In martial arts, progress comes from the constant push and pull between opposing forces—a back-and-forth of technique, pressure, and resilience. Every training partner and opponent reflects resistance back at us, revealing our strengths and exposing our weaknesses. Resistance isn’t just part of the process—it is the process. Growth comes when we’re pushed beyond comfort, forced to adapt, evolve, and level up.

We must be both the snake and the koi. The snake embodies aggression,  pressuring control, and striking with precision to dominate. The koi represents fluidity and escape, moving calmly through danger. True mastery comes from balancing the snake’s power with the koi’s grace.