DAVID D’AMORE
Hi, I'm Dave 👋
I’m the owner and program director of Shoshin Movement Studio.
Being a quiet and reserved person, I don’t really like being in the spotlight. If you’ve come to this page, then you’re probably interested in who I am — so here’s my story.
Outside of playing the drums, some skateboarding and playing video games through my adolescence, I wasn’t overly active, sporty or agile.
I wasn’t able to do a push-up properly or touch my toes. I was about as flexible as a steel pipe.
Strength and flexibility never came naturally for me, so I know what it’s like to feel weak and immobile.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Originally from Melbourne, my journey started when I got into physical training in my early 20s because of continuous setbacks with back pain and injuries.
Having a developmental scoliosis in my lumbar and thoracic spine, it began to affect my functionality at work as a tradesman. There were times where I couldn’t stand or sit properly for weeks on end due to both nerve and muscle pain, and the only relief I got was from laying down.
This went on for a few years, where I ended up having to quit my job.
My scoliosis began to cause me pain in the simplest of daily movements.
Being in pain sucked, especially at such a young age, and I didn’t want to start a life of band-aid fixes with medication.
I wanted to feel better; so I began looking for an answer.
I started a combination of strength training, stretching and mobility work. With some consistency, I began to see great improvement in reducing my pain!
I enjoyed the learning experience and lifestyle changes, which sparked my interest in wanting to help others move and feel better.
MY NEW PATH
Double-bodyweight back squat with my first S&C mentor, Peter Trapp.
I went on to study health and fitness, and in 2010 I began working in the fitness industry at various gyms and studios across the northern suburbs of Melbourne.
I got heavily into the world of Olympic weightlifting and loved this style of training. I was getting stronger, fitter and achieving some great goals that I had set myself.
Though after about 4 years, I found that it simply wasn’t serving me any more. I wasn’t fulfilled and I was starting to get injuries in other areas.
I had an epiphany — I realised that there was something bigger than just adding more weight to the bar and using the same movement patterns.
I felt like I needed to find a more holistic and fun approach where strength, skills, mobility and play could coexist and complement each other.
This drew me in to the world of gymnastics.
The idea of taking control of my body, playing on the gymnatics rings and balancing upside-down on my hands stoked the fire again!
CHANGING DIRECTIONS
With a beginners mind, I began to seek further education.
I searched for teachers, coaches and mentors that had integrity and results with their methods, and learned from them over the next few years through face to face coaching, online coaching, workshops, courses and other mediums.
This spanned across the areas of gymnastics and calisthenics strength skills, handbalance, mobility and stretch-based therapy, deeper anatomy and physiology, rehab and prehab, mindfulness practices, recovery and nutrition.
Through a mixture of coaching, education, my own application, and persistent trial and error, it helped me to gain an understanding of the methods that are practical, effective and sustainable.
My injuries had subsided, I was moving and feeling better than when I first got out of pain, and I was able to teach people how to improve their strength and mobility while reducing their own niggling injuries caused by our modern lifestyles.
Fast forward to now
Hannah – my partner in life and business. Making dreams happen together!
It’s been over 12 years of working in the fitness, health and wellness industry.
SHOSHIN MOVEMENT STUDIO became the brainchild of all the things I have learned and continue to learn as a teacher, student and practitioner.
I’ve come to reflect on the idea that the more knowledge and experience I gain over time, the more I realise how much more there is to know!
This is a constant humbling reminder, which keeps me willing to learn and to always have the beginner’s mind (the Shoshin mindset). This mindset flows through our philosophy at Shoshin Movement Studio and is an integral part of continual growth.
On a final note: My scoliotic spine is a structural issue that obviously won’t just magically straighten, but I haven’t had pain in this area in YEARS due to understanding how to nourish the body with good movement.
Beyond THE STUDIO
Outside the fitness world, I have been avidly playing drums for over 25 years.
As a professional musician, I play in various bands and projects, and run a drum teaching school here in Cairns, Australia.
You can find out more at www.davedrums.com.au.
Thanks for reading! 😊