Kaja’s excellent blog posts, videos, book, and random social media thoughts on martial arts have been a go-to for me for years now. She has a wonderful way of pushing me thinking past the overwhelming wall of ‘stuff’ when thinking through martial arts and instead breaking down my views on instruction and personal training into small, USEFUL, chunks. Every teaching or school culture change of hers that I have implemented has been a resounding success for both myself and my students.

Kaja is the quality of teacher that makes you want to move to a different country just so you can train more with them. Kaja teaches in a way that is accessible to anyone, on any day. If you aren’t feeling top notch, she will work with you to make sure you get the most out of her class you can. The book Fear is the Mind Killer is a must have for any martial arts instructor. The chapters on understanding fear were especially useful to me as, due to several privileges, I haven’t had to confront those situations. Now I can recognize signs in my students and help create a space where they feel safe enough to participate and better themselves.