Curt Harvey
Questions & Answers

1. What originally started you training in martial arts?

A mixture of two things, my Grandad who used to bring me and my brothers pirate Bruce Lee videos back from his holidays abroad (back then you couldn't get them at every sunday market) and my friend from college Greg who was a martial arts nut, I had always had a interest in the films but he pushed me to start training.

2. What do you take from your training now?

Alot, I still get a buzz which has never really gone away since my first session, the enjoyment of doing something you love, the realisation that what you are doing would actually work and the atmosphere that is around you while training. Outside of the gym I know I have come on leaps and bounds in both confidence and professionalism. Training gives me the mentality to do the things I want without hesitation.

3. Who's your biggest hero and why?

I could be cliched and say Bruce Lee, and he was a huge hero of mine. But I think a real hero need to be someone who affects you personally within your life. Recently my partner Lianne lost her father and seeing how she coped with what was a life shattering event within her family, in-particular how she helped her mum, showed me how strong she is. It takes alot to deal with loosing someone so close to you and stay strong enough to comfort other people at the same time.

4. What's your favourite technique and why?

I like the double hip and everything you can apply it to, I was fortunate (or unfortunate whichever way you look at it) to have this technique demonstrated on me by Peter Consterdine and the power he generated from little or no movement sold it to me. In-particular when used with the elbow, it just feels right and I know I could pull it off.

5. What inspires you?

Success, which I suppose leads to the comfort of my life and my family. However just saying 'success' seems a little vague which will get me knowere. I like the idea of being able to be successful doing something I enjoy, when thats the case its not work anymore, in order to do this I have to apply myself to things in the right way, its that knowing that if I keep pushing and working hard i will be success. It can't not happen if I do!

6. What's your best moment in life so far?

My daughter Estrella, there isn't one point which i can separate out because she does something every day to outdo herself.

7. What's your favourite film?

Star Wars - Return of The Jedi, yeah I know, geek. I even used to have all the toys when I was little (ok a few years ago). On a serious note it is a fine example of the facets of a father/son relationship and how life is a constant battle against the darkness of your personality (yeah right, I just want to be Luke Skywalker and fight Stormtroopers with a Lightsaber while swinging across huge voids with a galactic princess, fighting a 30ft sand monster).

8. What's the last book you bought?

A biography of Ghengis Khan, and I keep falling asleep while reading it because at the moment it seems to be all about what type of grass is on the Mongolian 'Steppe'. I'm sure it will get to all the wars and invading countries soon enough.

9. What's your favourite quote?

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.”
This is by a cartoonist that I did a study on at college called Scott Adams, (he does the Dilbert cartoons), he is great for motivational stuff, he started out doing boring office jobs in Banks and I.T companies. He started drawing his co-workers and using what they said in cartoons and now he is one of the most sought after cartoonist in the world. Shows you that with a good idea you can do anything, he also said the following quote, which I gave to my old boss to put on a notice board at work. My boss said he couldn't put it up because it would upset some of the older employees, some people have no sense of humour.
“ In Japan, employees occasionally work themselves to death. It's called Karoshi. I don't want that to happen to anybody in my department. The trick is to take a break as soon as you see a bright light and hear dead relatives beckon.”

10. If you could do one thing what would it be?

Write a bestselling book, which i am working on (even if it only ideas at the the moment), which I would then have to turn into a blockbuster film (which I would of course direct myself), and then win numerous awards which would culminate in a clean sweep at the Oscars (best film, director and screenplay). Small simple things.