Martial Arts Past and Present

S2 E7: Chris Harris - From Homelessness to Mastery: How Martial Arts Built a Leadership Revolution

Rarely does a single conversation contain this many hard-won lessons packed into one sitting. Chris Harris, sixth Dan martial artist and founder of Roku Jitsu, built a system combining six martial arts disciplines after a childhood that could have broken anyone. Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, with his mother incarcerated, Harris found himself homeless around age twelve, living on the streets by choice rather than returning to foster care. That moment of raw determination, sitting alone eating found donuts, became the spark for everything that followed. What does it actually take to rewire your mind for lasting change? Harris spent twenty-five years training special forces operators across sixty countries, eventually discovering that teaching mindset was just as important as teaching combat. His breakthrough technique involves those five vulnerable minutes before sleep and after waking, when your subconscious is most open to new information. (A University of Chicago study found mental practice alone improved free throw accuracy by 23%, nearly matching physical practice.) He eventually closed his school in 2023 due to back injuries, transitioning into corporate consulting and authoring The Book of Mindset. His core philosophy is beautifully simple: “the real fight is eternal, not external.” Tune in and hear how one man turned profound hardship into a worldwide legacy of transformation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit martialartspastandpresent.substack.com [https://martialartspastandpresent.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2 E6: The Queen of Martial Arts, Cynthia Rothrock

Rarely does a martial artist's story span five black belts, seventy films, and a groundbreaking role alongside Michelle Yeoh, but Cynthia Rothrock's journey does exactly that and more. Starting martial arts at age thirteen after watching friends practice in an exercise room, she went on to become an undefeated forms champion over one hundred times and one of the first Caucasian women to perform martial arts on film in Hong Kong cinema.What does it actually take to jump six stories between scaffolds with zero safety equipment?Cynthia shares how a tough instructor's philosophy, "quitters are losers," shaped her entire competitive career. After only five and a half months of training, she placed second against black belts in her very first competition (a genuinely staggering debut). She also became the first woman to win a weapons division against more than one hundred men, proving that persistence matters far more than expectations.Her memoir, "Rock and Roll with the Punches," captures these extraordinary behind-the-scenes moments from her film career.Deeply honest and truly inspiring, this conversation covers faith, filmmaking on shoestring budgets, and why mindset transforms every challenge. Tune in and hear Cynthia Rothrock tell her remarkable story in her own words.00:00:02 - From Scranton to Martial Arts Queen00:02:48 - Growing Up with Dad and Finding Martial Arts00:05:06 - Finding My Calling in Martial Arts00:09:05 - Overcoming Self-Doubt in Martial Arts00:11:14 - From Five Months to Undefeated Champion00:18:04 - Starting My Action Career in Hong Kong00:21:34 - Jackie Chan Inspired My Martial Arts Journey00:23:45 - Following Your Heart Over Expectations00:27:20 - Breaking Barriers in Action Competition00:32:43 - Overcoming First-Day Nervousness in Performance00:34:51 - Forgetting the Form on Camera00:40:42 - Dangerous Hong Kong Stunt Work00:46:35 - Faith, Gratitude, and Life's Purpose00:49:46 - Blending Martial Arts with Western Storytelling00:53:18 - Black Creek 2 and Future Horror Projects00:56:00 - Advice for Aspiring Action Stars01:00:22 - The Accidental Fart During Stunt Scene01:02:40 - How to Find Cynthia Rothrock Online This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit martialartspastandpresent.substack.com [https://martialartspastandpresent.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2 E5: From Yellow Pages to Hall of Fame: Don Mathews on Martial Arts Legacy

Rarely does a single phone book advertisement change the entire course of a life. Yet that is exactly what happened when Hanshi Don Mathews began his martial arts journey in 1983 after spotting a yellow pages listing. What followed was over forty years of training, teaching, and eventually founding the Warriors Legacy Hall of Fame to honor those who truly earned their place. Don holds a ninth-degree black belt (which alone tells you the depth of his commitment). He trained initially in Tongshudo under a former Korean Green Beret, spending two and a half hours daily in cramped conditions where instructors literally encouraged students to punch the person ahead of them to build speed. That kind of unorthodox, demanding training shaped everything that came after. What separates the Warriors Legacy Hall of Fame from others is simple: induction is earned, not purchased. With over two hundred inductees, more than half carry fifty or more years of experience. The organization requires nominees to have at least thirty-five years of experience and a sixth-degree rank. Can a single conversation at a tournament genuinely change someone's life forever?Don believes it absolutely can. Their celebration weekend on June 19-20, 2026, in Richfield, Ohio features Bill "Superfoot" Wallace and Billy Blanks. Listen to this episode to hear the full story. If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a Like and Subscribe, and click the bell so you’ll be notified when the next episode of Martial Arts Past and Present comes out. If you feel like we’ve provided you with a great message and would like to support the show, visit us at MartialArtsPastAndPresent.com and click on About to send us a monetary support. Anything you can provide is a huge help. We offer our most sincere thanks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit martialartspastandpresent.substack.com [https://martialartspastandpresent.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2 E4: From Kung Fu to Ministry: Building Authentic Martial Arts Leadership with Jef Naayers

Rarely does a conversation about martial arts cut this deep. Jef Naayers, who first fell in love with Kung Fu at age eleven after watching David Carradine in the original Kung Fu pilot, has spent decades training at Shaolin Temple, traveling to China yearly, and wrestling with questions that go far beyond fighting technique. The overuse of titles like “Grandmaster” and “Sifu” is actively damaging martial arts culture. Jef argues passionately that these titles should reflect earned relationships built through longevity and character, not certificates handed out to young practitioners who haven’t put in the work. It’s a problem of misuse, a culture where titles inflate egos rather than honor genuine achievement. Through his work with the Global Chinese Goshu Wushu Society, Jef is pushing back against this trend while also addressing something far heavier: a global initiative to combat child sex trafficking, drawing inspiration from Chuck Norris’s “Kick Drugs Out of America” campaign. Could martial arts communities worldwide unite around a humanitarian cause bigger than competition or ego? After relocating his family of eight to China for over six years, Jef’s journey has become genuinely remarkable. He can be reached via Facebook Messenger. Tune in and hear this conversation for yourself. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit martialartspastandpresent.substack.com [https://martialartspastandpresent.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

S2 E3: Family Comes First, Even for "Hollywood", Kwan Jang Nim Jose Luis Torres II

What does it take to transform childhood bullying into a lifetime of martial arts mastery? Jose Luis Torres II started training at age five after his mother enrolled him in karate, inspired by Chuck Norris films. Fast forward four decades, and Torres, who is now a ninth Dan in Tang Soo Do, actually met his childhood hero at a charitable gala in Texas. (Talk about a full-circle moment.) Interestingly, Torres' first instructor, Master William Hamilton, trained under Jae-chul Shin, who also trained Chuck Norris himself, creating an unexpected lineage connection. Through his 44-year journey, Torres studied under three pivotal mentors, including Master Sam Char, an Olympic demonstrator from the 1988 Lebanese team. Beyond martial arts, Torres has channeled his discipline into creating "City of Honor," a TV series featuring a Hispanic protagonist that's now streaming on Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and Tubi. He's also produced the independent film "Killer X" and is collaborating with martial arts legends Cynthia Rothrock and Rob Van Cleef on an upcoming project called Rise of the Dragon. After losing both parents in his thirties and battling depression that led to weighing over 325 pounds, Torres credits martial arts with saving his life. He eventually lost nearly 90 pounds and rediscovered his purpose through teaching. Listen now to discover how martial arts became his path to healing and Hollywood. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit martialartspastandpresent.substack.com [https://martialartspastandpresent.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]