Meeting With A Lioness

I spend last weekend at Cliff Stewart’s “Camp of the Masters.” I wanted to feel like I know nothing at all, and Cliff ALWAYS attracts a crew of amazing martial artists who indeed remind me that I’m horizons behind them. A great feeling. It was held at Graciela Casilla’s school in Oxnard. If you don’t know the name, Graciela is one of the best martial artists in the country, a pioneer in women’s full contact fighting, and a Master in Kali and FMA, who teaches all over the world. She was training at the Kali Academy back in the late 70's/early 80’s when I was there, and let me tell you, it was obvious from the first time I saw her, let alone felt that jab, that she was something special.

I’d had the honor of interviewing her for Los Angeles magazine back in the day, but hadn’t had a chance to really sit down and talk to her since that time, although we’d crossed paths a dozen time. This time, I grabbed that time, and asked her a question germane to the WOMAN WARRIOR’S JOURNEY project. As she has written her own book on this subject, THE LIONESS WITHIN, I knew she would be one of the people whose opinion I could trust, having taught women in many countries at many levels over many years.

Namely: what is the most important EMOTIONAL and MENTAL trait women need to learn to access their “inner lioness”?

She answered without hesitation: Self Respect. “Women are taught to be nice,” she said. “A man will ask her out, and she’s not interested, but afraid to just say `thank you for the opportunity, but no thank you.’”