Martial Journal Interview with Dr. Bohdi Sanders

May 8, 2019 Jeremy Lesniak Interviews Bohdi Sanders for the Martial Journal

Martial Journal Interview with
Dr. Bohdi Sanders

I recently had the opportunity to ask Dr. Bohdi Sanders some questions by email. He was kind enough to write back – and generously. This is not a short interview, but I am so pleased that he took the time. We have not edited any of the document that he sent to us, save adjusting some formatting.

Dr. Bohdi Sanders – an Interview by Jeremy Lesniak

Jeremy Lesniak: You’ve written a number of books. Everyone I know who has written even one book has described it as a difficult, even laborious, process. What is it about writing that keeps you coming back?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: It is pretty simple really – I love wisdom and philosophy, and sharing my wisdom and philosophy with others. There are a ridiculous number of martial arts books on the market about how to fight or showing techniques, etc. There is nothing new about fighting and there are only so many techniques you can learn. These techniques, and fighting in general, have been around for centuries; people simply repackage them, put a nice cover on a new book, and sell them as a new fighting system or the best fighting techniques for the streets, etc. It is basically a scam and I have no interest in that.

Fighting is fighting, period. Either you know how to defend yourself or you don’t. Buying into all the martial arts hype will not save you on the streets. These kinds of books are essentially for suckers who do not know what real fights are. They are mainly picture books for novices, and are of little use for people’s daily lives.

My writing focuses on things which people can use every day of their lives to improve themselves and their lives. I am trying to help people with my writing and when your goal is to help others, it is very rewarding. I have received thousands of emails and letters from my readers thanking me for how much my teachings and writings have helped them and changed their lives. I have received many unexpected gifts from appreciative readers because of how my teachings and books have helped them. Knowing that I am helping others is very rewarding!

The emails and letters I get range from heartwarming to heartbreaking and everything in between, and I try to answer all of them, although I don’t always get to. The French philosopher, Jean de la Bruyere, stated, “When a book raises your spirit and inspires you with noble and manly thoughts, seek for no other test of its excellence. It is good and made by a good workman.” That is what I try to do with all of my books – motivate people to live life to the fullest and inspire them to live a life of character, honor and integrity. And I believe that my books do just that.

Is it easy? Absolutely not! Like you stated, it is a very difficult, laborious process and can be very frustrating at times. But I do not look at it like that. I try my best to make my books the kind of books which people can refer back to time and time again and help them each time they read them. I even refer back to my own books time and time again, and enjoy reading them. They are the kind of books that I would buy in Barnes and Noble.

It is my goal to write books which will help people for generations to come and I think I have. And I plan to continue to write these kinds of books. I feel deeply in my heart that this is what I am supposed to be doing with my life. It is my calling, if you will. So I keep writing and hopefully, I keep writing things which are helping those who read my work.

Lesniak: You often use the term “warrior” in your books, and it’s even in the title of your website. What does it mean to be a warrior in the modern age?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: A lot people ask me that question and many others are offended that I even use the word “warrior” in my teachings. Many wrongly believe that the term “warrior” should only be used for someone who has been in the military or in a war. While this is one of the definitions of the term “warrior” in the dictionary, it is certainly not the only definition; and, as far as I am concerned, it is not correct.

There have been a lot of people who have been in the military who are not even close to being warriors. Likewise, there have been many people who have been in wars who never were warriors either. There are many reasons one joins the military. I know a lot of military people; some are warriors and some are not. That is just a fact! I can name several off the top of my head who have been in the military and are the complete opposite of what a warrior should be.

On the other hand, there are many people in this world who have never been in the military and never been to war, but who conduct themselves as warriors daily and have the heart of warrior in everything they do. Being a warrior is not something you do; it is something that you are. It comes from the inside, from your inner spirit. It is independent of your job, or what you do, or don’t sign up to do with your life.

My definition of a true warrior, and what I believe it means in modern times, is someone who has the ability and will to fight to protect himself, his friends, his family, and his ideals, and at the same time, seeks the perfection of his own character through a life lived with honor, integrity, and an unflinching dedication to what is right according to his own code of ethics. The ability to fight is only a small part of this definition. The true warrior has to develop more than his martial arts skills. The qualities of the true warrior go much deeper than that.

Warriors should exhibit the best qualities among men. The true warrior makes a firm decision to try to perfect his character and to live by a strict code of ethics. His word is his honor. His duty stays fresh on his mind. He lives life a little more seriously than most, but at the same time lives life to its fullest. He sees through the veil of appearances covering most parts of this world, but does so without looking down on those who are less perceptive.

Family and friends are important to him, and they know that they can always count on him for protection and help in their times of need. He bases his decisions on his code of ethics, and he instinctively knows right from wrong, and chooses right. He knows that at times there is a difference between what is right and what is legal, and what is wrong and what is illegal. As Lao Tzu taught, “Highly evolved people have their own conscience as pure law.”

The true warrior is able to hold his head high with honor because he knows that he lives his life to the best of his ability, with honor and integrity. His code is ingrained in his spirit and is a part of his being. Warriors walk alone much of the time, as they prefer solitude to the company of lesser men. The warrior is a man who shoots for excellence in everything he does. These are the things which make someone a true warrior and the development of these traits leads to what I call the warrior lifestyle.

As you can see, you do not have to be a military guy or in a war to develop these traits. It is about how you approach life, not what you do for a living.

Lesniak: Martial arts seems to have a fair amount of infighting, and you seem familiar with this. Why do you think that is?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: Yeah, unfortunately, I am very familiar with this. The martial arts community is plagued with an abundance of people with overblown egos, hearts full of hate and jealousy, and its fair share of mentally imbalanced people as well. I always find it ridiculous when these people attack me or my background, especially considering the things that I teach. I believe that most of it stems from jealousy, which is not what the martial arts is supposed to be about. Aren’t martial arts supposed to teach you to overcome your ego? Whatever happened to martial artists having a humble spirit?

I don’t really see this as “infighting,” but rather personal attacks brought on by jealous people who have mental and emotional issues. Let’s be honest, are you in the martial arts to improve yourself or to compare yourself to everyone else? If you are only focused on improving your martial arts skills and your character, do you really care what everyone else is doing? Are you really interested in what so-and-so’s rank is or who his instructor was or where he went to school? Of course not! You are focused on your own training and skills.

The people behind most of this so-called “infighting” are usually not true martial artists; many of them are not martial artists at all. They simply want to be connected to the martial arts world, but they are not martial artists. Every community has its troublemakers, its mentally ill, its criminals, its gossips, and its jealous haters; the martial arts community is no different. Actually, the martial arts world seems to have more than its share of each of these.

Personally, I have found that, when it comes to those who have personally attacked me in this way, when I did some checking on their backgrounds, almost all of them struggle with some form of mental illness. Don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that only mentally ill people attack me and dislike me. But out of those who I attacked me, most struggle with mental illness, either bi-polar, schizophrenia, multiple personalities, or other mental problems.

I have had private investigators check on several of the people who have attacked me on the internet. His findings were very surprising. One guy was bi-polar with possible split personalities. One woman takes medicine for bi-polar, schizophrenia, and a couple of other mental illnesses. Another guy had a mental illness which I cannot remember what it is called at this time. A couple of others had severe drug addictions and issues with alcohol. It was very telling!

Just think about it. Most martial artists have no desire to get involved with “infighting” or personal attacks on the internet. They did not get into the martial arts to deal with more political garbage or to badmouth other martial artists. They wanted to learn martial arts, period. Men and women who are mentally balanced, well-rounded individuals, who want to live their lives with character, honor, and integrity, do not get involved in such things, unless they are forced to in defense of their reputation and character.

Also, I have found that there are certain groups of people who have all of these traits – ego issues, jealousy, hearts filled with hate, and who are mentally unbalanced. They seem to be the ones who are behind a lot of these problems in the martial arts world. I know several who spend most of their time attacking other martial artists either online or blowing up people’s phones to spread malicious gossip which they know is untrue. I won’t give these people any free publicity or turn this interview into something it should not be by naming them here; but many martial artists know exactly who and what these people are. This same group of people who attack others over and over in the martial arts world.

I know one woman who runs a well-known martial arts website, several of them actually, who is known for her attacks on other martial artists. She goes to all of the martial arts hall of fame scams where the same people get together to pat each other on the back and tell each other how great they are. She has been “inducted” into many of these “halls of fame” but she is not even a martial artist. She wears a gi and a black belt, but never earned it; it was given to her as an “honorary” rank because she runs a website. She claims to spend 18-20 hours a day on her computer, and a lot of that is attacking other martial artists. How ridiculous is that!

I have also found that much of the gossiping, libel, slander, and defamation of people’s character comes from certain groups of so-called martial artists who are all buddies and who actively organize these character assassinations. They spread their hate and lies to any and all who are willing to listen to them. They actually used to call me and try to bad-mouth other martial artists to me until I blocked them from my phone and from my social media. I have no time for people of such poor character who spread lies, gossip, and spend more time trashing other martial artists than they do training or trying to improve themselves!

If anyone in the martial arts world gets into the public eye in some way, these people will inevitably start attacking him in a misguided attempt to bring them down. Some of these people are well-known and control martial arts media and do not like other martial artists getting too much popularity. They seem to think that if others are doing too well in the martial arts world, that it somehow threatens their control over their martial artists in their own little clicks.

The most ironic thing about these people is that they go around calling other martial artists fakes or frauds, claiming they faked their rank, titles, background, etc. But when I checked into their backgrounds, it was these people who have the fake rank and titles. I think that these people try to put the spotlight on other martial artists so that no one puts the spotlight on them. I have consistently found that it is those who are attacking others who are the real martial arts fakes and frauds.

When I looked into the people who had libeled and slandered me on the internet, I found that every one of them had faked their own rank and their titles. It was amazing! One guy from California completely lied about his ranks. He promoted himself to the title of Grandmaster and even purchased a Ph.D. in martial arts from another martial artist. Then he promoted his friend, who also helps him attack others, to the rank of 6^th dan. His friend also runs one of these “pay-per-play” hall of fames where he cons well-known martial artists into paying him to be “inducted” into his “martial arts hall of fame.”

He actually tried to give me some kind of award last year, but I turned it down, as I want nothing to do with people like him. The funny thing was that he was offering me some so-called lifetime achievement award, but when I turned it down, three months later he started attacking me at a fake and a fraud. What a sham!

There are several in this group who claim to have the title of Grandmaster in Kajukenbo, but when we checked their background, they did not even have a first degree black belt in Kajukenbo. So tell me, how do you manage to get the title of Grandmaster in a martial art that you never trained in?

Personally attacking others has become so prevalent in the martial arts world that is has become weaponized. When these people don’t like someone or have a beef with someone, they simply spread lies about them, twist the truth, and attack them as fakes and frauds to destroy their reputation. It is the weapon of the weak-minded and the frauds in the martial arts world. They do not have the courage to say anything to another martial artist face-to-face, so they hide behind their computer monitors and attack people like the cowards that they truly are. I guess it makes them feel like they have control others or gives them some sense of power or something.

Also, I have found that most of these people who participate in these things are some of the biggest losers in the world of martial arts. The woman I mentioned above is approaching 70 years old, mentally ill, and still lives with her aging parents. One of her friends who helps her spread lies actually can’t hold down a job and last I heard sleeps in a sleeping bag on the floor of a friend’s dojo. I could go on and on, but you get the point.

The problem is that these mentally ill and demented people can write garbage on the internet and other people read it and simply believe whatever they read. Then they spread the malicious gossip and it takes on a life of its own. It really is pathetic and gives the martial arts world a major black eye!

I have seen these people do this to one martial artist after another, after another. This happens so much, in fact, that I never believe anything someone says about another martial artist now. I go strictly by each person’s own actions and refuse to listen to the “juicy gossip” as I have seen where most of that gossip originates and how and why it starts in the first place.

True martial artists are too busy training, improving themselves, and living life to be a part such dishonorable actions. I understand guys who have been attacked by these people, outing these liars and fighting back. But as far as simply spreading malicious gossip, I will have nothing to do with it or with those who spread it.

As you stated, I have had more than my share of experience with this. These people have no boundaries and no morals. They have made up every lie one could possibly come up with about me, attacking my background, my education, my name, my writing, and even threatening my wife and my sons. Most of this has absolutely nothing to do with my martial arts training, but these people will stop at nothing to destroy someone who they do not like or who they have an issue with. It truly is pathetic and shows their true character.

It also proves without a shadow of a doubt that these people are not true martial artists. I mean, what true grandmaster or master do you know who would spend their time each and every day attacking other martial artists who have done nothing to them? And most of the time, these people attack people who they do not know and have never met. Only unbalanced, mentally unstable individuals do this kind of stuff.

Think of it this way. You will never be attacked like this by people who are doing better than you; these attacks always come from losers who are unhappy with their own lives, so they try to bring others down to their level, instead of working to improve themselves. Successful people focus on their own lives; losers like these people focus on everyone else’s lives.

Lesniak: Much of the infighting I see seems tied to rank and other accomplishments – would the martial arts be better off if we did away with rank and title?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: I think it would, but that will never happen. Martial arts have become a money-making business and charging ridiculous amounts for belt tests and rank promotions brings in a lot of money for these people. Don’t expect them to give up any of the money that they bilk their students for, just to get martial arts back to where they should be. That train has left the station and won’t be coming back.

As I mentioned earlier, much of this so-called “infighting” stems from jealousy or power struggles within the martial arts world. Both jealousy and these ego problems stem from the lack of understanding the character traits that should go along with any martial arts instruction. As Master Funakoshi stated, “The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory nor defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants.” Many martial artists and martial arts instructors seem to have forgotten this.

It has become so commonplace for rank to be given out without being earned today, that martial arts rank has almost become meaningless. I have seen teenagers claiming to be 4^th dans, 30 year old “grandmasters,” guys who cross-promote each other to 10^th dan, etc. It is just a joke!

To me, the only factors that matter in today’s martial arts world are:

• Can you use your skills to defend yourself or those you love?
• Do you conduct yourself and your life with character, honor, and integrity?
• Are you helping others improve themselves?

Rank no longer matters to me. In fact, I doubt I will ever have any rank other than where I am right now, which is a 5^th dan. I have actually had quite a few people say to me, “I thought you were much better than a 5^th dan” or “I just assumed that you were a grandmaster because of your teachings.” Both of those statements are an indication of how badly martial arts has regressed in recent years.

It used to be that a 5^th dan ranking was revered, but now I hear comments like, “Is that all you are?” That is crazy! But that is the mentality of people when instructors are giving teenagers or 20 year olds 5^th and 6^th dan rankings. When martial artists are no longer having to EARN their rank, all rank starts to lose its meaning. It is just like the participation trophies that we see in kid’s sports today, where everyone gets a trophy no matter what. Those trophies are meaningless. And when everyone gets rank just for being in class for a certain amount of time or because they know the right people, belt rank starts to become meaningless as well.

The truth is that a 5^th dan should be a revered rank, just as a 3^rd dan or 4^th dan, etc. If you actually earned it, it carries great meaning for you; if it came easy for you because you trained in a McDojo or were promoted by your buddy without earning it, it doesn’t mean too much to you because you know you did not earn it.

It used to be that there was only white belts and black belts. You started out as a white belt and the longer you trained, the dirtier and darker you belt got. And, as you kept training for years and years, that black belt started to wear out and became white again. Today, many martial artists are only concerned with appearances instead of substance. Many take their black belt and intentionally tear it up to make it look like they wore it out. Others actually even buy black belts which have already been made to look worn out.

Once again, it all goes back to overblown egos. These people are only interested in appearances, but not truly interested in martial arts or developing their skills. I have news for them, their fancy belts or ragged black belts will not help them at all in the streets if they are ever attacked by an experienced street fighter. They may be able to fool many in the martial arts world, but there is no way to fake their martial arts skills when their lives are on the line. True martial artists train for the skills, the love of the art, and to improve themselves, not to look cool or to appear tough.

Lesniak: What qualities do you find most admirable in a person?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: Character is extremely important to me. If a person is not a person of good character, how can you trust anything they say or do? And being a man or woman of character entails many character traits such as honor, integrity, respect, loyalty, honesty, courage, and more. All of these are important.

I guess, if I had to narrow it down, I would say that honor, integrity, and loyalty are some of the most admirable to me. A person cannot be loyal if they do not have honor and integrity. This is something that seems to be sorely missing in today’s martial arts world. My dear friend, Sifu Al Dacascos, and I have had many conversations about the lack of loyalty in the martial arts. Many martial artists have no sense of loyalty; they simply use instructors, or their acquaintances, to get what they want and then they move on. They have no understanding of the meaning of giri. I highly value loyalty in a person.

If someone is loyal, you know that he is a man of honor and integrity. Of course, honor and integrity encompass much more than loyalty, but to me, loyalty says a lot about a person. Dishonorable people have no integrity and are only loyal to the highest bidder. A man with no honor or integrity can never be a true friend, only a temporary acquaintance or a fake friend. If I know that someone has no honor or integrity, I have very little to do with them.

Lesniak: How do you deal with stress?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: I find that the best way for me to deal with stress it to train, workout, lift weights, meditate, do yoga, and get back to nature. When you are in the public eye, as I am because of my books, you have a lot of stress to deal with. At one time, I was receiving over 600 emails a day, and as I said, I try to answer as many of them as I can. Also, most of my work is on the computer, which in and of itself, adds to your stress.

I find it helpful to set aside time each day for meditation, yoga, and some training. I also believe you must not only get away from the computer, but get out of the house and get some fresh air. I have a small dojo in my house, a weight room in the house, mats for yoga, a room for meditation, etc., so it is easy for me to not find time to get out of the house some days. But I find getting out and getting away from everything is very helpful in dealing with stress. And meditate, meditate, meditate!

Lesniak: What consumes your time other than martial arts and writing?

Dr. Bohdi Sanders: I have a nice, big Japanese garden at home; it takes up a lot of my time and also serves to get me out of the house and away from the computer. I also spend as much time as possible with my grandsons and family. I spend time with my photography (nature photography) and hiking in the mountains as well, as I live just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park. I also read a lot. I am constantly studying wisdom literature and good self-help books. There is so much to do, see, and experience in this world. I never get bored!