Everyday Martial Artist

Joseph Herreman has dedicated more than 25 years to the study, instruction, preservation, and promotion of traditional martial arts, establishing himself as one of the Northern Plains’ most respected martial arts instructors and school owners. His martial arts journey began in 1999 under the guidance of Hanchi Julio “Mutch” Usera in Rapid City, South Dakota. While earning a degre...

Dave first stepped onto the mat in 1967 at just eight years old, beginning his training in Judo before finding his true home in Kenpo Karate under the instruction of Paul Dye. What makes his story especially unique is his unwavering loyalty to his teacher. From his first day of Kenpo training in 1972 through every rank advancement, including testing for both brown belt and black belt under the leg...

Dan “The Beast” Severn is one of the most influential figures in the history of mixed martial arts. A UFC Hall of Famer, legendary wrestler, professional wrestling champion, coach, promoter, and educator, Dan helped build the foundation of modern MMA during the sport’s earliest years. Making his UFC debut in 1994, Severn quickly became one of the most dominant competitors of the...

Bruce Hoyer has dedicated more than two decades to the study, practice, and teaching of martial arts, building a reputation as both a highly respected coach and lifelong student of combat sports. A 3rd Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, 2nd Degree Black Belt in Combat Hapkido, Level 2 Coach in Combat Submission Wrestling, and Gold Level Boxing Coach through USA Boxing, Bruce has trained ext...

Hanshi Miguel Ibarra is a lifelong martial artist, educator, and retired law enforcement professional whose experience spans both traditional martial arts and real-world self-defense. He served more than 25 years with the New York City Probation Department, working in specialized assignments including the Warrant Squad, Gang Suppression Unit, Intelligence Unit, and as a Defensive Tactics and Firea...

Kaitlin Young is one of the true pioneers of women’s mixed martial arts. Long before women’s MMA received mainstream attention, she was helping build the sport through her performances inside the cage and her contributions behind the scenes. Kaitlin began her martial arts journey at age 14 in Taekwondo, eventually earning her black belt before finding her passion in Muay Thai. Her training led her...

Harry Psaros brings a unique blend of professional expertise, martial arts experience, and a deep commitment to serving others. A certified health coach and Executive Neuroscience Account Specialist, Harry has built a career at the intersection of science, performance, and helping people improve their lives. He is also widely known as the “Pitt Guru,” a respected voice in University of...

In this episode, I’m joined by Tanya St-Lawson, a martial artist whose journey spans continents, cultures, and decades of deep personal cultivation. Born in the former Czechoslovakia, Tanya first began training in the martial arts as a teenager after moving to Prague, where she was introduced to Shaolin-style kung fu. What started as an interest in martial arts quickly evolved into a lifelong purs...

Michael Janich is a lifelong martial artist, combat trainer, and internationally respected authority on personal defense whose career spans military intelligence, edged weapons, and practical self-protection. A U.S. Army veteran and former Intelligence Officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency, Michael also served as a POW/MIA Investigation Team Leader in Vietnam and Laos, experiences that help...

Paul Dye is a lifelong martial artist and one of the most accomplished competitors and instructors to emerge from the world of American Kenpo. He began his martial arts journey in 1972 at Dave Hebler’s Kenpo Karate Studio in Glendora, California, training under Jim Thompson before earning his black belt from Grandmaster Ed Parker just 18 months later, an achievement that reflected both his dedicat...

Verca Partikova is a martial artist whose journey spans continents, disciplines, and the intersection of physical skill and mental performance. Born in the Czech Republic, she began her martial arts journey in 1999, exploring systems ranging from Shotokan Karate to Hung Kuen Kung Fu before eventually stepping into the world of Mixed Martial Arts. Today, she is a professional MMA and Muay Thai figh...

Richard Syrop is a highly experienced martial artist and instructor whose journey spans some of the most respected lineages in modern combat arts. He is a certified instructor with the International Krav Maga Federation, the organization founded by Imi Lichtenfeld and one of the oldest and most established Krav Maga bodies in the world. Under the direct guidance of Master Avi Moyal, one of Imi’s t...

Chris Duval is an educator, actor, director, and fight director whose work has had a lasting impact on the modern practice of stage combat and performance training. He currently serves as Chair and Professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Utah, where he focuses on developing actors through a fully integrated approach that connects movement, voice, and storytelling. Over the cour...

Sarah Andersch is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor and educator whose journey in the art spans more than two decades of training, competition, and teaching. She began her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu journey in 1999 and has since become one of the region’s most respected instructors, earning the rank of 4th-degree black belt under renowned instructor Amal Easton of the Renzo Gracie lineage. Alongside her h...

Peter Tas is a lifelong martial artist, instructor, and leader whose journey reflects more than three decades of dedication to the study, teaching, and preservation of American Kenpo. Beginning his training at just ten years old, he has spent a lifetime refining his craft and rising through the ranks to become one of the most respected figures in the Australian Kenpo community. He is the founder o...

Ron Amram is a lifelong martial artist, self-defense expert, and internationally respected authority on violence prevention and the psychology of risk. Holding a 4th degree black belt in Krav Maga and Jiu Jitsu, along with black belts in Kudo and Danzan Ryu Jujutsu, he brings decades of experience across a wide range of disciplines, including boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu...

My guest today is a living link to the roots of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one of the art’s most respected teachers. Born into the legendary Machado family of Rio de Janeiro, Rigan Machado grew up immersed in a tradition that helped shape modern Jiu-Jitsu as we know it. Under the direct influence of Grandmaster Carlos Gracie Jr., he developed a deep, principle-based understanding of the art—one roote...

My guest today is Canadian self-defense instructor, author, and speaker Randy King, a leading voice in practical, real world personal safety. Randy teaches a timeline-based approach to self-defense that prioritizes awareness, decision-making, and avoiding violence whenever possible, with effective physical skills used only as a last resort. Known for his direct style and myth busting perspective,...

My guest today is a lifelong martial artist whose journey reflects the full spectrum of what martial arts training really looks like, the challenges, the growth, and the long-term commitment required to stay on the path. Jim Ockington began training more than 35 years ago, navigating early setbacks, demanding black belt tests, and years of competition that helped shape both his skills and his pers...

Arlene Limas is a pioneering martial artist and leader whose career has helped reshape combat sports, self-defense, and personal empowerment. She began training at just five years old in Shaolin kung fu before transitioning to tae kwon do, where she quickly rose to the highest levels of international competition. In 1988, at the Seoul Olympic Games, she made history — becoming the first American a...

Joseph Bautista is a 5th Degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo and a proud third-generation martial artist who carries forward his family’s legacy with the true spirit of Aloha. He began training at just five years old and has spent a lifetime immersed in the martial arts. His journey spans multiple disciplines, including Kajukenbo, Jeet Kune Do (where he served as an assistant instructor), USA Judo wher...

Tammy McCracken is a self-defense professional, psychotherapist, and international instructor whose work lives at the powerful intersection of violence dynamics, trauma recovery, and transformational leadership. She is the Founder and CEO of 500Rising, an organization built from decades of experience in both mental health and self-defense. Through 500Rising, Tammy provides education and instructor...

My guest today is Professor Gabe Reynaga , a lifelong martial artist whose journey began at just nine years old, and more than four decades later, he’s still competing, teaching, and making history. By the age of seventeen, Gabe was already competing at the adult level, quickly rising to the top of the sport karate world and earning four world titles. At just twenty years old, he joined the legend...

My guest today is a lifelong martial artist, instructor, and historian dedicated to preserving one of the most important lineages in modern martial arts history. Greglon Lee is the son of James Yimm Lee — a highly respected martial artist, author, and close friend and training partner of Bruce Lee. Growing up in Oakland, California, Greglon was immersed in the martial arts culture that surrounded...

Melody Johnson is a lifelong martial artist, educator, and one of the true pioneers in children’s martial arts development. With more than three decades of experience researching childhood development as it relates to sports, coaching, and parenting, she has helped shape how martial arts schools around the world teach, coach, and support young students. Her groundbreaking work began with the creat...