Georges St.Pierre is gearing for a return to the Octagon but many many years ago he was a child that had never had self confidence and was repeatedly picked on and beaten up. This led him to take up karate.

St-Pierre tells it, he randomly saw one of his worst childhood bullies several years later.

“A few months ago, I was in the street and I saw one of the guys that used to bully me,” he shared.

“When I saw him, I was very surprised, because I remember him. This guy used to beat me in the bus,” he said. “One point, I came back with a black eye and my dad was saying to me ‘What’s going on?’ I never said anything. But one time I said it’s a guy in the bus. He’s taller than me. He’s bigger and he’s beating me up and he’s stronger than me. I cannot win.’”

This is why GSP’s dad went over to the kid and tried talking to his parents to put an end to things. Sadly it just made it worse:

“So the next day, when I take the bus, this guy goes ‘Hey you’re such a snitch! You’re a coward! You go complain to your dad. I can’t believe you did that!’ He did that in front of everybody, and I got humiliated. I ran towards him and tried to punch him in the face, then I got beat up again. It was terrible. That’s the memory I had of him.”

Fast forward a number of years in future:

“I saw him, and he was begging in the street,” St-Pierre said. “I don’t know if he was homeless, but he was asking for money.

“And then when he saw me, he recognized me. I know he saw me on TV and everything. I don’t want to mention his name, but I said ‘what are you doing here?’ (He said) ‘Can you help me? Things are not going well.’ Well I’m like ‘man, what are you doing here? You’re a tall guy, you’re good looking, what the hell? You’re in good shape!’

“So I gave him a few dollars, and I tell him ‘Get out of here man. You should be ashamed, you should be embarrassed of what you’re doing, man. A lot of guys would kill to be like you. You know you’re full of potential. You’re good looking, healthy, tall, and strong. Go do something with your life!’”

GSP had learned the bully had a hard upbringing and that he’d grown up with an abusive alcoholic father. Which made him think a lot about how things went down in the past.

The man in question knocked on GSP’s door sometime later saying:

“He goes, ‘Well, I’ve met him a few months ago, and said something to me to shake me up, and I just want to say that he changed my life. Now I have a job, and I’m doing well, and I want to say thank you. When you see him, tell him I said thank you.’”