Tag: Martial Arts Inspired

Stop Thinking Yourself Into Limitations

Published on February 21, 2026

I looked into one of my instructor’s martial arts classes the other day during a jumping jack set and I saw:

An 85-year-old holocaust survivor two-stepping and arm raising as close to a jumping jack as she could.
A walker-bound stroke survivor, arched heavily as she stood, releasing her arms intermittently a few inches above her arm supports to mirror along.
A middle aged dad sitting in the lobby doing mental jumping jacks after having 1/3 of his colon removed via emergency surgery just a week earlier—there for the community, contribution, and vibes.

…What I didn’t notice as much were the twenty or so others doing picturesque jumping jacks, in rhythm, without so much as a squint.

Which is merely to say: never forget that, like a tree, your ability to inspire branches outward exponentially the deeper the roots of your troubles and adversities dig down.

People tell me all of the time how they’re “too old” or “too out of shape” or “too busy” to do martial arts classes.

When really, the only thing making them old, out of shape, and busy… is their mindset.

“Do You Feel That…? That’s Proud.”

Published on December 3, 2025

One of my martial arts students lost his belt a few weeks ago because he was hitting people and being unsafe in various situations.

Yesterday, he finally earned it back.

And right in that moment of elation while he was hugging it and looking to his guardian’s face for cues on how to feel and act… she pointed to his chest and said, “Do you feel that? That’s proud. You’re proud of yourself for doing so much better at managing big emotions and being safe.”

Naming the emotion, especially for kids who are navigating whirlwinds of complicated ever-changing emotions, is one of the fundamental first steps in helping them understand how to act and respond to what’s otherwise unknown, unidentified, and unclear.

…And so it is for adults.

Because what happens when there are big unknown, unidentified, and unclear emotions is that we start busting at the seams with energy that we don’t know how to direct—and we start reacting (mindlessly) instead of responding (mindfully).

But big emotions aren’t something to fear—it’s the very substance of what gives our lives vibrancy. We simply need to learn how to better identify what it is we’re feeling so that we can respond (not react) in ways that are proven to help.

For example:

Feeling anxious/overwhelmed? Go for a walk and/or do mindfulness/breathing exercises.
Feeling angry/frustrated? Create a relationship boundary or stand up for what’s right.
Feeling stressed? (Re)prioritize rest or engaging in hobbies you enjoy.

How are you feeling right now? Can you name the emotion? Do you know how to direct the energy of the emotion in a constructive way? Try doing this at least one time today.

What Lessons Do You Take Out Of Martial Arts Into The World?

Published on November 19, 2025

…Is one of the questions I fought over yesterday. My answers came quick and felt surprisingly solid once written. Each borrowed from another great human who came before… being shared with you today so you might borrow and share them into other corners of the world.

1. Be the change you wish to see in the world. This is a lesson drilled into me by the head master himself. He preaches constantly how important it is to lead the lifestyle you’re promoting. If you’re teaching discipline, be disciplined. If you’re teaching health and fitness, be healthy and fit. If you’re teaching respect, be respectful. And so on. We need to be who we want our students to become.

2. Never underestimate the power of a small group to make change—for it’s the only thing that ever has. Helping one student with a single martial move can be discouraging when we hear about influencers influencing millions from a single post… but, it’s only because the perspective is wrong. It’s not about comparison, it’s about gift giving. It’s about doing what good you can with what you have. It’s about starting somewhere and committing.

3. Life grows in proportion to courage—be bold. I’ve stepped onto some of the biggest sport martial arts stages in the U.S.—and I nearly crapped my pants each time. Which is precisely what courage is: feeling fear and doing the thing anyway. So many doors have opened for me since then. The same with the courage it has taken to publish these writings daily or speak publicly or do something insane physically. Life grew for me after each step taken into the realm of fear.

Answering Tough Questions

Published on November 18, 2025

Today I completed a questionnaire to help a fellow martial artist with a research project which explores the correlation between tournament participation and personal growth in martial arts.

It took me about an hour to complete and let me tell you… it challenged me mentally in the same way a one-hour sparring match would’ve challenged me physically. Answering these questions was tough—like many things in martial arts—which is precisely why we do them.

…Because on the other side of tough things… is a tough(er) self.

Here are some of the questions I fought over:

What has been your biggest challenge so far in your training?
What is your proudest moment?
Was there ever a moment when you felt like quitting? What made you stay?
How has martial arts changed you—mentally or emotionally?
What lessons do you take out of martial arts into the world?
How do you compare yourself to others, whether in class or at tournaments?
How do you push yourself past mental and physical limits?
Has someone ever changed your mindset at martial arts? If yes, explain that experience.
How do you measure progress, beyond belt rankings and trophies?
What does the word respect mean to you in martial arts?
What role does teamwork play in martial arts?
How do you handle conflicts/disagreements with teammates/instructors?
Where do you see yourself in martial arts, 5 years from now?
If you could look back at your past self, what advice would you give?
How do you think martial arts will continue to shape you, physically, mentally and emotionally?

…When’s the last time you pushed yourself to honestly answer tough questions? Maybe it’s something you might consider doing today?

“If They’re Half Ready… They’re Ready.”

Published on October 9, 2025

Over the past year and a half, a martial arts friend of mine went from one martial arts school… to four.

And it all started when he was challenged to open a second location at a mastermind meeting. When asked why he hadn’t done so already, I remember him questioning—amongst other things—whether or not his people were ready to take on that responsibility.

And one of the responses from the people in the group was… are they half ready?

To which he replied with… “Half ready?”

To which their reply was… “Yes. Half ready.”

To which he paused and waited blank faced for their more complete explanation…

The mentality offered was that you can only prepare yourself up to a certain point to do a thing without actually doing the thing—possibly only into the ballpark of around 50%.

The other 50%? …Comes from experiential learning that can only ever come as you’re doing it.

…And running into unforeseen problems, handling unexpected requests, managing variables you didn’t even see coming… and trying, failing, learning, growing, regressing, building, falling, standing, crying, laughing, mistaking, succeeding, stumbling, stepping, slipping, gripping—clawing—your way forward one day at a time.

Yeah… that’s where the other 50% can only ever come from.

Remember this when you’re questioning whether or not your ready to do that next big thing.

Ask yourself: …Am I half ready?

Who I Would Take Martial Arts Classes From… And Who I Wouldn’t

Published on October 6, 2025

After spending a weekend with martial arts school owners from all across the United States… so that we could talk about how we might improve our schools as a collective… without actually training martial arts with the vast majority of them… I can tell you whose school I would attend and whose school I wouldn’t.

…Just from brief and basic interactions I had with them.

Because when it comes to investing in my educational future, I’m investing in the teacher as much—if not more—than the actual content of the classes. In fact, throughout my entire educational carrer, my favorite subjects weren’t always the same… they tended to be the ones that had my favorite teachers teaching them.

It’s a powerful reminder that my school’s success is directly tied to my personal success. The more I invest in myself, the more I invest in my school. Many people think working in the business is how you improve the business… and that might be true… but only ever to a certain extent. Working on yourself and improving the overall quality of what you can bring to the table… will always extend that “extent” out further and further.

“Students, This Is How You Bow”

Published on September 28, 2025

I love the story of how Vince Lombardi—one of the best football coaches of all-time—would, on the first day of practice, hold up a football and say, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” And would continue by coaching topics and ideas from the ground up… assuming nothing and ensuring players were fundamentally rock solid.

Today, I began the first black belt training practice for a group of students eligible this December of 2025, teaching them how to bow properly. This is something they obviously knew—much like how the above professional football athletes very much knew what a football was. But, it wasn’t about what they knew… it was about what they thought they knew that they had actually forgotten or built bad habits around.

It’s an excellent reminder that what’s on top always balances on what’s below. And if you want to have top level performances, it always starts with elite level fundamentals. Revisit your foundation often. Take it for granted long enough, and you might one day look closer and realize it’s precisely what’s preventing you from building any higher up in your life.