No Flow Without Frustration
“You’re better with tonfa than I was at your rank,” my Sensei recently said. “I think it’s a natural weapon for you.” “Natural? Remember my first day with them?” I asked, “How much I cried?” ...more
Martial Arts ,Personal Stories Mental Health Hygiene Resilience &Flow State
December 17, 2025•2 min read
Resilience is a Trainable Practice
Hey! Guess what? I’m going to be a guest on a podcast! My topic of conversation will be: “How to keep training through chaos—when your life and/or your body is falling apart.” ...more
Martial Arts ,My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories &Resilience
December 08, 2025•1 min read
Thanksgiving 2025
Normally I would write a post about all the wonderful things I’m thankful for this year. But honestly, 2025 was brutal. Two injuries to my right leg thwarted my plans for my martial arts and growing... ...more
Martial Arts ,Resilience &Failure
November 26, 2025•1 min read
This Wasn't Illness
I woke up feeling sick. My stomach ached, I felt hot, and my lower back hurt. I thought there was no way I could make it to my Kobudo (traditional Okinawan weapons) class. ...more
Martial Arts ,Personal Stories Mental Health Hygiene &Resilience
November 04, 2025•2 min read
Happy Halloween
I pretty much always wear my Jedi uniform on Halloween. This photo is at night in the Jedi Temple dojo. I’ve never actually been there, of course, but I have Photoshop and I’m not afraid to use it—a... ...more
Martial Arts ,Personal Stories
October 31, 2025•1 min read
3rd Anniversary of my Black Belt Test
Training for a black belt test while rehabbing ruptured disks in your neck is not an experience that I recommend, but I did it. It was both one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and also one of m... ...more
Self-Determination ,Martial Arts My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories &Resilience
October 16, 2025•2 min read
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