This is my blank sheet of paper burgeoning to be filled with vowels and consonants of my struggle to win my first Amateur Muay Thai fight.

A little back story:
In 2008, I trained for a little over three months for my first amateur Thai fight.
It was wrought with injury and trepidation, but I made it through.
I sharpened my pudgy, awkward, 191 lb. body into a 154 lb. weapon of mass destruction.
I endured a terrible case of turf toe (trust me, it's worse than it sounds) and a fractured right foot during the 8th week of training, but battled on.
On the day of the fight, I kept busy.
Since I was underweight, I got to have a lovely meal with my girlfriend, share a few laughs and relax.
All was right in the world with the exception of my slight limp.
I arrived at weigh-ins to the sights and sounds of a half-dozen squad cars.
The California State Athletic Commission had shut us down.
My day was over.
16+ weeks of preparation and pain, all for not.

It's been well over a year from that day.
Recently, my Grandfather passed away, leading me to take an extended leave of absence from the sport I love to take care of my family.
I've put on some weight and lost my endurance.
I can't think of a better time to sign up to fight.

My life is one giant overcoming of odds.
As a child, I was diagnosed with a case of juvenile cataract.
I was the 8th studied case in the U.S.
I have almost no vision in one of my eyes.
My doctors' battle cry was "never."
I was told I'd "never" taste a large number of the fruits of life.
I have proven most of those statements wrong.

I will fight.

This blog will serve to track my progress.
I'll chronicle my numerous externalize injuries along the way.
The trials and tribulations that some of the most grueling training on earth has to offer.
My battles with my own personal demons.
I'll try to post a pic or two every so often.
All the way up to my fight.

Stay tuned.

-Drew "The One-Eyed Warrior"