The Lionheart Universe didn’t start as a creative project. It started with my real life. I was a teenager when I first stepped into martial arts, and I had no idea how much it would shape who I became or the stories I would eventually write.
If you read my first article, The Origin of the Lionheart Universe, you know where the idea came from. This article explains where I came from — the real foundation behind Lionheart.
My Uncle: Where It All Started
My uncle was the first person to teach me martial arts. There wasn’t anything fancy about it. No big speeches. No dramatic lessons. Just simple training and real guidance.
He taught me:
- how to move
- how to stay balanced
- how to stay aware
- how to respect myself and others
Those early lessons stuck with me. They became the base for everything I learned later and the mindset that eventually shaped the Lionheart Universe.
Kenpo: The First System That Shaped Me
Kenpo was the first martial art I trained seriously. It fit me because it was simple, direct, and practical.
Kenpo taught me:
- don’t waste motion
- don’t overthink
- stay direct
- finish the problem quickly
- stay disciplined
That straightforward approach shows up in my writing and in the way my characters move and think. The Lionheart Universe has a grounded feel because my training was grounded.
Jiu‑Jitsu: The Art That Balanced Everything Out
Later on, Jiu‑Jitsu came into my life and filled in the gaps.
It taught me:
- patience
- pressure control
- how to stay calm under stress
- how to think instead of panic
Jiu‑Jitsu humbled me in the best way. It made me better physically and mentally.
Together, Kenpo and Jiu‑Jitsu gave me a complete foundation — striking, grappling, mindset, and problem‑solving. That combination is a big part of why the Lionheart Universe feels real.
How My Training Shows Up in the Lionheart Universe
My books aren’t random. The way characters fight, think, and grow comes straight from my training.
- Their discipline comes from Kenpo
- Their problem‑solving comes from Jiu‑Jitsu
- Their mindset comes from the lessons I learned growing up
- Their struggles and breakthroughs mirror my own
Lionheart is fiction, but the roots are real.
Training My Kids: Keeping the Lineage Alive
Now I’m teaching my kids the same way I was taught.
Not to make them fighters, but to give them:
- confidence
- balance
- awareness
- discipline
- a sense of identity
Our training is part of my life, and it naturally connects to the Lionheart Universe. It’s the next generation of the same path I started as a teenager.
Books From the Lionheart Universe
If you want to see how my martial arts background shows up in my writing, here are the books that came from this journey:
- Silent Warrior: Deliverance
- Forged to Rise
- Deliver Us: A Chronicles of Holy Resistance
- Battle of Realms
Each book carries pieces of my training, my mindset, and the lessons that shaped me.
Lionheart Universe: Where It All Comes Together
Lionheart Universe is where my martial arts, my books, and my ideas all meet. It’s the modern expression of the same lessons I learned growing up — simple, direct, and built on real experience.
This is my lineage.
This is where Lionheart came from.
And this is the foundation everything else will grow from.