mum's wild spirit, 'gentle heart and kindness always shone so brightly when she was happy. My mum seemed so strong because even though at times she got sick she always pushed herself not to quit in life no matter what. My mum you see was disabled, she suffered from Andersen's syndrome, Muscular Dystopy and Muscular sclerosis. She always showed me so much heart and so when my parents were together I could always see how happy they were and how hard it was for them to bring us all up,' for all them years. I didn't realise how hard it was for them until I grew up myself. My parents I have to say did a good job with us.
Sometimes though I was miserable and couldn’t wait to leave home ''One day'' I kept saying to myself ''I will find the courage to leave and make it on my own''.
I will always believe that without him giving me that chance I would of become a worser person in life than I am today. Having a responsibility made me want to learn more even though my brain refused to allow me to learn at the time.
There was other teachers just has Mr Smith and Mr Joy who had a impact on my life back then by just being their for me. A few wise words from Mr Smith made my day and a story Mr Joy once told me a story that was a resemblance of my life back then and in which the main character overcome the difficulties he was having that gave me hope at that time that one day I would overcome and prevail in my own goals in life.
To these teachers I say thanks because without them I would of given up along time ago. But Life was still hard at School and even harder at home despite my best efforts and those who I admired and respected at the time,’ a Child that can do no right in the eyes of his parents makes a very sad and lonely Child. Known or Unbeknown to my parents I was a victim of emotional,’mental and Psychological abuse from many people in my life both in and out of school. I kept it all to myself and became a stranger in my own childhood and home to my family wasn't home for me, 'that I felt was unable to talk to anyone about my day to day problems, 'or worries in life. My Childhood wasn’t all bad,' their were times in my life when I loved the outings with my family,' and the holidays together the times we all spent together as a family, when my parents would dance to the last love song of the night to the slow dance on the dance floor. My mum's wild spirit, 'gentle heart and kindness always shone so brightly when she was happy. My mum seemed so strong because even though at times she got sick she always pushed herself not to quit in life no matter what. My mum you see was disabled, she suffered from Andersen's syndrome, Muscular Dystopy and Muscular sclerosis. She always showed me so much heart and so when my parents were together I could always see how happy they were and how hard it was for them to bring us all up,' for all them years. I didn't realise how hard it was for them until I grew up myself. My parents I have to say did a good job with us.
Sometimes though I was miserable and couldn’t wait to leave home ''One day'' I kept saying to myself ''I will find the courage to leave and make it on my own''.
My siblings and I got on okay for the most of our childhood. I have three older sisters and one older brother. My brother wasn't like most big brothers he was different,' My big bro was born with a disability no one really told us what it was growing up because our parents wanted him to have a normal life like the rest of us.
My bro was born with club foot and Arthuritus. Which at times made him so weak he was unable to walk and struggled to move. But he was most times a good big brother, I never went to him for advice because I didn't do that with anyone in our family. My three older sisters were all good at something unlike me, My Oldest sister of the three was a great dancer, the second oldest was and still is a good artist and the other sister who was a year older then me was a great martial artist.
Me as a child I couldn't even ride a skateboard without crashing and burning after awhile.
My bro was born with club foot and Arthuritus. Which at times made him so weak he was unable to walk and struggled to move. But he was most times a good big brother, I never went to him for advice because I didn't do that with anyone in our family. My three older sisters were all good at something unlike me, My Oldest sister of the three was a great dancer, the second oldest was and still is a good artist and the other sister who was a year older then me was a great martial artist.
Me as a child I couldn't even ride a skateboard without crashing and burning after awhile.
….THE BEGINNING'S OF A MARTIAL ARTS CAREER….
My
parents knowing I was getting bullied in junior School first started me on the
path of martial arts when I was 6 years old.
We my older sisters and I joined the Hobby Centre Judo Club. Which I was quickly throw out of for biting
another student who threw me too hard on the Judo mat my first night there. It wasn’t until I was about 7 years old that I
was allowed back on a Judo Mat again and this time it at a New Club run under
Harry Slater. I remained at this Club
until I was 15 years old. At first I
loved training learning the art the moves and eventually entering in club,
national and international competitions throughout my junior career.
One of my Sisters became very good out what she did and was eventually selected for the Yorkshire and Humberside Squad which I too had a Chance to become part of but I wasn’t has deadicated to martial arts back then and simply took things as a joke and lost my chance of joining the squad. During those early years I also joined John Turner Taekwondo Club,’ But the grade work and my difficulties of reading and writing became a boundary I couldn’t cross and I remained at a low grade despite my best efforts of trying to achieve back then whilst my older sister thrived in both arts I simply did not. I even joined Scunthorpe army cadets Sea Cadet and Air Cadets as a child when I was 12 in hopes of acheiving something on my own that I could be proud of but in all the things I tried I still failed where again my older sister thrived.
Eventually seeing sense I gave up my career goals in Judo and taekwondo at 15 because I was told I would have to pay the costs of attending the sessions by my parents. Which I couldn’t afford. My life was going no-where. My Idea’s of becoming a great Judo Martial Artists or Taekwondo Expert went down in flames. But the lessons I learnt remained locked in my head.
One of my Sisters became very good out what she did and was eventually selected for the Yorkshire and Humberside Squad which I too had a Chance to become part of but I wasn’t has deadicated to martial arts back then and simply took things as a joke and lost my chance of joining the squad. During those early years I also joined John Turner Taekwondo Club,’ But the grade work and my difficulties of reading and writing became a boundary I couldn’t cross and I remained at a low grade despite my best efforts of trying to achieve back then whilst my older sister thrived in both arts I simply did not. I even joined Scunthorpe army cadets Sea Cadet and Air Cadets as a child when I was 12 in hopes of acheiving something on my own that I could be proud of but in all the things I tried I still failed where again my older sister thrived.
Eventually seeing sense I gave up my career goals in Judo and taekwondo at 15 because I was told I would have to pay the costs of attending the sessions by my parents. Which I couldn’t afford. My life was going no-where. My Idea’s of becoming a great Judo Martial Artists or Taekwondo Expert went down in flames. But the lessons I learnt remained locked in my head.
…. MOVING FORWARD....
In
1984 I smoked my first cigarette given to me by one of my older sisters. I never stopped smoking from that day forward
and regretted every moment of it ever since, at the time I wasn’t one of these
kids who did it to impress my friends because I had none, I didn’t do it for
respect,'I did it because I wanted to annoy my parent plain and simple that time in my childhood was difficult. In 1988 a tried my first Joint of cannabis
and carried on smoking until my early teenager years, trying and disliking most
other drugs I remained on a steady path of self destruction unwilling to admit
to myself that I was foolishly travelling down a path I shouldn’t travel.
There was darker times in my life to come. In 1989 that I took a overdose and tried killing myself,' taking my mother unused pills because life was getting to much for me and all I wanted to do was end it all and give up. Just throw in the towel. No-one knew or suspected or found out what I did that night. I didn't care enough about my own life back then to care but I thought long and hard before I took the pills then said goodnight to my loved ones. Hoping it would be for the last time and went into the bathroom and necked the lot. I was a sad and confused boy, 'wanting all the bad things in life to go away, 'to disappear for good. I wouldn't have no more illnesses,' no more bullies picked on me or peers tormenting me. I have no worries, 'no more pain no nothing.
I woke in the early hours of the morning to find myself being sick in the toilet. Thankfully my sucide attempt didn’t work and all my efforts to die was in vain. Life it seemed had a plan for me I just didn’t know what it was yet.
In 1990 just before I left school unbeknown to my family and parents I was becoming a young alcoholic drinking whisky and cider on a regular basis whenever I got the chance, ’usually when I took our family dogs out for a walk and the only time I was allowed out on my own because of my misdeeds and bad behaviour at home. I had become the one thing I never wanted to become an angry and misguided teenager that who felt the whole world upon my shoulders crushing me and pushing me down into the depths of abyss. I knew wasn’t the perfect son my parents wished for, ’the school achiever they wanted or the great martial artists my sister had turnt out to be.
I was simply just me. I was searching for that one thing that would make me worthy of the respect and worthy of the love that my siblings got,' but I got nowhere fast. When my parents found out due to me getting a enlarged liver quite rightly, 'I was given no special treatment by either parent they showed me no sympathy or understanding. They watched me constantly day and night.
I always wondered if it had been for them I’d of fallen off the wagon and started drinking again but I overcome and prevailed thanks to my parents and siblings watchful eyes. Eventually I was well enough to go on with life again. I returned to school not worse for wear but I understood by then that I didn’t help my cause.
There was darker times in my life to come. In 1989 that I took a overdose and tried killing myself,' taking my mother unused pills because life was getting to much for me and all I wanted to do was end it all and give up. Just throw in the towel. No-one knew or suspected or found out what I did that night. I didn't care enough about my own life back then to care but I thought long and hard before I took the pills then said goodnight to my loved ones. Hoping it would be for the last time and went into the bathroom and necked the lot. I was a sad and confused boy, 'wanting all the bad things in life to go away, 'to disappear for good. I wouldn't have no more illnesses,' no more bullies picked on me or peers tormenting me. I have no worries, 'no more pain no nothing.
I woke in the early hours of the morning to find myself being sick in the toilet. Thankfully my sucide attempt didn’t work and all my efforts to die was in vain. Life it seemed had a plan for me I just didn’t know what it was yet.
In 1990 just before I left school unbeknown to my family and parents I was becoming a young alcoholic drinking whisky and cider on a regular basis whenever I got the chance, ’usually when I took our family dogs out for a walk and the only time I was allowed out on my own because of my misdeeds and bad behaviour at home. I had become the one thing I never wanted to become an angry and misguided teenager that who felt the whole world upon my shoulders crushing me and pushing me down into the depths of abyss. I knew wasn’t the perfect son my parents wished for, ’the school achiever they wanted or the great martial artists my sister had turnt out to be.
I was simply just me. I was searching for that one thing that would make me worthy of the respect and worthy of the love that my siblings got,' but I got nowhere fast. When my parents found out due to me getting a enlarged liver quite rightly, 'I was given no special treatment by either parent they showed me no sympathy or understanding. They watched me constantly day and night.
I always wondered if it had been for them I’d of fallen off the wagon and started drinking again but I overcome and prevailed thanks to my parents and siblings watchful eyes. Eventually I was well enough to go on with life again. I returned to school not worse for wear but I understood by then that I didn’t help my cause.
In
1991 I finally left School, and hopefully the school bullies behind I achieved
low pass rates on my GCSE’s but it was enough to get me into college on the
course I wanted to go.
The course I wanted to go on was called Fitness for the Forces. My parents were surprised I wanted to attend such a course but my intention was to join the army anyway. I wanted to leave my family behind me get some discipline and come back ready to stand up and be counted and show all those people who had been my tormentors for so long that I was a better man through it all that it didn't matter what they did to me I wasn't going to let the world beat me down anymore. But to my dismay the Bullies followed me into college and onto the course I wanted to study. And then there was the New Bullies to contend with my first day of the course I should of seen it coming as soon as I stepped into college the taunting and mental abuse started first from my old bullies then from the new ones people I'd only just met.
I have to admit I had grown a much thicker skin since my childhood,' Whilst in senior school and living in a house with my siblings and parents so for the first six months I ignored most of what was said to me got on with the course and did what I was supposed to do. As time went on however my anger grew stronger, ’You know how people say push a person to far and they will snap,’ well that’s what happened with me. After over 7 months of constant bullying from my peers I got mad and angry (and I know now I shouldn’t of done it) I went outside pulled a very thick branch off of a tree went back into the college and battered my tormentor to the ground with it much to the surprise of my tutor and peers. My time on the course was truly over I was expelled from regular college and send to what we fondly nicknamed bad boy school YTS a Youth training scheme. I swore to myself this time I wouldn’t let anyone pick on me, bully me or intimidate me in any way shape or form.
My first few months on the course were fine I was learning a good trade my tutor’s were teaching how to weld TIG MIG and Stick welding. The Bullying started when a new guy started on YTS he wanted like most of us back then to make friends with some of the lads on the course and decided to us me as his way in, I was just getting a drink from the coke machine when he came up from behind me a pushed me into the machine to start a fight,’ me being me back then it wasn’t a good idea to pick on me because of my past problems but he didn’t know me or about my past.
So I reacted and remembered my past martial arts training. (again) It something Im not proud of but its part of my story and how I changed over the years from being the guy I was then to who I am now. I wasn’t prepared to take any more bullying from anyone anymore. Throughout the day he was constantly on my back until the final break of the day when I struck up a proposal with him I told him exactly what I thought of his tactics to make friends and I made him promise that if I accomplished what I said I could accomplish he would leave me alone for the rest of his time on the course smiling at our peers who were gathered around us he agreed to my proposal and put a finished coke can on top of his head. My task was simple to kick the can off the top of his head.
So I got into position took a breath kicked out and struck the can off his head without touching a single hair on his head then I kicked out again and struck him in the side of his temple banging his head off the coke machine and knocking him clean out.
(Now I know that second kick wasn’t really called for) but at the time I had to prove a point that I wasn’t going to be bullied any more. Unlucky for him I had steel toe capped boots on,’ Lucky for me everyone who was their took my side and I wasn’t expelled or suspended from the course or arrested for actual bodily harm after Andy Guillian the man in charge got to where the incident occurred.
The course I wanted to go on was called Fitness for the Forces. My parents were surprised I wanted to attend such a course but my intention was to join the army anyway. I wanted to leave my family behind me get some discipline and come back ready to stand up and be counted and show all those people who had been my tormentors for so long that I was a better man through it all that it didn't matter what they did to me I wasn't going to let the world beat me down anymore. But to my dismay the Bullies followed me into college and onto the course I wanted to study. And then there was the New Bullies to contend with my first day of the course I should of seen it coming as soon as I stepped into college the taunting and mental abuse started first from my old bullies then from the new ones people I'd only just met.
I have to admit I had grown a much thicker skin since my childhood,' Whilst in senior school and living in a house with my siblings and parents so for the first six months I ignored most of what was said to me got on with the course and did what I was supposed to do. As time went on however my anger grew stronger, ’You know how people say push a person to far and they will snap,’ well that’s what happened with me. After over 7 months of constant bullying from my peers I got mad and angry (and I know now I shouldn’t of done it) I went outside pulled a very thick branch off of a tree went back into the college and battered my tormentor to the ground with it much to the surprise of my tutor and peers. My time on the course was truly over I was expelled from regular college and send to what we fondly nicknamed bad boy school YTS a Youth training scheme. I swore to myself this time I wouldn’t let anyone pick on me, bully me or intimidate me in any way shape or form.
My first few months on the course were fine I was learning a good trade my tutor’s were teaching how to weld TIG MIG and Stick welding. The Bullying started when a new guy started on YTS he wanted like most of us back then to make friends with some of the lads on the course and decided to us me as his way in, I was just getting a drink from the coke machine when he came up from behind me a pushed me into the machine to start a fight,’ me being me back then it wasn’t a good idea to pick on me because of my past problems but he didn’t know me or about my past.
So I reacted and remembered my past martial arts training. (again) It something Im not proud of but its part of my story and how I changed over the years from being the guy I was then to who I am now. I wasn’t prepared to take any more bullying from anyone anymore. Throughout the day he was constantly on my back until the final break of the day when I struck up a proposal with him I told him exactly what I thought of his tactics to make friends and I made him promise that if I accomplished what I said I could accomplish he would leave me alone for the rest of his time on the course smiling at our peers who were gathered around us he agreed to my proposal and put a finished coke can on top of his head. My task was simple to kick the can off the top of his head.
So I got into position took a breath kicked out and struck the can off his head without touching a single hair on his head then I kicked out again and struck him in the side of his temple banging his head off the coke machine and knocking him clean out.
(Now I know that second kick wasn’t really called for) but at the time I had to prove a point that I wasn’t going to be bullied any more. Unlucky for him I had steel toe capped boots on,’ Lucky for me everyone who was their took my side and I wasn’t expelled or suspended from the course or arrested for actual bodily harm after Andy Guillian the man in charge got to where the incident occurred.
After
that my remainder time on YTS was pretty good,’ no-one started on me,’ no
bullied me ever again. That angry demon
inside of me was finally silenced. For
my punishment regarding the incident was to be put into another group on YTS
which dealt with Landscape Gardening and Farming work. I met up with someone who didn’t actually
pick on me at school named Jason and a few of my old junior school friends was
also on the course named Gareth and Ricky.
We was like the Four musterteers when we was on that course. Life was good I was good. I had friends for a change.
I also did some work base skills which enabled me to gain qualifications in English and maths and then went on to study Office skills and CAD Computer aided design, I began to enjoy life at college but my problems at home remained the same, 'when you grow up in a family full of siblings who are older than you tensions often grow families fight. As the tensions grew at home I knew I had to deal with it one way or another. I had been taught from a very young age not to hit girls so it was hard for me to deal with a sister who was constantly taking their frustrations out on me. It finally came to a head one night when I attended my friends birthday party and had one to many alcoholic drinks (I was very drunk) me my girlfriend at the time and two of my oldest siblings were walking home I was singing and the next thing I knew I was being beat up by one of my siblings (this occurred rather regularly to me in my childhood) well in the end I just threw them into the biggest bush I could see with one eye open. Funny thing was that it happened to be a thorn bush. So I injured her more than I realised, 'strangely enough it did the trick and they left me alone after that.
My next problem was my older brother who always seemed to lash out at me especially after he’d been told off by my parents, he was disabled so usually I let him do what he needed to do but then I to wasn’t the best with my temper back then and after all don’t all brothers fight. So having had enough of getting hit by everyone barring my dad in the household and their friends I gave him a option, 'he could have 3 hits on me and I would only have one on him when ever he hit me. From that moment forward he only tried hitting me once and after that he thought about when he was going to hit me and stopped taking his frustrations out on me.
Back then I was still having problems in growing up and becoming a better person. I had my secrets from my parents as all young men do and that was why they decided to get my siblings to tell tales on me otherwise they would get and I quote what I was going to get if they lied to my parents.
(Which was code for a good hiding) from my mum. A few months before I left home for the first time I committed my final criminal act and shamed my parents and family by getting caught on purpose for stealing. By committing this act I was hoping for some strange reason would be sent away to a borstal or Children’s home.
That now obviously didn’t happen because on way home after being arrested I was to put it politely scared senseless what was going to happen when I finally reached my parents house. I didn't want to go home.
I also did some work base skills which enabled me to gain qualifications in English and maths and then went on to study Office skills and CAD Computer aided design, I began to enjoy life at college but my problems at home remained the same, 'when you grow up in a family full of siblings who are older than you tensions often grow families fight. As the tensions grew at home I knew I had to deal with it one way or another. I had been taught from a very young age not to hit girls so it was hard for me to deal with a sister who was constantly taking their frustrations out on me. It finally came to a head one night when I attended my friends birthday party and had one to many alcoholic drinks (I was very drunk) me my girlfriend at the time and two of my oldest siblings were walking home I was singing and the next thing I knew I was being beat up by one of my siblings (this occurred rather regularly to me in my childhood) well in the end I just threw them into the biggest bush I could see with one eye open. Funny thing was that it happened to be a thorn bush. So I injured her more than I realised, 'strangely enough it did the trick and they left me alone after that.
My next problem was my older brother who always seemed to lash out at me especially after he’d been told off by my parents, he was disabled so usually I let him do what he needed to do but then I to wasn’t the best with my temper back then and after all don’t all brothers fight. So having had enough of getting hit by everyone barring my dad in the household and their friends I gave him a option, 'he could have 3 hits on me and I would only have one on him when ever he hit me. From that moment forward he only tried hitting me once and after that he thought about when he was going to hit me and stopped taking his frustrations out on me.
Back then I was still having problems in growing up and becoming a better person. I had my secrets from my parents as all young men do and that was why they decided to get my siblings to tell tales on me otherwise they would get and I quote what I was going to get if they lied to my parents.
(Which was code for a good hiding) from my mum. A few months before I left home for the first time I committed my final criminal act and shamed my parents and family by getting caught on purpose for stealing. By committing this act I was hoping for some strange reason would be sent away to a borstal or Children’s home.
That now obviously didn’t happen because on way home after being arrested I was to put it politely scared senseless what was going to happen when I finally reached my parents house. I didn't want to go home.
My
mother quite rightly was seriously upset with me so much so she couldn’t speak
to me at all she remained that way for months afterwards and for once the punishment was dished out by my father who simply hit me
twice and knocked me flying across my bedroom.
This time I knew I did deserve exactly what I got. The months that followed where the hardest I had every had to endure living at home. Tensions were high at a single moment I could feel the ice coldness every time I walked into a room.
At every opportunity my siblings would blame and accuse me when things went missing or were misplaced in the house I became the stranger in my own home again. I tried at every opportunity to make amends for what I had done and became a dutiful son but nothing I did would ever takeaway the shame I brought to my family. In the end I got off lucky and had to pay a fine I was given a conditional discharge. I apoligised to the shops managers my parents my sisters and my brother everyday, but it didn't make a difference. So I made the choice that if I wasn't wanted around and disgraced my family that much I would leave, I was sick of walking around on tip toes and getting blamed for things I hadn't done, 'this time round, 'I wasn’t going to live with it.
I waited until my parents went out packed a few personal things and left my parents home for the first time in my life. Has I walked down the street I felt free for the first time in my life… My escape was not exactly planned or thought through but I was free for a change I was also homeless. Because of my life at home I knew very few people I could trust I only had two real friends in the world who I knew wouldn’t go and grass me upto my parents or my two sisters still living at home as soon as I turned up on their doorstep so I went to see them.
The first couple of night on the streets I was okay as the weather was warm and I was free. I have to admit those first weeks of true freedom were a blessing to me I could do what I wanted when I wanted no rules and no restrictions, 'with no telling me I had to stay upstairs in my room or goto bed because I’d done something wrong and best of all no one using me as their own personal punch bag.
But then the nights grew colder and food was non existent,' and I couldn’t rely on my friends to keep me hidden forever. So finally I told my mates thank you and I'd be okay and I left. During the day I walked the streets went to YTS and got more and more depressed about life. During the night I either sleep in the woods or find a quiet spot behind the leisure centre and eventually became a lost child again in a world that didn’t care.
It was at that time, 'during my time on the streets,' that I met other street people and made friends with them some took it has their duty to protect me because I looked like a child other's taught me the ways of the streets and how to make money when I had none. I didn't like begging so most times I went without determined to punish myself for the misdeeds of a misspent youth. It was also when I met another true friend that, 'to be honest changed my life completely.
It was a very cold night when we first met his name was Joe, 'he met as I walked past central park on the way to my usual spot in town to sleep for the night well Joe first of all invited me to have a coffee at one of the all night cafes in town then he took me back to his place.
When he first suggested it taking me in I was concerned but I'm glad he did has he made me change my ways for the better,’ Joe helped me by helping me put my past mistakes behind me and taught me something that I felt was important at the time I started which was the true value of martial arts. This is where my New life began and taught me the art I now look back at with fondness….
At every opportunity my siblings would blame and accuse me when things went missing or were misplaced in the house I became the stranger in my own home again. I tried at every opportunity to make amends for what I had done and became a dutiful son but nothing I did would ever takeaway the shame I brought to my family. In the end I got off lucky and had to pay a fine I was given a conditional discharge. I apoligised to the shops managers my parents my sisters and my brother everyday, but it didn't make a difference. So I made the choice that if I wasn't wanted around and disgraced my family that much I would leave, I was sick of walking around on tip toes and getting blamed for things I hadn't done, 'this time round, 'I wasn’t going to live with it.
I waited until my parents went out packed a few personal things and left my parents home for the first time in my life. Has I walked down the street I felt free for the first time in my life… My escape was not exactly planned or thought through but I was free for a change I was also homeless. Because of my life at home I knew very few people I could trust I only had two real friends in the world who I knew wouldn’t go and grass me upto my parents or my two sisters still living at home as soon as I turned up on their doorstep so I went to see them.
The first couple of night on the streets I was okay as the weather was warm and I was free. I have to admit those first weeks of true freedom were a blessing to me I could do what I wanted when I wanted no rules and no restrictions, 'with no telling me I had to stay upstairs in my room or goto bed because I’d done something wrong and best of all no one using me as their own personal punch bag.
But then the nights grew colder and food was non existent,' and I couldn’t rely on my friends to keep me hidden forever. So finally I told my mates thank you and I'd be okay and I left. During the day I walked the streets went to YTS and got more and more depressed about life. During the night I either sleep in the woods or find a quiet spot behind the leisure centre and eventually became a lost child again in a world that didn’t care.
It was at that time, 'during my time on the streets,' that I met other street people and made friends with them some took it has their duty to protect me because I looked like a child other's taught me the ways of the streets and how to make money when I had none. I didn't like begging so most times I went without determined to punish myself for the misdeeds of a misspent youth. It was also when I met another true friend that, 'to be honest changed my life completely.
It was a very cold night when we first met his name was Joe, 'he met as I walked past central park on the way to my usual spot in town to sleep for the night well Joe first of all invited me to have a coffee at one of the all night cafes in town then he took me back to his place.
When he first suggested it taking me in I was concerned but I'm glad he did has he made me change my ways for the better,’ Joe helped me by helping me put my past mistakes behind me and taught me something that I felt was important at the time I started which was the true value of martial arts. This is where my New life began and taught me the art I now look back at with fondness….
….IT WASN’T UNTIL HE LEFT HOME JUST AFTER HIS 16TH
BIRTHDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME MITCH REALISED HOW MUCH THOSE LESSONS MEANT TO HIM.
AND DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOUND HIS CONTROL HE FOUND HIS LIFE SINCE THEN WAS
FALLING APART, HE WAS ON THE STREETS,’
HOMELESS AND ALONE LOST TO HIS FAMILY AND NOT MANY PEOPLE WHO HE COULD CALL A
FRIEND. MITCH SPENT HIS TIME WALKING THE
STREETS AND TRYING TO FIND A WARM PLACE TO SLEEP. ONE NIGHT WHEN HE WAS OUT SEARCHING FOR ABIT
OF FOOD MITCH CAME INTO CONTACT WITH A OLDER GENTLEMAN WHO TOOK HIM IN FOR THE
NIGHT……
I
noticed when Joe took me to his house that cold winter’s night whilst I was on
the streets of Scunthorpe that it wasn't like a normal house. The main room at the back of his house had been closed off. His Kitchen was also his living room Which was at the front of his house. When we got into the house we simply talked over a warm
cup of coffee and I couldn't help thinking to myself, 'why is this man helping me just I’m a
stranger to him. When he talked it somehow felt familiar to how at
times my own father had talked to me when I was growing up and I missed my old
man’s smile and his gentle ways.
I have to admit I was too proud that back then and my pride and stubbornness was at times my downfall. I didn’t tell Joe everything that night,' not wanting to burden him with my life's problems, I told him enough to make him understand I had no options at the moment other than to stay on the streets that I saw in my own mind. I knew one thing for sure and that was that I wasn't willing to go back to the life I had at home.
My Parents and family had quite rightly disowned me for my misdeeds and I felt unworthy to live under the same roof or walk on the same ground they was walking on at the time. Joe was nice enough to allow me to sleep on his floor for the night and out of the cold night air for a change. I think that’s why I liked him from the start because he took that chance with me,' when I honestly thought no-one else would.
The next morning I woke up to a once familiar sound of striking of mitts and Kiai’s from people training in the next room at the back of the house. I wanted to thank Joe for the night before so I got up and entered into the next room only to be almost taken down to the floor by a stranger who I later learnt was called Dan.
I have to admit I was too proud that back then and my pride and stubbornness was at times my downfall. I didn’t tell Joe everything that night,' not wanting to burden him with my life's problems, I told him enough to make him understand I had no options at the moment other than to stay on the streets that I saw in my own mind. I knew one thing for sure and that was that I wasn't willing to go back to the life I had at home.
My Parents and family had quite rightly disowned me for my misdeeds and I felt unworthy to live under the same roof or walk on the same ground they was walking on at the time. Joe was nice enough to allow me to sleep on his floor for the night and out of the cold night air for a change. I think that’s why I liked him from the start because he took that chance with me,' when I honestly thought no-one else would.
The next morning I woke up to a once familiar sound of striking of mitts and Kiai’s from people training in the next room at the back of the house. I wanted to thank Joe for the night before so I got up and entered into the next room only to be almost taken down to the floor by a stranger who I later learnt was called Dan.
….REALISING HE WAS BEENING ATTACKED MITCH JUST
REACTED AND THREW DAN OVER HIS SHOULDER WITH A OLD JUDO TECHNICUQE HE LEARNT
FROM HIS MANY YEARS OF PRACTICEING JUDO….
After I took Dan down that first time I’d realised my mistake of not showing proper
edcate and retreated back out of the door took my shoes off and then re-entered the
room, at first bowing to Dan then to Joe as a mark of respect You see the back room in the house was Joe's personal Do and when entering their
DOJO or any Dojo every martial artists know that out of respect you bow. Both Dan and Joe showed me the
same respect and Bowed back then I waited to see what would happen next. I was
then ask to sit on my knees at the side of the room and watch the class take place.
…DAN AS IT TURNT OUT WAS UNDER INSTRUCTION OF
BU-NIN-JITSU-KAN THE ACCIENT ART OF NINJITSU AND JOE THE MAN WHO HAD ALLOWED
MITCH TO STAY THAT FIRST NIGHT WAS A MASTER OF THE ART. …
Has
I sat and watched the private class take place I was amazed to see how Joe was
continuously able despite his older years throw grabble and takedown the
students in his class with such ease,
Joe had lightening like speed which I hardly believed possible if I
hadn’t seen it for myself. I’d heard
from many friends in the past that secret schools such as this existed but
never thought I would have ever seen one let alone be inside of one what
surprised me was how welcome I was made to feel.
It was what happened next that surprised me the most Joe actually asked me to join in with the class he was taking,’ Obviously I was very nervous and unsure about the whole thing but I thought to myself this guy has let me stay in his house overnight,’no questions asked so the least I can do was give it a go.
The Class itself lasted for over 5 hours,’bye the time it had finished I was completely and utterly exhausted but somehow it felt worthwhile and I enjoyed every minute of it. Joe had continued his class buy throwing me everywhere, finger locking me in various ways, ’arm locking me in many more ways and teaching me stuff that I was familiar with but had never truly learnt before. To be completely honest I felt like I had been kicked black and blue after that first session but I didn’t care I just kept getting up and wanting to learn more. But it was when the session was over and all the equipment was stored and put away that the final surprise of the day came when I found myself alone with Joe D’Angleo a real life true Master of Bu –Nin- jitsu –Kan.
Joe asked me If I enjoyed the class I had just taken and whether I’d had much experience of martial arts,’ I explained that I had once done Judo and Taekwondo as a Child but it got to expensive for me to continue in and I struggled with reading and writing. I felt safe enough at that point to tell Joe alittle bit about my struggles when it came to martial arts but I wasn’t ready to tell him everything about my sometimes miserable life, 'not just yet. It was then that Joe just smiled and asked if I would like to train with him on a regular basis for free. I immediately jumped at that chance and said yes and this was the beginning of my new martial arts career.
From that point on with Joe’s help I gradually began to get better at this new art and so whenever I got the chance to train with him for those first few years I would train, 'slowly learning to adapt and chance my movements to counter any movement that came at me. My story changed from that moment for the better and my life improved. The one incident when I was still on the streets at the time is still stuck in my head even after all these years, 'involving my other older sister (who I will not name) took it upon herself to come down to my friends house where I was staying and teach me a lesson because of something I mentioned a few months beforehand to my ex girlfriend at the time with regards to martial arts and myself and my sister. I remember telling my ex that if I had only tried harder at martial arts back then when I was studying it I could of been as good as and possibly better than my sister. But back then I didn’t want the fame or fortune that went with it and preferred to leave that kind of life to my sister who was rising in the ranks of Judo. She (My sister) obviously took it as a insult and decided to come down to my friends to beat me up to make herself feel better I guess. But by then I was training in the art I came to love with Joe and I didn’t mind so much that time. I knew something better than Judo or Taekwondo and I was learning about a better way of martial arts, that you didn't always have to use your fists to solve your problems.
One day I Hoped at the time, 'I would achieve my own goals in martial arts and achieve something which she had not and I was happy at that. Eventually I did make up with my parents and family afew months before my 18th birthday. My time on the streets and with Joe’s School helped me see things a lot different from how I once had. With the help of my Grandmother and Joe’s wise words I met with my parents and we talked. I agreed to come home but only if it was agreed with the rest of my siblings. My sister took great pride in telling me that it was my brother who was the only one who said no but I didn’t care I understood his reasoning and I wasn’t planning to stay at home forever. I knew what I had to do, I had to get a job and enough money saved up so I could have my own place and start to live my life the right way.
It was what happened next that surprised me the most Joe actually asked me to join in with the class he was taking,’ Obviously I was very nervous and unsure about the whole thing but I thought to myself this guy has let me stay in his house overnight,’no questions asked so the least I can do was give it a go.
The Class itself lasted for over 5 hours,’bye the time it had finished I was completely and utterly exhausted but somehow it felt worthwhile and I enjoyed every minute of it. Joe had continued his class buy throwing me everywhere, finger locking me in various ways, ’arm locking me in many more ways and teaching me stuff that I was familiar with but had never truly learnt before. To be completely honest I felt like I had been kicked black and blue after that first session but I didn’t care I just kept getting up and wanting to learn more. But it was when the session was over and all the equipment was stored and put away that the final surprise of the day came when I found myself alone with Joe D’Angleo a real life true Master of Bu –Nin- jitsu –Kan.
Joe asked me If I enjoyed the class I had just taken and whether I’d had much experience of martial arts,’ I explained that I had once done Judo and Taekwondo as a Child but it got to expensive for me to continue in and I struggled with reading and writing. I felt safe enough at that point to tell Joe alittle bit about my struggles when it came to martial arts but I wasn’t ready to tell him everything about my sometimes miserable life, 'not just yet. It was then that Joe just smiled and asked if I would like to train with him on a regular basis for free. I immediately jumped at that chance and said yes and this was the beginning of my new martial arts career.
From that point on with Joe’s help I gradually began to get better at this new art and so whenever I got the chance to train with him for those first few years I would train, 'slowly learning to adapt and chance my movements to counter any movement that came at me. My story changed from that moment for the better and my life improved. The one incident when I was still on the streets at the time is still stuck in my head even after all these years, 'involving my other older sister (who I will not name) took it upon herself to come down to my friends house where I was staying and teach me a lesson because of something I mentioned a few months beforehand to my ex girlfriend at the time with regards to martial arts and myself and my sister. I remember telling my ex that if I had only tried harder at martial arts back then when I was studying it I could of been as good as and possibly better than my sister. But back then I didn’t want the fame or fortune that went with it and preferred to leave that kind of life to my sister who was rising in the ranks of Judo. She (My sister) obviously took it as a insult and decided to come down to my friends to beat me up to make herself feel better I guess. But by then I was training in the art I came to love with Joe and I didn’t mind so much that time. I knew something better than Judo or Taekwondo and I was learning about a better way of martial arts, that you didn't always have to use your fists to solve your problems.
One day I Hoped at the time, 'I would achieve my own goals in martial arts and achieve something which she had not and I was happy at that. Eventually I did make up with my parents and family afew months before my 18th birthday. My time on the streets and with Joe’s School helped me see things a lot different from how I once had. With the help of my Grandmother and Joe’s wise words I met with my parents and we talked. I agreed to come home but only if it was agreed with the rest of my siblings. My sister took great pride in telling me that it was my brother who was the only one who said no but I didn’t care I understood his reasoning and I wasn’t planning to stay at home forever. I knew what I had to do, I had to get a job and enough money saved up so I could have my own place and start to live my life the right way.
….EVENTUALLY, ’MITCH BECAME GOOD FRIENDS WITH JOE
& ALL THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR’S AT THE CLUB.
MITCH LEARNT TO CHANNEL HIS EMOTIONS IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO HOW HE ONCE
HAD. LIFE HAD NEVER BEEN AN EASY ROAD
FOR MITCH TO TRAVEL EVER SINCE HE WAS A YOUNG BOY,’ BECAUSE OF HIS HEIGHT AND
THE WAY HE LOOKED HE WAS A VICTIM OF CONSTANT BULLYING BUT WHEN HE BEGAN
TRAINING WITH JOE D’ANGELO HE MADE A PROMISE NOT TO USE THE SKILLS HE LEARNT IN
THE DOJO AGAINST OTHERS NO MATTER HOW MUCH HE WANTED TO…
Training
with Joe and the other Instructors at his private club kept me on the straight
and narrow and on a path that wasn’t filled with violence or self-destruction.
Throughout the years of hard work and constant training when I left home for the 2nd
and final time in my life much to my mum’s disappointment I finally achieved my
Instructor qualification in Bu-Nin-jitsu-kan.
When I became a teacher of the art my journey didn’t stop there training became harder but I achieved my goals. And Teahcing students of all ages was a lot of fun aswell, I noticed that some of the kids was like me lost in a world that didn't seem to care and much like Joe helped me and tried to help them. I eventually gained my 2nd Dan in the art and earnt the grade of Sensei.
Also during my time with Joe he introduced me to another instructor who taught Ryu Karate. Joe explained to me that he liked all his Instructors and students to learn different styles of martial arts so they could develop there own way of using speficic moves and forms from the martial arts styles they was taught.
When I became a teacher of the art my journey didn’t stop there training became harder but I achieved my goals. And Teahcing students of all ages was a lot of fun aswell, I noticed that some of the kids was like me lost in a world that didn't seem to care and much like Joe helped me and tried to help them. I eventually gained my 2nd Dan in the art and earnt the grade of Sensei.
Also during my time with Joe he introduced me to another instructor who taught Ryu Karate. Joe explained to me that he liked all his Instructors and students to learn different styles of martial arts so they could develop there own way of using speficic moves and forms from the martial arts styles they was taught.
…GROWING PAINS…
Learning
to cope on one own when leaving home is never easy especially when its for the first time. This was the 2nd time I'd left and my first place was a room in
a local hostel named Aston Guest House Hotel my older sister had recently moved
in for job purposes, 'spending somedays at the hostel and somedays at home with
my parents. It was her suggestion and
offer to talk to the landlord which persuaded me to leave home and try and make
on my own. At the time I was no longer on YT and working as a factory worker part time on 12 hour shifts working through the manpower agency it was tiring but money was good. I knew that my illness
(incontence) wasn’t improving and maybe never would and thinking of my parents
it seemed unfair to me to put them through dealing with my problems at a time
when they should be enjoying each other's company and not worrying about me and
my problems. After all I'd caused them enough grief in the past.
So I made a adult choice to leave home for good. Much to my annoyance my sister explained my medical problems to the landlord beforehand and he made sure it was kept just between the three of us which I was thankful for. My mother wasn’t impressed about my decision and made the point of reminding me of all my past mistakes and how if I left I wouldn’t be welcome back into the family home if I got into trouble. I simply said that if that was how it was to be then fair enough. I wanted my freedom to go and do as I pleased. I wanted to be a adult and experience adult things. So with the clothes on my back and afew personal items in a black carrier bag I walked out the front door down the road and caught a bus to town ready to move into my new digs. It was my father who convinced my mum to come and see me at the hostel and whatever he said to her changed her mind about her preface remarks when mum came to see me she broke down in tears and let it all out. The anger she had felt towards me growing up,’ how much it hurt everytime she punished me for things she believed I did wrong and how much I had disappointed her in the past just like I was doing then.
I have to admit I did feel for her at the time and so I simply gave a hug and told her I would be ok, that I was doing this (moving out) not just for myself but to take my burdens away from her and my dad. We must of talked for over a hour about the past and my future about everything I was back then and her dreams of what I was to become. It was the first time in years since I was a child that we truly talked and understood each other when we was done we parted as a mother and son should part we parted as friends.
So I made a adult choice to leave home for good. Much to my annoyance my sister explained my medical problems to the landlord beforehand and he made sure it was kept just between the three of us which I was thankful for. My mother wasn’t impressed about my decision and made the point of reminding me of all my past mistakes and how if I left I wouldn’t be welcome back into the family home if I got into trouble. I simply said that if that was how it was to be then fair enough. I wanted my freedom to go and do as I pleased. I wanted to be a adult and experience adult things. So with the clothes on my back and afew personal items in a black carrier bag I walked out the front door down the road and caught a bus to town ready to move into my new digs. It was my father who convinced my mum to come and see me at the hostel and whatever he said to her changed her mind about her preface remarks when mum came to see me she broke down in tears and let it all out. The anger she had felt towards me growing up,’ how much it hurt everytime she punished me for things she believed I did wrong and how much I had disappointed her in the past just like I was doing then.
I have to admit I did feel for her at the time and so I simply gave a hug and told her I would be ok, that I was doing this (moving out) not just for myself but to take my burdens away from her and my dad. We must of talked for over a hour about the past and my future about everything I was back then and her dreams of what I was to become. It was the first time in years since I was a child that we truly talked and understood each other when we was done we parted as a mother and son should part we parted as friends.
Afew
days later my father came with afew more of my belongings and around to see me
and told me that if after a year I was unhappy and wanted to come home I
could. I never went home to stay for
good again. My time at the hostel only
lasted for a year the first time before I was offered my 1st council place, in
my old neighbourhood of Ridding’s.
I wish I could say everything worked out but it didn’t. I was burgled the first few weeks I was their then beat up in my own bed when I was sleeping. At the time I was getting sick for some unknown reason and my arms kept going numb. I was registered as disabled by social services and had a number a medical checks done on me but the doctors could not find a explanation of why I was getting sick,’ I spoke to my doctor who prescribed a wheelchair for me to use when my limbs became week and approached my parents and family to explain my situation but they didn’t want to know the old name throwing and label of liar came back into my life and I sunk into depression once again. Trying my hardest I continued my training with both clubs but my instructors noticed the changes in my attendance and suggest I take time away to gather my strength again.
Once again those old demons resurfaced and I attempted to end my life once again only to fail. It was Joe and my other Instructor of Ryu Karate Simon who brought me out of it teaching me meditation in place of martial arts to cope with the demons of my past. Keeping constant watch over me like fathers would their young children. Disowned again by a family who was supposed to care about me I moved back into the hostel after I found I couldn’t cope in my flat because of that threats from my neighbours and a old school bully. I felt stupid and foolish for not fighting back as I once had so many years ago with the school bullies and those who tormented me in college. I had all these skills which I was unable to use because of this unknown condition I suffered from.
I wish I could say everything worked out but it didn’t. I was burgled the first few weeks I was their then beat up in my own bed when I was sleeping. At the time I was getting sick for some unknown reason and my arms kept going numb. I was registered as disabled by social services and had a number a medical checks done on me but the doctors could not find a explanation of why I was getting sick,’ I spoke to my doctor who prescribed a wheelchair for me to use when my limbs became week and approached my parents and family to explain my situation but they didn’t want to know the old name throwing and label of liar came back into my life and I sunk into depression once again. Trying my hardest I continued my training with both clubs but my instructors noticed the changes in my attendance and suggest I take time away to gather my strength again.
Once again those old demons resurfaced and I attempted to end my life once again only to fail. It was Joe and my other Instructor of Ryu Karate Simon who brought me out of it teaching me meditation in place of martial arts to cope with the demons of my past. Keeping constant watch over me like fathers would their young children. Disowned again by a family who was supposed to care about me I moved back into the hostel after I found I couldn’t cope in my flat because of that threats from my neighbours and a old school bully. I felt stupid and foolish for not fighting back as I once had so many years ago with the school bullies and those who tormented me in college. I had all these skills which I was unable to use because of this unknown condition I suffered from.
My
friend and mentor Joe helped me understand I was not alone during those years
and that even though my family had once again disowned me they did still love
me deep down. My relationship with my
second oldest sister improved during that time because she too was suffering at
the hands of mainly my mothers anger. It
was due to something she and my oldest sister had done in regards to my mum and
it put a rift between them for years to come up until my mother death in 2000.
My mum wasn't a bad person in fact she was very kind and gentle at times,' she had a way about that said to others don't mess with me just because I'm small. And her temper was enough to scare any child into behaving. To the outside world my mum was a saint and to me in a sense she was a saint as well she was the one person who would never lie to you but tell the truth. That's what I admire about her, this and her inner strength.
I moved from place to place council flat to council flat over the years until I ended up in town with a place close to all the shops. My relationship eventually improved with my parents because they occupied their time with being angry at my two oldest sisters I guess. No more was said about my unknown illness I basically learnt to cope with it by myself with the help of social services and my friends I survived. Finally I became well enough again to return to my training and to keep myself going when I wasn’t sick and able to move around normally without a wheelchair or crutches I returned as a senior student to judo which made my mum very happy. My other sister the Judo player by now was just setting up her own club with the help of my parents and afew others who believed she could make it a success. So I started to attend regular sessions there. Training was a light relief to my day to day problems in life.
When you suffer from Depression it doesn’t help when you have nothing to do at all. With no job and a lot of bad luck lately what with my house flooding I received my home insurance coverage payment and moved into private housing in Scunthorpe. I kitted out my whole house and brought myself a new monkey bike. I hadn’t suffered any type of attack for a few months so I thought it had just been stress which had burdened my body for all those years one day I was on the way to judo for training on my bike and my arms went on me whilst I was driving. I came off my bike but luckily was only injured alittle suffering from afew scratches only. So I continued on my journey did my judo training and came home then went to sleep. which was a pretty normal day for me apart from job hunting. When I awoke the next morning I found myself unable to move at all and there I stayed on the floor of my flat for 3 days paralysed from the neck down. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. As soon as I was able I went too see my doctor who told me it’s just growing pains your be fine…..
My mum wasn't a bad person in fact she was very kind and gentle at times,' she had a way about that said to others don't mess with me just because I'm small. And her temper was enough to scare any child into behaving. To the outside world my mum was a saint and to me in a sense she was a saint as well she was the one person who would never lie to you but tell the truth. That's what I admire about her, this and her inner strength.
I moved from place to place council flat to council flat over the years until I ended up in town with a place close to all the shops. My relationship eventually improved with my parents because they occupied their time with being angry at my two oldest sisters I guess. No more was said about my unknown illness I basically learnt to cope with it by myself with the help of social services and my friends I survived. Finally I became well enough again to return to my training and to keep myself going when I wasn’t sick and able to move around normally without a wheelchair or crutches I returned as a senior student to judo which made my mum very happy. My other sister the Judo player by now was just setting up her own club with the help of my parents and afew others who believed she could make it a success. So I started to attend regular sessions there. Training was a light relief to my day to day problems in life.
When you suffer from Depression it doesn’t help when you have nothing to do at all. With no job and a lot of bad luck lately what with my house flooding I received my home insurance coverage payment and moved into private housing in Scunthorpe. I kitted out my whole house and brought myself a new monkey bike. I hadn’t suffered any type of attack for a few months so I thought it had just been stress which had burdened my body for all those years one day I was on the way to judo for training on my bike and my arms went on me whilst I was driving. I came off my bike but luckily was only injured alittle suffering from afew scratches only. So I continued on my journey did my judo training and came home then went to sleep. which was a pretty normal day for me apart from job hunting. When I awoke the next morning I found myself unable to move at all and there I stayed on the floor of my flat for 3 days paralysed from the neck down. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. As soon as I was able I went too see my doctor who told me it’s just growing pains your be fine…..
This
happened at first once or twice a year to me,’ So I went back to the doctor’s
over and other again to get some answers but was given none. From 1996 - 2001 my life was like a yo-yo,’ sometimes I’d be
okay other times I wouldn’t. My personal life was a mess and my instructor’s agreed that until I sorted this
problem out whatever it was It wasn’t safe for me to teach anymore and so in 2001
just before I officially retired from teaching Ryu Karate and Bu-Nin-jitsu-kan
my Instructor got together and awarded me a Honorary 3rd Dan in Ryu
Karate for all the years of service to martial arts.
My now old instructor and mentor Joe D’Angleo was also very sick bye this time with a rare form of cancer and on his deathbed made me promise if I ever did get better or well enough to teach again I would do so. So I told I would. Joe Died Shortly afterwards surrounded by the instructors of the past 30 years who had studied under him, I will always be grateful for that night he took me in and helped me see a different path in life.
When I moved again this time to the other end of town I met my ex wife,’ we fell quickly in love and she became my Wife on the 23rd December 1999 we wasn’t married long and soon fell out of love and divorced in 2000 after complications in our relationship. After this disastrous relationship and many failed relationships after that I eventually decided enough was enough and decided to take a job abroad to get out of my hometown for awhile I went to Abroad to a farm near Beligum for a few months working on the fruit picking farms but in early July of 2000 I was called back home when my mother fell sick and ended up in ICU.
I didn’t see what came next my mum shortly after I came back on September 30th 2000 past away after suffering complications. Before she died however my mum was able to forgive my two oldest sisters for the misdeeds of the past which was good for both them and her. Shortly after this we buried my mother my Grandmother (my mum’s mum) passed away in 2001. During the next few years after this I attempted to go back to judo and even practiced other martial arts such as Aikido,’Jujitsu and Jeet Kwon do and Kemp bo when I was well enough to do so but it wasn’t the same as training with Joe and Simon or who had since packed up and left Scunthorpe moving on with their lifes I still had their contact details packed away somewhere in my belongings.
Over time I finally got to understand why I had been getting sick for all them years prefacily. My 2nd oldest sister had also been suffering from sudden bouts of weakness in her limbs for several years. Our family believed it was down to the motorbike accident she had suffered from years earlier. But it wasn’t and her doctor had got in contact with a genetic specialist who had diagnosed her with Andersen’s Tawail Syndrome. In 2002, The same genetic’s doctor got into contact with me did a simple blood test and It was then that I too was diagnosed with Andersen Tawail syndrome as well.
I had to give up my martial arts dreams again. Not wanting to give my now recently widowed father any more problems than he already had this time I kept my diagnoses to myself for awhile longer and with the help of my now understanding doctor I was giving all the help I needed to re-adjust to my life as it was now. The illness itself began to show its ugly head very quickly but I refused the first diagnoses and contacted a lead specialist in America to have a 2nd opinion. Which was then confirmed my illness as being Type 2 Andersen Tawail Syndrome and it wasn’t good news.
My now old instructor and mentor Joe D’Angleo was also very sick bye this time with a rare form of cancer and on his deathbed made me promise if I ever did get better or well enough to teach again I would do so. So I told I would. Joe Died Shortly afterwards surrounded by the instructors of the past 30 years who had studied under him, I will always be grateful for that night he took me in and helped me see a different path in life.
When I moved again this time to the other end of town I met my ex wife,’ we fell quickly in love and she became my Wife on the 23rd December 1999 we wasn’t married long and soon fell out of love and divorced in 2000 after complications in our relationship. After this disastrous relationship and many failed relationships after that I eventually decided enough was enough and decided to take a job abroad to get out of my hometown for awhile I went to Abroad to a farm near Beligum for a few months working on the fruit picking farms but in early July of 2000 I was called back home when my mother fell sick and ended up in ICU.
I didn’t see what came next my mum shortly after I came back on September 30th 2000 past away after suffering complications. Before she died however my mum was able to forgive my two oldest sisters for the misdeeds of the past which was good for both them and her. Shortly after this we buried my mother my Grandmother (my mum’s mum) passed away in 2001. During the next few years after this I attempted to go back to judo and even practiced other martial arts such as Aikido,’Jujitsu and Jeet Kwon do and Kemp bo when I was well enough to do so but it wasn’t the same as training with Joe and Simon or who had since packed up and left Scunthorpe moving on with their lifes I still had their contact details packed away somewhere in my belongings.
Over time I finally got to understand why I had been getting sick for all them years prefacily. My 2nd oldest sister had also been suffering from sudden bouts of weakness in her limbs for several years. Our family believed it was down to the motorbike accident she had suffered from years earlier. But it wasn’t and her doctor had got in contact with a genetic specialist who had diagnosed her with Andersen’s Tawail Syndrome. In 2002, The same genetic’s doctor got into contact with me did a simple blood test and It was then that I too was diagnosed with Andersen Tawail syndrome as well.
I had to give up my martial arts dreams again. Not wanting to give my now recently widowed father any more problems than he already had this time I kept my diagnoses to myself for awhile longer and with the help of my now understanding doctor I was giving all the help I needed to re-adjust to my life as it was now. The illness itself began to show its ugly head very quickly but I refused the first diagnoses and contacted a lead specialist in America to have a 2nd opinion. Which was then confirmed my illness as being Type 2 Andersen Tawail Syndrome and it wasn’t good news.
… MITCH WAS ABOUT TOGO AND SEE HIS FAMILY WHEN
SUDDENLY HE BLACKED OUT WHEN HE AWOKE AFEW HOURS LATER IF FOUND HIMSELF UNABLE
TO MOVE,’ HIS WHOLE BODY HAD BECOME PARALYSED FROM THE NECK DOWN. MITCH STAYED THIS WAY FOR 3 DAYS STRAIGHT
UNTIL EVENTUALLY HIS BODY RETURNED TO NORMAL AND HE WAS ABLE TO MOVE ONCE
AGAIN…..
I
knew that my illnesses form this point wasn’t going to get any better only
worse,’ once again I was alone with my thoughts, ’I wondered what now who would
want me now a man who was becoming a cripple a man without a job without the
life what I wanted to have who would always be someone else’s burden from now
on. Who would have to rely on some
stranger wiping his backside, ’feeding him and dressing when he became to sick…
Who would want me now!!
…THE PRODICIAL SON…
Quite
rightly I fell back into a depression state, ’unwilling to admit the truth to
myself that I would actually have to deal with this on my own rather than rely
on friends or family in the past friends had helped me get through the hard
times even when family had not once again my family would disown me I could
feel it in my bones. Why was it when I
started to sort my life out it always seemed to mess up. A true sheep amongst
men. Eventually I found the courage to
tell my father about my illness and true to form he disowned me once
again. But I no-longer cared. It was only when he attended a doctors appointment with me that my Dad understood I wasn't lying, My doctor explained to my dad exactly what my illness was how it was going to effect me and what support I would require then and in the future. It took awhile for my dad to take it in but eventually he got what I was going through. One of the
hardest thing for me was when my brother who had been a wheelchair user on and
off for most of his life also disowned me has did all three of my
sisters.
The hardest thing which hurt the most,' which I had to deal with in those early years was when my one of my own sisters told all of my so called friends that I was a liar and was faking the whole thing. (This was before my dad found out the truth) But bye then when I needed my friends the most they was gone. I remember going to the pub one day only to have abuse hurdled at me by a old friends girlfriend shouting to me and telling me I was nothing but I fake who was walking around afew months back and shouldn’t be telling everyone I met that I was disabled when I wasn’t.
That day I lost my cool and gave her a mouthful back because I’d had enough of people calling me a liar when they had no idea what I had gone through over the years and how hard it wason me to have to cope on my own. By the time I had finished giving her a peace of my mind she didn’t no where to put herself. I knew then I was truly alone. I ended up having a 2nd mental breakdown and ended up in hospital after once again attempting to end my own life. Then after month’s of therapy and being physlogically analysed bye doctors,’ tests and more tests on my heart ,’brain and muscles I finally woke myself up and said no-more.
The hardest thing which hurt the most,' which I had to deal with in those early years was when my one of my own sisters told all of my so called friends that I was a liar and was faking the whole thing. (This was before my dad found out the truth) But bye then when I needed my friends the most they was gone. I remember going to the pub one day only to have abuse hurdled at me by a old friends girlfriend shouting to me and telling me I was nothing but I fake who was walking around afew months back and shouldn’t be telling everyone I met that I was disabled when I wasn’t.
That day I lost my cool and gave her a mouthful back because I’d had enough of people calling me a liar when they had no idea what I had gone through over the years and how hard it wason me to have to cope on my own. By the time I had finished giving her a peace of my mind she didn’t no where to put herself. I knew then I was truly alone. I ended up having a 2nd mental breakdown and ended up in hospital after once again attempting to end my own life. Then after month’s of therapy and being physlogically analysed bye doctors,’ tests and more tests on my heart ,’brain and muscles I finally woke myself up and said no-more.
When I finally made the decision to move away I
rang my father to say goodbye. After years of moving back and forth to and from place to place to hull and back. I left
Scunthorpe for what I thought was the last time in the summer of 2003 and moved
back over to hull. If I was going to cope by
myself I needed a new start in a new placed already sent my old friend over the
water for his fresh start maybe it was time for me to do the same. My first
place in hull this time around was a 3rd storey Flat on the 3rd Floor on
Beverley Road it was comfortable and Ideal for me to make my fresh start.
I knew the Landlords from a preface place I rented from them and got on well with them. The first few months were fine but eventually like always I got sick again and my illness took over.
Eventually the Landlords who could see I was being stubborn in my nature contacted the social services and I was assessed for a medical priority move due to my circumstances. I was given a small one bed bungalow close to the area where I was living that was eventually adapted to suit my needs. Once I moved into the property and got it furnished and carpeted I began looking for things to do which would suit my new circumstances, I tried canoeing wheelchair basketball anything and everything I could to keep my muscles moving and stop them from ceasing up. But I missed my martial arts the things I’d learnt the teaching and the friends I’d met and lost. Was it possible to do it all again I wondered….
I knew the Landlords from a preface place I rented from them and got on well with them. The first few months were fine but eventually like always I got sick again and my illness took over.
Eventually the Landlords who could see I was being stubborn in my nature contacted the social services and I was assessed for a medical priority move due to my circumstances. I was given a small one bed bungalow close to the area where I was living that was eventually adapted to suit my needs. Once I moved into the property and got it furnished and carpeted I began looking for things to do which would suit my new circumstances, I tried canoeing wheelchair basketball anything and everything I could to keep my muscles moving and stop them from ceasing up. But I missed my martial arts the things I’d learnt the teaching and the friends I’d met and lost. Was it possible to do it all again I wondered….
…THE STORY SO FAR…
….IT WAS IN 1996 MIKE GOOCH FIRST STARTED THE
FOUNDATION WORK FOR FORMING THE GOOCH INCLUSIVE ADAPTED MARTIAL ARTS
FOUNDATION.
HE DECIDED IT HAD TO BE OPEN TO ALL STUDENTS ABLE
AND UNABLE WHO DECIDED PRACTICE THE ARTS HE WAS PLANNING TO TEACH. MITCH BEGAN HIS MARTIAL ARTS CAREER AS A
STUDENT OF JUDO AND LATER WENT ON TO STUDY AS A TAEKWONDO STUDENT UNDER NOW
GRAND MASTER JOHN TURNER. HE WAS
UNDECIPLINED AND ABIT IMMATURE FOR HIS AGE.
BUT HE LOVED THE ARTS HE STUDIED AND ENJOYED STUDYING UNDERTHESE TO
INSTRUCTORS FROM THE AGE OF 6 YEARS OLD.
AT 15 YEARS OLD MITCH HAD TO GIVE UP HIS JUDO CAREER AND TAEKWONDO
LESSONS DUE TO LACK OF MONEY. HE REMEMBERED
FROM THE PAST EVEN WHEN HE WAS A CHILD THAT MARTIAL ARTS USED TO HELP HIS
MUSCLES ALL THE TIME. MITCH EVEN WENT BACK TO JUDO AS A SENIOR STUDENT FOR AFEW
YEARS IN THE HOPE THAT THIS WOULD KEEP HIS BODY IN WORKING ORDER AND IT WORKED
FOR AWHILE. JOE D’ANGELO INTRODUCED
MITCH TO A NEW INSTRUCTOR NAMED SIMON ARMSTRONG WHO TOOK MITCH ON AN ACTUAL
GRANDMASTER OF RYU KARATE ART. OVER YEARS OF HARD TRAINING MITCH ACHIEVED HIS
INTRUCTOR GRADES IN BOTH RYU KARATE & BU-NIN-JITSU-KAN. BUT EVENTUALLY MITCH ILLNESS GOT THE BETTER
OF HIM AND HE FOUND THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO WALK ANYMORE. HIS FRIEND AND MENTOR
JOE BECAME SICK AND PAST AWAY,HIS MOTHER DIED,HIS GRANDMOTHER DIED AND
GRANDFATHER ALSO DIED. MITCH HAD TO GIVE UP GIVE MARTIAL ARTS A BREAK FOR
AWHILE JUST UNTIL HE FELT WELL ENOUGH TO TEACH AGAIN. MITCH’S FATHER AND FAMILY DID NOT KNOW THE
TRUTH BEHIND HIS GIVING UP ON HIS DREAMS.
IN 2000 MITCH BECAME ILL ONCE AGAIN & DUE TOO THIS NEW ILLNESS HE
EVENTUALLY FOUND HIMSELF LIVING LIFE HAS A WHEELCHAIR USER. IT
WAS WITH LATE GREAT MASTER JOE D’ANGLEO BLESSING ON HIS DEATH BED THAT MITCH
WAS AWARDED WITH A HONOURARY 3RD DAN IN RYU KARATE,’ ALONG WITH
GRANDMASTER SIMON ARMSTRONG & GRANDMASTER PAUL EVEREST FROM THE ARMSTRONG
ACADEMY FOR HIS YEARS OF SERVICE TO MARTIAL ARTS.
BEFORE HIS
PASSING MITCH’S FRIEND AND MENTOR JOE D’ANGELO ASKED MITCH TO MAKE HIM A
PROMISE THAT IF HE EVER REGAINED HIS HEALTH ENOUGH TO TEACH AGAIN,’ HE WOULD DO
SO. MITCH SWORE THAT HE WOULD ONE DAY
RETURN TO TEACHING IN 2002 HE WAS STRUCK DOWN BY HIS ILLNESS. LOST HIS JOB AND
BEGAN LIVING ON BENEFITS. SO MITCH
RETIRED FROM TEACHING AND HONESTLY THOUGHT HIS MARTIAL ARTS CAREER HAD ENDED
FOR GOOD, AFTER LOSEING HIS MOTHER AFTER A LONG ILLNESS JUST
AFTER HIS 23RD BIRTHDAY MITCH FELT HIS LIFE SLIPPING AWAY AGAIN
& MOVED AWAY FROM HIS CHILDHOOD HOME TOWN TO BEGIN A SEARCH FOR SOMETHING
NEW TO DO. HE MOVED FROM PLACE TO PLACE NEVER SETTLEING ANYWHERE FOR TOO LONG
NEVER FORGETTING THE LESSONS HE HAD LEARNT FROM THE PAST. THE LAST BLOW CAME FOR MITCH IN JULY 2001 WHEN HE WAS FINALLY DIAGNOSED
WITH A RARE GENETIC DISORDER KNOWN AS 'ANDERSEN 'TAWAIL SYNDROME TYPE 2' WHICH
IS ALSO KNOWN AS 'SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME. HE WAS TOLD BY THE SPECIALISTS THAT HE NEEDED TO
KEEP HIS BODY MOVING HAS MUCH AS POSSIBLE & IT WAS EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT
HIS ILLNESS WOULD BECOME WORSE AS HE BEGAN TO GET OLDER, WITH NO HOPE OF A CURE
HE SEARCHED DOWN INSIDE HIMSELF TO FIND THE STRENGTH TO CARRY ON. HE MOVED TO HULL IN 2002 & EVENTUALLY IN
2005 AFTER BEENING IN A WHEELCHAIR FOR 3 YEARS,’ BEGAN CONCERNSTRATING ON
WRITING A NEW SYLLUBUS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS AND REDEVELOPING AND ADAPTING
TECHNICQUES TO SUIT ALL NEEDS….
…NEW BEGINNINGS…
It
was the summer of 2005 and I was looking for something to do I’d tried
everything from Wheelchair basketball to canoeing but it wasn’t enough and like
everything it was expensive I had even joined a disabled outings club but it
was boring with nothing much to do except play pool or talk with other disabled
people who I wasn’t always able to understand all the time because of their own
disabilities. I wanted to get my teeth into something
and I missed doing martial arts. I'd been in my new place for about two years bye then and was getting restless. I
Finally made up my mind on what I wanted to do and began searching for a martial art clubs in the area, 'which would
be willing to take me into their classes dispite my disabilities.
However every club I rang told me the same thing. We cannot help you due to insurance purposes. Eventually though my determination paid off , 'I found a club which was willing to give me a try. Apparently they was teaching Shaolin Kung Fu and as it was a art I had never studied before I was willing to give it a go if they was willing to let me try. My first night in the training hall was very nerve wrecking after I had been out of training for almost 4 years now and I wasn’t sure if I still had it in me,’ I thought it best to keep quiet about my other instructor qualifications in martial arts as didn’t want to appear big headed and I wanted to start from scratch as I had done before. But I didn’t see any harm in mentioning about my studying of Judo and Taekwondo as a Kid.
My Instructor Mike was great laugh from the start and was very patient with me at all times. Has the session went on that first night I knew straight away this was one art I wanted to study. I decided even before the session was finished that I would join the club, the students were friendly and treated me Like I was a able bodied student which is what I wanted from the start. After the session Mike asked me If I enjoyed it and I said yes and asked if I could join the club.
However every club I rang told me the same thing. We cannot help you due to insurance purposes. Eventually though my determination paid off , 'I found a club which was willing to give me a try. Apparently they was teaching Shaolin Kung Fu and as it was a art I had never studied before I was willing to give it a go if they was willing to let me try. My first night in the training hall was very nerve wrecking after I had been out of training for almost 4 years now and I wasn’t sure if I still had it in me,’ I thought it best to keep quiet about my other instructor qualifications in martial arts as didn’t want to appear big headed and I wanted to start from scratch as I had done before. But I didn’t see any harm in mentioning about my studying of Judo and Taekwondo as a Kid.
My Instructor Mike was great laugh from the start and was very patient with me at all times. Has the session went on that first night I knew straight away this was one art I wanted to study. I decided even before the session was finished that I would join the club, the students were friendly and treated me Like I was a able bodied student which is what I wanted from the start. After the session Mike asked me If I enjoyed it and I said yes and asked if I could join the club.
So
I joined the club I began my training and slowly but surely I gained my grades
in Shaolin Kung Fu from white sash which I gained on the 2nd October
2005 and eventually through hard work and time I achieved my assistant
Instructors grade on the 4th July 2007. It was at this stage of my training I began
wondering whether I could actually adapt this style of martial arts to those I
had already studied years beforehand, ’possibilities were endless. Slowly But
Surely I eventually achieved my Full Instructor grading on the 13th
August 2008 my last grade before I was able to teach properly as a Instructor.
With this grade my 1st Dan Black Sash which was a 3 Year grading. I finally achieved my set goal on the 13th March 2011. I was so happy when I achieved that grade because I’d finally proved to myself I was actually capable of achieving this even though I was a wheelchair user. Now I was ready to start up my plan and keep a promise to my old friend and mentor Joe.
I will always Remember My time training With Mike and the other Instructors at his Club ,and never forget the training and good Advice he gave me over the years. In some senses Mike gave me more than just training he gave me back the confidence to teach again, 'to step up to the mark and be proud of who I was not what I am. He taught me that being disabled wasn't a barrier to me and it wasn't a burden. It was something I had to live with and deal with everyday for the rest of my life, 'but it didn't make me weak or a loser, I was worth more than I thought I was and I should be proud of overcoming all I had overcome after all these years.
I was disappointed when Mike asked to leave his organisation because it felt like I was losing my family all over again but I understood why he asked me to leave,' My plan didn't fit in with the path he had in mind for me in the organisation he runs and it was okay because sometimes people have to go their own way and make their own path in life and I was making mine. I knew in a sense it was the right time for me to return home. About a year before I moved back to my hometown I come through to Scunthorpe to visit my family, my older brother still lived at home with my dad and my sisters had their own life's. Has I sat in my fathers back porch I felt a rush of old members and children's laughter come back to me and I knew I was home. My brother and I as well as my father had rekindled our relationship and so I made a promise to my brother and my dad that now I had achieved my black belt 1st Dan in Shaolin Kung Fu I was coming home to open a club for disabled students and able bodied students. That night when I returned to hull after making that promise I was determined to find away of starting up the club even if it meant going it alone once again.
With this grade my 1st Dan Black Sash which was a 3 Year grading. I finally achieved my set goal on the 13th March 2011. I was so happy when I achieved that grade because I’d finally proved to myself I was actually capable of achieving this even though I was a wheelchair user. Now I was ready to start up my plan and keep a promise to my old friend and mentor Joe.
I will always Remember My time training With Mike and the other Instructors at his Club ,and never forget the training and good Advice he gave me over the years. In some senses Mike gave me more than just training he gave me back the confidence to teach again, 'to step up to the mark and be proud of who I was not what I am. He taught me that being disabled wasn't a barrier to me and it wasn't a burden. It was something I had to live with and deal with everyday for the rest of my life, 'but it didn't make me weak or a loser, I was worth more than I thought I was and I should be proud of overcoming all I had overcome after all these years.
I was disappointed when Mike asked to leave his organisation because it felt like I was losing my family all over again but I understood why he asked me to leave,' My plan didn't fit in with the path he had in mind for me in the organisation he runs and it was okay because sometimes people have to go their own way and make their own path in life and I was making mine. I knew in a sense it was the right time for me to return home. About a year before I moved back to my hometown I come through to Scunthorpe to visit my family, my older brother still lived at home with my dad and my sisters had their own life's. Has I sat in my fathers back porch I felt a rush of old members and children's laughter come back to me and I knew I was home. My brother and I as well as my father had rekindled our relationship and so I made a promise to my brother and my dad that now I had achieved my black belt 1st Dan in Shaolin Kung Fu I was coming home to open a club for disabled students and able bodied students. That night when I returned to hull after making that promise I was determined to find away of starting up the club even if it meant going it alone once again.
…MITCH CAME ACROSS A CLUB IN HULL WHICH WAS WILLING
TO TEACH HIM THE ART OF SHAOLIN KUNG FU FROM THE CONFINES OF HIS WHEELCHAIR.
AFTER MANY YEARS OF STUDYING THIS NEW
ART MITCH WAS ONCE AGAIN BECAME A INSTRUCTOR OF A NEW ART KNOWN AS SHAOLIN CHUAN FA 'SMALL FOREST TEMPLE WAY OF
BOXING'. IT WAS WHEN HE ACHIEVED THIS HE
REMEMBERED HIS PROMISE AND HE DECIDED TOO DEVELOP A WHOLE NEW SYSTEM NOT JUST
OF KUNG FU BUT OF THE ARTS HE LEARNT IN THE PAST ASWELL. RECREATE THE ART FORM HE NOW CALLS MULTI
DISCIPLINED MIXED MARTIAL ARTS' CHANGING THE NAME TO 'INCLUSIVE ADAPTED MARTIAL
ARTS' FOR BOTH WHEELCHAIR USERS & ABLE BODIED STUDENTS ALIKE. THE NEW
SCUNTHORPE ADAPTED KUNG FU & I.A.M.A INCLUSIVE ADAPTED MARTIAL ARTS
FOUNDATION WAS BORN IN 2007. CREATED SPECIALLY FOR DISABLED PEOPLE OF ALL
ABILITIES & WHEELCHAIR USERS BUT ADAPTABLE FOR ABLE BODIED STUDENTS ASWELL.
MITCH’S PLAN WAS TO ADAPTED KUNG FU TECHNIQUES &
OTHER STYLES OF MARTIAL ARTS HE’D LEARNT IN THE PAST TO DEFEND ONESELF IN THE
CONFINES OF A WHEELCHAIR. IN 2008 HE
EVENTUALLY BECAME QUALIFIED HAS AN SHAOLIN CHUAN FA 1ST DAN KUNGFU
INSTRUCTOR. IT WAS THEN AT THAT MOMENT
HE WENT TO SEE HIS NEW INSTRUCTOR AND ASKED HIM FOR HIS HELP TO SET UP A
CHARITABLE ORGANISATION TO CATER FOR STUDENTS ON A LOW INCOME OR WITH NO MONEY
AT ALL. MITCH IDEA WAS SIMPLY DO WHAT
SOMEONE HAD ONCE DONE FOR HIM GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO ACHIEVE. BUT HIS NEW INSTRUCTOR DIDN’T THINK THIS IDEA
WAS SUITABLE FOR THE ORGANISATIONS NEEDS AND MITCH WAS UNFORTUNATELY ASKED TO
LEAVE THE ORGANISATION. WITH NO MONEY
AND NO FUNDING MITCH DECIDED TO MOVE BACK TO HIS HOMETOWN AND TRY SUPPORT HIS
PROJECT BY HIMSELF PAYING FOR INSURANCE COSTS,’HALL HIRE AND EQUIPMENT THE BEST
HE COULD WITH WHAT LITTLE MONEY HE HAD….
...OVERCOMING THE PAST...
…LOOKING TO THE FUTURE…
Before
I set up my New Club in July 2011, I approached the surviving members of my old
Bu-Nin-jitsu-Kan & Ryu Karate Clubs and asked for permission to teach the
arts I had already qualified in and If I was still qualified due to my
illnesses and lastly whether they thought my idea of setting up this kind of
club was a good Idea. They told me that
I would never lose the qualifications I had gained as I had earned them and my idea was a great one but
whether I could make it happen that was any ones guess. But I was willing to
give it a go not matter what. My happyiness was short lived after I passed my grade as shortly before I moved back to my home town my Grandfather who was another big influence in my life on my father side passed away from Lung Cancer.
I finally moved back to Scunthorpe on the 13th January 2012. The set up for the club was a long set up but I managed to find a hall, get my liability insurance and CRB all sorted out before I was due to start up my first sessions.
One of my 1st
students was actually my older brother who had always wanted to learn martial
arts but because of his condition wasn’t able to do so, I developed away for my
brother to Learn the arts safely without him getting injured, and have
deadicated my time to safe practice of disabled martial arts for all who
choose to train with me in my club sessions.
My older sister who has the same illness as me was ill in hospital as her condition was getting worse and I wasn't sure she would make it through another year so I was glad to come home to spend some time with her as well.
In August 2011 I met my old girlfriend Amanda again after being apart for over 10 years,' We had a brief relationship when I was 17 but it fizzled out before it got started. Amanda once studied martial arts as a junior student but had to give it up has family commitments got in the way. We fell back in love and plan to marry as soon as we are able to do so. Amanda has earned her grades gradually and is now a assistant instructor at the club in multi disciplined martial arts and well on her way to gaining her instructor qualifications in Self Defence, Shaolin Kung Fu and Multi-Disciplined Martial Arts.
Mike Neall has been a long time friend since childhood, Started studying Judo with my father and sister in 2012,Mike started KungFu the first day it started a been their ever since, he has earned his Assistant Instructor in Multi Disciplined Martial Arts and is also well on the way to becoming a full instructor in several martial arts.
My Life has changed a lot since my time as a child and some of the things I have experienced has made me a better person as a whole, ’I grew stronger from the times when I struggled and more wiser in the ways of the world because of the mistakes I made in the past. Through the bad times and the rough times I learnt to cope with life problems and through my martial arts I realise now that all the mistakes I made and choices I made back then don’t define the man I am today, many people may read this story and think what a loser. But I choose not to think like that.
My story and my life ,'the way it was back then and the way it is now,' like all things in life has changed. I’m stronger and more determined in Life now. These day's I choose not to let the world pull me down into the darkness I once felt in my life. The way I look at things now is that I maybe in a wheelchair but that doesn’t make me a loser or a weak person.
I'm no longer a boy who was always fearful of those around him, or the weak young adult who kept giving up on life, 'I grew up and got older and learned from the past mistakes of my life. I beat the Bullies my own way and learnt that I wasn't always right in my decision making at times I was just plain wrong. I fought to get better at what I was compassionate about and I got to my set goal.
I do what I do and love to teach what I teach. I hope my story inspires people to overcome their difficulties in life and doesn't make them feel any different about my teaching abilities as a martial arts instructor. I know now I'm capable of teaching the arts I know and if they too have a dream like I have,’ they should live that dream and fight for it with everything they have got no-matter how hard it seems…
In our Clubs we teach not just various martial arts,'but other skills such as: team work and life skills, 'learning students to build upon their own self confidence as well as help those less confident do the same. We are not a non for profit club which has built our sessions to be family friendly so that anyone of any age doesn't feel nervous or unsure about the sessions we have on offer. Our Clubs are small but like much a tree first starts out it is small but we will grow. For Students wishing to train under someone who has studied for over 25 years in martial arts industry for responsible and low fee then our place it the place to come.
I finally moved back to Scunthorpe on the 13th January 2012. The set up for the club was a long set up but I managed to find a hall, get my liability insurance and CRB all sorted out before I was due to start up my first sessions.
Team Hidden Fist GOOCHIKF June 2011
Amanda
In August 2011 I met my old girlfriend Amanda again after being apart for over 10 years,' We had a brief relationship when I was 17 but it fizzled out before it got started. Amanda once studied martial arts as a junior student but had to give it up has family commitments got in the way. We fell back in love and plan to marry as soon as we are able to do so. Amanda has earned her grades gradually and is now a assistant instructor at the club in multi disciplined martial arts and well on her way to gaining her instructor qualifications in Self Defence, Shaolin Kung Fu and Multi-Disciplined Martial Arts.
Mike Neall
Mike Neall has been a long time friend since childhood, Started studying Judo with my father and sister in 2012,Mike started KungFu the first day it started a been their ever since, he has earned his Assistant Instructor in Multi Disciplined Martial Arts and is also well on the way to becoming a full instructor in several martial arts.
My Life has changed a lot since my time as a child and some of the things I have experienced has made me a better person as a whole, ’I grew stronger from the times when I struggled and more wiser in the ways of the world because of the mistakes I made in the past. Through the bad times and the rough times I learnt to cope with life problems and through my martial arts I realise now that all the mistakes I made and choices I made back then don’t define the man I am today, many people may read this story and think what a loser. But I choose not to think like that.
My story and my life ,'the way it was back then and the way it is now,' like all things in life has changed. I’m stronger and more determined in Life now. These day's I choose not to let the world pull me down into the darkness I once felt in my life. The way I look at things now is that I maybe in a wheelchair but that doesn’t make me a loser or a weak person.
I'm no longer a boy who was always fearful of those around him, or the weak young adult who kept giving up on life, 'I grew up and got older and learned from the past mistakes of my life. I beat the Bullies my own way and learnt that I wasn't always right in my decision making at times I was just plain wrong. I fought to get better at what I was compassionate about and I got to my set goal.
I do what I do and love to teach what I teach. I hope my story inspires people to overcome their difficulties in life and doesn't make them feel any different about my teaching abilities as a martial arts instructor. I know now I'm capable of teaching the arts I know and if they too have a dream like I have,’ they should live that dream and fight for it with everything they have got no-matter how hard it seems…
In our Clubs we teach not just various martial arts,'but other skills such as: team work and life skills, 'learning students to build upon their own self confidence as well as help those less confident do the same. We are not a non for profit club which has built our sessions to be family friendly so that anyone of any age doesn't feel nervous or unsure about the sessions we have on offer. Our Clubs are small but like much a tree first starts out it is small but we will grow. For Students wishing to train under someone who has studied for over 25 years in martial arts industry for responsible and low fee then our place it the place to come.
…..WHEN MITCH FIRST OPENED HIS CLUB IN 2012 ONE OF 1ST
STUDENTS TO COME THROUGH THE DOORS WAS HIS OLDER BROTHER WHO IS ALSO
DISABLED. MITCH HAD PROMISED HIM ONCE HE
HAD ACHIEVED HIS 1ST DAN BLACK SASH HE WOULD TEACH HIS BROTHER FOR A
YEAR FOR FREE AND IF HE LIKED IT HIS BROTHER WAS WELCOME TO JOIN THE CLUB. IT WAS WHILST HE WORKED WITH HIS OLDER
BROTHER, ’THAT MITCH REALISED HE HAD MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE. HIS BROTHER SHOWED HIM THE SAME PASSION AND
COMMITMENT THAT MITCH HAD ONCE SHOWN JOE ALL THEM YEARS AGO WHEN HE STARTED
TRAINING WITH HIM. MITCH DECIDED THEN AND THEIR THAT HE WOULD KEEP THE CLUB
OPEN EVEN IF HE ONLY HAD ONE DEADICATED STUDENT TO TEACH BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT
JOE WOULD OF WANTED HIM TO DO.
IN JULY 2011 MITCH WAS AWARDED HIS 3RD DAN BY THE WORLD BUDO FEDERATION NINBUDO-AIKIJITSU CERTIFICATE IN WBF-AIKIDO-AIKIJITSU-JUIJITSU.
IN JUNE 2012 MITCH WAS AWARDED HIS GRANDMASTER DIPOLMA CERTIFICATE AS A MARTIAL ARTS TRAINER AT GOOCH KUNG FU [IKF] CLUB.
IN AUGUST 2012 MITCH QUALFIED AS A 3RD DAN TAKEDA KATE INSTRUCTO AND IS A QUAIFIED DISABLED PERFORMERS INSTRUCTOR.
IN 2012 MITCH WAS ALSO AWARDED HIS 2ND DAN IN SHAOLIN KUNG FU BY THE WORLD BUDO FEDERATION IN DECEMBER 2012.
MITCH DECIDED IT WAS NOW TIME TOO RECREATE ALL THAT HE HAD TURNT INTO TWO STYLES:
IN JULY 2011 MITCH WAS AWARDED HIS 3RD DAN BY THE WORLD BUDO FEDERATION NINBUDO-AIKIJITSU CERTIFICATE IN WBF-AIKIDO-AIKIJITSU-JUIJITSU.
IN JUNE 2012 MITCH WAS AWARDED HIS GRANDMASTER DIPOLMA CERTIFICATE AS A MARTIAL ARTS TRAINER AT GOOCH KUNG FU [IKF] CLUB.
IN AUGUST 2012 MITCH QUALFIED AS A 3RD DAN TAKEDA KATE INSTRUCTO AND IS A QUAIFIED DISABLED PERFORMERS INSTRUCTOR.
IN 2012 MITCH WAS ALSO AWARDED HIS 2ND DAN IN SHAOLIN KUNG FU BY THE WORLD BUDO FEDERATION IN DECEMBER 2012.
MITCH DECIDED IT WAS NOW TIME TOO RECREATE ALL THAT HE HAD TURNT INTO TWO STYLES:
"INCLUSIVE/ADAPTED KUNG FU" & “MULTI
DISCIPLINED MARTIAL ARTS"
HE ALSO CREATED A NEW SYSTEM FOR THOSE WHO ARE
UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE PHYSICALLY IN THE SPORT THIS IS KNOW AS
"TECHNICAL KUNG FU" & "TECHNICAL
MARTIAL ARTS"
OUR NEW CLUB NAME IS:
HIDDEN FIST GOOCH IKF CLUB
IN SCUNTHORPE & HULL
MITCH’S MAIN AIM IN SETTING UP THE CLUB IN
SCUNTHORPE WAS TO ALLOW ALL STUDENTS WITH LACK OF FINANCES TO TRAIN AT LEAST
ONE TIME A MONTH FOR FREE. OUR CLUB PURPOSES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TO RUN AS A NOT
FOR PROFIT CLUB,’ TO KEEP ALL COSTS LOW INCLUDING LICENCE AND INSURANCE FEE’S.
WE HAVE ALSO SET UP A SECOND TRAINING VENUE IN HULL WITH HIS PARNTER AMANDA TO
CATER FOR LOW INCOME FAMILY & INDIVIDUALS WHO LACK THE FINANCES TO PAY HIGH
SUB FEES TO TRAIN IN OTHER MARTIAL ARTS CLUBS & VENUES……
This
is my story my dream made into reality there have been times in my life when it
became too much for me to bear and it felt like my world was falling apart but
with help of a few friends and family members I have overcome these difficult
times and learnt that Life isn’t always the smooth road travelled. Sometimes its bumpy and sometimes you
struggle but if you never give up you can accomplish anything.
Hidden Fist GOOCH IKF Club are now seeking sponsorship from Local Companies and Businesses Leaders. If you think you can help below is some of the things we intend to offer with your help and funding. Has a Club we hold regular Sponsor events every 3 months to raise funds for our organisation and Club Equipment but we require your help.
Hidden Fist GOOCH IKF Club are now seeking sponsorship from Local Companies and Businesses Leaders. If you think you can help below is some of the things we intend to offer with your help and funding. Has a Club we hold regular Sponsor events every 3 months to raise funds for our organisation and Club Equipment but we require your help.
WE ARE A NOT FOR
PROFIT ORGANISATION WE ARE REQUESTING YOU THE PUBLIC TO HELP US IN OUR EFFORTS
TO HELP THESE YOUNG STUDENTS ACHIEVE WORTHWHILE GOALS & ACHEIVEMENTS WHICH
WILL HELP THEM GET EMPLOYMENT IN THIS FIELD OF WORK.
SHORT
STATEMENT FROM SIFU MITCH
THANKYOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE: HARRY SLATER (JUDO INSTRUCTOR), 'JOHN TURNER(TAEKWONDO INSTRUCTOR), 'JOE D'ANGELO(BUNINJITSUKAN INSTRUCTOR), 'SIMON ARMSTRONG (RYU KARATE INSTRUCTOR), ' SEBSTAIN HARRINGTON (KEMPBO INSTRUCTOR),'DEREK TWAIN (AIKIDO & JUJITSU INSTRUCTOR) DRAKE HOLLIS(JEET KWON DO INSTRUCTOR) AND MIKE FROM HULL FOR EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TAUGHT ME THROUGHOUT THE YEARS YOUR TRAINING AND EXPERTISE HAS MADE ME THE MARTIAL ARTIST I AM TODAY I WILL NEVER FORGET YOUR LESSONS OR YOUR FRIENDSHIPS OVER THE YEARS.
MY NEWLY DEVELOPED MULTI
DISCIPLINED MARTIAL ARTS HAS HELPED ME DEVELOP A NEW FIGHTING STYLE WHICH IS
PURELY DEFENSIVE IN ITS NATURE. ALSO
WITH MY MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN OTHER MARTIAL ARTS THIS HAS HELPED ME
DEVELOP A BETTER SYULLUBUSE THAT CATERS FOR ALL NEEDS.
A FEW OF THE THINGS STUDENTS WILL LEARN AT THE CLUB TAKE A LONG TIME TO LEARN BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO LEARN THESE BEAUTIFUL ARTS. THEY MUST FOCUS AND LEARN THE CORRECT WAY AND BE PREPARED TO LISTEN TO THEIR INSTRUCTORS.
A FEW OF THE THINGS STUDENTS WILL LEARN AT THE CLUB TAKE A LONG TIME TO LEARN BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT IF THEY ARE GOING TO LEARN THESE BEAUTIFUL ARTS. THEY MUST FOCUS AND LEARN THE CORRECT WAY AND BE PREPARED TO LISTEN TO THEIR INSTRUCTORS.
'REMEMBER
WHEN A CUP IS HALF FULL ONE CAN GAIN MUCH KNOWLEDGE' BUT WHEN THAT CUP IS EMPTY
AND YOU ARRIVE AT CLASS WITH A EMPTY HEAD' MUCH MORE KNOWLEDGE CAN BE GAINED
BECAUSE YOU HAVE LET GO OF YOUR FIXED IDEA & BECOME NEUTRAL' FROM BRUCE LEE'S STRIKNG THOUGHTS.....
HAS
AN INSTRUCTOR I HAVE TO BE BOTH INSURED AND HAVE BE CRB CHECKED HAS PART OF MY
QUALIFICATIONS TO TEACH ALL STUDENTS OF ANY AGE.
WHICH I WOULD BE HAPPY TOO SHOW YOU IF YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND CLASSES.
WHICH I WOULD BE HAPPY TOO SHOW YOU IF YOU DECIDE TO ATTEND CLASSES.
THANK
YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND PATIENCE
Sifu Mitch Gooch
Mr
Mitch Gooch
FOUNDER &
INSTRUCTOR
HIDDEN FIST
GOOCH IKF CLUB
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