Latest / Share Your Fire / Share Your Fire, Ep. 2 -- Being different doesn’t mean less-than (Kenneth Hill)
Transcript
- John Verrico: Hey there everybody. Welcome to Share Your Fire. And I have got the most amazing guest in the world with me right now. You know, I and I and you're gonna hear me say this a lot because I really love the people that I bring on to the show. But today's guest, I've had the opportunity to meet him a couple of times. We've worked together on a couple of projects, and he's just one of the most amazing Heart-centered individuals that I've ever come across. So please meet Ken Hill. Ken, how are you today? Kenn Hill: I'm doing great. How are you, John? John Verrico: I'm doing outstanding 'cause 'cause I get to talk to you, my friend. It's been a while since we've really had a chance to chat and and I'm really glad that we're able to do this. now, Ken, you have in your background a you know, a bunch of of trophies and awards and all kinds of stuff and this is for for martial arts and you are have been a martial arts instructor for quite a while, but you kinda overclaim some real incredible odds and obstacles in order to do this. So please share with our listeners a little bit about your background and how you got into becoming a martial arts instructor, but then we're gonna go into the real heart of what's going on here. Kenn Hill: okay. great, thank you. when I was nine is when I began martial arts. I was inspired by the movie Enter the Dragon starring Bruce Lee. As soon as I saw that, my dad who is a law enforcement officer, I said, Dad, I wanna do that and he said there's no school like that around here, but we'll see if we can find you something if you make two promises. One you only d use it in self defense and two you don't become a bully. The reason why my dad said that is because I was already bullied since the age of six. And he didn't want me to seek revenge on anyone. So I made that pro. John Verrico: really Kenn Hill: So I made the promise and that's where my journey started. When I was twenty two it almost came to an end. I was a competitive fighter, I was I had constant injuries to my ankles. And there not one but four doctors said, you know, you need to stop martial arts and have surgery on both ankles and they said if you do that, you'll be confined to a wheelchair by the age of thirty five, but if you don't it'll be sooner. John Verrico: Whoa. Kenn Hill: That was a lot to take in. I told all four of those doctors no. I didn't know why at the time, but what came back to me was something my mom said. She said I don't care if there's a hundred people in the room and they're all against you, you stand your ground for what you believe. I was glad I made that decision, 'cause close to a decade later I dis it was discovered that I was born with a hereditary neuropathy called. Charco Marie Tooth Disease or CMT. isn't that a mouthful? John Verrico: my gosh. Say that again, Sharko. Kenn Hill: Sharkom Marie tooth disease. Now most people when as soon as you hear tooth you think it's something hygienic John Verrico: Yeah. Kenn Hill: But but it's actually a neuropathy that affects my muscles mostly in my hands, my feet, my legs, and my arms. John Verrico: yeah, just minor details. Kenn Hill: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like like today, like buttoning the shirt, if without this little device I have, it would take me twenty minutes to button a shirt because I have no fine motor skills. So I have to Yeah, I ha I have John Verrico: You would never know this about you, man. Kenn Hill: to visually focus on what my hands are doing when I'm doing certain tasks or my hands will naturally just relax and whatever I'm holding just comes out. Yeah, it's it it's pretty wild. And and I was a volunteer firefighter. And I was asked to be an EMT and I said no, and they said why? I said because I didn't know at the time it was from this neuropathy. I said, I'll declare everyone dead. And of course they're like, Well, why would you do that? I said, if I hit my fingers on a hard surface, it's like electricity shooting through my entire arm, but I can't feel a pulse. So that's what it John Verrico: Ken, I'm learning some I'm learning such details about about what you what you've been going through. I mean I mean I knew you went through some stuff, but it and and really had to overcome in order to to stay with your with your focus and your vision and your dream, but wow. Kenn Hill: Yeah, and and the same with my legs. I mean my feet. I'm supposed to lose acceleration to well the sensitivity is supposed to digress going towards my feet. It actually is accelerated. So if I walk around barefoot and I step on something as small as a pebble, it's like electricity shooting through my veins and through my leg all the way up through my hips. But I can break boards and bricks with my feet and it doesn't hurt. John Verrico: I was just gonna ask about that. What happens when Kenn Hill: Mm-hmm. John Verrico: you make contact when you're doing your your karate stuff? Or Kenn Hill: Low as long as I go through, it's fine. John Verrico: So it's stopping at the Kenn Hill: Yes. huh. John Verrico: So yeah, don't get in the way 'cause if this guy goes to punch you he's punching through. So I was gonna say, isn't that what Kenn Hill: Yes. Well we're supposed to do that anyway, even if you don't have an eruptor. John Verrico: you're supposed to do? Kenn Hill: yeah. John Verrico: I I I love it. So so you you've you've been fighting this, battling this your whole life. Kenn Hill: Yes. John Verrico: And yet you then moved into you know, championship levels and you know, you are a black belt. And what level now are you? Kenn Hill: I have five of I I have a seventh degree in US Hip Keto. Yeah. John Verrico: You you underachiever you. Kenn Hill: Yeah, I have a seventh degree in US Hip Keto, a seventh degree in US Taekwondo, I have a second degree in American Freestyle Hip Keto, and a second degree in international tongue pseudo. And then I have a first degree in World Two Tongue Pseudo Federation, South Korea. Some certified through them as well. John Verrico: And so you didn't just do this for yourself because you passed this on. Kenn Hill: Yeah, I I learned, you know, people always talk about, you know, their triumphs you know, during those good times. Mine came because of the bad times. It's like I didn't know I had certain gifts until bad things happened and I was tested. And because I've done what I've done, which is just stay active in martial arts, I haven't had any surgeries and I don't take any medications. And my neurology team re they just scratched their head because they're like, We don't understand you. John Verrico: Ha ha ha. So it's always good to perplex the medical community in in a positive way. Yeah. I mean Kenn Hill: Yes. Yes. Yeah, 'cause I I realize they try to prove everything through science and I respect that. But when they can't, then that kind of fascinates them 'cause I've been part of a study for the last three years to develop a physical training program for people with CMT or anyone that has, you know, any kind of difficulties like I have. And it it's been an honor to be studied in that way, 'cause I they know I won't take medication, so You know, if I can help in other ways I will. John Verrico: That that's amazing. See, I've had doctors say to me, I've never seen that before and it was always a bad thing. It's so Kenn Hill: Yeah. John Verrico: it's so wonderful to see that on the other side. Yeah, it's good to perplex the medical community from that perspective. that that is well, you know, your your strength and determination is just i so incredibly inspiring and I've always admired that about you. When we first met in the you know, getting involved in the art of connection book series. And and that's how how we we connected and that's how I started to learn about you. And I remember the first time you introduced yourself, you when you talked about the work that you were doing as a martial arts instructor, among other things, but primarily from that perspective, you said that you work with children with special needs as your principal students. And I was like, wow, you're you're taking that to a whole other level. And one of the things that I remember that you said was that you focus on what you can do, not on what people told you you can't do. And that was such an eye-opener for me and really s showed me the kind of heart and soul that you are. So let's talk a little bit about your work in this realm and how that evolved. Kenn Hill: In twenty twelve, an instructor that I've known for more than a decade, he had his own school and he's a child behavior specialist and most of his students were his patients. So when the other Hapkido school that I was at, he said, you know, for all of us to come over, and I did, and I fell in love with that school because just to see the students that he had just kind of work through as best as they could whatever they were dealing with was just, you know, inspiring for me. My oldest daughter's autistic. And I learned so much just from raising her. And I was at the school for eight years until it closed during the pandemic in 2020. And the parents said they said, You don't have the degrees on the wall for education like the owner does. How did you get so good with our kids? And I said I learned from my daughter to treat everyone as an individual. It didn't matter if there were ten eighty H D kids on the floor, they're all unique. And I learned how to teach them in a customized way for them to get the best understanding and make the best gains that way. And they also were never left behind. So even if they were not doing it the same way as the student next to them. They were doing it to the best of their ability and they learned they can be just as effective doing it their way as the other student was doing it their way. John Verrico: That is first of all the patience, but also the ability to do that. And that is just a remarkable sign of of a good teacher in any way, shape, or form, because you can learn how to focus on an individual. Everybody learns in a different way. And and we still generalize, you know. but to be able to to isolate down to the individual, especially when individuals have certain special needs, special requirements or special types of attention that they need. And being able to zero in on that is just a remarkable talent. Kenn Hill: Yeah, I I learned a lot being there and the team of instructors I learned from them because for the first two years I wouldn't teach a class. I just assisted because I wanted to learn their program. When I was given my night, my night became so popular, students were actually banned from coming because there were just too many on the floor. John Verrico: Ha ha ha Kenn Hill: And and that's because they never saw the kind of approach that I have where one of the things we used to do is what I call the fishbowl training. I actually have little pieces of paper that have every technique on individual piece of paper folded up in this fishbowl from white belt to second degree black belt. And I have a night where everyone comes in and the new students are always the most surprised and we all take our belts off and hang them on the railing and I let know we're all the same rank. Whatever comes out of that bowl, we all do it. The one night that was really special, this this young lady we called her Tigris, that was her nickname, because everybody had nicknames. She comes on and she goes, she actually picks the little piece of paper out, unfolds it, says 100 pushups. She said, I can't do that. And I said, Well, why not? And she said, Because my belt only requires fifty five. And so John Verrico: Ha ha ha. Kenn Hill: I can't do that. And I said, okay, and she still had her belt on. So I said, I want you to do the same thing we did and just put your belt on the wall. She goes, Why? I said, I'll explain it. I said, But don't put that piece of paper back in the bowl, just put it on the floor. I need you to hang your belt on the side and come back. So she does. I said, Pick up the piece of paper, don't let it go, put your hand back in the bowl and then take it out and read what's on it. She goes, That doesn't make any sense. I said, No, I said, you'll understand. So she does it, she goes, It still says one hundred. I don't know if you thought it was gonna change. And yeah, she she was fire. John Verrico: I love her attitude already. Kenn Hill: And I said, So what are we doing class? And they're all smiling because they know, you know, they've been in there before for months. They understood what I was doing. It's like we're all doing one hundred push ups. What I did is I got on the floor next to her and I said, We're gonna do it at your pace. It's not a time limit. I said that you're just going to do 100 before we move on. As multi as the students were finishing their 100, they asked, what number are you on? And they would start lining up next to her and around her. Next day by the end of the 100, she was in a circle where all the students finished with her. She was in tears, her mom was in tears. And I said, So, what did you say earlier? She goes, I can do 100 push-ups. I said, You know why you thought that? She goes, Why? Said, 'Cause you never tried. John Verrico: That is an amazing story and dude, I'm gonna have to come to your class because I want to get back Kenn Hill: Yep. John Verrico: in shape to where I can do a hundred push-ups again. I used to be able to do a hundred push-ups. I can't I I won't I Kenn Hill: Right. I I I John Verrico: won't say I can't do that now. I will Kenn Hill: Right. John Verrico: just say it's highly unlikely at the moment. Kenn Hill: Yeah. no, I get it. I I don't do a hundred push ups in a set anymore either. But I can do I John Verrico: Ha ha ha. Kenn Hill: can do one hundred push ups. John Verrico: That's amazing. Well, I can too. I it just take me a hundred days. Nobody said there was a time limit. I should have tried that when Kenn Hill: That's true. That and that's how my client John Verrico: I should have tried that when I was in the Navy and had to do the PT course. You want me to Kenn Hill: Right, yeah. John Verrico: run you want me to run a couple of miles? Sure, I'll do that. I'll run hundred yards today, hundred yards tomorrow. By the end of the week I got you covered. Kenn Hill: Yeah. You probably would have got everyone else in trouble. John Verrico: yeah, no doubt. Well when I joined the navy and they said, you know, you gotta run a mile and a half and I was like, Why the ship's not that long? you know gotta love it. Gotta love it. Kenn Hill: Yeah. John Verrico: Alright, so so now you've now you do some other neat things with pieces of paper too. I remember you had something where you told somebody to write down their trouble. Yeah. Kenn Hill: Yeah. For every new student, I have them come on the floor and I you know, I always say, Raise your hand if you're a new student and all the other ones that are veterans, they all smile. And I tell I said, Hold up your hand that you write with, as if you're holding a pen. Hold out the other hand like a piece of paper. In sixty seconds write down everything you're afraid of. And of course they're like, Why, why? It's like, I'll tell you in sixty one seconds. John Verrico: Ha ha ha. Kenn Hill: So they all do it and Then when they're done, I say, follow me to the door. And we go to the door and I say, take that hand that has the paper in and ball it up, drop it outside. You can pick that up when you leave, but for now, come in, let's see what you can do. It just takes the anxiety out of the room and they learn that they don't have to be like anyone else as far as ability, strength, or anything else. They can just be themselves and then that that's how we get to know one another from the beginning. John Verrico: And that's absolutely amazing. And so it it's one of the things that I feel strongly with and relate to as well is that we have a tendency in life and in our society to always compare ourselves to other people. And when we do that, we invariably will find ourselves lacking in some capacity. We may think we're better than some other people in some things, and y w once we realize that we are all the same. You're not less than anybody else and you're not more than anybody else. That really that that that creates a whole new playing field. Kenn Hill: Well, one of the things I emphasize 'cause I was that kid, not just, you know, how my daughter was where she struggles with certain things. I was a lot of the kids that I teach where I was trying to fit in and do things the way everyone else did, and I've learned being different doesn't mean less than. And once these kids learn this John Verrico: Ooh. That's quotable right there. Kenn Hill: Well that that's actually one of the quotes that's a part of the the new chapter that I'm developing because so many people think that they have to be like someone else in order to have the same value, not realizing their value oftentimes exceeds the person they're trying to be like. John Verrico: That is beautiful. That is beautiful. Now you said the chapter you're writing, is that for the new is that for the magazine article that is coming or is that part of the Art of Connection book series? Kenn Hill: Well, it could be for both, but it's actually for, you know, the foundation I just developed. Well John Verrico: here we go. Now now we get into the crux of this and let's talk about how your your work with the students and the the schools as a martial arts instructor had now that has gotten you to the hidden strength movement. Kenn Hill: Yeah, I I had to have someone say it to me because, you know, I couldn't s I wasn't able to say it to myself that they said, No, you've been a coach all these years, why aren't you doing more of that? And I said, No, I'm a teacher. And they said, No, don't understand. You're also a coach. We know you're a teacher, but you're a coach. And I said, No, I give instructions. They said, No, you don't understand. John Verrico: Ha ha ha. Kenn Hill: You have this way of helping people to work through things and you know why you got so good at it? And I'm like, Why? It's like because that's who you are. But here's an advantage that you can give them. It's like what's that? You felt alone because you were. No one could explain what was going on with ya and you couldn't explain it. But now that you know how to help them to understand themselves, you can give them a head start on getting through life and getting ahead on things that they never thought they could and even having the courage to try things they never thought they could. And he said that's what a coach does. You've been doing it all this time, so I'm actually in the development of an online program now to Finally start coaching. John Verrico: That is amazing. Well, no. 'Cause you have been coaching. You're just Kenn Hill: Right. John Verrico: f finally doing it with that title and Kenn Hill: Yes. John Verrico: in that perspective, but you really have been doing it all along. Kenn Hill: Yeah, yeah, and I didn't realize it 'cause I used to tell people I my my journey isn't so special. And someone you may know the name is Jesse Bowen. And he's a grandmaster, what they call him a Hanchi, he's down in North Carolina. He actually nominated me for my second Hall of Fame induction. And that was my first time meeting him. And he said, You should write. And I said, Why? He goes, 'Cause people need to know about your life. I said, look, when I was in twelfth grade, I remember my teacher, Miss Catman. John Verrico: Ha ha. Kenn Hill: She had me go in front of the class and we had to give a speech and every time I choked. Most of the time I said nothing. Every assignment I got an F. I finally got out of class. And before I left, I said, I don't know why you're having me do this. I'll never talk about my life ever in front of a group of people. Well, she saw something in twelfth grade that I didn't know about myself. But but Jesse Bowen had a phrase that really really made me want to not only write but also speak. He said the cemetery is full of great stories, don't let what yours be one of them. John Verrico: Isn't that brilliant? That is and it's so amazingly true. that's where Share Your Fire comes from, by the way. Not from Jesse Bowen in particular, but but for the concept of, you know, there are so many stories that need to be shared out there. And those stories are are stories of motivation and our passion and the fire that burns inside of us. And that if we don't share that, that fire goes out, and once we're gone, it's it's gone. So we need to pass that energy on and that's that's that's the whole foundational reason why I started this podcast. Kenn Hill: n you know, it's great and I'm I'm glad that you did. I I feel honored to be invited here today because I don't feel comfortable speaking in general, but I've always felt like family since we met. So I was I was honored when you asked me to you know, to come on and be a part of this, so thank you. John Verrico: absolutely. And you know, I have to say I I I I do not apologize for also putting you in the uncomfortable position. Kenn Hill: Ha ha ha. John Verrico: so for those of you who are unfamiliar, we are we are both authors in or or contributing authors in the Art of Connection book series. In the Art of Connection, three hundred and sixty five days of abundance quotes and and the following year, w the twenty twenty six version was The Art of Connection, 365 Days of Resilience quotes. And we did a book signing, a joint book signing in York, Pennsylvania. We got a bunch of the local relatively local authors to come together who've been contributing in this book series. And Ken was there, and then what I did was without telling him in advance, I set up a little microphone and a speaker and had everybody come up and read their page. And and so so Ken was forced to come and read his page aloud. Kenn Hill: Ha ha ha. John Verrico: in front of the group of attendees there and it was a it was a nice group. First of all we had about twenty we had twenty of our authors were there and then we had, you know, a good couple of dozen additional people there for the book signing who were sitting there listening to the readings of the pages and I got a dirty look from Ken and I'm just glad he didn't decide to to use any of his martial arts movements on me when when I forced him to come up and read his page. Kenn Hill: Well when I was a firefighter and the chief used to ask me to do things, my response was usually on purpose. And then he's like, On purpose, get over here, you know. John Verrico: That's exactly it. Exactly it. But you did wonderfully well. I mean everything was great and and and you speak well, Ken, which is why, you know, I wanted you to to be out here and to share your story. And I'm really glad I'm honored that you accepted my invitation to be on this show. I do wanna find out, I want to have the opportunity for you to tell people how to get in touch with you and how to follow what is happening with the hidden strength movement and let let's actually talk a little bit about Kenn Hill: what is happening with it, it's great movement, and what's actually happening? John Verrico: that while we have some more time. Kenn Hill: Okay, well I mean the easiest way is through email with me, you know, Ken Hill Jr. Well it's Ken with two Ns, H I L L J R at Gmail dot com. And the Hidden Strength movement is is I'm still developing it. I actually started a Facebook page and I just made an intro but I haven't put any you know much content on there yet, but that's also being developed. And I'm gonna be launch when I launch my program I'm actually going to start it with something that's called tiny challenges where for five days you know I would just get together with people and we would talk about different things for five days. I already have everything laid out. I don't want to say too much about it right now and then you know go from there and I'm I'm really excited about it and also nervous. John Verrico: Ha ha ha. Kenn Hill: Because, you know, when I when I feel like the spotlight is on me, sometimes I get nervous. You know, I'm that one that you have to push out onto the stage 'cause I have that butterfly to bat syndrome where John Verrico: Yeah. Kenn Hill: you know, I have butterflies and then you call my name and he turned into screeching bats and you John Verrico: Yeah. Kenn Hill: know. And it but once I get going I'm fine. So that's something that I'm still working through even after all this time. But, you know, I was reminded the other day by a friend of mine and they said, You know what? I can remember when you said that the biggest thing you wanted to do was be able to walk and practice martial arts by the age of thirty five and he said, Look at you now 'cause I'm sixty one years old now He said, Not only are you still practicing, you're doing martial arts and you're helping others and you're still walking. It's like, you know, you you need to talk. And I was like, I am so, you know, they were happy to hear that I'm Talking more and more about my journey. John Verrico: And it is a journey that other people need to know about and need to feel and need to be inspired by and that's why I asked you to come out here and be on the show. And this has been a remarkable conversation. And Ken, if there's anything else that we can do to help support this, I want to make sure that people know how to get in touch with you so that we can get you get people to realize the importance of what you're doing but also to benefit from what you're doing and to get involved in the hidden strength movement. It's been a remarkable conversation and I I I I all I can do is just say thank you again for being brave enough to come out here on the show. Kenn Hill: Well thank you. And and like I said, I it's been an honor for me, so thank you for having me. John Verrico: Ken, thanks a lot. And folks, keep listening to the Share Your Fire podcast. We will have lots more guests coming up in the future as we continue this show. Ken has been a remarkable guest. Please reach out to him at Ken with two Ns, Ken Hill Junior at gmail dot com. Look for information on the hidden strength movement on Facebook and get ready for tiny challenges that are coming up. It'll help us all to to to improve, to look at ourselves a little bit differently, stop comparing ourselves to others and realize that we can do so many things that we thought we couldn't. Stop telling yourself you can't do stuff and just do it. Ken, thank you again. Kenn Hill: Sure. it's been a pleasure.