Dr Annette Drews is a Professor for Social Medicine who currently does research on the contribution of Martial Arts in trauma therapy. Due to an accident at 2 years of age, she continued to be accident prone throughout her life. She overcame the physical and psychological consequences of her traumas through awareness based movement practices such as yoga, aikido and Feldenkrais.    Georgia and Anna discuss: What mindfulness is and the role it plays in trauma healing Why entering into awareness based movement practices through mindfulness might not work for people with trauma history ..read more

Leading up to International Transgender Day of Remembrance on November 20, people and organizations around the world participate in Transgender Awareness Week to help raise awareness of trans and gender diverse people, address key issues for our communities and explore ways to promote active allyship. We hope that through promoting the full inclusion of trans and gender diverse people in martial arts, we can break down stigma and reduce barriers to participation for our wonderful communities.   Transgender Day of Remembrance honours the memory of trans lives lost due to transphobia and th ..read more

*TRIGGER WARNING: SEXUAL ABUSE*  Bobbie Lewallen (she/her) has been practicing Muay Thai for 10 years. She is a survivor of sexual abuse from childhood to early adulthood Georgia and Bobbie discuss: · Starting Muay Thai at age 12 after being abused as a child · Growing up getting to training in a shady area as a young woman under 17 · The conflation of thinness with health and the difference in comments Bobbie would receive as a teenager with an eating disorder vs now · The impact of Bobbie's family's culture and traditions on perpetuating her abuse · How Muay Thai helped her to leave an ..read more

Erik Hein has made a career out of teaching. He has taught martial arts, martial arts coaches, elite police teams, emergency services workers and more. Erik is incredibly knowledgeable in the world of motor learning and has written multiple books on the topic (though all in Dutch) and is currently writing a book about martial arts as therapy.  Erik and Georgia discuss:  How you can use the three Rs in class Performance under pressure Self determination theory   The attributes of a great martial arts teacher  How finding kyokushin karate saved Erik's life For more inf ..read more

**Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault**   Sammy was a victim of rape and sexual assault, and she made the journey back into Jiu Jitsu   Georgia and Sammy-Jo discuss:  Close contact training problems and how to deal with it  Benefits of talking to trusted people about what has happened  Healing and how it can be difficult  Returning to competition How returning to training was beneficial in Sammy's healing Please contact Sammy via Instagram: @sammyjolawler   Sign up to the Conscious Combat Club newsletter here to get the latest updates about mindful and trauma-i ..read more

Muay Thai was the outlet that saved Mint from a life of street violence and rage. In this episode you'll hear how her stepfather introduced her to Muay Thai to help her deal with racist bullying.    Mint and Georgia also discuss:  Why Mint got breast implants and why she is having them removed Being a female fight photographer in Thailand  Mint's future plans as she returns to fighting    To connect with Mint on Instagram: @saoseua.x (muay thai page) @mintlicataphoto (photography page)   Sign up to the Conscious Combat Club newsletter here to get the latest ..read more

Samantha is a full time police officer for St. Louis County Police Department and the new title she is about to add (due March 28th, 2022) is a Mom! She has been training Jiu-Jitsu for roughly 9 years. She majored in Criminology and Criminal Justice in college, and focused heavily on Human Trafficking trends while attending. Christina is an accomplished BJJ, fitness and nutrition coach. After graduation Christina was introduced to and fell in love with MMA and more specifically Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Three years into her BJJ training she earned her Purple belt and was given the opportunity to te ..read more

Les is the founder of Karate for Mental Health, a disability karate coach and author of Anxious Black Belt and The Dark Side of Karate. Les and Georgia discuss:  How karate helped Les Inclusivity in karate  Karate as a mindfulness practice  Why karate can be great for mental health  How to coach clients with hearing loss  The importance of creating community  The difference between karate for mental health and "regular" karate To contact Les, please email info@lesbubka.co.uk  On social media you can find Les on instagram: @lesbubka Sign up to the Conscious ..read more

Rew Mitchell is the owner of Awakening Fighters. He supports and promotes female fighters around the world with the online database of athletes he created and maintains. Rew and Georgia discuss:  The sexualization of women in combat sports  How Rew, a male-identified person, came to create a data-base to empower female fighters Differences between male and female fighters  The uses of the database  Future plans for Awakening Fighters To connect with Rew: You can search "Awakening Fighters" on facebook and instagram or email: info@awakeningfighters.com If yo ..read more

Sarah is a Muay Thai fighter, trauma survivor, and the founder of the Women of Muay Thai Instagram page. She found muay thai as a form of therapy from childhood sexual abuse and it helped empower her to leave her abusive ex-husband. Unfortunately, she found that not all gyms provide the best environments for women - they’re male-dominated and not always guaranteed to have the insights or information women need to feel comfortable or succeed in that setting. She created the IG community Women of Muay Thai with the intent to connect the women of muay thai so we can know we aren’t ..read more