At age 17, Atom Lopez passionately pursues training in martial arts – not so much to win –but more for the pure joy of losing. He goes into the ring, he’s learning something new every time, he says, especially from his losses.
“I’ll get a bloody face, I don’t mind,” says the South Valley High School junior. “I just got beat up, it’s a beautiful moment. I’m happy to be there because the losses are where I learn.”
A bloody nose doesn’t bother Atom when he’s learning something new from his losses. (Contributed)These may be odd-sounding words coming from a teenager who has suffered so much early childhood trauma, from an abusive father who mentally and physically assaulted Atom and his mother, to the loss of his beloved mother in a fatal car accident last year –and yet he endures and is thankful for the day he found his confidence and well-being –through his martial arts.
At a recent Teachers on Teaching Conference at Mendocino College, Atom participated in a panel of students who shared their experiences with childhood trauma. The purpose of the panel, led by English instructor Ginny Buccelli, was to guide teachers in how to avoid recreating emotional trauma for students in their classrooms. The childhood traumas might include abuse, violence, neglect, and growing up in a family with substance use or mental health issues.
Atom spoke specifically to how his trauma from a neglectful and abusive father left him terrified as a child. When he couldn’t defend his mother against his father’s physical assaults, Atom was made to feel small — and he always ached to be bigger.
Atom’s looking to his future with confidence and a planned career in law enforcement.(Photo by Steve Hellman)He eventually found his way into martial arts at a local family academy in Ukiah. He began studying Jui-jitsu for submissions, Muay Tai for striking blows and kick-boxing for the powerhouse athletic moves. With the discipline and physicality that came of these practices he experienced a transformation in himself mentally and physically, to where he’s thankful today for what he’s capable of doing – either to defend himself in a fight or accomplish other successes in his life.
In an interview days after the panel, he spoke in more detail about how he escaped his past trauma. It wasn’t easy by any measure. By the time he was 7, he was cussing like a sailor, while his parents often swore during their fighting. He argued with his teachers constantly. He was getting into street fights just to prove himself.
He tried going out for wrestling in middle school, but it didn’t jive for him. Then Covid hit and Atom says he fell into a depression where he rarely left the house. He quit wrestling. He played video games and avoided life altogether while moving on into high school.
Then two members of the Ferreira Family Fight Academy in Ukiah came to speak at the high school. Atom gave it a shot and began training. At first he was out of shape and over-weight at 230 pounds. He could barely eke out a single sit-up. However, through his determination and devotion to the exercises and discipline, he quickly dropped his weight to 170 pounds and began feeling confident in sparring matches.
The martial arts fit like a natural. An advisor at South Valley High School urged him to stick with the practices, and even helped pay for his training.
Atom says his confidence in speaking at the panel presentation came in large part from his integrating martial arts into his daily life. “I’m definitely more confident in my social interactions, because I have been in the ring where everyone’s eyes are on me, all the pressure’s on me, and I feel so confident there.”
“The better I get, the more I don’t need to fight,” he says. “I don’t need to prove myself. I’m extremely fortunate to have these resources in my life. Otherwise, it could have turned out very different.”
Looking to the future, Atom’s taking classes through dual enrollment at Mendocino College. He plans to complete an Administrative Justice degree, then transfer for a Criminology degree, with the goal to eventually work for the CHP or Sheriff’s Office. His ultimate goal is to continue taking classes while working, and achieve a Master degree in criminology, with a specialization.
“There’s a lot of options, and potential, but I do need to work for it,” Atom says. He believes that without taking chances in life you’ll never succeed. “You never make the shots you don’t take.”
Looking back on his journey, it wasn’t easy, cranking out just a single sit-up. “But I took a chance and stuck with it, and it made the difference. Learning anything new, you think you can’t do it. But you just keep trying.”
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