Add to favoritesThe Fight for a Happy Life podcast was Sensei Ando Mierzwa’s brainchild. He trained in BJJ, Aikido, and Shotokan Karate, but prefers to just be called “martial artist” as he doesn’t care about styles. He cares about improving through himself through martial arts. Sensei Ando’s podcast explores how to live a life of health and happiness by applying martial arts wisdom to every aspects of life.
- #123: How to Build Courage in Martial Arts [Video...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on March 19, 2024 at 6:01 pm
Welcome to Episode #123 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Build Courage in Martial Arts.” Many people worry that they won’t have the courage to fight back against a real-life attacker… and that includes martial arts students! It makes sense, really. You can build strong muscles […]
- #122: Yin or Yang: A Tale of Two Black Belts...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on January 17, 2024 at 7:11 pm
Welcome to Episode #122 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Yin or Yang: A Tale of Two Black Belts.” There are many paths to choose from in the martial arts… but how do you know if you’re on the right one? Wait—there’s actually an even bigger question to think about— Should you […]
- #121: Hero Worship in the Martial Arts [Video +...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on December 12, 2023 at 3:20 pm
Welcome to Episode #121 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Hero Worship in the Martial Arts.” We all need teachers and role models in the martial arts… but can following a leader become harmful at some point? Is it possible to show a teacher too much respect? YES! If we’re not careful, […]
- #120: Use It or Lose It [Video + Podcast]by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on November 2, 2023 at 6:42 pm
Welcome to Episode #120 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Use It or Lose It.” Some people say martial arts is like riding a bike… I don’t! I say use it or lose it! The fact is that no matter how hard you train, you can’t practice everything all the time, which means... The post […]
- #119: Lighten Your Load – The Double-Weighted...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on June 9, 2023 at 5:01 pm
Welcome to Episode #119 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Lighten Your Load – The Double-Weighted Error.” The art of Tai Chi Chuan is often criticized (or even mocked) in modern martial arts circles. Of course, much of that criticism comes from people who have never researched or […]
- #118: How to Get More from Your Martial Arts...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on May 9, 2023 at 7:39 pm
Welcome to Episode #118 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Get More from Your Martial Arts Practice.” You train hard… but are you getting everything you can out of your martial arts practice? Probably not! Don’t worry—in this episode, I share three practice tips that will pay […]
- #117: Bad Advice in the Martial Arts [Podcast]by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on April 14, 2023 at 2:03 pm
Welcome to Episode #117 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Bad Advice in the Martial Arts.” You get a lot of advice as a martial arts student… you probably give a lot of advice, too! But is it possible that all of that good advice is actually bad advice? In this episode, I’m... The […]
- #116: You Got This! Confidence in the Martial...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on January 23, 2023 at 2:46 pm
Welcome to Episode #116 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “You Got This.” Confidence is a tricky commodity. If you have too much—trouble. If you have too little—trouble! Especially in the martial arts, place too much faith in your skills, you might wind up dead. But place NO faith in […]
- #115: How to Be a Good Judge in Martial Arts and...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on November 30, 2022 at 8:05 pm
Welcome to Episode #115 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Be a Good Judge.” Are you a good judge or a bad judge? In the martial arts (and in life!), I’ve definitely been both. But as I get older, I’d like to think I’m getting better at passing judgement. Whether we’re... […]
- #114: Driving Without Brakes – A Warning for...by Ando Mierzwa: Martial Artist, Teacher on October 30, 2022 at 8:56 pm
Welcome to Episode #114 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Driving Without Brakes.” I’ve done some stupid things in my life… but driving without brakes may be the stupidest! Of course, I didn’t plan on putting myself (and everybody on the road around me!) in danger, but it also […]