Why I Started a Podcast

My budo journey started as life shifted from school to work, and the subsequent world of independence. My development as a martial artist therefore mirrored my growth as an adult — trying to figure out what my place in the world was, and navigating all the complexities of being a sovereign individual.

I've learned many lessons over the last 15+ years, and very few of the meaningful ones were easy. Our arts attract interesting people from all walks of life. We come from tribes and communities that rarely intersect in the regular world, yet we walk side-by-side or face-to-face in the dojo. So it can be accurate to say the study of budo is a study of finding harmony from diversity.

That podcast was an opportunity to have interesting conversations with dedicated practitioners of the martial arts and feel this connection that's greater than nationality, upbringing, demographics, or socioeconomic conditions

It also allowed me to demonstrate the power of these arts to bring us together despite our radically different contexts and experiences that led to our starts and motivate us to continue. We all have our own reasons for making martial arts part of our life. Whether it's a hobby or for physical fitness, being part of a community, or doing it for your own self-development, there's something for everyone in the practice.

For me, the opportunity to meet such a vast range of individuals has been a driving factor in why I continue to practice martial arts. I enjoy having my expectations and worldviews challenged when learning about others' lived experiences. I wanted to share this experience with the broader community, providing depth of insight into each individual.

I’m often reminded of the quote "Do not be so quick to judge others, they are fighting a battle you know nothing about". I've been quick to criticize others in the past, and have felt the sting of it in return. I've been disheartened to know that it exists to such a degree in the martial arts, and want to lead by example and show that we are all human, and we all feel joy and pain, and that what we need more of in this world is understanding and kindness.