Georges St-Pierre Said Martial Arts Gave Him The Confidence He Needed

Georges St-Pierre said he credits being bullied for giving him confidence – enough confidence to find himself as a two-division UFC champion.

St-Pierre was picked on as a child because he didn’t have self-confidence, he said. But once he started training at seven years old, that all changed.

“I didn’t have good self-confidence, and the way I used to carry myself is much different than the way it is now,” St-Pierre told Burt Watson in the latest “Legend 2 Legend” episode. “I used to walk, look down, shrug my shoulders. It showed in my demeanor, and I think that’s the main reason I was getting picked on.”

“Martial arts, of course, taught me self-defense, but it also taught me confidence, that confidence is a choice,” St-Pierre added. “I changed the way I was carrying myself”

St-Pierre (26-2) is argued to be one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial artist history. As a two-division champion, he held title belts at welterweight and middleweight.

He’s successfully defended his title multiple times against fighters including BJ Penn, Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping.
The 40-year-old fighter hasn’t fought since 2017 and said he doesn’t have any plans of stepping in the octagon again unless it’s for charity or exhibition.

But, he said it’s thanks to martial arts that he is the person he is today.