Rob Van Dam: "I grew up in Battle Creek, Michigan. Although I wasn't exposed to pro wrestling until I was a teenager, I was always attracted to physical competition. I have been a huge fan of the martial arts movies ever since I can remember seeing one. Who doesn't remember Bruce Leroy or Gymkata? It was the action of Star Wars before then, but always action! I actually took up some wrestling in school in second grade that was offered through some volunteer coaches and I loved it. And it gave me a huge advantage during those fights on the playground, which I always seemed to be involved in, even during later years.
When I was eight years old, my parents decided the family would pick up "camping" as a new hobby. After searching for the right "campground", I found myself spending the next several summers on a diving board at Green Valley Campground, showing off and trying, quite successfully, to impress whoever would be fortunate enough to be there. If my friends were doing 1 1/2 flips I would have to do 2, and backwards, and inwards. This is where I learned to do flips, undoubtedly. But more importantly, to focus my energy towards reaching goals. And in my mind, I was the main event! I also had a couple of neighbors with trampolines, so my friends and I would jump for hours and constantly try to out-do each other's flips or stunts.
Dango, Andy and I got our thrills from showing off at the most inappropriate places. We were constantly kicked out of the Y center for playing on their gymnastic equipment, kicked out of the weight room for flipping off the pull up bars, thrown out of the mall by the same security guards almost every day for jumping offthe planters and sh*t. I even got suspended for doing a back flip off my high school's roof! But, school is a whole 'nother story! I will tell you this, though. I had teachers tell me I would never amount to anything. You can't let anybody keep you down or hold you back. Maybe I was a bit of a goof-off, but I told everyone I was going to be a professional wrestler and they told me I wouldn't. Let me ask you (you too, Mrs. Rosa, you bitch!) who was right? I was exposed to pro wrestling at that same campground when the other kids would get together to yell at the television. I was soon hooked.
I studied martial arts at the two dojos Battle Creek had to offer, which taught Tae Kwon Do at one and Karate, Aikido and Kendo at the other, and eventually spread out to other instructors. I started kick boxing under the guidence of Kit Lykins, who was like a local celeb. By the time I started kick boxing, I already knew I wanted to wrestle when I was old enough. But I found myself really enjoying kick boxing. I studied and competed under a few instructors, driving almost an hour when I was old enough to train with Terry Gay (he beat Kit's ass in the ring). At one time, i thought I might go pro with the kick boxing, though the only fight I got paid for was the 1990 Kalamazoo Tough Man Contest. And that was no guarantee. I had to take second to get paid. Anyway, I get paid now and it's not because I goofed off in school or had anyone hand me a career. I had a dream and made it come true. I'm sure if I had wanted to be an artist, I would be drawing for Marvel Comics right now, because I recognized the good and the bad in everything, and I hung with the good. I still do. That's my formula. No matter what you measure success by; reaching personal goals, progressing far from where you came from, or having followers pattern themselves after your success, one thing is for sure: Rob Van Dam wins. Why not stand against the odds and follow your dreams? Become whatever it is you want to be. Unless, of course, you want to be Rob Van Dam! Not that I blame you, but that role is filled."
Rob Van Dam: "I was eighteen years old when I met the Sheik in 1989. Fresh out of high school. You have to go to a wrestling school to break into the business and I was meeting the Sheik in hopes of him training me. I had been in the squared circle for several years already (kick boxing) and even had a few rings in my backyard from time to time. I was already very comfortable in the ring when the Sheik told me to step through the ropes so he could take a look at me. I didn't know a whole lot about wrestling, not nearly what I thought I knew. But I was able to show him a few minutes of flips, RVD spin kicks and other footwork. Of course, after he took a good look at me and put me through some tortures, he welcomed me into the stable by saying "Bring me some f'n money!"
This was no regular training school. There were few of us. Actually, besides the Sheik and his nephew Sabu(yeah I met him way back then), there was only Thom, (who introduced me to the Sheik and has since shown up on various independents over the years), myself, then I brought in Dango (who after sticking with the business for a couple years took a break and is now making a comeback.) It was more like a family than a class, except I was learning more then I did in grade school. The wrestling ring was in Sheik's backyard.
During the summer, we would train, swim in Sheik's pool and eat dinner with he and his wife Joyce, and feed Sabu the table scraps (just kidding). Sabu had already been in the business at least six years when I met him and had been around the business and studying it his whole life. The Sheik always kept us in check and taught me not only the basics of wrestling, but told me that if I'm not hurting my opponent I'm not stiff enough. I'm pretty good at hurting people now and I've had the pleasure of hurting Sabu in many ways all over the world. Not that hurting Sabu's fun but I like to travel. Okay, that's fun too. I advise anyone interested in getting into wrestling to do some research on the schools. There are dozens of wrestling schools everywhere but they aren't all good. Credentials (who they've trained), school history (how long it's been running) and, of course, the fees are important. Sheik is not currently training anyone. Maybe I broke the mold. I am proud to tell people the Sheik trained me and I'm sure I must be his favorite protege to brag about. Oh, and Sabu too, of course."
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