As a 5th Dan Master in Taekwondo, I have the privilege of incorporating my martial arts expertise with my work as an Occupational Therapist and a Certified Trauma Practitioner – Clinical. Recently, I have had the opportunity to share these skills on APTN’s Season 2 of Queen Of The Oil Patch through my work with 2-Spirited entrepreneur Massey Whiteknife & Iceis Rain. I am proud to be featured in this incredible Reality TV Docuseries (episodes 3-8) and can be viewed on APTN or online using the APTN Lumi App.

In one of the webisodes (link above), I teach Massey the 5 Tenets of Taekwondo: Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control, and Indomitable Spirit. To me, martial arts is more than just the physical expression of strikes, blocks, moves, and patterns; it is also the spiritual, emotional, and philosophical ways of being as well. I believe that it is through the physical training and discipline that we have an opportunity to learn and practice these guiding tenets not only in the dojang (or training studio) but also when out in society or when we are alone and by ourselves (where no one is observing us).

I am grateful to my parents for exposing me to martial arts training at a young age and to my first Master, Grand Master Sung Ju Kim of Regina, Saskatchewan. Grand Master Sung Ju Kim is one of the last living old school Masters who taught me the importance of consistent and fully committed training in the art of Taekwondo. I am blessed to be able to share this art form with my clients wherever and if ever appropriate.

What does Filipino Martial Arts, Hip Hop, and Occupational Therapy have in common? They are not only all part of my ‘therapeutic tool-belt’ as a certified trauma practitioner-clinical, but they are also my passions and talents that I have used my whole life as an actor, performer, speaker, and entertainer. As a martial artist, taekwondo master, filipino arnis/eskrima/kali practitioner (under Guro Oliver Salvador), bboy, pop’n locker, and beatboxer, I have been performing and expressing myself as an artist for over 3 decades. Whether it was competing in national competitions, acting in commercials, or performing at music festivals, from an early age, my parents have always instilled in me a passion for developing my talents and using performance as a creative outlet to build my character.

I grew up performing filipino cultural dances such as the “Tinikling” (the national dance of the Philippines involving long bamboo sticks that are rhythmically clapped together and dancers gracefully and athletically jumping through them, which imitates the crane-like birds that would move through the rice paddies of rural Philippines) among other Filipino dances. Rhythm and beat coordination is not only in my blood, but I believe it has become second nature to me as a performer. Another percussive dance called “Sakuting” (It was originally an all-male dance performance presenting a mock fight between Ilocano Christians and non-Christians using sticks), I believe is a representation of the many warrior tribes that has used the art of kali/eskrima/arnis to defend your family’s belief systems. For me, this dance also helped me become more coordinated as a martial artists in training with knives, bolos, and sticks in my Filipino martial arts journey. Little did I know that I would be able to continue sharing and learning these art forms but also respect them in a way that I could never have imagined: to combine them with my trauma-informed occupational therapy practice (and do it in an award-winning TV show to boot!).

Where does the trauma-informed care aspect come in? Well, I’m glad you asked because simply put, one of the best ways to begin working on self-regulation and trauma is through Mind Body Skills. I have learned from the STARR Institute and the National Institute for Trauma and Loss In Children and Adolescents that Mind Body Skills can involve breath work, mindfulness, body positioning, repetitive movement through the use of self-expressive arts to help someone build more resilience and healing of the para-sympathetic response from a single traumatic event or from chronic stress from being exposed to a challenging environment. The beauty of this approach is that a person does not need to necessarily undergo psychotherapy or cognitive behaviour therapy in isolation to support a person who is living with trauma but rather focus on the present feelings and body sensations and this can help the person’s vagus nerve slowly return to homeostasis (in other words, allow the person’s brain to regain a sense of present safety, belonging, and nurturing connection to other people). This is not to say that Mind Body Skills to replace psychotherapy by any means, however, it is an example of how people can also use every day strategies through physical activities, mindful art self-expression, meditation, and yoga to help them cope with their daily challenges living with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Check out Season 2 of Queen of The Oil Patch (and the webisode above) to see how I used my passions in Filipino Martial Arts and Hip Hop as a not only a fun activity for Massey Whiteknife, but also a very much intentional therapeutic approach for treating the effects of trauma. Seasons 1 & 2 of Queen Of the Oil Patch can be viewed on APTN and available for streaming now on the APTN Lumi App.

A lot of people have asked me during this time of a pandemic, “How do you stay authentic?”

Let me be the first to say that I’m sure it hasn’t been an easy time for you and for me—I definitely have not always been authentic with myself during this pandemic. 

As some of you may know, one of my keynotes is Awethentricity, the art of celebrating your awesome and influencing others.

Now what does that mean? Well, right now you can see I’m wearing a blazer and – this is probably one of the first times in the last four months that I actually wore something other than Reebok sports apparel or a tank top and some running shorts.

Not that our outward appearance is really the be-all and the end-all. However, if you know me and if you’ve seen me speak on stage, I love to dress up and that’s part of my identity, whether it’s wearing a bow tie or a nice Goorin feathered fedora, to even just being in my martial arts attire.

I have not had the chance to really dress up. So today, I’m here in this outfit and I’m starting to feel really good because you know, sometimes you have to fake it until you make it. Putting on these clothes actually helps me feel a little bit more authentic and a little bit more confident. 

The last few months also have been a challenge in the sense that I’m alone with my thoughts and sometimes as an extrovert, when I am not able to interact with others, it’s both a curse and an opportunity.

One of the curses is I am left with my dark thoughts and I’m left with some of my negative thoughts. The opportunity is to actually be aware of those thoughts.

So through my routine, martial arts training, yoga, kettlebell fitness, I’ve been able to manage those and with the help of my family, my amazing wife, my daughter, I’ve been able to be inspired and actually look at myself in the mirror and do some of the work that I’ve ignored for many years.

So those are just a couple of the things that I wanted to share with everybody that as a speaker, as an occupational therapist, as a professional, I need to look after myself as a person, as a husband, as a son, as a father before or in conjunction with being a professional.

So this message is for anyone who’s struggling out there right now or someone who has thrived throughout this. We honor you, whatever your experience is.

Being authentic is being who you are in the moment and again, that is something I struggle with every day and I encourage you to take this message and if it speaks to you, please continue to use it. If not, bless it goodbye! And continue to be your amazing, awesome self.

So later today, I’m going to be doing my kettlebell workouts and I will also have an opportunity to train martial arts tonight in the evening, and I have the blessed, awesome opportunity to be here and to still have this incredible business and practice with an amazing team.

So I count my gratitude blessings every day and so wish you nothing but the best. Peace, love and blessings to you all.

BLACK LIVES MATTER

“It’s time to change!” This piece was written and performed by yours truly and originally created for the Global Youth Assembly 2006. I also performed this piece and won the 2016 TED SUMMIT Talent Show in Banff, Alberta, Canada. This video is a compilation of the spoken word being performed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (2015/2018) and in Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines (2014).

Now for than ever do I feel like the message of this piece needs to be shared with all of the unrest, division, and injustice happening in our world. I pray for peace, justice, love, and education to fill our hearts and minds during this time. BLACK LIVES MATTER.

Credits:

Produced, Directed, and Written by Jon Jon Rivero

Co-directed by Rob Hillstead

Camera Operator by Mike Zimmer, Bernie Hernando, Jon Jon Rivero

Edited by Rob Hillstead

Audio Recording/Boom Op by Jay North and Dave Kruzeniski