Michael John, The Coach Meets...Wil Mouradian
Age: 26
Home location: Austin, Texas, USA
Sport: Seido Karate
Social media: Instagram: “ponyowantshayum”
Profession - Marketer / Written Content Developer
Years in sport of any kind: Tae Kwon Do: 3 years
American Football: 3 Years
American Collegiate Wrestling: 2 years
Years in current sport: First year
Favourite TV: I'm a total science fiction / fantasy geek. I love Game of Thrones, Orphan Black, and Battlestar Galactica.
Favourite reads: I'm a shameless Shakespeare nerd.
Favourite music: I listen to all kinds of music except country.
Favourite food: If I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be sushi. So. Much. Sushi.
Wil, like a lot of us, wants to improve his health. I know I’ve tried to and I was doing really well. I was watching what I eat, was going to the gym at least four times a week and had started playing rugby again. Then I got injured. Work was getting me down. It all piled up and the health factors weren’t where I wanted them to be.
But Wil, Wil’s different; he’s being proactive and not just concerned with his physical health but the mental side as well.
BWM: So Wil, tell me how this all came about.
WM: I've wanted to reclaim ownership of my physical health and mental health with exercise for a while now, but I had been struggling to find something that "stuck" with me. I found that going to the gym was completely unengaging for me, and exercising outdoors, such as riding or bike riding, here in Austin can be rather difficult for men of my stature (as almost half the year is characterized by extreme heat and humidity). I used to do Tae Kwon Do as a kid, so I thought I would give martial arts another try. I messaged a colleague of my husband's, knowing that she had been training at a dojo for over half of her life and it made her extremely happy and focused. She invited me to a Saturday morning class, and I haven't stopped attending ever since.
BWM: I did Rhee Tae Kwon Do as a kid too, it just wasn’t for me, and so I ended up playing basketball instead. I’ve never looked back but this is really where you wanna be?
WM: Yeah and I am loving it. It keeps me going and I’m challenged whenever I am practising. I find that I compare myself to the advanced students and the instructors at my dojo. Their form and technique are so beautiful and polished, and they are so fast and flexible - it's hard not to be in awe of them while wondering if you can ever reach their level of grace. To manage the challenge, I remind myself that they have been training for years and years and years, and have spent much more time than I have reaching their level of physical fitness. I tell myself "You haven't done your time yet - of course you aren't going to be able to perform like that. It takes time and patience."
BWM: I can definitely appreciate that! Being the tall tubby eleven year old trying to kick and run and not throw up really got to me. I wasn’t one for being yelled at either, and you know they may not have been yelling but in my eyes that’s how it felt.
WM: For me I just have to focus and I know this is where I want to be. My focus for joining this sport was self-improvement and self-actualization. Those goals are extremely personal, and while I lovingly share them with my dojo and the family I've found there, it puts all of the pressure on myself to make myself better and to actualize my ambitions. I’m not sure this would be as possible in a team sport. I guess it helps that I studied Tae Kwon Do and gymnastics as a kid and young teenager. In the past I also played American football, wrestled, and weight lifted.
BWM: you can definitely see your sporting background in your physique Will
WM: To me it’s just one aspect of it all; I really need to watch what I eat. I will be the first to admit that eating healthier is going to be a constant struggle for me. Before and after training I focus on non-greasy foods and protein, I have trouble turning down whiskey, cider, gluten-free pasta, and French fries. I have celiac disease so I cannot consume most bread products, but clearly I've found a way to eat other carbs instead. Ha! This has always been an uphill battle for me.
BWM: I have similar issues, not having a bowel has definitely impacted on my life but I can be foolish and eat stuff or NOT eat stuff I should be. This has got to be a step in the right direction for you, you definitely seemed focused. I can see in your eyes how passionate you are about this.
WM: Oh for sure. I’m really centred and passing my second promotion with flying colors has been the breakthrough I needed. I hadn't tested for a new belt in front of an audience in many years, and I was so nervous that I didn't sleep the night before. The promotion exam is designed not only to test you on your curriculum, but to test your ability to improvise, think on your feet, and maintain composure under high pressure.
We ran through drills that were much faster and more complicated than in my training classes, and yet I was able to keep up pretty well and recover from my mistakes quickly. This was achieved through repetitious training inside and outside of the dojo, and studying in my free time.
BWM: And it doesn’t end there does it?
WM: It's hard to say - my mind immediately goes to "earning my black belt", but once you reach your first degree black belt, there are ten ranks of black belt to work through over the rest of your journey. I suppose, then, my ultimate achievement would be to actualize my dedication to the art form by committing to it unconditionally.
BWM: Now Will you’re a bit of a looker, what kind of guy do you fancy?
WM: Firstly there’s my husband - he's so sincere, creative, smart, and so at peace with life - trying to match his optimism, clarity and wisdom were major reasons I joined my dojo. But I’m a bit like you Coach, I don't have a single "type" at all. I think sex appeal and charm come in all shapes and sizes. I will say that a great smile, a beard, and beautifully detailed tattoos catch my eye pretty quickly though.
BWM: Well on behalf of BWM we wish you all the success in your future with this sport, we’ll have to catch up in the future to see how you’re progressing.
Bingham Cup
My 2 Cents…
Now just a quick one. Congratulations to the Sydney Convicts for securing another piece of silverware and claiming the Bingham Cup in 2014. Though personally as a coach I’m not sure that beating another team in your own club by 58 to nil in the semi final was the right thing to do. You can be dominant on the footy pitch, or any sporting arena, without that. I would’ve been embarrassed, especially doing that to my own club mates. This then happened again in the grand final where they defeated Brisbane Hustlers by 31 to nil. Congrats to my former club Melbourne Chargers who claimed the Bingham Plate with a lopsided 31 to nil win over San Fran Fog.
Let’s hope it fosters the hunger for rugby within these losing teams and not lead to loss of heart and quitting the sport or gay sport in general.
Wil and his Husband Randall
Michael John, is The Coach, if you want to tell him about your sporting achievements, email him at TheCoach@bearworldmagazine.com