User Profile

Hi. I'm Tommy. Here's some stuff about me. This article may be in-progress so if there is conflicting information please forgive me.

I have studied Martial Arts for over 12 years, first in Northern Shaolin Praying Mantis from Sifu Luis Garza, and then Gong Yuen Chuan Fa (Pai Lum Tao) from Sifu Rick Armstrong. I spent almost a year trapped in a contract at a shitty McDojo that managed to catch me offguard and trick me into believing it was a decent school, Tom Gohring's Tai Chi and 'Tiger Crane' kung fu. BS to the max. I am currently teaching and training in the Mushin Dao system at Austin Martial Arts Academy. Martial Arts taught me about myself, about self control, and about the link between physical and spiritual. It's showed me that anything is possible if you truly have focus. Martial Arts has also been the driving force in the rehabilitation of my body, gaining back all the things that had been taken away by my disease.

I dig Ren Faires, I have gone to every Texas Ren Fest every year since I was 14, by now I have a decent collection of Garb and Swords, I love swords. And leather. I used to wear some cool armor and would get in costume, but I've gained too much muscle mass to fit into it anymore, so I don't go in garb. I got into the Faires because of my background in Fantasy books, and Dungeons and Dragons.

Music has been a big part of my life for a long time, I listened to METAL as long as I can remember, and played the drums from age 13-17. From 1999-2004 I concentrated on my DJ'ing and producing electronic music, I played UK Hard House originally, then moved on to Bangin' Techno, then Tribal House, influenced by my Girlfriend. I ran a dj website that gained a fair amount of popularity called Nobones Recordings, but it is since defunct. I stopped dj'ing in 2005 after an attack of Multiple Sclerosis caused my left ear to go deaf. Since then I've grown in my musical taste and scope of production, and have started working in other genres as well as experimented with writing and performing my own lyrics. I have just purchased an electric guitar and am learning to play. I have greatly expanded my knowledge of recording techniques and equipment, and have gained a fair amount of skill in the arts of mixdown and mastering. I continue to purchase a decent home recording/production studio, one component at a time.

**ABOUT TEACHING AT AMAA GOES HERE!!**

My previous jobs have been Acoustical Ceiling Installer (6 mo.), Newspaper Graphic Designer (3 yrs), Half-Price Books Sci-Fi book clerk (6 mo), Movie Theater Head Projectionist and Manager (1 yr), and I Interned with Fox Sports Network Cable TV Station(6 mo).

I attended the Art Institute of Houston, but never graduated. I went in originally for their fledgeling Multimedia program, pretty much was railroaded into it even though I wanted to go in for Graphic Design. After a few semesters of not liking it, I decided to switch to Computer Animation, because my buddy Poof was in that program and I thought I wanted to get into 3D animation. I ended up half-quitting and half-failing; and left after a year and a half.

In October of 2004, I became ill and was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. My first attack took away the coordination on the right side of my body, making it very difficult (and impossible at times) to walk or write. I started to improve over the next month or so, but I had my second relapse on Thanksgiving, several days after they approved the new treatment Tysabri. This attack brought on momentary short-circuits in my nervous system that caused extreme spasms including making me unable to speak for almost a minute sometimes. Shortly thereafter I started on Tysabri and began seeing some improvements. By Xmas I was able to walk without a cane. In late February 2005, Tysabri was pulled from the market by the FDA because 2 people in the research group (on combination therapy with Tysabri and Avonex[Betaseron]) developed a deadly central nervous system infection. Several months after this happened I was put on another treatment, Copaxone, that has been out for over 12 years and has a great deal of positive safety data. During this period I had another attack that caused me to have almost constant vertical double-vision as well as almost total deafness in the left ear, and it increased the sensitivity of my gag reflex to the point where eating almost anything made me gag. I have been on Copaxone for quite some time and it has worked very well for me. I have fought back against all the lingering symptoms of my MS, and since that last attack have not any any other excacerbations.

I currently am in the best shape I've ever been, in my entire life. MS gave me the motivation needed to make a complete life change, and I have changed the way I eat, the way I sleep, the way I think, the way I walk, and the way I talk. I live every day with the intention of improving myself and my life, and have gratitude for the things I lost and was fortunate enough to gain back. I control my fatigue through a program of good nutrition, proper rest, and stimulation of my body through martial arts and weighlifting. I have found that my body will respond positively to the demands that I put on it, and though I start with less energy and strength than most people, I can still stimulate growth in those areas and improve my physical condition. Through good nutrition and working out I went from 165 lbs (when I got sick) to a peak weight of 192 lbs, and am currently at a comfortable and easy to maintain 185 lbs.

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