Member-only story
How Being Bullied Shaped My Life
And How Martial Arts Saved My Life
Feelings were mixed when I first entered my new middle school. After growing up in a nice, affluent, predominantly white neighborhood for nearly a decade, being faced with a more diverse, different atmosphere was nerve-racking.
My parents emigrated from India, first settling in Jackson Heights, New York. They worked their way up into suburbia. Life was good until my father’s convenience store was burnt down due to arson. Life became hard, very hard. We lost our home, and we were back in Queens.
I tried to fit in, but quickly became the target of bullies. They played psychological games with me. They made me say things that I didn’t mean, like making me admit that I was gay. It was a big thing back then. All these games and tricks that I simply wasn’t exposed to in my Long Island school. Not only was I the new kid, but I was also soft. Very soft. Soft physically and mentally.
The bullying was so bad that I began having suicidal thoughts.
I was pantsed in gym class. It only happened once, but once was enough. After sharing this experience with my wife, she asked me, “Were there only boys there?” No, everyone. Everyone saw me in my underwear. Girls saw me. Guys saw me. It was only for a brief second, but that brief second never left…
