Being a Black Male Martial Artist in America - A Panel Discussion

Join Mike Graves, Abdul Azeem McDaniel, Da'Mon Stith, and John Satberry in a very candid discussion about being a black male martial artist in America. WARNING: This episode is completely unfiltered, so there is strong language. Listener discretion is advised. #BlackLivesMatter #Racism #MartialArts

There's a lot of backlash on "Cancel Culture". The backlash is basically that the punishment is too severe for the action. So, recently, the word "consequence" has been used, and as a teacher, I love this word. Yes, there are consequences to your actions. You might not like them, they may seem unfair to you, but, it is what it is. These are the consequences to your words and actions. So if you elect to say or do them, just be ready for the consequences. Freedom of speech works in all directions. With social media, everyone has a microphone and camera and a platform. 

Here I talk about how I am using social media. You may want to listen to this, especially if you find that social media is messing with your head! Martial arts plays a huge role in this!

In my debut episode, I talk about the book, "Nonviolent Communication", by Marshall B. Rosenberg. I briefly explain the process of Nonviolent Communication (NVC), and read out and talk about parts from the book that I highlighted. My philosophy with martial arts is that it is a way of being and channeling energy to bring harmony and peace to ourselves and our community. It is done through a mindset of empowerment and empathy, not coercion. Likewise, Nonviolent Communication is a process to communicate with each other to develop a greater connection. In the book, Rosenberg says that violence in communication doesn't necessarily mean straight up abuse, but any form of verbal expression that is designed to cause some level of pain. For any martial artist truly interested in the idea of bringing more harmony into this world, this is book is a must-read.

Welcome to Everything is Kung-Fu! This is just my hello to y'all, anyone out there listening. My podcast is all about relating everything to Kung-Fu. It's more than just a method of fighting, from the old days of China. It is ultimately the philosophy of energy and energy expression. I'm looking forward to sharing my insights on here. Thanks for hanging out!