The martial art woman warrior is a woman guided by an empowered spirit in all that she does. She infuses grit, integrity, and fight into womanhood. Make no mistake. She does not give up feminity or any of her other traits; rather, she strengthens them and hones her defenses for any situation.

Yes, there is more.

MINDSET

A woman warrior is multi-faceted and ever-changing. She learns to adapt and be flexible when tough times strike. She does not dwell on uncertainty for long and takes action when necessary, as her martial art taught her. She does not adopt a victim mentality, but applies a mindset to life that allows her to embrace circumstances even in the wake of hurt, disappointment, or negativity. She overcomes each hurdle more quickly because of her martial art training.

Each person has a vision of who and what a warrior is. The martial art woman is different because she strives to be as true, purposeful, and mentally powerful as she can be.

SELF-TRUTH

Some consider martial art women as warriors because of their training and techniques, but the martial art woman does not necessarily see herself this way. Yet, she takes risks, infiltrates a male dominated world, learns to fight and defend, and wisely resolves issues with an unwavering and courageous spirit. She rips obstacles to shreds if she must, and overcomes difficulties because of her own self-truth.

The defining moment for the woman warrior, then, has little to do with some recognition or self-proclamation of being a warrior. It has much more to do with how she reacts to the unexpected and readies herself to control and subdue angst. She is a protector of family, children, womanhood, and life itself.

My martial art mindset helped me overcome several life and death matters including troubled childbirths, fires on the property where I lived, and futile living arrangements, all of which drained me when I was already exhausted and burdened. Martial arts taught me to not give up and to fight and battle for that which I so fervently believed. My martial art warrior “spirit” carried me through.

COURAGE

I know a few martial art women who have experienced cancer journeys. They are not “warriors” because they had an excruciating or debilitating illness, or because they are women. It is their actions, reactions and courage that sets them apart and lifts them to warrior status. Each carries her martial art mindset like a sword ready to defend against the negativity that tries to edge its way in.

No words truly define the woman warrior. She just is. As simple as that may sound, she does not exploit or indulge self-proclamations of greatness or claim the prize of warriorship. She is joyous and hopeful on most days and understands perseverance, integrity, and indominable spirit on others. She cannot be defined, for each woman warrior is unique and like no other.

Wherever you are in your journey, let the martial art woman warrior be one of your guides. You never know the depth of her practice, experiences, perseverance and knowledge. Allow your own warrior spirit to continue to shine and soar.

Everone knows a warrior when they see one. Guess what? I see you!

Keep shining.

xoxo

Andrea

The Martial Arts Women Book:  https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Woman-Motivational-Stories/dp/193788418X (or contact me for signed copies) 

Martial Art Inspirations for Everyone Book: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Inspirations-Everyone-Andrea-Harkins/dp/150297830X