Dude thats a really touching story
In honor of your friend,my own story
When I was 8 my mother had a nervous breakdown,I had to go live with my Aunt.
She worked as a barmaid,so she was constantly looking for babysitters for me,she didnt have alot of female friends,so it was allways a guy looking after me.
One of the guys she got to babysit me,was a boxer from the Blue Horizon. He didnt know what to do with me,so he figured he'd go to his strengths,and teach me how to box.
Funny story,he was trying to show me how fast a jab could be,cocky little bugger I am,I tried to slip and close. When I came to...........
I got shuffled all around as a kid,but I kept after it,even if all I could do was shadow box in my room,or while I was jogging.
When I should have been going in to Gold Gloves I discovered sins of the flesh,or in some cases chemical persuasion
Fast forward,clean and sober,working as a telemarketer,I get hired on the offseason to telemarket for a Printing Company
Turns out the lead pressman runs a Dojo,and was about to quit there. First he trained me how to run the press,so Id have a real trade.
And on the side,he taught me Ed Parker Ken-Po
I worked 12 years as a printer,allowing me to build my life with my wife.
Feur drove me to my last legal Tournament,I left with a Silver Medal in sparring,and a Gold in Katas
His Dojo was called The Travelling Fist
The gym I turn the lights on every night is called F.I.S.T.