Second Anniversary of My Nidan Test
The test was especially difficult for me because it was in the midst of my stomach/GI illness. In this photo I look sick because I was. ...more
Self-Determination ,Martial Arts My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories Resilience &Failure
September 18, 2026•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
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
1st Anniversary of my Nidan Test
However, I had one beautiful moment on the test. A moment that was almost failure but I turned into a huge triumph. Here’s the story: ...more
Self-Defense ,Martial Arts My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories &Failure
September 19, 2025•2 min read
The Hero’s Journey: Discovering Your Theme
“Given everything you’ve been through in your martial arts journey, all of your starts and stops and your neck injury, all the work you’ve done to get you here today, if you pass this test, and there’... ...more
Martial Arts ,My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories Motivation &Resilience
January 23, 2025•2 min read
Moving Forward: Lessons in Resilience
Saturday marked the 3rd anniversary of my neck injury, which occurred just months before my black belt test—two events are inextricably linked. Rehabbing a neck injury (not martial arts related) while... ...more
Martial Arts ,My Black Belt Journey Personal Stories &Resilience
January 21, 2025•2 min read
Explore My Most Popular Themes
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