I had been interested in taking martial arts for a long time. One day whilst leaving Kinko Master and Mrs. Russo were walking into the store. My partner said to me, “that guy walking into Kinkos is one of the best martial artists around. His name is Mark Russo and he teaches at Quest Martial Arts on Bruce B. Downs.” I decided to call. I spoke with Helen Russo about the possibilities of studying To Shin Do. I told her I was looking for street applicable training and that I was not interested in tournament. When she described the training at Quest to me it sounded like what I was looking for and I decided to take the offer of the introductory session. My journey had begun.
I signed up and the more I became involved in my initial training the more I was sure that I was going in the right direction. I wanted to be challenged and I wanted to see how far I could progress. There were times during my training when I thought I would give up. The training was more challenging and I wasn’t sure I could continue. I gave those times some hard thought and each time I knew I just needed to go back, give more effort and persevere. I made the right decision each time.
Now, having achieved my black belt I have learned how to be more focused, in control and how to persevere with confidence in the face of challenge. These three factors can determine success in and out of the dojo, at home and at work.
The more time I spend at Quest Martial Arts the more convinced I am that this is a very positive and worthwhile path in my life.
