The Power is Already Within You

"Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is wisdom.  Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power."

                                                                                                   - Lao Tzu

This power is already within you.

Several times each year I have the honor to co-facilitate, with my business partner, Theresa Byrne, our life-changing personal empowerment workshops we call, Higher Self-Defense. 

Higher Self-Defense (HSD) is an adrenal self-defense training where adults/teens from various backgrounds, life experiences and skill levels come together to experience what they tell us is a truly life changing event. 

In the HSD workshops, students go through scenario-based training that begins with staged verbal assaults (80% of physical assaults begin with verbal confrontation/intimidation) against a teacher/attacker called a "woofer" (me). 

In these scenarios, students are supported by their "coach" (Theresa) and teammates on how to assertively overcome the verbal assault.  In this, participants not only "find the power of their voice"; but turn their "fear into power" to fend off a verbally aggressive attacker. 

The training concludes with students learning practical and easy-to-use physical self-defense techniques that are then tested against me in a padded assailant suite in my role as a bulletman.

While getting my “butt kicked” by a group of newly empowered students is not my favorite activity in the world, each time we lead students through this course, I am blown away by the transformation that occurs.  This makes the bumps and bruises I receive from being on the "business end" of their powerful strikes, much easier to accept. 

Students who arrive cautious, nervous and in many ways unsure of themselves, leave with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, personal empowerment and confidence.  People who have held onto lifetimes of paralyzing fear, are literally transformed by truly finding the power within themselves.

Interestingly enough, students who have taken this course with us over the past two decades report that in the weeks, months and even years following their HSD training, their skills completely stay with them, ingrained in their cellular memory. 

Stories abound of students who have effectively protected themselves against aggression in the street.  What's more, many past participants share their positive experience of setting more appropriate boundaries in both personal relationships and in the workplace.

The training is based on what we call the “ABC’s of Self-Defense”. 

• Awareness – Specifically, this is not only about becoming aware of your outer environment, but importantly, what is going on inside of you. What are the fears and limiting beliefs you are telling yourself and how are you energetically communicating this to the outside world, making you are target for aggressive behavior in the street, workplace and even at home, in your most intimate relationships?
• Boundaries – The opportunities to set appropriate boundaries exist, not only in the physical/spacial realm where someone may violate your personal space, but more importantly, they exist in the way you allow people to treat you. When we allow others to talk to us in negative tones, demean us and take advantage of our goodwill and kindness, we have allowed our boundaries to be violated. While we want our students to have the confidence to take care of themselves physically (and they do), probably the most important skill they learn in our HSD course is how to set appropriate boundaries in their everyday lives and relationships.
• Combatives – This is where we teach the simple, yet effective techniques that can be used physically fend off an attack, if necessary. There is an empowerment that occurs when we know how to handle ourselves physically.  Throughout the years, I have seen case after case of students who had been plagued with bullying and other abuses, be able to free themselves from these situations.  This is not because they acted physically, but rather because the confidence that comes with knowing how to handle yourself, begins to positively project itself outward, making you a far less attractive target of abuse.

One of the many things we always remind our HSD participants at the end of their training is that the power they "discovered" in the workshop was not given to them through their experience. 

Rather, the power already existed within them and what occurred in the training was just a catalyst for them to access what already resided within. 

In short, the ability to access the power that moved them from fear to fierce once, can be accessed again and again - as it is ALWAYS inside of them.

If you would like to learn more about our Higher Self-Defense trainings for your company or group, or join us for our next scheduled trainings on May 1st and June 12^th, please check out our website at www.HigherSelfDefense.com.  

In the meantime, as you navigate through your life this week, know that there is a power inside of you that is always with you to take on and overcome any obstacle that may present itself. 

You are strong, powerful and are designed to thrive. 

The power is already within you.

Chris Natzke

Black Belt Leadership Speaking & Coaching

PS:  If you would like to learn how to and begin the journey of finding the power you have within, download a FREE introductory chapter of my new book, #1 Amazon best-seller, BREAKING THROUGH, by texting “breakthrough” to 720-741-6263.