Every Coaching relationship begins with a conversation.
When I founded CrossSwords Battle School, my goal was to find a power hidden where real-life change meets the fun exercise offered through sword, staff, & martial art weapon training.
A conviction formed through over a decade of coaching kids of all ages in martial arts & also spiritual, mental, life challenge issues (in both dojos & churches) and it is this: true transformative change occurs through enduring connection built one on one, yet then worked out through shared experience.
At CrossSwords the idea is to find a “cross” between the Cross (that is love) and the Sword (those are challenges we face). Where these two meet is real change. Where these two meet is real growth, and real transformative power.
Sometimes
It takes a village.
Every parent knows the struggle. Often having an adult outside of themselves to encourage a child to noble action and growth can be a powerful instrument in their lives for development and change!
For my preteen & teen kids, weapon training functions as what engages them – everyone wants to be a Knight, a Samurai, and a Warrior. But it’s also what bonds us. It’s the experience we share. Through training, friendship and trust are built. There is a camaraderie, which develops between teacher and student, when personal growth is not the destination but is simply along for the ride. I have seen wondrous things in teens lives happen when our journey is about peace and joy, rather than our destination. True personal change often happens when you’re not looking at it. So we look first at the Sword.
My student and I spend time learning how to hold one, swing and strike with one, to manage stick fighting and close combat! Before either of us know it then, something changes. Now the transformative change can really start! Here the discipleship and life coaching really begins.
Now when we hang out just to work on homework, or talk about struggles with friends at school, and siblings, or obedience, or depression, or aspirations… things are different. Now we can just hang out, without the apparent gap between child and adult, or teacher and student. It’s that connection, which is foundational to mentorship. I’ve seen the power of reckless grace to change a person, rather than simple reproach or command. That is love. That is the Cross. That is true power.
The Sword works to shatter the barrier that keeps wisdom from youth – so that The Cross can do its work of loving sacrificially through time, counsel, and care.
For adults, weapons operate similarly: it’s REALLY fun to sword fight and learn how to spin and strike with a Bo-staff, and Nunchaku, etc! So whether you’re looking for a Life Coach to help develop action-oriented goals for yourself, a chance to get out and swing a sword around and feel legendary, or both – my Adult clients enjoy it all. The battle takes time and work, careful training and practice. And that goes for Battles sword-to-sword, and the ones we fight in life as well.
We need to learn who we are, what beliefs in our past may be limiting to our mental and emotional growth, and through time and good conversation we work on them and grow to be the best we can be! We need good friendships, built through common goals external to growth, that growth can occur. We need to be active… in our rest upon grace. There we can enjoy. There we truly grow.
Sharpen Your Soul 