I held my breath and tensed my body. The strike was inevitable and I was preparing –as I had learned in martial arts- to minimize the pain and subsequent sting.

This was the one-meter ruler Mr. S., the math teacher, always carried. Made out of flexible but sturdy wood laminate, it came handy to trace perfectly straight lines and to punish raucous students. Mr. S., and his infamous ruler, had caught me attempting a prank.

His intentions were clear and everyone knew what was to come. He had commanded me to stand up and to place my hands behind my back. He wanted the upper thigh area free of obstructions. That’s where the strikes made the loudest smack, stung the most, but left little to no evidence of the events.

I was braced and ready. I kept my eyes open and firmly staring at the blackboard in front of me. Through the corner of my eye, I saw him raise the arm and prepare the swing.

Bring it on, dude! I thought. My own inner pep talk. Only two strikes, it’d be over in seconds, the burning would dissipate in a couple of hours.

Coach Izzy - Author

But the strikes never came.

I knew his arm was still raised and I could feel his intense stare. I turned my head until our eyes met. His grip on the ruler was crushing as revealed by the white knuckles and the stiff arm. His chin was trembling and his anger throbbing, yet the dreaded strikes were halted in limbo.

“You are the writer, aren’t you?” said Mr. S., his words exercising caution.

“Yes, Sir, I am.”

Mr. S. cleared his throat and eased the ill-famed ruler. He smirked first, then laughed heartily.

“Sit down, smartass!” he commanded. “I’ll cut you slack this time, but pull another shenanigan and I’ll give you plenty to write about.”

Oh, the incredible power of the written word!

Not in gossip, not in sensationalism, not in vacuous statements. Power in revealing truths, regardless of the consequences unleashed by doing so.

Just the week before, I had published an article in the school paper denouncing the physical abuse inflicted on students by the hall monitors and teachers. The publisher and editor-in-chief, Mr. Lopez, had encouraged me to do so. He was a great teacher, modern in his ideas, rebellious in his approach, and not shy about exposing the truth.

How I Started Writing

The Consequences of my Controversial Article

Mr. Lopez and I knew my article would touch some nerves, but we were not ready for the ensuing storm when the article saw the light. Mr. Lopez was reprimanded, put on probation, but he was not fired because the powers feared a riot if they did so. I earned the contempt and anger of the hall monitors and many teachers, but they did not touch me because I was a good –albeit occasionally mischievous- student. Amid the tensions, many of my fellow students, and some teachers, quietly thanked me for exposing the truth. They had wanted to say something but feared the repercussions.

Oh, the incredible power of the written word! Untouchable when begotten out of undeniable facts, irrefutable evidence, and the proper words to stimulate thinking.

Dangerous to the system? Yes, but incontestably liberating.

I was only sixteen years of age. I had been writing from an early age, and though I had earned accolades for my poetry and short stories, none left me as alive and fulfilled as that allegedly incendiary article I had published. It was not the reaction generated per se, but rather, the difference and the impact it made, no pun intended. Corporal punishment diminished for the remainder of the school year and students were less likely to take physical punishment idly.

That was a turning point in my appreciation for the power of writing and I knew then, that sooner or later, I would help others open their eyes and reclaim what is theirs through my writing .

And I continue writing. This time my focus is my profession of health, fitness, and pain therapy. I have written for many prestigious publications and websites, and now I’m writing for my own mission. Advances in technology and communications have made it possible for me to reach a broader audience than ever before.

I understand what I say will upset and offend, for that is the path of presenting the truth. I know and I accept the consequences of my actions. I have received hate messages and unsubstantiated accusations because of what I write. It is the price of my mission. And I happily accept it because that is only one side of the coin. The ability to change lives, to awaken the dormant thinker hungry for self-sufficiency, they are the incredible rewards that keep me writing.

I write because I believe a healthy, happy, and pain-free life lies in challenging the established rules and integrating what we reject. My own life is proof of it and I believe that if I can tap into this great treasure of health by thinking on my own, so can you.

I dedicate all my works to you, dear friend. I know well that the answers you are looking for, the answers that hold the key to your permanent success, have always been within you, and you only need to remove the excessive noise to see them. That’s where I come in.

I want to help you liberate your thinking by showing you how to choose relying on the strength of facts and not on the weakness of emotional attachments. In doing so, you will eliminate the automaton, linear approach presently corrupting our understanding of health and fitness, embrace what works based on how your body functions, and you will earn your fitness self-sufficiency. No longer will you be the prisoner of one system, instead, you will be an innovator with the freedom to adapt and evolve.

Here is to a productive and safe health journey. Happy reading and I wish you a joyous and pain-free life.

Coach Izzy - Author

Pain Therapist, Strength Coach
Author, Speaker, and Educator

Counterstrain Therapist
B.S. Exercise Science and Sports Studies
LMP – MA60192810
Nationals Strength & Conditioning Association  (NSCA) – CSCS
Resistance Training Institute – RTS
Kettlebell Concepts  (KBC) – Master Instructor
United States Weightlifting Association  (USAW) – Weightlifting Coach, Sports Performance.
American Academy of Sports Dietitians and Nutritionists (AASDN) – Nutrition Specialist.
Pre/Post Partum Fitness.
Neurosomatic Educators – Posturologist, Somatic Therapist.
National Certification Board of Therapeutic Massage & Body Work (NCBTMB) – NCTMB.
Cupping Therapy Association (ICTA) – Cupping Therapist.
Member of the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA)
Creator of The Killer Kettlebell Body System, The Fit and Healthy Diver Project, The Kettlebells For A Fit Diver System, and more.