I started self defence training as an 11 year old after my Dad told me about Taekwondo, a martial art that was similar to Karate. Yes, I was a big fan of The Karate Kid and I was obsessed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles so getting me involved in martial arts wasn't hard. In fact, as soon as I saw my first sparring session I was convinced that I would also be fighting in competitions. Now, I look back, and there were many benefits of learning self defence as a child / teenager.