Latter-day Saint Martial Arts Annual Report 2014 | Page 8

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Meet Adam Farley
LDSMAA member since September 2014
I have been studying various martial arts for about 15 years now. I began my
martial arts training in 1999 in the Clarksville, Tennessee area. I primarily
focused on a style of karate know as Kami Bushi Kai. I also undertook training
in Aikido, Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, and a few weapon style systems.
On December 13th 2006, I received my first two black belts from Baize in the
styles of Shotokan and Kami Bushi Kai. A few months later, I submitted my
paperwork to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints. I received my mission call in early 2007 and was assigned to Anchorage, Alaska.
While I was serving my mission, I was transferred all over the state of Alaska. While serving in Wasilla, AK,
I met a guy named Ronald Knuppel who had a martial arts school called Chung's Tae Kwon Do Institute.
We taught his family the gospel and he in turn taught me some basic Tae Kwon Do.
In 2009 I returned home to Tennessee, where I found myself completely broke and responsible for my own
income. Up until that time, my parents had been paying for everything I did. So I got a job and began to
plan my future.
I started school in 2010 at Nashville State Community College. I had always wanted to learn another
language, so, I began the study of ASL (American Sign Language) to become an Interpreter.
In 2011 I felt inspired that I needed to transplant myself, so I packed a suitcase, a briefcase and my banjo
and began my journey. I eventually found myself in Provo, Utah, where I would spend a good portion of my
time studying ASL and working. I got a job with Domino's Pizza and also the Utah College of Massage
Therapy.
In April 2012 I met a young lady named Laura Evans. After a very short time, I knew I needed to ask her to
marry me. I moved back to Tennessee shortly after we met, and she followed me. We were married in
December that year in the Nashville Tennessee temple, about 8 months after meeting.
In April 2014, I was made aware of a karate club in the town that we lived in. I went one day with the intent
to observe, however the instructor persuaded me to jump in and participate. This experience ignited a fire
inside me. I joined the club that night along with my wife, Laura.
Not much later, a friend of mine, who had studied Kami Bushi Kai with me, informed me that one of the new
dojos in town was needing help. This dojo was started by a student and an instructor of a school I had
previously attended. I wasted no time. I modified my resume, printed it off, and headed over to Harris Holt
Martial Arts Academy.
I now work their as an assistant instructor, I also work with the after school program and sometimes I have
the opportunity to do some instructing of my own.
Currently, I am attending going to college (Still at Nashville State Community College), I have switched my
major, I'm now pre-med, and also studying a new system of Karate (well... new to me), called Isshinryu.
I also was given the opportunity by our Heavenly Father this year to become a father, Laura and I had a
baby boy. We named him Thomas Monson Farley, after President Monson, and he is our pride and joy. We
love our little man and hope that he one day will have a appreciation for the martial arts.
I am the Elders Quorum President in my ward, I also work with Laura in Scouts with the 8 year old Wolves.