Antonio in the Ansiverse

I wanted to provide a slice of my backstory to help people understand why I created this blog. My passion now is to help people get into cybersecurity, understand it, and use that knowledge to keep themselves safe in daily life. We have to jump back in time for this story.

I was born late in the summer, and when it was time to start school, my parents enrolled me in the upcoming class. This meant I would be one of the youngest in the grade. It also meant I would be the smallest. As a young and small person, you live life in a certain way. You can’t necessarily push your way around and impose your will. You are a passenger surrounded by bigger, stronger people that you hope will be nice to you.

As is inevitable with most people, I experienced bullying when I was younger. I didn’t take martial arts or self-defense classes at that time. I just wanted to read books and play video games. I was shy and had a lot of social anxiety.

There was one time when I was 10 or 11 where I witnessed a close friend get bullied and pushed around. This friend was brave, he shoved one of the aggressors to the ground. But they teased him mercilessly. I could only standby with my brother. I didn’t have the tools or courage to face this group of bigger kids.

As the years went on, I remember looking out my window and seeing a big group of kids outside the 7/11 on the corner. I remember being afraid to go to the store because I would have to pass through and possibly get harassed. Instead of socializing with others my age, I shut myself inside and blanketed myself with fear.

My childhood experience made me yearn to become stronger. When I was 15, I had the chance to sign up for the YMCA gym for the summer for free. I was so excited to get the chance to exercise and transform my body. I would go multiple times a week for hours at a time. My confidence began to grow.

In 2017, I saw a video of Steven Seagal performing an aikido demonstration. I was amazed at how one man could defend himself from multiple attackers. I did some research online and started practicing aikido at a local dojo. Instantly I fell in love with a martial art based in peace but backed with power.

Career-wise, I was working in a well-paying job, but the field was not promising for me. My dad asked me, what do you think you are better at than everyone else? I was thinking that I had been using computers since Kindergarten. How could I translate that to a career….? I realized I could help people defend their systems! That year, I decided to enroll in a graduate program for cybersecurity.

In 2022, I saw my high-school friend practicing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on Instagram. I wanted to rekindle that friendship and try something new. What an experience. Rolling with bigger people was a new, difficult challenge. I got smashed often, but I slowly improved my defenses.

With my experience in cybersecurity and martial arts, I have built a solid foundation of confidence and defense mechanisms. My physical posture is straighter, more uniform. My online posture is one of privacy. I use to be afraid to go to the store. Now I can roll with someone over 100 pounds heavier that me and have a chance to escape.

I think life is beautiful because it is filled with experiences that help you to learn and grow. I also think it’s beautiful because someone who came before you can pass their knowledge of challenges they already went through. That is what I want to achieve with this blog and my career. I want to help people defend themselves in the cyber world and beyond. I want those with elderly parents to have a chance against AI deepfakes. I want the little person to have a suit of armor and a toolkit against the bigger born bullies. Let’s level the playing field: pick on someone your own size.