Some people just don’t like sparring, and that’s okay - it’s certainly not for everyone - but when the barrier is a society that has not allowed us to experience the power of our own bodies, that makes me sad.

I have been fighting for most of my life, but maybe not the kind of fighting you’re thinking about when you read that.

I don't write poetry often - I enjoy writing fantasy and science fiction more (and yes, martial arts are often incorporated somehow. I’m such a nerd…). But sometimes, the beauty of something can only be expressed in poetry. I wrote this last week when I was reflecting on what the mats are to me. That common idiom of "going to your happy place" came to mind, and I had a forceful reaction to it - so I knew I had to write about it. This was the result. Do you have a place like this?

Wrapping my hands was me taking care of my body, and of—for the first time in my life—feeling powerful in it.

Stay tuned for a therapist’s musings on mental health on the mats.