Ed. Note: We will be sharing some of our most inspirational stories this summer with you to keep us all motivated and inspired to “Train Strong to Remain Strong.”

It really is hard to put into words what my journey has been like to this point in my martial arts life. I started relatively young at the age of 16; however I had always loved the martial arts. I would watch the old Kung-fu movies, the action movies with Chuck Norris, Steven Segal, all of it. I was really enthralled by it. Then when I had barely learned to drive I had my chance to go start down a path that has led me to so many great experiences, people, and places.

It’s funny really that to walk this path, to work towards your black belt it really only requires one thing…consistency. All you need to do is keep going; the repetition is 90% of the work.

My journey has been wonderful, every day I wake up and I am so thankful to have found such a wonderful ohana, people who are just as eager as I am to learn and exchange ideas. The martial arts have given me the ability to handle any situation with confidence.

To anyone who is starting out on this journey I say to just keep going, no one was fast out of the gate, no one is an expert, and we are all just at different stages of our journey. Train Hard…then train harder.

Sibak Omar