Most people may consider martial arts a form of violence, but as junior Justin Olds says, it’s about “avoiding the fight so you don’t hurt them.”

After an unintentionally missed pass at a junior high football game Olds quickly found out that he needed a new way to defend himself from bullies.

After losing his first match to ever compete in he had a drive to win.

Olds competes in various types of martial arts, starting with a Korean-based fighting called taekwondo, a Japanese style called shotokan, and others including karate.

He fights for four different organizations, NASKA ( North American Sport Karate Association), ISKA ( International Sport Karate & Kickboxing Association), Martial Arts Academy, and  WAKU (World All Kyokushin Union).

Olds said that his favorite memory is meeting new people from other countries and keeping in touch with them. He’s had plenty of opportunities to do that after traveling all over the country and globe.

In 2014, he went to London, Spain in 2015, Orlando in 2016, and Ireland.

He has never been seriously injured in his fights, “just a few concussions” here and there.

His advice to any new fighter is to not get cocky.

“You’ll start to win fights and you’ll start to get cocky and it will get ahead of you,” Olds said. “That’s when you’ll start to lose.”

It’s now a family affair as well. His dad competes with him and trains him, as does his 4-year-old brother.

Olds enjoys martial arts so much that he wants to keep doing it after he graduates high school, and he’s thinking about being a gymnastics coach to help other kids learn more about it.