Back in White

In 1980 AC/DC released ‘Back in Black’ their first album since the death of Bon Scott and the first with my fellow Geordie, Brian Johnson, as the lead singer. Formed in 1973 (a year before I was born, that makes me… woh) AC/DC have stuck to their own brand of heavy rock through times when they were unfashionable, politically incorrect and socially unacceptable. Throughout this time they have stayed true to their roots, delighting fans and now rocking another generation of teenagers who snigger at their provocative lyrics. The point is they know what they are and they don’t want or need to change.

Growing up I was the smallest in my class at school and in Newcastle where I was brought up, you either played soccer or you learned to fight, at the age of 7 I started at a local judo club. I have been involved in martial arts ever since, I gained a black belt, I taught, I was captain of my University Judo Club, I taught at my own club, I gained black belts in various weapon systems, I was senior student at Kobudo Scotland… and then I stopped, two years ago… No time, no energy, no enthusiasm, too many injuries.

This is a story we hear all too often in the studio. “I was an athlete in college but now I am out of shape.” Life simply gets in the way, jobs, relationships, kids, family and other commitments take up time and energy, but does it change the athlete within?

One of the things that our injured clients are most afraid of is us telling them to stop doing their sport. It is part of who they are, their sport is a crucial part of their identity, it is their friend and family.

I cringe when I hear about therapists, even some of my own students, telling people to take up another sport. For the athlete this is like telling them to support another football team because their own team isn’t doing quite as well. Getting a runner to turn into a cyclist is like telling a leopard to change its spots to stripes… Obviously there are times when a runner needs to back off the running if they are injured, but even on the bike they are an injured runner, not a cyclist.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in San Diego was to find a traditional martial arts dojo and start practicing again. There are a lot of reasons why I chose the art of Iaido and there are a lot of reasons I chose the dojo I did, but the biggest reason is that I am a martial artist and that is what I do. I can dabble in triathlon, I can attend yoga classes and lift weights but I am sure that if you look under my skin I will still be wearing white pajamas and trying to remember which foot is left and which is right.

Alan

PS. AC/DC Back in Black is the second biggest selling album of all time having sold over 49million records!