The black belt within

My entire life I have been fascinated with martial arts movies. I love watching movies with Jackie Chan or Jet Lee kicking some ass. My father instilled this fascination in me from years of hearing his stories of when he practiced a chinese style of martial arts. He would tell me these grand stories of him back in the day having to use his skills in real-life situations to defend himself. These stories would blow my mind when I was younger. These stories, combined with tons (and I mean tons) of Jackie Chan movies ignited a flame within me that still burns today. Needless to say, this flame pushed me to become just like the great martial artists in the movies, but more importantly...better than my dad ever was. I joined a local tae kwon do club and quickly rose through the ranks. I was undefeated for 28 straight tournament fights. I beat ranks higher than me to prove myself. I earned myself nicknames. I was at the top of my game. My dad even admitted to me that I had surpassed his own skills when he was my age. I had all the success I ever wanted....and it wasn't enough. I still wanted more. I later found out that my dad was the same way..always striving to be the best. I am retired from the sport now just like my father. It's funny how a simple childhood story told from a father can shape his son's life. I guess the saying is true that the apple never falls far from the tree.