Unmasking the Fighter Within: Embracing the Raw Truth of Self Through Martial Arts
Every one of us wears a mask. We hide our true selves from the world out of fear, shame, or even survival. Eventually, we begin to believe that the person we present to the world is the real us. We start to believe the lie — hook, line, and sinker.
It’s important that we not lose touch with our authentic selves because when the shit hits the fan, it is the person under the mask that comes out.
Between the choices of fight, flight, or freeze, which will you choose when the chips are down?
One way to find out is to throw the ugly reality of who you are right into your face.
Start fighting.
Exhausted doesn’t do justice to how I was feeling. Holding my hands up took more strength and mental power than I had left. My twenty-something opponent was bobbing and weaving around me, powered by testosterone and drawing on the infinite energy of youth.
All I could do was try to run out the clock and keep the beating I was receiving to a minimum. The coach’s voice clawed its way through the music, the pounding of my heart, and my ragged breathing. It told me to punch faster, keep my hands up, and fight back, but my tank was drained two rounds ago and was running on fumes.
