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Mary Morgan

Commitment

Voice Over and the importance of Marketing, Marketing, Marketing!

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This is a topic that goes on and on and on and on because there’s just too much information and commitment involved. Thus, it’s the reason why every year new books are published on the subject of marketing with hundreds of pages of new data collected.

Few people want to hear about it because it’s a lot of work. Finding names, emails, or phone numbers is one thing, but these days it’s not enough. With the internet you have a plethora of options to help in your quest of building a good client database. This means finding a company by name, and finding who’s the creative director, production director, casting director, audio director or producers in audio production. Then it’s finding a contact number or email for the specific name associated with one of the titles above, and putting together a clever introduction by phone or letter. If you choose the latter DO NOT use “Dear Sir or Madam”. That’s long gone and guarantees your note to the trash before the potential client can bother reading the next sentence. Remember folks, time is money in this industry. And don’t make your letter all about you:

“I’m a voice over. I’m the voice of this brand. I’m known for this and that, but I’ve also done this, this, this, this..”

Things have changed now and the absolute best way to get notice is to show you care about the client as a human being, not a prospective paycheck. Here’s where the research starts.

Let’s say you want to work in commercials; start by googling advertising companies in your area. Don’t search all over the country, start simple, the nearest city (even if its more than 150 miles away). You might start a search like this, for example: “advertising agencies” + Houston

As you can tell from the screenshot, you have some places to start, and that’s just one page. I experimented further by finding a company name: Adhere Creative.

Next, I want to find who’s in charge of creative direction or production. You can try googling such as: Adhere Creative, Creative Director; see what happens. You can also use LinkedIn which is a great way to find direct names to contact. Here’s another snip shot to show what I mean. I type the name of the company, then search under people associated with it. The first that comes up is a name with the profession of Executive Partner/Director of Marketing. Perfect! Alas, here’s where it’ll get tricky.

Here are your options:

Attempt to connect with the name on LinkedIn. Chances are they may not accept but you can try.
Call Adhere Creative and ask what’s the best way to get in touch with the name you’re looking to get in touch with. You might get a phone number, you might get an email, and you’ll more than likely get an answering machine. Either way, prepare how you want to present yourself and be sure to get to the point.
If you find an email address and prefer to use that instead of calling them then pay attention to all the info below before you send an email.

Try to find out what you can about the person you’re emailing. Don’t look at it as stalking, this is research. Let’s go back to the example on LinkedIn.

The name associated with Adhere Creative is Matt Lee (I don’t know this person. It’s just an example). I click on his page seeing there’s a summary of who he is, what he’s done, his knowledge and work experience. Browse the whole page, don’t skim. Is he part of any groups on LinkedIn? Yes: Social Media Marketing. Continue down the page and you notice he’s got an impressive resume of who he’s worked with in the past and present. He’s been a PR intern, a Digital Strategist, an Artist Manager, a Marketing Manager and now a Partner. This guy knows what he’s doing and has the background to prove it. What kind of skills have people endorsed him with? He’s a many of many talents! Contact information is usually only visible if you’ve managed to connect with the individual. But you can sometimes find websites, social media pages or birthdays. Lastly, does he care about anything outside advertising? Yes, he cares about arts and culture, children, poverty, and alleviation. Here’s a clue. He’s not just a busy executive, he’s a human being who cares about important causes.

Now, all that was a ton of work but it’ll do you wonders in the long run. When you email this person, you start with your introduction (this is an example only, NOT a template):

Dear Matt Lee,

Greetings (or Hello), my name is (insert your name here). I found your information through google and wanted to get in touch with you because I’m a voice over and I’d like to help with any upcoming projects that need a voice.

I’m stopping there because after that, it’s your job to put together a short paragraph acknowledging the person as a human being. “You have an impressive resume on LinkedIn”, or “I really enjoyed how thorough your summary is on LinkedIn” or “It’s mighty impressive that you’re a Partner at one of the coolest ad agencies in (insert city name)”.

(Continue praising their accomplishments for 2-3 more sentences, then get to the point of why you’re contacting him. What can you offer that would help him on future projects. Do you have a website? Referrals? Demos? A home studio? Don’t ask for a job, explain that you’re interested in being a service to them).

(Then end with how you’d love to discuss more of how you can help them as a Voice Over by including a good email address, or phone number and that look forward to hearing from them.)

Sincerely,
(Your name)

I know what you’re thinking. Good heavens that’s soooooo much work for one person and there are potentially hundreds of thousands of names in this ocean of advertising. Well guess what, that’s just one market. Do you want to work in animation? Audiobooks? Narration? Political ads? Video Games? Automotive? Radio Imaging? Promos? Elearning?

Pick the markets you want to be part of and spend 3-4 hours (or at the very least 1-2) a day finding companies associated with them. Create a LinkedIn page, try making connections there. Don’t treat it like Facebook or Twitter. I’m very, very strict with whom I accept as a connection on LinkedIn because it includes my contact info which is for business only. I only connect with Voice Over talent who share a certain list of names that I trust above all else. The rest are people who work in the markets that I’m interested in. Do you have a Facebook business page? If not, make one. But don’t turn it into a personal page. YouTube? Make a page there too. You never know when you may have a commercial, video game footage, narration clips, animation clips, or other samples to share (remember to get permission first unless the client has already posted on YouTube already). Twitter is an absolute must.

Social media is where it’s at my friends. You can find people easily and they can find you. If you don’t want to be on social media then clients can’t find you and they won’t be interested in hiring you.
I don’t advise posting anything political, judgmental or negative of any kind on your pages. It WILL come back on you. I’ve seen it happen more than enough times and it’s not pretty or pleasant. Look at what’s happened recently to actors like Kevin Spacey. He completed a movie that was scheduled to open in a month and after misbehaving was revealed online he was replaced by another actor who filmed all his scenes in less than 6 weeks. Years ago that would cost too much money and seem impossible. Now it’s not. Don’t jeopardize future opportunities!

Get to know potential clients as people first. Acknowledge and show respect for them and all they’ve done. Make it about them, not all about you. Be open to ideas and discussions. If they’re not interested, be courteous and wish them well.

Make 2018 your best year!

Embrace the Art of Learning Voice Over

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Patience is a virtue often underrated due to a fast-paced society we live in. People want to be famous right now so that others will grovel at their feet and pay money to see them at a convention. They want to be rich so that they never have to get a 9 to 5 job or splurge on ridiculous luxuries. The list goes on of course.

However, if everything happened quickly, how would you handle the consequences of what comes after?

Quite a few celebrities are dealing with harsh realities nowadays of getting heavily in debt due to their overspending and poor decision making. Some have turned to taking roles in B, C and D movies just to make money. Audiences used to glorify their names in movies, and now they taunt them on the internet and in Cards Against Humanity. At the same time, if the celebrity is happy to perform in poorly received films, then so be it. Let them use the sources that work to pay their debts.

Back to us, though; what’s wrong with learning? Here’s what people have shared with me so far.

It’s expensive. Think of college. A great number of people are still paying off their college tuition. Some say college is worth it, others say it isn’t. For actors, it depends on what you want out of your life. Not everyone who went to Julliard made it big. I’ve even met a few who flat out told me it wasn’t worth it. But what I found myself asking was, what did they want out of it? An immediate job in a Broadway play? An invite to audition to for Steven Spielberg? Or an education at one of the finest performing institutes in the world?

Time. Some of us are late bloomers. Including myself. Who cares? I may not make it as a romantic leading lady in a Hollywood film like Jennifer Lawrence, but I don’t care because it’s not something I want. I’d rather be a highly respected performer like Meryl Streep, Judi Dench, or Helen Mirren. They’ve been working steadily for years and age hasn’t stopped them. As I’ve grown in my career I’ve discovered that my interest in performing is also awakening my interest in being creative elsewhere: writing, producing, maybe directing, maybe even game design. These days rather than realize that the clock is ticking as an actor and a VO, I’m looking to expand my horizons. How do I do this? NETWORKING! I’m getting to know all kinds of people in other areas of entertainment like music composers, game designers, coders, writers, producers, directors, and on and on. I don’t look at who is more likely to get my foot in the door, but more of what can I learn from their experience. If I die before accomplishing any of my dreams, I can at least look back and know that I tried and hopefully inspire other generations to do the same. Morgan Freeman is a great example. He’s been acting since he was a child, but believe it or not, he didn’t get full recognition until he was in his 40s-50s. He didn’t stop learning and didn’t stop believing in himself.

 It’s hard work, all of it. Wouldn’t it be great to have a mother, father, aunt, uncle, cousin, brother or sister or grandparent working in this industry? They could open doors in a heartbeat. A lot of times they do. But even that can backfire. One actress I know of has a terrific fan base, has close to one hundred thousand followers on Twitter and worked on incredible projects. Yet her ticket in was through her brother because of how established he was in the industry. This actress has earned her place with respect due to proven talen; at the same time, it’s not surprising to see quite a few trolls on the internet blasting the fact that she got in through nepotism. But folks, that’s life. It’s not going to change, ever! Get over it! You can spend hours on the internet griping about a situation you can’t control or move on and work on YOUR potential success, if you want it. If it takes a long time, then embrace the journey. Acknowledge how far you’ve come. In the end people will admire you for it and look up to you instead of bashing your name on forums for getting in through nepotism. Read books, take Udemy courses, watch tutorials on YouTube, attend workshops, listen to podcasts, audition for plays, be an extra in movies, TV and film, get to know ALL kinds of people, even production assistants! Take criticism with a grain of salt and move forward with the promise of continuing to learn. You might surprise yourself with results.

Now, I’m blunt in my posts nowadays because this business is blunt. It’s unfair, it’s ruthless, it’s not for the faint of heart, it’s tough to break into, but also, not impossible. It depends on you. If you don’t make it on Hollywood, make it happen in hometown. YouTube is all the rage now. Even celebrities have YouTube pages just to keep up with what’s current in the world. Make a short film, sing a cover version of a well-known song, open your mind and be creative with your skills.

At the same time, expect criticism and trolls because they’re everywhere and not going away. If some people give you genuine, helpful advice, take it! If others put you down, shrug your shoulders and move on.

***This post was written last Friday which also was the day I received some devastating news in the VO community. A “Pay To Play” site known as Voices dot com bought Voicebank. I don’t want to go into the subject too much but if you need to read more about this and why it’s bad news then start by visiting these sites:

http://www.nethervoice.com/2017/08/09/a-deal-with-the-devil/

https://tomdheere.com/voiceovers-voice-bank-and-voices-dot-com-the-not-silent-blog-81517/

http://www.bryansaint.com/voices-com-reviews-major-update/

10 Reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over part 2

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Continuing from last time on 10 Reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over. Please remember it’s not about saying you will never be a voice over, it’s what you’re not doing that’ll keep you from being a voice over.

  1. Demos: This… is the most important thing you WILL need. No excuses!! You can ever ask around about how important it is to have demos. If you don’t have at least one demo, you’ll be tossed aside. Recording demos on your own is frowned upon, especially if you don’t know what you’re doing (surprisingly, people still try). And keep this priceless piece advice with you: You get what you pay for. If you spend $200-$500 on a demo and it sounds like it was produced in an echoey room with noise in the background, poor sound effects, terrible reading or awful acting, you could not only lose opportunities to audition for projects, you could be remembered for your awful demo and denied a second chance. I’ve seen this happen too. I’ve been to studios where the engineers play horrible demos for everyone just for fun and they literally cringe after 8 seconds then make fun of the person’s name or such. Now some demo producers are generous by keeping fees under $1000, but listen to samples of demos they’ve worked on and decide if you like the quality. Have doubts about what sounds good? Visit Voicebank.net, go to demos and clients, click on agencies like Atlas Agency, DPN, Vox, Inc. SBV, Abrams Artists, AVO Talent or CESD. Play demos under some of the actors listed with the agent. Do you think your demo can stand out from theirs? I have a list of producers I recommend on my VO Knowledge Shared post.
  2. Performance: If you’re pursuing commercials can you read copy without sounding like you’re reading? Can you talk about a product like you’re sharing news of the product to your friend or family? Or if you’re pursing video games, are you prepared to do lots of shouting if it calls for it? Can you put yourself in the mind of a character in a bizarre or hostile environment and sound believable? Can you create voices for 3-4 different characters? If you want to work in animation, the info above still applies. But if you want to pursue anime, can you match the speed of lip flaps on one screen while seeing the script on another? Can you get the work done without lots of errors? Most of all, do you sound awesome on your polished produced demo and are able to reproduce that exact performance?
  3. Respect: This is crucial, not just for others but for yourself. Many entering voice over are offering their “services” for as low as $5 for work in commercials or narrations and so on. If you accept this payment and word gets around, you won’t be popular in the community. And word WILL get around. I see it all the time on social media. Websites and names are mentioned of those who charge little to nothing to book jobs that SHOULD pay more for use of your voice. If you join Pay 2 Play sites, beware of others who audition and offer low fees. Then there are the sites themselves. Some are very dishonest. If you get paid just $100 flat for recording a commercial that’s airing 10-20 times a day on TV or Radio, you’re missing the opportunity to negotiate for residuals (payment for every time it airs). You also risk damaging your reputation. If word gets around you’re willing to work cheap for one company but not for another, how will you handle the situation? Word travels fast.
  4. You won’t take advice from working professionals: There are some who have this idea that they’re good at everything. I’ve seen folks who have potential for corporate or industrials spend years trying to break in animation and games. I’ve also seen announcers attempt audiobooks, and video game VO talent try commercials. But when the pros (super established VO talent or producers, directors, casting or booth directors) give subtle advice and the talent either rolls their eyes or bashes their name on social media for suggesting ideas that could help, it means wasting an opportunity to find a niche that truly works for you. Don’t try to do everything. It’s ridiculous. My strength is animation and games, I believe I have potential in other markets but if a respected pro tells me otherwise I’m totally ok. You may find you have a gift when it comes to long form narration even though you yearn to do video games. Embrace what comes naturally first, then try other genres. However, learn to take any and all advice that’s freely given. Now if it’s a put down or negative comments (even from a pro) then yes, toss it aside. I’ve only encountered maybe 4 people in the voice over community who I won’t recommend as a talent or a coach. They’re long time VO talent with lots of credits in various genres, at the same time they’re grouchy, egotistical, and in some cases VERY insecure about others pursuing voice over. I won’t take their advice because it’s often negative and in a few cases incredibly rude and belittling. Anyone who acts in such a way is a bully, and believe me when I say word travels fast.
  5. You want to be famous like so-and-so and that’s all: If fame is all you want, then VO may not be what you’re looking for. I know plenty of famous VO talent and I’ll tell you this, most weren’t thinking about having thousands of Twitter followers, or interviews in magazines or invites to conventions all over the world. They love acting and they love Entertainment. They got as far as they did through hard word and luck. They’re the nice talent who are respectful even to beginners. I also know talent who are known for a few shows yet play the same kinds of characters over and over. Then they brag about having lots of fans, convention appearances, and money that comes from charging for autographs or pictures taken with them. They may be famous and have lots of fans, but the stories I hear from those who’ve seen the voice actors in person are far from positive. And worse, those who select certain individuals as idols they want to be like (I’ve met a good number of them), end up sabotaging themselves due to trying to be someone they’re not or modeling themselves as the next so-and-so. I’ve seen YouTube videos of a person doing this and constantly mispronouncing the voice actor’s name. This person unfortunately only wanted fame. He/she wanted the worship and praise of others clapping and screaming and throwing themselves at his/her feet. Here’s what’s ironic. The person isn’t a famous VO, he/she is an infamous wannabe. I see their name mentioned now and then, and I read unpleasant stories about them on blogs, message boards, and other social media sites. Do you want fame or infamy? The best kind of “fame” to aim for is respect from other VO talent and clientele. Be someone who is patient, dependable, understanding, easy to work with, joyful, honest, and hardworking. Then your name will spread around the community with compliments and praise. And in time clients (producers, agents, directors, etc.) will seek you out. I’ve gotten some great work just because someone I trained with in a workshop, auditioned for on a project I didn’t book, or met through colleague recommended me.

I could go on with more reasons that would prevent you from becoming a VO talent, but you’ll likely find tips on other blogs that are either similar to all the above or expanded to up to 20 reasons.

And as I said before, don’t use this list to be discouraged, use it to prevent obstacles from happening in your journey to discovering yourself. VO may not be for you after all. Don’t treat the news as a bad thing. Use it to figure out what you can do and where to go from there.

10 Reasons Why You Won’t Make It As A Voice Over part 1

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Due to this post being quite long I’ve made it into two parts. Before criticizing the negative title of this post please know that it’s not meant to discourage; it’s meant to explain what you need to be doing today to be a voice over and the reasons that MIGHT be stopping you.

More and more my colleagues and I are encountering people who ask how to get in VO. And that’s nice. It’s perfectly normal. I encourage it. Now there are times when I might get too busy to answer, but one thing I’m hearing from my friends is the lack of work people should be doing to stay active in this business. If you want to treat it as a hobby that’s great. I guarantee there’s always a need for volunteer voice over artists. You can record books, magazines, or newspapers for the blind. You can donate time to recording some free e-learning programs or PSAs. However, if you want to compete with professional talent that you hear in commercials, promos, anime, video games, cartoons, narrations, audiobooks, industrials, political ads, etc. You HAVE to do the work!

Yes, that was blunt, but for a good reason. My colleagues and I get emails and messages on social media time and time again from people wanting to enter the world of voice overs. As I said above, that’s nice, nothing wrong with that whatsoever. The downside is once they learn all that’s involved just to get started, they either quit, ask for free help at “getting in” or say they don’t need training or demos (yes some have actually said this!). The last two excuses are what irks the professionals, including myself. Working VO talent have worked really hard to get where they are and a lot of us are still working hard to stay in the game. If you’re not willing to work just as hard then you’re wasting our time, which is not free. I will gladly donate time for a letter with links or suggestions on where to start, but wanting free lessons or leads into projects I’m working on? The answer is a flat no.

If you’re truly willing to commit the time you have to training, getting a good home studio set up, networking like a boss with a solid website and auditioning hundreds or thousands of times before booking something, then you’re welcome in the VO Community. And it is definitely a wonderful community. A lot of VO talent compete for the same jobs, and a few don’t like to acknowledge those who are starting out or who are capable of eventually booking jobs they normally get. The vast majority though become like family over time. You can have a place in all of it if you’re willing to do the work. If you think you don’t need to do any work, see a list of reasons why you won’t make it as a voice over.

  1. Training: It’s a must. I know Talent who have worked for Disney, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., major TV networks and national commercials who still attend workshops and classes to stay sharp and keep up with what’s current. If you think you’re too good for all that, see ya!
  2. Taking direction: ALWAYS leave your ego at home. ALWAYS!! (you’re going to see this word a lot). Your job is not to like how the script is written, your job is to show up at the studio prepared for feedback and sometimes long hours in a booth. If you won’t acknowledge what the director or client wants out of your read, you’ll be fired and likely not hired again or worse, blackballed.
  3. Egos: As said above, ALWAYS leave your ego at home. I know of people in the industry who think they’re God when it comes to voice over. It’s almost literal. They’re demanding when it comes to projects (lead roles only, no minor parts and no background voices) and disrespectful to those who aren’t as elite as they like to think they are. One person I hear NONSTOP horror stories about will refuse to work on shows that don’t have a high-profile presence among viewers. Nor will this person perform as a supporting or minor character, it has to be a lead. This person has been seen first-hand by working professionals as well as fans behaving like a diva with ridiculous demands, loving the attention he/she gets from others and won’t hesitate to take advantage of it. Instead honoring the opportunities he/she receives with gratitude, he/she is purely in it for the fame, and the money received for making appearances. On the internet, however, you find people posting all kinds of negative comments which in due time could stall or end your career. If you become like this person, eventually it WILL come back at you.
  4. Not having a solid space or recording equipment at home: Folks, this is the age we live in. You have to have a home studio. If you live near recording studios and are willing to pay money per hour to audition or record sessions then by all means stick to it. However, clients these days don’t want to pay a studio fee. So, consider finding a place in your house or apartment that’s really quiet. Talk with recording engineers about ways to dampen or sound proof the area (a corner, a closet, even a bathroom) so there’s no echo. You can totally have a good studio on a low budget. Do your research online. Some great people I recommend for help are George Whittam, Dan Lenard and Dan Friedman. Google their names, and email them. Be aware though, their time isn’t free. Time is money, so don’t expect free evaluations or advice.
  5. Marketing: If you assume people will find you right away on social media you’ll be waiting a LONG time. Even if you sign with an agent, you still have to do your part. Never call an agent to ask why you’re not getting any work. You can, however, ask what you can do to help your agent get you noticed. If you won’t take their advice or give them a hard time, you could be dropped and then your name would get around as someone difficult to work with. I’ve seen it happen. The internet is a goldmine of great info and assistance but also a curse. Use it only for good. Join Facebook VO groups, Twitter Chats, create a YouTube page, get a nice website (HTML is recommended, not flash), create a LinkedIn page and join groups there. Find out if there might be a meet up group in your area. Or join online VO workout groups who use Zoom to interact. Be a positive role model and not someone who belittles others.

Part-Time Careers While Pursuing Voice Overs

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I’ve been away a while. Apologies, apologies and more apologies. But I’ve been VERY busy, which is what I like. And I’ll be glad to share the progress in posts yet to come. Still with me? Bless you!

Believe it or not only a certain amount of people can have the luxury of making voice over a full-time business in a matter of a few short years or even decades. Because of this, I decided to write a blog post about part-time careers or jobs that my colleagues have had while working their way to full-time.

For those who have asked, I have quite a few part-time careers going on, not just to make money but to have back-up opportunities when VO work is slow, or when I need more training, more demos, studio upgrades, etc. Because, let’s face it, we need money to keep VO going in our lives.

It got me thinking about other VO talent and how their journeys led them to where they are. So I asked quite a few talent and here’s what they shared with me:

Yoga Instructor (I’m certified)

Emergency substitute teacher

Educational technology

Nanny/Babysitter/Music Broker

Independent Contractor at Radio Promotions

Social worker/Supervisor/Guidance Counselor/Rare Book Dealer

Baker/Pastry Chef/Cake Decorator (I’m experimenting with this)

Jeweler/Jewelry Designer; Interior (re)Design/Staging; Copy Editing/Writing

Being an extra in movies and on TV shows (I’ve done LOTS)

Real Estate Agent (I know many actors in this field)

Tutor for kids with learning disabilities

Client Relations for a Creative Agency

Freelance Food Stylist

Radio Traffic Reporter

Historical Consultant for a Heritage Organization

Travel Writer for tours and content provider to their websites (something I’m very interested in as a hobby and part-time career)

Assistant at Conventions and Fundraisers

Massage Therapist (I’m considering adding this to my resume)

Photographer

Dog Walker/Pet Sitter

Mystery Shopper

Professional Mermaid (I’m on my way towards this as well)

Or reviewer of free items on apps like Influenstar

Extra for movies (sometimes $58 to $75 per 8 or 12 hour days with meals provided) or commercials filming in town – You don’t necessarily need a talent agent for finding extra work. However, quite a few casting directors I know who book extra work on SAG commercials (which usually pay a little over $300 for 10 hours on set) use talent agents because they trust the professionalism of the actors with that agent. There are people who can make a decent living being professional extras for movies and commercials. But you have to be available for a full day, possibly an overnight shoot or multiple days at a time. Often you’ll be asked a day or two before production and saying “maybe” can cost you future opportunities.

Pretty much the key word to hold to is: freelance. However, also keep in mind that freelance isn’t for the faint of heart. You work every day trying to attract business opportunities which is the absolute same in voice over. Depending on what you want to do, remember that some part-time careers and jobs require certifications, licenses, and expenses for advertising (websites, business cards, attending conventions, etc.).

Yet again, like in Voice Over, in order to succeed, you MUST know your competition. There are always going to be others who are not necessarily better but definitely more experienced. Then ask yourself questions like: What do you do differently than other brands? Why should the client put their trust in you? Will it support you through bills, taxes and family members?

Build your reputation by being a trustworthy source to those who need your talents, and then keep in touch with them with an occasional email asking how they are, and politely offering your services if they ever have a need for them. They might provide you with testimonials for your website or referrals which can lead to greater jobs.

If none of the above interests you in part-time work, then research some more. Google can be your friend if you let it. And yes, it’s easy to be discouraged, we all go through it. But know that life isn’t meant to be comfortable. Comfortable is the death of creativity. Without challenges, we as artists and human beings don’t grow and change to better ourselves and our talents.

I love discovering new hobbies and I encourage others to take leaps into unusual territories, not because I want to discourage you from pursuing voice over, but because whatever you learn outside of voice over might help you in your journey. If you love reading books aloud, maybe volunteer as a reader for https://www.learningally.org/. If you love art make a montage of screenshots and share bits of trivia through narration, then put it on YouTube. Or if you love talking about crafts, make up, recipes, then make instructional videos and put them out there!

Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?

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Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?

This is something I’ve been asked about a lot lately and yet there’s no simple answer. I had taken Tae Kwon Do in my teens, experimented with Karate, Judo and Kung Fu but couldn’t bring myself to stay with them. Some teachers were kind, some were stern yet understanding, and others were… just not for me. As a beginner I was judged as not being able to keep up with the pace of intermediate or advanced students. One man complained that I wasn’t trying hard enough to do full sit ups and said Judo would be no good to me anyways. Ah me. Can’t please everyone. The arrogance got worse when it came time to consider tournaments and other competitions which I had no interest in. I wanted a martial art that would teach self-defense like how to get away from gun attacks, knife attacks, chokes, rape prevention and more. But these other styles only cared for technique used in forms. So I finally gave up searching for a new studio. After years of traveling, soul searching, and praying for guidance I decided to try dancing. It did not last. You might say it was the straw that broke the camel’s back because I found my feet moving into a fighter’s stance instead of a dance routine.

On a drive one day I happened to pass a studio that had just opened its doors. Curiosity brought me into the parking lot. But while sitting in my car I thought no one was there. Nonetheless, I got out, approached the doors and saw a man behind a counter enthusiastically inviting me in. Of course the first thing I asked was, “What is Krav Maga”, to which the man explained it to me in great detail. It would be intense, the warm-ups alone would be rigorous. But it made sense to me, his attitude was very positive and encouraging without being salesy. I took a free lesson, learning about arm grabs and how to best get out of them. That sold me in a heartbeat. No other school wanted to teach me self-defense in a first lesson.  Back then it was all about how to stand in a horse stance or where to position your arm with precision above your head with your fist tight before taking a step during form 1.

So for a few weeks I was the only student taking Krav Maga at this new location. I liked the individual attention. Then little by little others started to join in. Months later I took more till those months became years and the school expanded not once but twice. My teacher used to teach on his own, now he had 7 or 8 teachers to help with kids, teens, adult beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Before I knew it, 7 years had passed and I was told that it was time for my black belt test. Nobody gets their black belt in just 3-4 years in Krav Maga. You’re confronted physically, mentally, emotionally and beyond. I’ve seen lips busted, noses broken, feet broken, teeth knocked out, shoulders dislocated, and bodies slammed to the floor (including my own). With every new belt I tested for came new challenges such as trial by fire (put in a circle with your eyes closed and having someone attack you with a technique that you must get out of in less than 8 seconds) or a rattlesnake drill (multiple people attack you one after the other).

As I progressed to higher belt ranks the intensity skyrocketed. My strength didn’t feel adequate against men a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than me. So I was encouraged to consider cheats if I was attacked in the real world such as scratching, biting, grabbing back fat, eye gouging and ripping the groin. That upped my confidence a tiny bit. Later more women joined the class. I felt even better to be working with them instead of men who could throw me across the room. By the time I got to my red belt 3 which was the last step to reaching black belt, I had learned multiple techniques to work with but also had the freedom to be inventive with them.

My teacher stayed patient with me even when under lots of stress. He knows I’m someone who will question anything and everything since something that works for him may not work the same for me. Then last month, the date of my test was announced. All I could think of was how I wanted to get it over with quickly. The first hour alone had me out of breath. That was just the start of the warm up. From there you had to ignore the clock as much as possible and move from one demonstration to the next. After lunch I felt ready to give it all the last 4 hours until we had to spar which I detest immensely. I did what I could then cried my eyes out thinking I was too much a disgrace to go forward. Yet again, my teacher encouraged me not to give up. Even my opponents urged me to keep going. So with tear streaked cheeks, puffy eyes, swollen ankles, sore arms, an achy back and shaky legs I forced myself to endure more trial by fires till I heard what I’d be waiting to hear for 8.5 hours “Awesome work! That’s it!”

Then we all got emotional. And I wondered if I truly deserved getting a black belt. Some areas I excelled at and others not so much. But I lasted through the entire day. My teacher said that was a big part of the test.

Now to answer the question at the top: Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?
I did it to prove I was just as worthy as anyone else of getting as far as I did with dedication.

I didn’t quit or walk away, I remained where I was, gave it my all and now I can look at my list of accomplishments and add achieving a black belt in a martial art. Best of all, the learning will never stop. A black belt doesn’t mean you’ve learned everything, it really means you’re ready to go beyond learning itself to become stronger, competent and understanding of who you are. Not what other people think of you.
All those years ago I remember being nervous just trying something new. I had been somewhat agoraphobic, and very shy. Now, in 2016 my awareness has increased dramatically. I’m more open-minded in conversations or topics under discussion. I feel less intimidated by others unless they just have really bad attitudes. I also found myself exploring new interests such as teaching yoga which I encourage classmates to take in order to improve their balance and flexibility when training in Krav Maga. This is where I am. Where do you want to be?

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