Waiting to explode

When your life feels like it wants to change, and you try, and try to make it happen, but it feels like a slow burning ember fuse that is attached to a 105-round firework; yes, that feeling. I know the problem and it is me!

I may come over as a cheeky, fun loving character but there is a shy boy that sometimes does not let the cheeky part of me out. Sometimes I am my own worst enemy (can’t we all be at times). I do struggle with my own mind when it comes to bigging myself up, firstly thinking who am I to give advice on martial arts and self-protection, secondly who is going to listen. Then I give myself a swift mae keri and try to push forward.

I have embraced the world of media were the whole world can be reached from your smart phone, but I feel like a pre-historic man in a digital age. My blog (which you are reading) has changed my view of myself from being a timid very insular character in my teens, to a confident writer that loves to express myself through the written word. I have also ventured into the amazing world of videos, documenting training and techniques in the hope that I can spread my training and teaching philosophy to a global audience.

I have watched a lot of media gurus, my favourite being Gary Vaynerchuk, I love his way with words and how he studies human behaviour. I realise that if I don’t put myself out there I will never get noticed, but I need to use more of my cheeky side (I have one just ask my wife) rather than my shy side.

It is amazing when you see something go ‘viral’ as they call it, back in the day if you were viral you had to stay at home and not be in contact with other people, nowadays it is just the opposite. You can become a YouTube star from the comfort of your own bedroom, with millions of followers (sounds creepy) and then do sell out tours from messing around doing odd games (Joe and Casper). In this day and age documenting yourself via social media can become your full-time job and I thought I was cutting edge 25 years ago becoming a full time Martial arts coach but this is new to me!

I can’t get my head around why people that sit in their bedroom just chatting about random subjects have such mass appeal. Having consulted with my expert media division Molly, Erin, and Kelsea (Molly’s best friend), they told me what is hot and what’s not and who is hot and who is so five minutes ago in the media circus. It is true what the old saying of the 15 minutes of fame, you can turn from an instant hit to instant miss in a blink of an eye. I have also been told how some YouTube stars get their followers to buy merchandise or merc, as the cool kids say and make a large profit off it by charging a lot for it aiming at a market of pre-teens that don’t know the value of money of the must have items.

Embracing the digital age is a massive learning curve for me because unlike some of these stars and some other martial artists I don’t have “more front than Woolworth’s” I know you can’t use that term due to the company failing but it was always used in the 70’s lol. “Shy bairns get now’t” was always a saying I also heard growing up, but that is so true to make it in this digital market I need to put the shy bairn in the box and let the cheeky side out to play for a while.

So, if you are reading this I thank you now do me a favour share it with your friends and family tell them I am awesome, and they should follow me on social media while you are hear check out the website and my YouTube channel and let’s do this! Xx

Until next time big love from the AFC xx