June 7, 2023
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Edward Gatalskiy
I’ve been practicing Qigong and soft Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan) Yang style since 1995. I’ve learned from an unknown Chinese Master. I practice for a few hours daily, as when you make a step towards the Light, there’s no point stopping, because now you see it with your own eyes, not with someone else’s ones.
In my childhood I was rolling like cheese in butter. The youngest child in the family is often the most pampered one. That's why I was free to choose my own Path in life. I was trying to unlock my creativity in different ways: I went to a ballet school, to chorus classes, I was a water polo goal-keeper.
The infinite love for the art of the Russian legendary "bogatyr" - athlete and wrestler- Ivan Poddubny awakened the desire to win in me. I went into greeco-roman wrestling. I was blessed to meet my first, and I would call him Magical, Teacher - Victor Kovalenko. With his guidance and his striving to bring up a hero, the foundation of my will to win and to attain my goals was laid.
Soon I was accepted into an Olympic Reserve School. Boarding school with two trainings a day and a nourishing diet led me to the rank of "Candidate Master of Sports". Top-class sports cause injuries, and I was not an exception, I got a meniscus injury and had to be operated. Further it will be clear, why I'm paying such particular atteniton to this fact.
Then I studied at the Belarusian State Institute of Physical Culture, as it was called in the 90es. I was enlisted for the Military Service in Riga, where I spent one year serving in the Secret Communication Underground Lines department. I retired from active service and left the capital of Latvia full of determination to build my happy life.
I happened to meet my childhood friend, my classmate Zhora Yailyan. He told me: "Your wrestling experience is nothing compared to the knowledge that I possess". Having won lots of fights throughout almost 10 years, I was absolutely confident of my skills, and his "Kung Fu" was all Greek to me.
