Leesa Daniel remembers when she went past a boxing gym with a woman's name on it and was confused because she didn't know women could box--and then she describes taking her opponents to pieces in the ring. She's got some good stories.

Cyborg Santos explains how he was inspired to fight by the never-quit roosters in the cockfighting rings of his childhood, how reading expands his world, and how he is staying happy now that his career as an MMA fighter is likely over.

Aaron Alexander—actor, fight choreographer, superhero—tells us about how his mom put him into gymnastics to direct his propensity for running up walls, how he found himself by watching martial arts movies, and his plans for being a 90-year-old badass.

Kaci Lambe, Krav Maga practitioner and aspiring digital nomad, tells us about the dark joy of destruction, the elation of sparring, the highs and lows of being an artist, and the pain and hope of leaving one life for another.

Lin Hughs, brown belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, relates how he got a stripe on his white belt after a year, what makes him laugh (everything), what he’s lost, what he’s gained, and how he’d like to fight John Wayne.

Brittany Anne Robertson tells what it’s like to train so hard you forget basic life processes, how it feels to pose like an action hero for art students, and why fighting is the best.