Whether it’s public speaking or any performance in front of a large audience, many of us wonder how well we’d do. Both kids and adults are subject to attacks of the nerves when it comes to public performances, but we all can gain the confidence to step up to the stage and give it our best. This edition of the podcast features a short story about a karate student ready to head to her first tournament, as well as a talk with a teenage black belt whose first tournament experience came at the young age of six. Goal-setting is featured throughout. Enjoy and continue to set your sights on earning top place at the next martial arts tournament!

Grab some candy corn and gather up somewhere warm for the last podcast of 2023, a little tale from the north pole that involves a little-known secret about Santa's top elves... Hope everyone is looking forward to the new year! Best from all of us at Ripple Effect Martial Arts!

Mr Chris Green has spent his professional life in hospitality. He's run hotels, resorts, hotel companies and management firms, and the teams he's led have helped guests experience landmark events as well as seen families through natural disasters. Here Chris talks about learning how to lead from difficulty and challenge, and how a mindset of curiosity breeds strong leadership, in business, the martial arts, and life.

Joseph Wade was barely six (or seven?) when he asked his mom (Jennifer) to join karate. This request happened to coincide with the opening of the first Ripple Effect Martial Arts school in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2013. Now we're ten years on, and the entire family--Mom, Dad, Joseph and sisters Grace and Marilyn have risen to 2nd degree black belt, helping each other and hundreds of other black belt students along the way. Listen to their memories of hardship and leadership in this special ten-year anniversary podcast.

Anyone familiar with the podcast knows Ms Allie Hayes, who recently coached a team of Ripple Effect Martial Arts black belts at the annual Battle of Atlanta, one of the longest-running and most acclaimed martial arts competitions on the planet. Hear Ms Hayes talk about her experience as a coach of top-ranking competitors from Ripple Effect, including meeting one of her heroes, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee's protege John Chung.