By Peter Simon Liciaga | Living Strong Warrior Project 2025
My Personal Martial Arts Journey
Martial arts has been a defining part of my life for decades. I started my journey as a young man, seeking not only physical skill but also a way to develop mental discipline, resilience, and inner strength. Over the years, I have trained in various styles, including Tae Kwon Do, Shotokan, Tang Soo Do Moo Duk Kwan, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Modern Arnis, each of which has shaped my perspective on personal growth and mental toughness. As an instructor and mentor, I’ve seen firsthand how martial arts transform lives, helping individuals break through barriers, build confidence, and develop unshakable mental fortitude.
Through my website, social media, and direct work with students at Dinoto’s Action Karate Mt. Laurel, I’ve shared my experiences and lessons learned, emphasizing that martial arts are more than just combat—they are a way of life. I, myself, have seen how valuable martial arts, especially BJJ, has been to my own mental health, particularly in managing depression and overcoming trauma from growing up in an environment of abuse and violence. This journey has reinforced my belief that martial arts serve as a powerful tool for healing, self-discovery, and resilience.
Living Strong Philosophy and Concepts
The foundation of my journey has been built on my Living Strong Philosophy, which integrates the lessons learned through martial arts into everyday life. Living Strong is about:
- Purpose – Knowing your ‘why’ and setting clear goals for personal and professional growth.
- Power – Developing inner strength, both physically and mentally, to face challenges with confidence.
- Progress – Taking consistent steps forward, learning from setbacks, and embracing growth as a lifelong process.
These principles guide my approach to teaching and mentoring, helping individuals recognize their potential and push beyond their perceived limits. Whether it’s on the mat, in the workplace, or in personal struggles, Living Strong is a mindset that fosters resilience, discipline, and the determination to keep moving forward despite obstacles.
Integrating Positive Psychology with Martial Arts
As a certified Positive Psychology Practitioner, I have incorporated its principles into my martial arts teachings. Positive Psychology emphasizes the science of well-being, resilience, and personal strengths. By combining martial arts with Positive Psychology, I focus on:
- Growth Mindset – Viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow rather than obstacles to fear.
- Emotional Regulation – Using mindfulness, gratitude, and self-awareness to navigate stress and emotions effectively.
- Strength-Based Training – Helping students identify their personal strengths and use them to build confidence and resilience.
- Flow State Development – Encouraging deep engagement and presence during training, which enhances focus, satisfaction, and mental clarity.
This fusion of martial arts and Positive Psychology provides a holistic approach to mental and emotional well-being, ensuring that students don’t just develop physical skills but also cultivate a powerful mindset for success in all aspects of life.
This article builds on that foundation, diving into the research that supports what I have known through firsthand experience: martial arts, particularly Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, offer profound mental health benefits that extend far beyond the mat.
References & Sources
- Liberty University (2024). Psychological Resilience and Mental Toughness in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Practitioners: A Cross-Sectional Study. Digital Commons.
- The Sport Journal (2024). An Examination of Studies Related to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Enhancing Mental and Physical Health Among Veterans and First Responders: A Scoping Review.
- University of Bath (2024). Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s Links to Mental Health Explored in New Research Study.
- The effect of martial arts training on mental health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Invitation to Connect
If you’re interested in trying martial arts, I would love to help! With over 30 years as a professional martial arts teacher, I have built strong connections with incredible instructors and schools around the world. Whether you’re looking for a place to train in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Karate, or another martial art, I can personally recommend a school that aligns with your goals and needs. Feel free to reach out to me, and together, we can find the right place for you to begin or continue your martial arts journey.
As a mental health professional, and someone who has spent many years in and out of martial arts, I could not agree more with the author’s valuation on the benefits of martial arts training as it relates to one’s mental health and wellness. I would even go as far to say that there are common elements along these parallel journeys. The achievement and maintenance of mental health and wellness are infused in, extracted from, and promoted by the experience of one’s venture during martial arts training. These paths if taken simultaneously, not only intertwine, they also complement and sometimes supplement one another to create a wholistic synergy which is at the core of healthy being. The author profoundly and accurately introduces martial arts as a training ground for self-development through healing, transformation, and refinement of critical abilities for healthy living.
This article delivers a clear depiction of how the personal journey of martial arts training fosters, promotes, and leads to psychological, emotional, sociological, and physiological wellness. In support of the author’s assertion, I can personally testify that every healthy life,
skill, moral, value, characteristic, and personality trait that has contributed to my success today, was either introduced, learned, reinforced and/or refined through my martial arts training. I commend the author for his vulnerability, courage, and willingness to share his journey as a means of hope to inspire, and inform others on the promise of healing through martial arts training.
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and deeply insightful comment. As someone who has experienced firsthand the profound impact of martial arts on my mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, your words resonate with me on a deep level.
Your perspective as both a mental health professional and a martial artist adds invaluable insight to this discussion. I truly appreciate the way you describe the interwoven nature of martial arts and mental wellness—how these journeys don’t just parallel one another but actively complement, support, and refine each other. Your articulation of this wholistic synergy is exactly what I have felt but often struggled to put into words.
It means a great deal to me that you not only recognize but also affirm the healing, transformation, and self-development that martial arts offers. Your personal testimony on how martial arts introduced, reinforced, and refined the critical life skills and values that shaped your success today is inspiring, and it reinforces why I felt compelled to write this article in the first place.
I am truly grateful for your kind words, your support, and your recognition of my intent to share this journey as a means of hope and inspiration. It is my belief that these conversations—rooted in personal experience and professional understanding—are what help us all learn, heal, and grow together.
Thank you again for taking the time to read, reflect, and contribute so meaningfully to this discussion. I deeply appreciate your voice in this space. Living Strong. Always. 🙏🔥
Let me know if you’d like any refinements to the tone or structure!