First-Person Fighter

Teni Lopez-Cardenas is a freaking force of nature–a black belt in Krav Maga, an amazing dancer and dance teacher, an operational therapist in a NICU. She’s just walking around changing people’s lives like it’s easy. Listen to us zoom from idea to idea and back around again.

Note: I recorded this via Zoom because she’s in Los Angeles and I’m in Austin. So the sound is a little wonky and there weird tappy taps all the way through. It’s not really distracting once you start listening to her stories, though.

Lauren Sears is freaking amazing. From high-level competitive triathlete through Crossfit, Krav Maga, Muay Thai, and MMA, all the way to jiu jitsu, she is one of the most dedicated and disciplined athletes I've ever known. Here she tells me about all of that, plus the highs and lows of just being a person. Listen up.

Leigh is an E-RYT500 certified yoga instructor and Krav Maga practitioner. We spend pretty much the whole interview talking about the intersection between Krav Maga and yoga and the different kinds of peace we get from each. We also talk about various teaching methods of each. If you want to hear a couple of mouthy broads with strong opinions about the practices that have changed and continue to change their lives, press Play.

Find all the awesome things Leigh does: https://leighfishercreates.com

And if you're in Austin, Texas, come see both of us on October 27, 2019, where you can engage in everything we talk about here: Strike, Flow, Meditate: Finding Your Calm in a Chaotic World.

https://www.kravmagaatx.com/event/self-defense-yoga-techniques-for-calming-anxiety-in-a-chaotic-world

Take some Krav Maga with Amy at Krav Maga ATX: https://www.kravmagaatx.com/

Nina Cutro-Kelly is a fifth-degree judo black belt and has won multiple international judo and sambo tournaments and she's hoping and training to be on the 2020 Olympic U.S. judo team. In this episode, Nina talks about the role of judo in her life, from when it helped her focus her wild energy at age 7 to when it was a solid base of support when she had a year full of personal hardships and tragedies. She's a thoughtful storyteller, and you'll want to hear what she's got to tell you.

Visit her in San Antonio at Universal Judo.

Mike Segura is so nice that after I interviewed him, I messaged the friend who connected us and said, "Holy shit, that guy is nice!" He's also a talented martial artist and a reflective storyteller. This is a good one.

Derrick Garza talks about community, from when he first found BJJ to when he opened Dark Clan Fight Lab. He's a killer on the mats, and he's also a leader, building other people up. As he says in the interview, "I go out of my way to make sure that people feel welcome and included, even down to our slogan: We are the Dark Clan. "

Maria Lopez does all the things. She found MMA when she was in her 30s, and a few years later, she was starting a pro career. I've had the good luck to know her for most of that time. Maria talks about hard stuff in this interview--including successes and not-such-successes. She's reflective about her fighting career and grateful for who she is as a result of it.

Janeé Cox is a dedicated student of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. She's a delight to talk to and a complete beast on the mats. Janeé is also a brown belt who loves helping new students learn to be confident BJJ beasts as well. Listen up. She's got good things to say.

Francisco Betancourt is back! A new Krav Maga Worldwide black belt, Francisco tells us all about his journey and has some encouraging words for those of us on the path.

Linda Tenberg is a martial artist and a former pro boxer. She shares her grounded philosophy and her fight stories. Listen up.