so naturally , when i filled up and out at a very early age ( i was already well over six feet tall in grade 8 ) , i knew that i had to use my imposing stature to make a difference , first in high school , and then beyond ( by the time i was 17 , i was a master of at least three different forms of martial arts , and could expertly handle about a dozen classic weapons , including both long and short swords . )