What is your name and how long have you been training Enshin?

My name is Erin Phipps and I have been training with Enshin for 2.5 years.

What do you love most about Enshin?

Enshin is focused on our connections to one another. I love that when I meet people from the all over the planet ,we have an understanding that together we help to make up part of the whole.  Our shared experience of participation in our martial art is at the heart of our global community. I love that anyone is welcome join our circle, no matter who you are or where you come from. I am grateful that I got to show up here as who I am and that I was not only accepted, but celebrated for being my full self.

How has your intention changed from when you started until now?

When I being training my intention was to grow in my understanding of myself. I didn’t know if I was capable to rise to the rigors of training, self-development, physicality.  Through training I learned about my boundless strength and returned to a self that was lost through messages I received from the larger culture. Now when I face a challenge on or off the mat I don’t ask myself, “Can I do this?” I tell myself, “Now is the time.”

Which females inspired you in your journey in Enshin?

Sensei Klew Still from the Enshin in Boulder, CO has been a model for me to help me understand how to show up. Her skill and commitment are what helped to push me when I started on this journey and to persevere when things got tough. She also pushes me to the fullest extent in training. I also look up to one of the young girls Petra, who trains at Honbu Dojo. I am grateful for her spirit. She reminds me that training is joyful and how important friendship is.

On a recent trip to San Francisco I had the honor of visiting Sensei Keiko Fukuda’s Soko Joshi Judo Club. Meeting the women who train there and being in that space further solidified my decision to dedicate my life’s work to the propagation of martial arts practice for future generations. Truly inspiring!

How have the principles of Enshin/Sabaki helped you in other areas of life?

Sabaki as an approach to life has helped to transform my relationships. I understand that power is shared and fluid. Awareness is the key of how to be responsible for this shared power. The Enshin community helps me to maintain awareness and holds me accountable for being responsible for how I hold myself.

It is well-known history that the origins of karate came from white crane in Fujian, China.  The founder of that style was a woman named Fāng Qīnián.  What message do you want the next generation of female martial artists to receive from your experience?

When working with kids I always want them to know that it is OK to be yourself. Much of the messaging we receive as we grow is to adapt and change into something that is acceptable, or “good”. I want the next generation to know… You Are Good.

What does it mean to be a female warrior?

Being a female warrior means to turn on to the instinctual and intuitive knowing and responding from that place. Too often we are encouraged to shut down this part of ourselves, which can lead to despair and disconnection. Understanding our emotions and finding resolve for how it helps to see things as they are, is a power beyond measure. A female warrior grants herself permission to feel, and to respond from those feelings without apology or excuse.