If it wasn’t for being bullied, Georges St-Pierre might’ve never become a two-division UFC champion and arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
“Growing up, I was a kid that lacked a lot of confidence. I believe that’s why I was picked on,” St-Pierre told Burt Watson in the latest “Legend 2 Legend” episode. “Like in nature, predatory animals always hunt the weakest in the group. I was one of those (kids). I didn’t have good self-confidence, and the way I used to carry myself is much different than the way it is now. I used to walk, look down, shrug my shoulders. It showed in my demeanor, and I think that’s the main reason I was getting picked on.”
St-Pierre said he was 7 when he started karate training. After a few years, he noticed a change in his demeanor.
“Martial arts, of course, taught me self-defense, but it also taught me confidence, that confidence is a choice,” St-Pierre said. “I changed the way I was carrying myself. When I shook someone’s hand, I was looking at him in the eyes. When I talked to someone, I looked at him in the eyes. I didn’t shrug my shoulders and look down anymore. I was walking straight with some kind of confidence.”
That confidence carried St-Pierre throughout his teenage years. The rest, as they say, is history.
You can watch the video above to hear GSP speak more about his upbringing and how martial arts changed his life. The full episode of “Legend 2 Legend” can be seen below.