OATLEY resident Luke Kennedy has survived having his lung punctured in a knife fight.
And he lived after being stabbed repeatedly in the head with a broken bottle.
It was all part of his involvement in gang warfare on the streets of Sydney.
But his biggest battle was with himself.
Now, after turning his life around, Luke has written about his violent life and redemption in a new book, Stabbed Ego, subtitled a A Thug's Journey to Enlightenment.
Luke, 28, grew up in Hurstville Grove, dropped out of school at 15 and joined a graffiti gang.
"A lot of us were street fighters and we would battle with other graffiti crews over who owns what train yards and the best spots for stealing paint," he said.
"If you heard another crew went on your territory there would be fights.
"I was stabbed on two separate occasions. Once my lung was punctured and and the other time I was stabbed repeatedly in the side and back of the head with a broken bottle.
"I had 100 staples to hold my head together and had to have the top of my ear surgically re-attached.
"Unfortunately this was not a turning point.
"I sought revenge for the first guy that stabbed me in the lung. I tried to track him down. Luckily I didn't find him. If I had, I probably would be in jail now."
Luke saw a couple of his friends die.
"One dropped dead of drugs right in front of me," he said.
He saw another friend lose his arm when he fell under a train while chased by police at Town Hall station.
"The train started moving. We heard him screaming. The train was sort of eating him alive. His lost his hand and arm. I was holding on to his face, begging him to stay alive. His face kept going purple as he went in and out of consciousness."
But even this wasn't the turning point. It was more of a gradual thing.
"I was living through dark nights by myself, worrying about retribution. I was handed a couple of books, particularly The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
Luke found that he had to live for himself and on his own terms, without the need for approval from his gang.
"I realised I had to let go of labels and the biggest label I held was that I was a fighter," he said.
Luke has now opened a gym, Punchys Training and Nutrition at Oatley, which he runs with his wife Jade.
He hopes that his book will help other young troubled people.
"Depression is such a massive problem these days, especially with our youth.
"A lot of it is due to social media. Too many are worried about what other people think.
"I say be yourself and not care so much about what other people think."
BOOK LAUNCH:
Stabbed Ego will be launched by well-known boxing trainer Johnny Lewis on Saturday, September 20 at 1pm at Punchys Gym, 200 Hurstville Road, Oatley.
All welcome, bookings essential, on 9580 8855.
Have you managed to turn your life around after suffering a traumatic experience?