The Jedi Mind Trick For Anxiety
Good morning, Tribe,
The inspiration for today’s message came from this morning’s coffee time. And though I’ve always been more of a Trekkie, what happened had me thinking about Star Wars and the famous Jedi mind trick—which reminded me of a conversation with a few of our adult students last night— which, in turn, inspired this blog.
I know, that’s a lot of connections.
You ought to live in my mind sometimes.
But I promise—it’ll all make sense soon.
☕ Coffee, Krav, and a Jedi Trick
So, my dog Krav usually spends coffee time on my wife Barbara’s lap. But this morning, he decided to jump onto mine. It just so happened that I was running low on coffee, and Barbara joked about the perfect timing.
I told her I’d used a Jedi mind trick to get him to come over—so she’d be free to refill my cup.
Of course, she laughed, rolled her eyes, and happily obliged. Humor and laughter are a daily part of our marriage, and I’m convinced that’s one of our greatest secrets to bliss. But I digress…
A Lesson from the Mat
When Barbara brought my coffee back, I told her about a conversation I’d had the night before. My son, Shihan Winston, was teaching a Basic class, and as I walked out of my office, he stopped the group to bow me in.
Since I don’t teach the Basic classes as often these days, it was a joy to meet some of the students for the first time. I told a few stories (as I do), and when I joked that I’d stop before they cooled down too much, one student, Scott, laughed and said, “Oh no sir, thank you for this—I’m enjoying the break!”
Everyone laughed, and he went on to say how much stronger and more conditioned he already felt from his training.
I then introduced Sensei Tony, one of our incredible Blackbelt Leaders—a great father, business leader, and example of what Blackbelt Leadership is all about. When I invited him to share a few words, he spoke about how both he and his son had overcome severe anxiety through training.
That’s when another student, Adam, opened up about how much the program was helping him with his own anxiety.
I walked away that night filled with gratitude—for our tribe, our mission, and the impact this program makes every day.
💪 Two Lessons from the Experience
- The Power of the Tribe: It’s amazing how iron sharpens iron—how we grow stronger together through shared struggle, encouragement, and victory.
- The Jedi Mind Trick: And that’s what I want to focus on today.
Almost everyone deals with anxiety in some form. It may come and go, or it may linger. But anxiety itself isn’t the problem—it’s how we respond to it that matters.
When it strikes, I challenge you to perform a little Jedi mind trick—on yourself.
Mastering the Mind
In Star Wars, the Jedi mind trick lets the user influence the thoughts and actions of others.
But what if we could influence our own?
As I told the students last night, we all face moments of doubt, fear, or anxiety. The natural instinct is to slow down, stop, or freeze. Paralysis is one of the most common responses to stress.
But not for the Jedi—or the Blackbelt Leader.
At KMMA, our mission is to create confident and competent Blackbelt Leaders, prepared to survive and thrive in any situation.
That doesn’t mean we never feel fear—it means we move through it. We attack fear with action, replace anxious thoughts with empowered ones, and move deliberately toward our goals.
This skill takes time to build, but it grows with consistent training.
Like the young Padawan becoming a Jedi, our students become Blackbelt Leaders—masters of focus, emotion, and purpose—able not only to control their own thoughts and actions but to influence others for good.
And yes… even to use the Force.
But that’s a story for another day.
If you—or someone you love—could use a place to train your body, calm your mind, and strengthen your spirit while becoming part of a tribe that sharpens iron together, come join us at Krav Maga Martial Arts.
We’ll teach you more than self-defense.
We’ll teach you how to use your Jedi mind trick in real life.
👉 Visit KMMAUSA.com or call 813-948-4844 to start your Blackbelt Leadership journey today.