Fear is the Mind Killer

How do we cultivate inner strength? Martial arts and self defense are about so much more than physical skills. Learning to fight is a catalyst for growth. It makes our students stronger, more confident, and more resilient - at least, that's how it's supposed to work. Too often, the students who need that strength the most struggle to find it. Learn how to build a training environment that helps all your students grow. Help them face their fears, grapple with failure, test themselves, and come out bigger than before. Fear is the Mind Killer will help you shape your training culture. You'll learn how motor learning and motivation actually work. You'll get a window into the needs of all kinds of students, including vulnerable and under-served groups. You'll get concrete tools that help you put that knowledge to use. Write and enforce effective policies. Manage your classroom to support and empower diverse students. Design training exercises that incorporate play and problem-solving. Add pressure with stress testing activities. This book is for all teachers, whether you're building a new community or checking in on an existing one. It will help you ask the right questions and find the answers that make the most sense for you and your community. Practice activities and sample drills will make sure you're on the right track as you work. You know what your students need. Here's how to get it to them.

Kaja Sadowski has been a physical instructor since 2004. She taught figure skating, rock climbing, and mountaineering before coming to martial arts in 2010. She joined the coaching team at Valkyrie Western Martial Arts Assembly in 2012, and is the school's co-owner. She teaches group and private lessons to students of all experience levels, and has traveled extensively to teach at events across Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Her primary weapon is the rapier, and she also teaches unarmed striking, grappling, knife combat, and self-defence. Kaja has been a civilian auxiliary with the Vancouver Police Department's Force Options Training Unit since 2015, participating in realistic tactical training scenarios and providing guest instruction to their Special Municipal Constable program.
She holds a Master of Arts in English Literature, and did the majority of her graduate work on medieval English and French chivalric romances. She has presented at a number of academic conferences, and has taught at the undergraduate level in literature, history, and medieval studies. She regularly leverages her academic training to serve her martial arts research.
Kaja lives in Vancouver, Canada. When she's not punching people in the face, she enjoys embroidery, board games, and powerlifting.

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1. Failure: The Keystone of Learning
Motor Programs
Blocked, Random, and Variable Practice
Failure and Problem-Solving
Chapter 2. Policies: Reducing the Cost of Failure
Understanding Risk
Identifying Problems
Public-Facing Policy
Internal Policy
Chapter 3. Training Culture: Cultivating Self-Reliance
Consent
Good Partners
Self-Regulation
Opting In
Modelling Failure
Play
Chapter 4. Stress Testing and Stress Inoculation
Relevance
Realism
Safety
Follow-Up
Chapter 5. Hitting Girls and Other Taboos
Hitting Girls
Force and Realism
When Equal Isn't Equal
Chapter 6. Dealing with Psychological Trauma
What Is Trauma?
The Instructor's Role
Stigma
Fixing the Conversation
Conclusion
Appendix I: Sample Exercises
List of Exercises
Getting Comfortable with Contact and Hitting
Reading a Partner's Movement, Intention, and Mental State
Integrating Play and Problem Solving
Introducing Students to Stress Testing
Appendix II: Recommended Reading
Appendix III: Works Cited
About the Author