Episodes

  • e262 – KUDEN! – Empathy With Edges: The Lines Between Helping, Enabling & Sacraficing Yourself

    e262 – KUDEN! – Empathy With Edges: The Lines Between Helping, Enabling & Sacraficing Yourself
    May 27 2025
    In this episode, we delve into the subtle yet critical distinction between offering genuine support and inadvertently enabling detrimental behaviors. We’ll explore how true independence empowers individuals to choose their engagements wisely, maintaining personal well-being while extending compassion. We’ll examine scenarios where the desire to help can become a trap, leading to self-sacrifice and compromised […]
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    2 hrs and 49 mins
  • e261 – KUDEN! – Freedom Through Options: The Self-Made Warrior’s Path

    e261 – KUDEN! – Freedom Through Options: The Self-Made Warrior’s Path
    May 13 2025
    In this week’s episode, we’re looking at how the belief that “you have no choice” can quietly imprison even the strongest among us – how the illusions of limitation, born from habit, fear, or past pain, can create a mental trap disguised as reality. “Freedom Through Options” isn’t just a slogan – it’s the foundation […]
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    1 hr and 51 mins
  • e260 – KUDEN! – Enduring the Knowledge? The Hidden Gates to Mastery or Mediocrity?

    e260 – KUDEN! – Enduring the Knowledge? The Hidden Gates to Mastery or Mediocrity?
    May 6 2025
    In this week’s episode, we’re looking at why every serious student eventually encounters hidden gates – points where distraction, ego, or social friction threaten to derail growth – where they are forced to choose between staying the course or leaving everything this Path could give them…behind. “Enduring the Knowledge” – another aspect of the Ninja’s […]
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    2 hrs and 21 mins
  • e259 – KUDEN! – Strength in Disguise – How a Ninja Turns Weakness into Power!

    e259 – KUDEN! – Strength in Disguise – How a Ninja Turns Weakness into Power!
    Apr 29 2025
    Most people in leadership positions, and those seeking success in any endeavor try to cover their insecurities with success. But the greatest warriors – and the most effective leaders – understand this secret: True strength is built by transforming weakness into power. In this episode, we’ll explore a timeless Ninja strategy for overcoming fear, self-doubt, […]
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    2 hrs and 27 mins
  • e258 – KUDEN! – Kyusho: Now What You Might Think and Why That’s a Problem

    e258 – KUDEN! – Kyusho: Now What You Might Think and Why That’s a Problem
    Apr 26 2025
    Most martial artists misunderstand ‘Kyushu’ as just “pressure points”. This leaves them open to believing that they’re primary focus is on pain compliance. In this episode, we’re going to break that myth wide open – taking a look at the true meaning of Kyusho in both self-defense and life. You’ll learn why relying on pain-alone is […]
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    2 hrs and 19 mins
  • e257 – KUDEN! – KIHON: The Root, the Reflection & the Real Path!

    e257 – KUDEN! – KIHON: The Root, the Reflection & the Real Path!
    Apr 15 2025
    In the words of my teacher, Soke Masaaki Hatsumi: “Students move on too soon. They want the next technique but have not truly understood the first.” During this episode, I want to share a perspective that might make you question everything you’ve been told about ‘basics’… especially if you’ve already moved on from them. Because […]
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    2 hrs and 33 mins
  • e256 – KUDEN! – Why Most Martial Artists Stay White Belts Forever

    e256 – KUDEN! – Why Most Martial Artists Stay White Belts Forever
    Apr 8 2025
    Most martial artists never quit at white belt. But most stay white belts — mentally, emotionally, and tactically — even long after they’ve earned the rank of black belt. Why? Because they never stayed on the path long enough to discover that the deeper lessons are smaller, quieter, and more transformational than any technique they […]
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    2 hrs and 36 mins
  • e255 – KUDEN! – The Courage to Be Cut – Power, Restraint, and the Warrior’s Path

    e255 – KUDEN! – The Courage to Be Cut – Power, Restraint, and the Warrior’s Path
    Apr 1 2025
    What does it truly mean to be a warrior in today’s world? In this powerful episode, we dive deep into a rarely understood but critically important principle from Hatsumi Sensei and the old warrior traditions: the idea that a true warrior must be willing to be cut before they cut. Is this about compassion, strategy, […]
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    2 hrs and 51 mins