We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Imari Colón. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Imari below.

Imari, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Prior to moving to China, I was in the darkest years of my young adult life. It is the same situation that many my age had been and are still dealing with: long work hours with high stress, low pay and appreciation, as well as no sight of any possible path to a better future. At an hourly wage of $11 an hour, I was just barely able to pay rent and had little energy for things I loved to do the most. Although I had great friends and family, having recently transitioned from living with my closest friends as roommates, I felt very much alone. Most days were dark, no matter how sunny it was outside. I cried often and spent a lot of time in a haze.

In the summer of 2013, I met Johanni. Johanni was doing an internship at a local company and had recently joined as a new student at the kungfu center that I trained. Although the stars would claim our incompatibility, with my tiger’s fire and her monkey fun, we became fast friends. Shortly after, she found out that her lease was ending and, although still had time on her internship, was going to be out of an apartment and so I offered for her to stay with me for the remainder of her stay in North Carolina. Her time with me was short but her impact, profound.

It was during this time that I had completed my TESOL certification and was beginning to look forward. I had been passionately training in the Chinese Martial Arts for 2 ½ years and after having visited China for the first time the summer prior, I was determined to live there. I had contacted the teacher that led my first trip to China and she put me in touch with the Director of International Affairs at NCSU. Extending from there, it turns out this man was connected to a company creating an international school in China and promptly directed me to the hiring manager for a potential teaching position. Shortly after our interview, I received the contract.

I remember the overwhelming flood of emotions when I received the documents. I had recently been contacted by a spam company and so was particularly cautious of the situation. Although I was excited, all the reasons not to go would start to arise. The thought of leaving my family, the kungfu center, my cat… the concern that it was another scam, maybe I would get kidnapped or I wouldn’t get paid and would be stranded in China.

“If you don’t do it now, you’re never going to and then you’ll regret that you didn’t.” Johanni stomped. I didn’t always like the way she expressed herself. She was, and still is, the type of person that will tell it to you straight and in spite of all my hesitations, I knew there was truth in what she was saying. This dear friend of mine was the catalyst for one of the biggest decisions of my life. Within 3 weeks of learning about this position, I packed my life and I was on a plane to Shanghai.

Honestly, despite trying to be as safe as possible, there was so much risk in the decision I took. I had no money, as I hardly made enough to survive in my last position, no home, as I had to give up my apartment, no Chinese phone, no local address and, other than one other teacher that was also recruited for this new school, I was on my own. At least I had her but she also was ill prepared for the journey despite all her professionalism.

Looking back now, I can see all my ignorance in the process but if I was nothing else, I was lucky. Lucky that I went through a program that was connected to people that I knew even though it was poorly organized. Lucky that even though I didn’t have a phone or address in a foreign country, the people that were supposed to pick us up were actually there. Lucky that, although they drove us to what looked like a dark construction site in the middle of the night, it actually was a brand new residence building in a beautiful neighborhood that I loved living in. Lucky that we were actually very well taken care of.

In the end, this risk, this large and scary endeavor that I undertook ended up being the most pivotal decision of my life. It changed my entire path in life.

There was something freeing about jumping into the unknown. Despite the fact that there was so much risk to what I was doing, I was not scared. Cautious, yes, but I didn’t have fear. And the darkness that engulfed my life was lifted. I still had no idea what the future held, as our contracts were always 6 months at a time and so was as far as my stability, but it didn’t matter anymore. The world was bigger than just the little dark realm that I have been wading in.

In leaving behind my meager yet safe, relatively stable life and professional career in animal medicine, I was given 3 years of living and teaching in China, a wonderful husband, 6 months of adventure biking through Europe and Southeast Asia with the husband, another opportunity in China, living my life’s biggest passion for almost another year, finally landing on my life’s biggest project yet, which was also another large risk that I took a chance on: The kungfu school.

I often see quotes about risk-taking and the idea of how positive it can be. Well, that’s the thing about risks. Maybe it works and maybe it doesn’t but I think if you can afford the consequences if it doesn’t, then if it does, they can be the greatest opportunities in life.

Imari, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My introduction into the Chinese Martial Arts was by chance and instantly became my passion and sanctuary. I chased this passion around the world, to China and came back when I found out that my original Master wanted to retire, leaving the fate of my first school in the air. This is how I became a business owner.

Officially founded in the summer of 2018, East Cloud Kungfu (ECKF) is, at its core, a school of Chinese Martial Arts (aka Chinese Kungfu). We teach various styles of kungfu, depending on what your goals or interests are. For example, wushu is great for people who want to test or improve their athleticism, Wing Chun for those who want more focus on applications and self-defense, and Taichi for those who want something more slow paced, gentle, and meditative. We offer regular classes daily, as well as workshops both within the school and externally, and private lessons.

One thing particularly about our school that we focus on is creating a positive environment where people can safely discover themselves to the very depths of their being. Beyond learning martial technique, they are learning how to move, how it works, and how each motion connects to the various, cooperating parts of their body, as well as how their mind plays a role in the process, and how to control it. They are learning their strengths, as well as their weaknesses and how to endure through the most difficult challenges, as well as how to deal with defeat at times and how to continue forward and keep progressing towards their goals. They are learning patience with themselves in a process that takes years of consistent practice just to develop a foundation and a lifetime to master. They are learning how to take care of themselves, both in mind and body, and how to create peace and balance in their lives. They are learning the virtues and developing the spirit of the warriors of a rich, beautiful, and ancient culture.

I am most proud of the community that has developed at our school. We are quite an eclectic bunch. East Cloud is a place where people of all ages, ethnicities, and backgrounds train peacefully together. We have the kindest, most hardworking students with incredibly patient and supportive families. Our kids particularly are some of the strongest, most diligent children that I have ever met. I am continually impressed with their endurance, as well as their willingness and enthusiasm to help each other, and their respect for each other. I am the luckiest teacher for all the amazing people I have had the honor of being able to share this art and these moments with in life.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

As long as I can remember, I had always wanted to be a veterinarian. I specialized in the biological sciences in high school and went to North Carolina State University for college, graduating with a degree in Zoology and minor in animal science with a pre-vet focus. After graduation I got a job at NCSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine in the department of Laboratory Animals as Veterinary Assistant and life was great. I loved my job, I lived with my boyfriend of 5 years and some friends, and the future looked beautiful, at least for a little while.

A few months after graduation, my boyfriend, who I thought I would one day marry, did not want to be with me anymore and despite my every effort to accept the situation and be okay, I was crashing. I was a mess and I knew I had to do something to find stability in my life. It was at this time that I, by mere chance, found the kungfu center. The Chinese martial arts instantly became my passion and this school, my sanctuary. I knew from the beginning I needed this art in my life, my whole life. I would spend every moment I could outside of work training at the school until one day, I had the opportunity to go to China. The trip was short but I fell in love. One trip led to 3 years teaching, then another year training kungfu in Yunnan Province, before coming home to inherit my first school.

Upon joining this little school, I could have never imagined all the places and experiences that were to follow. This school did not just simply introduce me to an amazing activity, it opened my entire world. Now, my whole life is about my passion, the Chinese Martial Arts, and although I loved working with animals and it is an experience I am grateful to have had, training continues to be the thing that brings me balance in life and running my school has been my most beautifully fulfilling experience yet.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I think of moments when I had to be resilient, contrary to what one would think, the time that stands out the most in my journey is during my honeymoon with my husband Louis. Our post-wedding vacation was not the average person’s honeymoon. It began with 6 months of cycling through Europe and Southeast Asia, followed by 8 months of training at a full time kungfu school in China.

The original idea was to ride from Belgium, Louis’ hometown, to China and then stay in a kungfu school for an extended period of time. Louis was an avid cyclist and had done a solo trip to Istanbul a few years prior, which is what prompted his desire to do an even bigger challenge. Even better if it can be with the woman he loves. As a passionate martial arts practitioner, ever since I first began, it was my dream to live and train kungfu all day, everyday. I had spent 3 weeks at Rising Dragon Martial Arts School (RDS) in Yunnan Province the year before and was determined to go back for longer.

I, personally, was not a particularly strong cyclist but, being the lover of challenges that I am, I was in and our plan was set. It seems there could never be enough preparation. Hindsight knows that starting such a trip in October was not the wisest of our decisions. Heading east deeper into autumn, the beginning of our trip was filled with wind and rain as the little Belgium hills quickly turned into mountains. Beautiful as it was, we spent many days cold, and me dealing with internal battles as we climbed the Alps with our livelihood in our bike bags.

In addition to the physical challenge of cycling, we were also camping each night. Every evening as we got close to sundown, we would have to find a place that seemed safe enough, set up camp, make dinner, eat, clean up and prepare for bed by the time the sun sets. Often we’d end up in the dark and/or the rain. Although I love camping, I tend to be the kind of person that is on guard when I sleep outside. With our location changing each evening and always uncertain, I rarely slept well, making the challenge that much more difficult to endure. To get through such a trip, you really have to accept being tired, dirty, uncomfortable and living minimally.

It was December when we made it to Serbia. There were nights when we would wake up and the inside of the tent would be frozen because the temperature was low enough that the condensation from our breath, as well as all other liquids, would freeze while we slept. Despite all our efforts, there was no gear we could find that would protect our fingers and toes from the icy wind that was cutting through our gloves and shoes. As a result, we started to stay in Airbnb’s nightly and looking for plans to get through the winter. It was at this time that I got a scholarship to RDS. The scholarship was time sensitive and I needed to get to China ASAP.

In order to not lose riding time but still get to China within a reasonable amount of time, we ended up flying to Singapore and riding north to Thailand. The Southeast Asia portion of the ride was significantly easier, both physically and emotionally, than the European part so fast forward to China and the next test of resilience begins: RDS.

RDS is heavily a Shaolin school and if you know anything about the Shaolin, then you know that they are some of the toughest people alive. Endurance, resilience…these virtues are in the core philosophy of their practice. They build strength of mind and spirit first through the body and they aren’t gentle about it.

A regular day in this school consisted of waking up at 5am to start training at 5:30am and there are 3 mandatory training sessions, 5 days a week at this school. The physical training is comparable to the military. They utilize the land, which in our case was mountains, and they push you to your absolute limits, indiscriminately. Piggie back up-hill, wheelbarrows or push-ups going down the stairs, long planks, hill sprints…these are just a morsel of our daily activities. One morning we even did a mile-long bear crawl down the mountain into town. Recovery time is generally not really considered so everyday you are tired and in pain but still required to keep up. They don’t care how much you cry, scream, or vomit, you are to pick yourself up and keep going.

This is where I truly learned the meaning of endurance. I cried regularly for the first few weeks and had a lot of frustration towards myself for becoming as weak as I had. It is during these times that I was confronted with myself and it truly broke me down. Louis, having visa difficulties, was not able to join until months later and so I am grateful to a few friends I had made that stuck by and supported me through my struggles. And, after a few months, little by little I started to see progress.

I learned over time that if you don’t give up, you begin to develop psychological strategies for getting through the challenges. The first step is just getting through. After you learn how to get through, then you learn how you can do it better, if even just a tiny bit. Over time, you see the little areas of strength or speed that you’ve gained until, before you know it, you are stronger than you’ve ever been in your life, both in body and mind. Then eventually, you become the one helping the new people that are struggling.

I would not have been capable of the challenge of running a business, especially during covid times, if it had not been for these experiences. Although my life is no longer so physically extreme, the psychological resilience persists. It is a part of me now and it is the strategies and patience developed that gets me through all of the challenges of business, body, and life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eastcloudkungfu.com
• Instagram: @eastcloudkf
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/East.Cloud.KF/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/imari-colón-b374b29b
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2NZ4IzvcuErSepv29RH5Nw

Image Credits
Myself, my husband, my friends, my students and their parents, my classmates.