First gym experiences: every fighter has had them. And like that first awkward dance at the prom or the first time they ever tried to drive a car, it’s an experience that’s often memorable and unique. Rebellion Media recently caught up with superstar middleweight and former Strikeforce Cung Le for an interview, and of course, one of the questions asked was, “What was it like the first time you ever stepped into a martial arts gym?

Said Le:

“My first experience in martial arts was like the first day I went to school in America – I didn’t speak any English. And I’m remembering that my mom – my dad was stuck in Vietnam – my mom dropped me off at school and stayed there as long as she could, and next thing I know she snuck off. I was in a classroom with a bunch of American kids who didn’t speak any Vietnamese, so I just felt abandoned. Going into martial arts, at least my mom sat there and waited for me. But I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’ That’s what I remember. But I wanted to go there. I had just turned ten, and it was like a room full of strangers. Especially being a kid who could speak the language, but didn’t have the best English.”