Pedro Torres
Movement Athletics Instructor
Starting at an early age of 6 years old following my fathers band to weddings and quinceñeras, Dancing and Music were the gateway to movement.
By the age of 10 I watched my 1st Bruce Lee movie with my father, and Saw Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Predator. My Fixation for Body Transformation was ignited.
My family didn't have the time or money to afford tuition in a Sports Club Team, therefore I played as I worked on my father's ranch. Hoisting the heaviest objects I could. Practicing acrobatics on mounds of dirt or straw. Practiced breaking scrap wood, bricks, with my hands and feet. Play wrestling with my neighbors kids. Climbing the great cherry tree in the back yard and having cherry throwing wars. Practicing bare-back riding on oversized sheep...which ended painfully after a few times.
My first formal training came via the public education system playing American Football, Roman-Greco Wrestling, and Track & Field. Finally with finances in order, Tae Kwon Do was my first Traditional Martial Art at age 17 due to conflicts at school with bullying. Then I went to the University, where outside of the classroom I spent much time weight lifting, tumbling classes, Kyokushin Karate, Intramural Soccer, Football, and various recreational sports.
I graduated from Washington State University in 2008 and entered the workforce immediately in the Healthcare Industry as a manager at Hoag Memorial Hospital Newport Beach, CA. I knew my job was to coach staff to create a stress free atmosphere that would enable healing and help patients into better spirits and healing bodies.
I realized my calling after seeing countless people enter & exit those hospital doors for two of the longest years of my life. These were also 2 years of reduced varied exercise, as I allowed habits of being a Salaried Manager to take over. I gained weight, experienced extreme back pain (from a back injury sustained during a lifting session at age 20) and my spirit was slowly suffocating in silence.
In 2010 I realized I was not put here to be a reactive person, rather a proactive creator. We live in a country where injury, disease, and sickness are being caused by a habitual sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, and a weakened mind-set. We are seduced by Insta - Gratification, dopamine addiction, technology stimulus and many other temptations that did not exist 20, 30, perhaps 40 years ago.
I have a family whose health and longevity was at risk, and knew I had to be the catalyst of change and intention for our future. I had intentions leaving the hospital shortly after witnessing surgeries due to obesity or injury, and my family experiencing sever health scares. Well, without going into details before I left my job, I was terminated, a blessing in disguise to my human eyes. Within days I began my studies and within months earned my Personal Training Certification, returned to the Tri-Cities to begin working at a local Fitness Club in 2011.
In the Summer of 2012 SED Fitness doors opened. After following a couple contemporary Movement Practitioners, I realized a desire to Create a community with this balance of cultural expansion, creation, and SED Fitness had become Movement Athletics. Naming such after myself seemed too Egotistical, Self-serving and limiting, hence the choice. Keeping open doors to all learning and selective influence from other teachers in the Health & Wellness spaces of the world.
This was where another great conscious awareness took place. After listening intently to Bruce Lee's philosophy on not being limited to a style in Martial Arts, I made the same conclusion to my Exercise Practice. I was already practicing this without intention, and made the decision to commit myself to learning and applying the connection of ALL MOVEMENT and Mind practice. I searched locally and internationally (online) for a Coach, Trainer, a Teacher who had the creative skill set to address my back pain, neck pain, shoulder issues, and continue to groom me as a Health Fitness professional. I was looking for a Master of ALL, nutrition, strength, flexibility, speed, pain management, balance, corrective healing exercise, breathing, physical, spiritual and mental cultivation.
After following a couple contemporary Movement Practitioners, I realized a desire to reflect and reinvent myself.
I decided I had to become that open-minded Eternal Student and Teacher. Arrogant, yes. But also very essential for my personal growth and happiness.
A small community of people have begun following from close and afar the ideas and beliefs I share - Initially and Most Importantly around Fitness in a Broad Spectrum. This community, Movement Athletics philosophy has the intention to spark growth and expression of YOU - a community that congregates around Fitness,...a Strong Enduring Determined Movement.
A few basic beliefs of mine, nothing I've invented, just incorporated into the balanced approach for myself and those who surround me.
Hard Work and Following Through - I'm a product of my upbringing. Big Talk. Big Walk. Open Minded Thinking. Exercise. LOTS OF IT, and VARIED TYPES. I don't mean 30 minutes a day 3 to 5 days a week. The committed SED Head Trains, A LOT. A century ago eating, and drinking water was a workout. Humans are at the top of the Food Chain thank GOD, due to the Phenomenally Mysterious Mind, and Body.
Fun! If we can't have a balance of fun with the hard work that comes with the territory, we will burn out, naturally. Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself when mistakes are made. It is good for the soul, and fuel for the present moment.
Criticism that Creatively Constructs. Humans were created to grow. If you come here expecting a sugar coated critic, there will be emotionally difficult moments. Learning to deal with Criticism is essential for those with a committed desire of cultivation of mind, body, and soul.
Determination Guides Beyond Failure - Failure is simply the launch pad into success. With determination we reflect when things have gone wrong, giving us the ability to succeed, or recognize the freedom to change our mind about what we want.
Love - Is the glue that has kept this Earth from Complete annihilation. Love is an action, not an emotion. Here we love ourselves with the gift of exercise.
Respect - One of the foundations of this Pyramid is Agreeing to Disagree with each other. Setting aside Ego, the need to be right, will cultivate deep nurturing relationships.
Leading is done from the front, true. It is prefaced with learning to follow, at times amongst the crowd, others from behind. I exercise and read MORE than most of my friends & family. I've been in all these positions, which is why I'm moving to the front as an Ambassador, recognizing when needed others must lead where I'm still learning. Many industry leaders reach a peak with money, material, and fame engulfs their reality. Then the flow of motivation, information, slows or halts, leading to a deterioration of the community.
Methodical Efficiency is an ever evolving action. Figure out the best way to accomplish a goal, then after doing so, look for another better way - recognizing that some approaches work better for different people.
Growth is Big - and Humans in Movement tend to have greatest ideas and inspiration during moments with induced perspiration which lead to Growth of Mind, Body, and Spirit. There are Expansive worlds within movement disciplines in Fitness, Gymnastics, Dance, Martial Arts, Entertainment /Competitive Sports and more. Specialization is wonderful AND perhaps a must on our mother Earth, but beyond that, we are, under the great sky, Humans First, Creators Second, and Specialist in our Career or Exercise Medium of Choice Last. I encourage you to discover the Limitless Greatness within you.
Camaraderie, group effort accomplishes so much more and reaches more people than any single Human can do with solo. Teamwork, encouragement, accountability will foster an environment where everyone can feel welcomed and improve, if not at the very least gift us a diverse perspective.
Cheers,
Pedro
