February 22, 2024 • 47 mins
This is the inspirational story of Sensei John Mirrione's founder of Harmony Power. story. From a childhood scarred by bullying and homelessness to becoming a martial arts maestro and an ambassador for change, his tale is a masterclass in transformation and tenacity. We unravel the threads of his life that weave a rich tapestry of overcoming adversity and championing integrity. His thirty-year tenure in Manhattan's martial arts scene is a testament to the impact that resilience and effective pedagogy can have on personal growth.
Then we shift gears and glide into the rhythm of a story where defeat on the dance floor spins into a national triumph. Sensei John's narrative dances through the corridors of the military, where his unique blend of martial arts and dance movements brought solace and entertainment to his fellow service members. It's a testament to the transformative power of embracing one's passions, and a reminder of how the pursuit of dreams knows no bounds—even when they begin with two left feet.
Wrapping up, we spotlight the pulse of Sensei John's mission: the Harmony Power initiative. This movement is more than a fight against bullying—it's a catalyst for youth empowerment that has resonated from local pavements to the halls of New York City's public schools. Our discussion reveals how fostering a culture of recognition and self-expression can sculpt a more compassionate and emboldened generation. If you're connected to an educational institution or know young minds in need of inspiration, this episode is an invitation to explore how Sensei John's work could be the missing piece in nurturing our future leaders.
Contact Sensei John MIrrione - https://harmonypowernow.org
We look forward to seeing you succeed! - www.KeepOnSharing.com - Code - KOS
www.CoachMikkiandFriends.com
Join my guests on my YouTube Channel
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, I'm Coach Mickey and I'm so glad that you've
joined us and this is your firsttime joining us.
Come on in and make yourselfcomfortable.
For those of you that join uson a regular basis, I am so glad
that you do, and thank you somuch for always reaching out to
my guests.
They love hearing from you andI really appreciate all your
comments, your questions andyour suggestions of some of the
people that have on.
(00:20):
It has been so much fun havinga lot of you reach out to me
through all my social media andletting me know how you have
actually connected with a lot ofmy guests, and today is no
different.
I met this guest.
I was at an event in AtlanticCity and, for many of you that
have heard my other podcast andknow me personally, I was at a
(00:40):
lot of a martial arts event andI was just what is no different.
However, going to these eventsis not only fun for me, because
I love seeing the talent and thepeople and the upcoming martial
artists, but it is the peoplethat I get to meet that have
been trailblazers throughout themartial arts, that have made
such a huge difference in thecommunity with what they do and
(01:01):
who they are.
And this martial artist, thisperson, this individual just
stands out way above and beyondsomeone that I have had an
opportunity and a pleasure tomeet and I am so excited and I'm
going to tell you a little bitabout him because if I went to
his whole bio, we would neverget through the podcast with him
.
He has been an advocate aboutbullying, he has been in the Air
(01:25):
Force, he has been in theater,he has been working with Deepak
Chopra, he's been on the radio,he has just been a huge advocate
and I'm excited to have him.
He is the founder of HarmonyPower.
Thank you for joining us, senseiJohn.
Mariam, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Pleasure to meet you, pleasure to meet you in
Atlantic City and then, ofcourse, do this podcast with you
.
It's a great honor.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So I'm going to let you jump right in with what you
have done, because when I lookedat your bio and how you've
gotten started and then you'vetaken this whole journey with
what's happened to you, not onlyin your life, but what you've
incorporated and how many peopleyou have helped, it is just
amazing.
I mean I don't use that wordlightly, but you really have
(02:11):
done an incredible amount ofthings that have helped so many
people.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, I'll tell you there's lots to share and I'll
just start with as an opener.
I'm the founder of HarmonyPower, like you said, harmony
Power Foundation.
I'm the founder of Harmony byKarate as well.
Harmony by Karate is a schoolthat I have in Manhattan, the
Upper West Side.
I've had it for 30 years fulltime, which in Manhattan, if you
have anything for five years,it's kind of like a big deal
(02:40):
because it's a highlycompetitive environment.
But I've spent a lot of timelearning how to compete with
myself and the key is to work onyourself this is what a lot of
people will realize and to livein the best integrity that you
know how and to teach that.
That's really what it's aboutand that's what keeps anything.
If you're trying to achievesomething in the long term,
(03:02):
that's really the way to do it.
And to keep things simple we'renot breaking boards and doing
back flips and doing all theflashy stuff.
So I don't market the flash.
I market simple things thatanybody can learn how to do.
It's like learning how to swimyou learn a few strokes and you
spend your lifetime trying tomake that better.
So I take that approach, whichI find to be.
(03:24):
I think I'm unique that way andI've had some amazing mentors.
So I'll start with my childhood.
I was bullied severely from theage of eight to the age of 17.
Like you know, basicallyanything you could think about I
experienced and I was a victimthen.
(03:44):
But I'm not a victim of any ofthat now, just so that when I
was listening in.
That's not how I view it.
The trauma for me was my power,and every time I want to
achieve something, I tap intothe trauma.
The trauma is a beautiful thing.
It's not just like oh, thathappened to me, poor me, I don't
know.
To me it's more about what doyou do with it, right?
(04:08):
So some people take the traumaand they want to go hurt people.
Others want to help.
I take it to the other.
I want to just help.
I want to do big things, butsuch incredible trauma has
happened to me that it's like,wow, I live to tell that story,
right?
But the beginning of the traumawas actually being on the
streets with my mother.
I spent a few years homelesswith my mom and she had her own
(04:30):
struggles, which I keep thatprivate because you know, just
to respect her At least.
Now I just feel that it'senough to know that a
three-year-old an age of threeand six and a half I was on the
streets and I didn't learn thealphabet.
I was like six and a halfbecause I was not getting
schooled and we were in and outof homes.
(04:51):
Like being homeless doesn'tmean you're in a cardboard box.
It means you're not in acertain place for a long enough
time to call it a home, oryou're on a floor without
furniture, right, you're cold,or you're not eating and you're
excited because the food truckis outside, you're going to get
a banana and some container ofmilk and that's your excitement.
So that's the kind of life Ihad for a few years.
(05:13):
And then I had weekends wheremy mother would drop me off with
my grandparent who married mygrandmother.
He was Puerto Rican, so I waskind of.
He was very nurturing, veryloving, and it was kind of like
a saving grace in that processwhile my father was fighting to
gain custody and he would get mea couple of weeks.
But it was kind of like therewas that battle and eventually
(05:34):
he was able to get me, whichresulted in other traumas of
bullying living in Brooklyn, andthe first bullying incident
happened when a boy took my headand slammed it into the curb to
the blood coming, came in theback of my head and my
stepmother came out with abroomstick, just like out of a
(05:55):
movie.
But that's the truth.
She came out screaming.
We were retiring one day Crazy.
And that was the beginning of mymartial arts journey.
My dad was already trainingwith the Japanese, so he came
over from Japan.
He was training with the bestof the best at that time and he
was only a yellow belt.
But he was a street fighter,was learning karate, and he's
like look, I'm going to put,we're going to make a heavy bag
(06:17):
because we didn't have muchmoney and he kind of created a
can, took a canvas bag, stuffedwhatever he could into the bag.
I was hitting that every dayand I had a certain ritual.
He'd have me do push-ups andset-ups and punching the bag
kicking, and that was my drill.
And that same bully that hit myhead in the curb.
I had to deal with that samebully again and he wanted to
(06:40):
fight on glass.
Eight years old, fighting onglass.
Because he wanted to fight.
I was like okay, and I hit thebully as hard as I could, as
fast as I could to the face andI didn't stop and he literally
just fell on top of me becausehe just got hit so many times
and I thought he was going tobeat me up.
He just got up and walked awayand that was how I dealt with it
.
It was violence met violence.
(07:02):
Now that should work.
Then I don't believe in that,even though I went through that.
That comes later in my story.
So the bullying happenedthroughout the years.
I dealt with some trauma whereI'll give you another bullying.
I was 17.
And somebody who was big enoughto wrestle, towered over me,
(07:25):
would bully me, wrestle me tothe ground, and I was doing
martial arts.
I was just so terrified of thislarge person subduing me and
slapping me and calling me namesand treating me terribly.
So one day, you know we'reamongst peers and he's like I
want to fight you.
You do trauma, fight you.
I'm like I'm thinking of afight every day.
(07:46):
Every day you take me to theground and I'm like crying for
help.
But he wanted to make a publicdisplay of the fact that he's
beating up a martial arts person.
So my dad said when they dothat, he's wearing glasses.
He's telling me to take theglasses off and now he's got one
hand.
So he took the glasses off andI hit him so hard and so fast as
I could, chasing down a hallwaylike a lunatic, because I was
(08:08):
so terrified of this person,fell down a whole flight of
stairs.
That was the end of thatbullying, you know.
So these are stories that Idealt with, like I, you know,
I've been knocked out, beingbullied where you get hit in the
body or like you lift it andyou're thrown into a wall you
block out.
That happened to me twice.
(08:29):
You know, in these fights andwell, fights where you know
you're, you know, fightingsomeone and they hit them so
much that there's they'reliterally soaked in blood
because they're so awful and Ihad to hit them down much to get
them down to the ground, andyou know.
But that became the past.
(08:50):
One state Someone knew I wasn'tgoing to take it and I was.
I had that element of likestanding up and being a little
crazy to meet the crazy Peoplestarted being nice and then I
got involved in dancing, which Iwanted to learn, and I was
terrible at it, like I had norhythm.
I was like that stereotype.
Well, here's another white guytrying to dance like that
(09:11):
stereotype that people talkabout.
Yeah, I was that guy.
I couldn't hear the beat, Idon't know what I was doing, but
when I watched my Filipinofriend jump up in the air and
drop into a split and spitaround and pop block dance and
the girls were screaming, I'mlike, yeah, I'm going to be him.
I just didn't know how he wasgoing to get there.
So I was watching every type of.
I was watching star search anddance fee roller shows are on
(09:33):
back then, just imitating what Icould see.
Learn a little bit from thatguy.
All of a sudden I started toput moves together because I
would use my martial arts withthat kicking and that kind of
fun stuff.
So I ended up going to anightclub in the city and I
started picking up moves thereand I was like the only person
with light skin walking intothis place where there's
(09:54):
Hispanic and African Americansjust dancing.
There's a way Madonna wasdiscovered called the fun house,
and I had fun in the fun houseand then created an act, went to
Vegas to visit my mom.
We had rekindled ties.
She over the years she stayedin touch.
She sent me gifts and I wouldsee her like once or twice a
year.
But then I was getting oldenough to get on a plane to go
(10:15):
see her and I showed her thisdance act and she says we got to
get you in a competition.
I said where's our visit?
Top one in Vegas.
I want to put you in acompetition.
So I went with our brother tothis competition, stuck me into
a club, underaged, and it tooksecond place in the whole city
in this big competition and Irealized that I had something
(10:39):
special and I continued tocultivate that, doing talent
shows and doing things of thatnature.
But I was a Bob Hope fan, Iloved Elvis Presley and they
were military entertainers and Isaid I want to do that.
I want to join the military,become an Air Force Entertainer.
I had gotten so good at it.
And so when I went into myrecruiter, I said I want to sign
(11:02):
up because I want to become anAir Force Entertainer.
He looked at me and he goes youwant to be an entertainer, are
you kidding me?
And he stopped and goes well,we have it.
But you have to be like it'slike the special forces of
entertainment.
You have to be spectacular,otherwise there's just no, I
don't know how good you are, butI understand that you've got to
(11:23):
win multiple levels ofcompetition to go on a tour
around the country.
I said I'm going to do that.
I said, where's the paper?
I want to sign up.
Literally I signed up becausewith an intention.
I didn't care what job I took,I wasn't even thinking about
that.
I'm like I'm going to be thatguy traveling the country.
And so I get in there and I'm inbasic training and the drill
(11:46):
sergeant, three o'clock in themorning, of staying in attention
, the drill sergeant comes up tome and goes Airman, he goes
what job are you here for?
I said, sir, I want to be anAir Force Entertainer.
Sir, now, this is an AfricanAmerican in the South.
He was mad.
He's like get in my office.
He starts screaming at me inthe office.
He said you're going to, I'mgiving you an order to dance
right now.
(12:06):
Three o'clock in the morning,just him and I.
He brings a boom box, puts iton his desk, hits the button.
I jump in the air.
I spin around, dropping thesplit, doing spinning kicks,
doing a flip, whatever things Iwas.
I was just he's like clicks thebutton goes.
Well, all right.
He said what you got to do.
You want to be, because you'regoing to have to win at base
(12:30):
level and command level andyou're going to go to worldwide.
You got to win all thesecompetitions.
You got to win first place.
They only take second placewinners and it's a worldwide
competition.
But you have to enter that toeven have that opportunity.
I said, yes, sir.
He says get back on your, getback into to your duties.
The next day it comes out withthe boom box route.
(12:52):
It's in Texas, san Antonio, hotas can be, while standing in
tension for like I don't know,for hours, just stand there
sweating.
It comes out, the boom box,puts it on the ground, holds my
name to come front and centerthe dance for the troops, out of
nowhere, no warm up, nopreparation.
Yes, sir, I get out there, dothe dance.
(13:13):
And they're all the soldierscan't?
They're not supposed to laugh,otherwise they get screamed at.
So they were trying not tolaugh, to hold in their breath,
and I'm just pop locking, doingall this crazy stuff.
And then he's like, tells me,yells to stop and get back in
line, and that was the beginning.
Then, by a week later, we're inbasic training and I'm on a bus.
(13:35):
This is where I was kind oflike, kind of a rule break, a
rule breaker when it came forthe right reasons, right.
So I see a sign.
It said break dance competitionon the same base Lackland
FWARTS base.
Now you have a side that'sactive duty they're not basic
training and then you have theside who's getting the training.
(13:55):
I was on the basic trainingside.
We had a shave bald and so I'mon the bus and I look at the
sign on the other side.
I said to the guy next.
I said I'm going to go competethere.
He's what are you talking about?
We're in basic training.
You're going to get locked up.
You're going to be peelingpotatoes.
You're going to be in prison.
I said I'm going to go overthere.
I said listen.
(14:16):
I said during our break time,the competition is the exact
time of our break.
We have a 5 pm break.
They let us out to go outside.
I'm going to run across thebase, compete and come back.
He said you're crazy.
I said it's okay, you don'thave to come.
I said I'm going to go.
So I I leave and he comes withme.
I turn around and he said whereyou going.
(14:36):
He said I'm coming with thiswhen you coming with me.
So if you go across the base, Iget there and the competition
already started, put my name inand you're spinning on their
heads and doing all this crazystuff.
So I ended up getting out there, I went first place and then I
run back to the other side,never got caught, never gotten
trouble, and that was whathappened.
(14:57):
Yeah, I love it.
It was really was extraordinary, and it happened just like
exactly what I'm telling.
The story is exactly how Ilived it out.
I get back, I Went, I went baselevel Competition.
I got letters from generalscommand.
I had like a fan following ofpeople who ran the.
They ran the base.
(15:18):
The high ranks would follow mearound wherever I would perform.
We here go watch John and itfollowed me.
And then I ended up movinggoing to Louisiana, barksdale,
louisiana and I competed thereone first place.
I beat out this, these balletdancer and this Michael Jackson
Invitated.
They were terrific, but I wasbetter, you know, and I was able
(15:39):
to move forward.
Then I ended up on a nationaltour and I went to maybe, maybe
about 13 states and they like,roll out the red carpet and
you're just performing forfamilies or you're performing
for Generals and kernels and itwas just like a.
So you're celebrity, theypeople give no autographs and
that cut that was.
It was just great fun to dothat.
(16:01):
And we had to learn.
We had to go through three daysof training for it when you had
another drill sergeant a womanwill come in and scream at you.
For three days we're allowed tosleep, drink coffee, soda in
the middle of the night and tostay awake.
And that was the training toget on that tour, that amazing
tour, and have that experience.
(16:21):
So I get out of the Well beforeI get out of the Air Force.
I saw this show called showtimeat the Apollo with Sinbad and I
told my friend this I want to goon that show.
And he said they, my AfricanAmerican friends, said there's
no way they're gonna let you inthere, you won't get on the
stage.
So he talked about.
He said they're gonna hate youjust because you're white.
(16:42):
He said you don't even get thatchance.
I said I said now I'm gonna gothere.
I saw I I drove from Fort Smith, new Hampshire, to Harlem in
New York City and I went to theBlack Music Theater and I get on
this line to go into thetheater and, sure enough, they
wouldn't let me in.
People kept cutting me so Irealized that wasn't in a safe
(17:04):
situation.
It was getting dark out, so Itook my radio, my boombox, got
in my car, drove back to themilitary base six hours they
said see, we told you.
Why did you do that?
That was there, was.
So I got to see my familybecause my family's in New York.
So I got to see my family inthat trip.
But I was mad and I was mad fora full year.
(17:26):
I was just couldn't as I gotout of military and they advised
me.
And they advised, I said theadvisors.
I said look, should I stay inthe military or should I get out
?
He said If I had your danceshoes, I get out.
Is it, john?
You're good, get out.
Went back to the Apollo andthey'd line.
(17:46):
They did the same thing again,except this time I took my
boombox and I cut the line.
I went right to the front, Iput it down, risked my life.
You're all looking at me,everybody's angry.
I thought I was gonna get out.
Though I got it.
They're alive.
And I put it down and the headof this event was called Ralph.
His name is Ralph Cooper senior.
He was the founder of amateurnight, the Apollo.
(18:08):
He says who are you?
And I said John Murion, why areyou here?
I said I came here to dance andhe said get it over with.
So I click the button and I getup and I'm doing my whole thing
and you know, and there it'sstarting to stand up.
The crowd in the room starts tostand up and they're screaming
(18:28):
and they're yelling and they'reloving it.
And then the music stops andeveryone's saying go, go, go.
They want me to keep dancing.
There was no music and they'rejust clapping just to see me
move.
So Ralph Cooper, senior, saidsit down.
So I sat down and he saidyou're gonna go on showtime at
the Apollo.
So I went on.
(18:50):
When I went on showtime topower the first round, they get
on the stage, had my radioWalking across the stage and
they go crazy loving thefootwork.
As soon as I turned toward theaudience they see my other face.
Oh, what's he doing on stageright?
And Then they start booing andcheering, booing and sure.
(19:11):
And then Sandman comes in,pulls me off the stage.
That was I got pulled off forthe first time.
Well, some time passed, I, youknow, moved to New Jersey and I
kept training.
I was gonna go back to theApollo again.
That was my mission to go inthere, went auditioned again and
I got on the stage.
(19:32):
When I got on the stage, thistime I they started the music
before I got on stage, almostlike to to hurt my act.
But what I did was they didspinning kicks Like like a
helicopter across the stage.
I did one, two, three, four andI turn around, dropped into a
split and stood up and I lookedat them and they went whoa.
(19:53):
And they just stood up and thenI started moving my hips and
the woman is screaming and thenthe men are going crazy and
everybody's just like, and ThenI walked off the stage.
I didn't finish the act.
I literally stopped what I wasdoing.
I walked off.
I was, I was in tears and theproducer comes over.
He said why you leave?
He was the producer's van he's.
Why did you walk off?
(20:13):
It's because they loved me.
I did it.
He said we're gonna put you onshowtime at the Apollo, which
was a televised event, was seenall over the world.
So then I came when I didshowtime, I went out there and
this time I did the act and itwas just booze and cheers and it
was like a struggle with thecrowd Doing the same act, but it
(20:36):
was just.
They just struggled with me.
And then I went on.
I came a fourth time a yearlater I created an act where it
was glowing in the dark becauseI was the dancer.
I was the choreographer anddancer for club MTV with
downtown, julie Brown.
I did 72 episodes.
I would listen for that at thesame time as I'm going back to
the Apollo for the fourth time.
So this act called neon city,where you see New York City in
(21:00):
the background, all glowing inthe dark.
I come out there with thisbaseball cap and this
fluorescent outfit.
That's in a time where neonbecame the colors.
I was the guy that brought thatto MTV the colors.
And then all of a sudden it wasall over the world and but I,
the Apollo, went crazy and atthe very end the house lights
went on.
Then they saw I wasn't, theysaw my color skin.
(21:21):
They were like booing andcheering again.
But I still did it and I and Istill prove that there are those
who loved me, I didn't care,and those those I have still
have those issues.
But it was a beautifulexperience because it led to
harmony power later on, whereyou know, I and also my martial
arts career.
I, there was, I was teachingwhile I was dancing.
(21:44):
I was teaching martial arts and, aside private lessons, I was
teaching for capital records inManhattan I was.
I had schools like these littlesatellites.
I was teaching and I broughtmartial arts to the vertical
clubs, all the vertical clubs inNew York.
I was the first to pioneer that.
I was lucky to Work with allthese celebrities that were in a
place called.
It was a vertical club on theeast side and it was an
(22:08):
incredible that was allhappening at the same time.
I was, I was doing this wholedance excursion and and being
adventurous, and then I wascompeting in martial arts as
well and winning lots ofcompetitions, mostly in forms.
I was a forms competitor andI've gotten as far as winning
second place worldwide infighting.
(22:28):
We had no great divisions, itwas full contact.
So I was a second place fighterWithout a weight class, and
that was good enough for me.
You know, I still have my bodyat 59 or well, my I don't
Haven't replaced anything yetfeel great.
But my other accolade that I'mknown for is Reebok.
I was a Reebok gym.
(22:50):
Reebok sports club gym Was afamous gym in New York that
opened up and they were lookingfor one athlete worldwide and
they interviewed the goldmedalist.
They interviewed everyone theycould find.
They wanted one teacher and itwas a leadership driven program.
They wanted somebody who wasgoing to teach the leaders of
New York City and thecelebrities and I was the first
interview and interview 200 toGet that one deal, that one
(23:14):
contract.
And after the fifth year theygave me two locations and I
became a partner With that gymand then I consolidated back to
the one location and I wasstated for 20 years in total
full-time With my dojo.
They closed shop and then Imoved to 81st and Broadway where
I'm at now almost 10 years.
So I've had a long stretch inManhattan with that and you know
(23:38):
it's been a remarkable career.
And so, with all of that successand Seeing the the bullying
crisis in America, while I wasdoing my martial arts, while I
was doing my dance it was it washard for me to know my success
and and the joy that I had andSee what was going on in the
country.
(23:58):
Every time I'd watch somethingbut trigger a trauma for me and
say I'm like I can't watch thisand do nothing.
So I I hired a publicist and Itraveled the United States out
of my own pocket into the worstneighborhoods, going into the
schools to see what was going on.
And it was.
It was extraordinary becauseI've learned that the system was
(24:22):
set up where when kids would dosomething wrong, they were
suspended, they were expelled,they went to jail.
That seemed to be what they doin most systems.
They had very few things inplace to recognize children for
the good they did.
Like me, when I achieved in mypast, like with dancing and wash
, all those achievements builtmy character.
(24:43):
That was my way out of thebully, my way to stand up for
myself, my way to love myself.
And they knew that they neededsomething like what I
experienced and have theopportunity in the schools,
because the schools were notgiving that.
Only a few, for the academicswould get rewards or those
athletes, those in the middle,just kind of left out.
(25:07):
And I started the campaign in2010.
And that led to getting a lotof media attention again on all
the networks throughout thecountry.
As you mentioned before, I didthe show with Deepak Chopra on
bullying.
His brother was there, sanjeev,who was the head dean for
Harvard Medical School.
He immediately joined my boardof directors for my charity for
(25:28):
Harmony Power.
In fact, harmony Power was setup by AIG and Verizon because
they were represented from thosecorporations that saw this as a
real solution Not a viable one,but like a real solution,
because when you're recognizingchildren for the good they're
doing through their gifts andpassions, and you're doing it in
(25:50):
mass volume.
That's what changes the world.
In one particular city in NewJersey, elizabeth not only
adopted Harmony Power, they madeit a mandate for the whole city
28,000 children where one outof three get the award for doing
good.
So when I go into these eventsit's like watching a concert.
(26:11):
It's like I walk in, it'shappening, and then I might be
the added bonus where they askme to tell the speech or
something or they want to see meperform, and I get them all
riled up and excited.
But literally, if there's a onehour event, I'm five minutes
and that's what's happenedWhereas I was in Brooklyn
(26:32):
recently.
I also have a contract now withNew York City Public Schools.
I'm actually the leadershipresource for anti-bullying for
all the schools in the fiveboroughs.
That took me six years to getthat contract, and so I went to
two assemblies.
I was the show I had to like,because you have to stop the
ground up again.
(26:53):
But they recognized.
Maybe they recognized 15% oftheir population instead of one
third, which I was thrilled with, and they got the Harmony Power
Awards.
They wanted more of my talk, myhistory, and they wanted to see
some video clips.
And then at the end the kidspushed me to still show my dance
(27:13):
and I'm like I don't really dothat.
Yeah, I do a little bit, youknow, but I practice every week.
And they went crazy.
These kids went from, like thisis inner city middle schoolers.
They went from, like when isthis guy going to stop talking?
You know, even though they likesome of the things I was saying
, we want to see him dance.
(27:35):
And they all liked the Apollo.
The kids went crazy, you know,and it was just I was excited.
I'm like why I was saying to mywife I can't believe that I
could still get inner city kidsthat are middle schools on their
feet, like they're so critical,like you have to be really good
to capture them.
And they not only did I capturethem, but they come up wanting
(27:55):
my autograph, wanting to shakemy head, wanting to take a
picture, because I know, in asmall way I touched their heart,
because when they see that I'mthat guy, it's not just a
history, I'm in the now, livingit, doing it, showing them
what's possible with theirbodies and their mind and their
spirit.
That's why Henry Power is thereal solution to bullying, the
(28:18):
bullying crisis.
We see it when you see massshootings.
It's these kids that are leftout that grow up and they're
angry because nobody paidattention.
And in my know you to payattention to me?
I don't exist.
Why should you?
That's their mindset.
So it doesn't take a crazyperson, it takes a person who's
left out to a point where theirlife doesn't matter anymore.
(28:39):
And this is why I feel that it'scritical that the leadership of
the school systems pay veryclose attention and that they
adopt this as their way, notbecause it's my way.
It's not my way.
The kids own it.
The kids want it and give thekids what they want.
They want it, they want.
Look, the system is like theyhave 33 days to change the world
(29:00):
and kids are doing things thatthey want to do and they're
getting a Harmony Power Award onthe 33rd day Universal Harmony
Day for what they do.
Right, because it's their thing, they own it.
It's not about me or the system, it's their system, and when
they own it, they love it andthey feel valued and they
believe in themselves andtherefore there's a whole lot
(29:23):
less chance to be a victim,whole lot less chance to be a
bully, because if that's the newculture, the new way of working
with the youth, we have a greatfuture in front of us.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
So tell me what the program involves, Because
working with the kids, you'resaying that they're doing it
their way.
So when you go in and work withthese schools, what do these
programs actually incorporate sothey can actually get these
awards?
But also it's making this hugechange in these kids' lives.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Well, they're doing what I do.
They get on stage, exceptthey're singing, they're dancing
.
They have artwork plasteredacross the walls with peace,
love, kindness, respect.
They're expressing who they are.
They're doing rap music,they're doing poetry.
There's no end to what they cando to express.
It's the way they express toeach other, but they're doing it
(30:12):
in a positive way and they'resharing it to each other and
they're being recognized forcoming out of their shell and
being who they are.
Some express pain.
They come up there and they'reangry about the world and
they're expressing it because noone listened, but now
everybody's listening.
So therefore they're morelikely to be positive in the
long run and the grades go upbecause now they love school,
(30:35):
they love being in school,because now they matter.
People are paying attention tothem, so it's a win-win
situation.
Anyone who doesn't do it isfoolish, truly, if they don't
adopt a system.
Look and quote what you want100 Power is a nice name, and I
can roll this out in an hour ortwo with any city, because I've
(30:57):
got it down pat.
I just overcome stupidobjections, like people say.
Well, I don't understand why wehave to recognize the children.
We already have this program.
I said no.
Are you recognizing the 70%that are being ignored?
Probably not.
That's the issue.
So it's more about convincingthe administration.
There's a lot of great teachersand great people out there
(31:17):
doing great things, but if itwas so great, we would have kids
out there torturing each other,hurting themselves and each
other the way that we do morethan we've ever seen.
So if they're hurting eachother in the masses and they're
shooting each other, we have todo something that is recognizing
the masses in a very profoundway.
(31:39):
Every year you have to givethem a month out of that school
year, like launch into the yearthat way, and you watch the
difference throughout the year.
It's like look, I had somebodycome over to my house to replace
my washer and dryer.
This is about three weeks ago.
I said where do you live?
He said Elizabeth, new Jersey.
He said oh yes, my program ismandated in that city.
(31:59):
What is that?
He said how many power do youstop?
He goes, wait a second.
He says my daughter has yourcertificate on my refrigerator.
It's been up there for months.
What is that piece of papermean to that child?
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It makes a difference , makes a huge difference, it's
a huge difference, right?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
These are the most sensitive years to a child.
So any recognition that saysthat they matter, they exist,
they're good at something Ifthey're just kind to people to
get an award.
There's something good ineveryone.
There's something good in theworst of children.
Look, I went to Chicago when Iwas on my tour, right.
So I got put in a room with themost challenging kids, but the
(32:44):
ones that they call bullies.
Of course I had to get toughwith them because I can't go in
there with fear, and had themall be quiet, sit down and just
listen.
Then I got to know each name.
Then I had these kids come helpme and I said look, there's a
big reward if you help me.
They set up a stage.
They followed me.
So the reward was I gave themthe whole front row of the 70
(33:06):
assembly.
When they saw what I did forthat assembly and the media
showed up.
It was a big to do.
I gave them attention.
They wouldn't leave.
Everyone left.
These kids stayed.
I said why are you guys notleaving?
They said we just love hearingyou talk.
They don't want to go.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
That's because you make them feel important and
that's what every kid wants,regardless of age or whatever
their background is.
Like you said, they want tofeel like they make a difference
, like they're significant, andyour program brings that to the
table.
And I wish I could take theclone and just drop you all over
the world, because it's neededso badly.
(33:50):
And you and I talked off air acouple of days ago we were
collaborating to do the podcastand I said it is such a huge
responsibility as a parent, butalso as a teacher, as a coach,
everybody that works with kids.
They're completely missing it.
Knowing that making adifference in a child's life is
(34:12):
a huge responsibility, andrecognizing every single one of
them and not just, like you said, the chosen few that may be
good at something or doingsomething on their own.
It's the ones that need you totake them under their wing and
let them know that they matter.
And I love that you take yourprogram and you utilize this and
you're teaching this in placesthat really need it the most.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
They need it everywhere, even in the richest
communities.
Where I know of a city in NewJersey, they put swastikas up
everywhere, attacking Jews.
They're attacking races ofpeople because kids don't feel
the love in themselves.
This is why they're doing that.
They're looking for attention.
Again, it's negative attention.
I'll tell you this other story.
(34:55):
I get choked up when I have somany stories in my head.
There was a picture sent to meand the boy was hugging the
teacher and he was crying.
And why was he crying?
Because he got the HarmonyPower Award.
Why did he get the HarmonyPower Award?
Because his behavior got betterin school.
(35:16):
So they recognized that.
Imagine this child who is atroublemaker.
He starts fights, he's violent,he got better and he's crying.
So we have to stop pointing thefinger at money.
I'm tired of hearing aboutmoney as an excuse.
(35:36):
I'm tired of people pointing atthe administrators.
They can do it right in theirclassroom.
What principle is going to say Idon't want you to give awards
out for kids that are behavingwell.
Make it your own piece of paper.
Don't tell me that that'sagainst anybody's rules, that
you need an approval torecognize the good in a child.
(35:57):
I'm just saying if you givethem something to do within the
classroom activities.
That's positive, maybe stuffthey're already doing and you
give them a month of focus wherethey're interacting about it in
some small way.
When you pay attention to it,it's a big thing to them.
You just said, here's a pieceof paper.
(36:19):
They're not going to feelanything.
But if you give them somethingto focus on just a little bit
each day or each week, and atthe end of the month it's about
how it's presented and the lovethat you're expressing to them
is the love they're going tofeel about who they are.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I think it also teaches other kids too, the ones
that are always the superstarsor they excel at everything.
But to see somebody else getrecognized for something, that
is so important that it's notalways what you do that's to
excel at, but it's also to do tobe kind and recognize other
(37:00):
people that may not have thoseskills.
I'm looking at it from anathletic point of view because
I've worked, as you know, I dofootball and I see the
superstars that come through.
But then my heart has alwaysbeen with the kids that didn't
work, the starters that weren'tthe first runners, because they
were there to practice everysingle day.
They were giving 110% justbecause they didn't excel, they
(37:24):
didn't.
It didn't minimize who they wereor what their abilities or what
their value was part of thatteam.
It's no different than inschool.
It's like who they are as aperson.
Everybody's got value,everybody's unique.
I always tell them I said youknow, be yourself, because
everybody else is taken.
I know you.
Just you are unique and youhave a unique talent.
You just have to let it justshine through you and I can see.
(37:49):
Through your harmony you givethat ability for everybody, in
every place and every situation,to be able to be recognized
above and beyond, to see whattheir true values are, to shine
through.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know and here's the thing with it I have to
teach children, which is mostimportant, and this is for
adults too.
Look, I'm good at what I do.
There's so much better than me.
There's no end to what's betterthan me.
I watch that these kids aredoing today.
It's I'm a joke, but kids haveblown away when they see me
(38:24):
because I'm so loving andpassionate about it and I'm good
enough for them to understandthat I can do it and it's about
me doing it that makes them feelconnected.
Not that I'm so great that theyhaven't seen.
No, not at all.
I'll be 59 years old.
I'm not doing front flipsanymore.
There's certain things that Ihave to draw lines on, but the
(38:46):
love that I have for me doingwhat I do is just that's it.
So it doesn't matter what thechild does or what the picture
they draw looks like, or thesong you're singing or rapping
or whatever it might be.
It's that expression of thembeing who they want to be.
Look, in this life I tell, evenwhen I teach my martial arts
doing what you love to do withthose you love to do it with.
(39:08):
It's all about that.
You know and we know to be kindand respectful.
But you need respect first, torespect what we don't understand
.
And then kindness is an act oflove, showing levels of kindness
.
If we have the two, we haveeverything.
We have to have that forourselves first, and that's why
(39:29):
Hami Pao is so important.
We have to be respectful to whowe are kind to ourselves before
we can express it elsewhere.
So a lot of the anti-bullyprograms are very reactive.
This happens to you do this,this and that, be kind, be
respectful.
But if you don't have theself-part, you're just going to
(39:51):
fake it, even though faking ityou can fake it to your make it.
That can make you feel good too.
But to really do the inner workis to teach somebody to be you.
You be you because nobody cando that but you.
And that's the big nucleus, thebig missing piece in the
anti-bullying crisis that we'rein.
(40:12):
Well, the bullying crisis, Ishould say that's what's missing
in the mass shootings.
They've got more reactivemeasures, more like gun control
laws.
Look, I'm a military person.
I don't think somebody shouldhave a military weaponry in ever
.
You're going to be in themilitary and you should have a
background check.
I believe in the basics of that.
(40:34):
But the cause of a child,looking for something to hurt
people.
That needs to be dealt withmore so than anything else, and
that's why harm power is.
It's the real solution.
It's that idea.
Think about it.
We're doing it in the homes,right?
So we don't hit our kids, or wego across the lines where
(40:55):
people are hitting their kids,screaming at them whatever
they're doing, which is terrible, right, people cross those
lines.
I grew up there.
I was in a Italian householdthat was like you need to just
hit your kid, you bragged aboutit.
Kids children were seen, nothurt.
That's the culture we come from.
Now.
It's like you sit and have aconversation.
You actually listen.
I spent a lot of time listeningto what I've ever done, and
(41:17):
that's what the new generationwants.
They want to be heard, not bepeople doling out all the spirit
and intimidation.
That old school leadershipdoesn't work.
We look at it in our politics,right.
Look at who's trying to like.
Forget about what politicalparty you're in.
(41:37):
If people are using fear andintimidation or putting down
other people, other leaders, asa way to get ahead, we know is
not good.
You can't trust people who dothat if that's their methodology
, if you're doing that with yourchildren as parents using fear
and intimidation.
It doesn't work.
They go to school and thosekids do.
(41:58):
Fear and intimidation becomebullies.
We can't have bullying leadersin the home, in the schools, in
our society and in the corporateworld the corporate bullying.
It's a whole other crazinessthat people go to work and
they're miserable going to workbecause the way that's that old
paradigm that is struggling tobe phased out on a worldwide
(42:23):
scale, not just our society, Imean.
I'm thinking poverty power needsto be over the world.
That I know just from bullying.
That is a crisis everywhereright now.
It's not just the US phenomenon.
It's actually worse in otherplaces.
I go to Japan.
It's worse because these arekids that are.
They're just struggling toexpress who they are, let alone
(42:45):
being their passion.
You get awarded for it.
That's just not even.
It's a lot of emotionalsuppression.
I love you.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Unfortunately, as you said, there's things that are
happening worldwide.
I could spend hours with youbecause you are so insightful
and you've got so much positivethings to share.
I've got to have you back on.
We can go on and do some more,because I really know that
you've got so much more valuableinformation, but up until then,
(43:15):
how can they reach you?
As everybody knows, theinformation will be down in the
description, so you can reachout to Fence John, but also
you'll be embedded into thepodcast if you're listening on
any of the platforms that thisis going to be on.
But just give a shout out realquick.
So where can they find you,just so we can hear it within
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Well for the charities, harmitypowernoworg.
So I welcome people to reachout to me.
Let's bring it to your city ina big way.
That's a given.
You want to change the world?
Contact me, we'll do ittogether.
Number one, number twoharmiebycaraticom.
That's my core base inManhattan.
If you want to contact me thatway, that's a possibility as
well.
(43:55):
But I want to thank you forbeing on this wonderful podcast.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Well, I thank you for being here and it has been such
a seriously such a gift to haveyou on and share your
information and your story.
What you're doing is just Idon't know.
There's no words to put on.
I think it's just a feelingwhen you come across or you meet
somebody like you.
This information needs to beshared, not just where you are
(44:24):
locally, but, I think, globally,and I definitely would like to
have you back and share somemore information.
But thank you so much.
I love what you're doing.
You are an amazing person.
Let's come back.
I want you to come back.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I appreciate it.
It was a pleasure and honor tobe on your show.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
I will see you soon.
Hey guys, again, please reachout to Sensei John.
I really feel as though, if youhave got a connection or
somebody you know and I knowmany of you listen and have got
kids in school or any otherprograms this could be something
amazing to incorporate whereyou're at, even if it's just to
reach out to Sensei John and say, hey, how can I do this?
(45:04):
I think this is something thatreally needs to be done,
especially with our youth andthe programs that are happening
now.
Why not just fit one moreprogram into what's happening
that can do really really good?
Until then, remember, the mostcourageous thing you can do is
be yourself.
I will look forward to seeingyou.
Until then, see ya.
Hey, I'm Coach Mickey and I'm so glad that you've
joined us and this is your firsttime joining us.
Come on in and make yourselfcomfortable.
For those of you that join uson a regular basis, I am so glad
that you do, and thank you somuch for always reaching out to
my guests.
They love hearing from you andI really appreciate all your
comments, your questions andyour suggestions of some of the
people that have on.
(00:20):
It has been so much fun havinga lot of you reach out to me
through all my social media andletting me know how you have
actually connected with a lot ofmy guests, and today is no
different.
I met this guest.
I was at an event in AtlanticCity and, for many of you that
have heard my other podcast andknow me personally, I was at a
(00:40):
lot of a martial arts event andI was just what is no different.
However, going to these eventsis not only fun for me, because
I love seeing the talent and thepeople and the upcoming martial
artists, but it is the peoplethat I get to meet that have
been trailblazers throughout themartial arts, that have made
such a huge difference in thecommunity with what they do and
(01:01):
who they are.
And this martial artist, thisperson, this individual just
stands out way above and beyondsomeone that I have had an
opportunity and a pleasure tomeet and I am so excited and I'm
going to tell you a little bitabout him because if I went to
his whole bio, we would neverget through the podcast with him
.
He has been an advocate aboutbullying, he has been in the Air
(01:25):
Force, he has been in theater,he has been working with Deepak
Chopra, he's been on the radio,he has just been a huge advocate
and I'm excited to have him.
He is the founder of HarmonyPower.
Thank you for joining us, senseiJohn.
Mariam, how are you?
Speaker 2 (01:42):
Pleasure to meet you, pleasure to meet you in
Atlantic City and then, ofcourse, do this podcast with you
.
It's a great honor.
Speaker 1 (01:50):
So I'm going to let you jump right in with what you
have done, because when I lookedat your bio and how you've
gotten started and then you'vetaken this whole journey with
what's happened to you, not onlyin your life, but what you've
incorporated and how many peopleyou have helped, it is just
amazing.
I mean I don't use that wordlightly, but you really have
(02:11):
done an incredible amount ofthings that have helped so many
people.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Well, I'll tell you there's lots to share and I'll
just start with as an opener.
I'm the founder of HarmonyPower, like you said, harmony
Power Foundation.
I'm the founder of Harmony byKarate as well.
Harmony by Karate is a schoolthat I have in Manhattan, the
Upper West Side.
I've had it for 30 years fulltime, which in Manhattan, if you
have anything for five years,it's kind of like a big deal
(02:40):
because it's a highlycompetitive environment.
But I've spent a lot of timelearning how to compete with
myself and the key is to work onyourself this is what a lot of
people will realize and to livein the best integrity that you
know how and to teach that.
That's really what it's aboutand that's what keeps anything.
If you're trying to achievesomething in the long term,
(03:02):
that's really the way to do it.
And to keep things simple we'renot breaking boards and doing
back flips and doing all theflashy stuff.
So I don't market the flash.
I market simple things thatanybody can learn how to do.
It's like learning how to swimyou learn a few strokes and you
spend your lifetime trying tomake that better.
So I take that approach, whichI find to be.
(03:24):
I think I'm unique that way andI've had some amazing mentors.
So I'll start with my childhood.
I was bullied severely from theage of eight to the age of 17.
Like you know, basicallyanything you could think about I
experienced and I was a victimthen.
(03:44):
But I'm not a victim of any ofthat now, just so that when I
was listening in.
That's not how I view it.
The trauma for me was my power,and every time I want to
achieve something, I tap intothe trauma.
The trauma is a beautiful thing.
It's not just like oh, thathappened to me, poor me, I don't
know.
To me it's more about what doyou do with it, right?
(04:08):
So some people take the traumaand they want to go hurt people.
Others want to help.
I take it to the other.
I want to just help.
I want to do big things, butsuch incredible trauma has
happened to me that it's like,wow, I live to tell that story,
right?
But the beginning of the traumawas actually being on the
streets with my mother.
I spent a few years homelesswith my mom and she had her own
(04:30):
struggles, which I keep thatprivate because you know, just
to respect her At least.
Now I just feel that it'senough to know that a
three-year-old an age of threeand six and a half I was on the
streets and I didn't learn thealphabet.
I was like six and a halfbecause I was not getting
schooled and we were in and outof homes.
(04:51):
Like being homeless doesn'tmean you're in a cardboard box.
It means you're not in acertain place for a long enough
time to call it a home, oryou're on a floor without
furniture, right, you're cold,or you're not eating and you're
excited because the food truckis outside, you're going to get
a banana and some container ofmilk and that's your excitement.
So that's the kind of life Ihad for a few years.
(05:13):
And then I had weekends wheremy mother would drop me off with
my grandparent who married mygrandmother.
He was Puerto Rican, so I waskind of.
He was very nurturing, veryloving, and it was kind of like
a saving grace in that processwhile my father was fighting to
gain custody and he would get mea couple of weeks.
But it was kind of like therewas that battle and eventually
(05:34):
he was able to get me, whichresulted in other traumas of
bullying living in Brooklyn, andthe first bullying incident
happened when a boy took my headand slammed it into the curb to
the blood coming, came in theback of my head and my
stepmother came out with abroomstick, just like out of a
(05:55):
movie.
But that's the truth.
She came out screaming.
We were retiring one day Crazy.
And that was the beginning of mymartial arts journey.
My dad was already trainingwith the Japanese, so he came
over from Japan.
He was training with the bestof the best at that time and he
was only a yellow belt.
But he was a street fighter,was learning karate, and he's
like look, I'm going to put,we're going to make a heavy bag
(06:17):
because we didn't have muchmoney and he kind of created a
can, took a canvas bag, stuffedwhatever he could into the bag.
I was hitting that every dayand I had a certain ritual.
He'd have me do push-ups andset-ups and punching the bag
kicking, and that was my drill.
And that same bully that hit myhead in the curb.
I had to deal with that samebully again and he wanted to
(06:40):
fight on glass.
Eight years old, fighting onglass.
Because he wanted to fight.
I was like okay, and I hit thebully as hard as I could, as
fast as I could to the face andI didn't stop and he literally
just fell on top of me becausehe just got hit so many times
and I thought he was going tobeat me up.
He just got up and walked awayand that was how I dealt with it
.
It was violence met violence.
(07:02):
Now that should work.
Then I don't believe in that,even though I went through that.
That comes later in my story.
So the bullying happenedthroughout the years.
I dealt with some trauma whereI'll give you another bullying.
I was 17.
And somebody who was big enoughto wrestle, towered over me,
(07:25):
would bully me, wrestle me tothe ground, and I was doing
martial arts.
I was just so terrified of thislarge person subduing me and
slapping me and calling me namesand treating me terribly.
So one day, you know we'reamongst peers and he's like I
want to fight you.
You do trauma, fight you.
I'm like I'm thinking of afight every day.
(07:46):
Every day you take me to theground and I'm like crying for
help.
But he wanted to make a publicdisplay of the fact that he's
beating up a martial arts person.
So my dad said when they dothat, he's wearing glasses.
He's telling me to take theglasses off and now he's got one
hand.
So he took the glasses off andI hit him so hard and so fast as
I could, chasing down a hallwaylike a lunatic, because I was
(08:08):
so terrified of this person,fell down a whole flight of
stairs.
That was the end of thatbullying, you know.
So these are stories that Idealt with, like I, you know,
I've been knocked out, beingbullied where you get hit in the
body or like you lift it andyou're thrown into a wall you
block out.
That happened to me twice.
(08:29):
You know, in these fights andwell, fights where you know
you're, you know, fightingsomeone and they hit them so
much that there's they'reliterally soaked in blood
because they're so awful and Ihad to hit them down much to get
them down to the ground, andyou know.
But that became the past.
(08:50):
One state Someone knew I wasn'tgoing to take it and I was.
I had that element of likestanding up and being a little
crazy to meet the crazy Peoplestarted being nice and then I
got involved in dancing, which Iwanted to learn, and I was
terrible at it, like I had norhythm.
I was like that stereotype.
Well, here's another white guytrying to dance like that
(09:11):
stereotype that people talkabout.
Yeah, I was that guy.
I couldn't hear the beat, Idon't know what I was doing, but
when I watched my Filipinofriend jump up in the air and
drop into a split and spitaround and pop block dance and
the girls were screaming, I'mlike, yeah, I'm going to be him.
I just didn't know how he wasgoing to get there.
So I was watching every type of.
I was watching star search anddance fee roller shows are on
(09:33):
back then, just imitating what Icould see.
Learn a little bit from thatguy.
All of a sudden I started toput moves together because I
would use my martial arts withthat kicking and that kind of
fun stuff.
So I ended up going to anightclub in the city and I
started picking up moves thereand I was like the only person
with light skin walking intothis place where there's
(09:54):
Hispanic and African Americansjust dancing.
There's a way Madonna wasdiscovered called the fun house,
and I had fun in the fun houseand then created an act, went to
Vegas to visit my mom.
We had rekindled ties.
She over the years she stayedin touch.
She sent me gifts and I wouldsee her like once or twice a
year.
But then I was getting oldenough to get on a plane to go
(10:15):
see her and I showed her thisdance act and she says we got to
get you in a competition.
I said where's our visit?
Top one in Vegas.
I want to put you in acompetition.
So I went with our brother tothis competition, stuck me into
a club, underaged, and it tooksecond place in the whole city
in this big competition and Irealized that I had something
(10:39):
special and I continued tocultivate that, doing talent
shows and doing things of thatnature.
But I was a Bob Hope fan, Iloved Elvis Presley and they
were military entertainers and Isaid I want to do that.
I want to join the military,become an Air Force Entertainer.
I had gotten so good at it.
And so when I went into myrecruiter, I said I want to sign
(11:02):
up because I want to become anAir Force Entertainer.
He looked at me and he goes youwant to be an entertainer, are
you kidding me?
And he stopped and goes well,we have it.
But you have to be like it'slike the special forces of
entertainment.
You have to be spectacular,otherwise there's just no, I
don't know how good you are, butI understand that you've got to
(11:23):
win multiple levels ofcompetition to go on a tour
around the country.
I said I'm going to do that.
I said, where's the paper?
I want to sign up.
Literally I signed up becausewith an intention.
I didn't care what job I took,I wasn't even thinking about
that.
I'm like I'm going to be thatguy traveling the country.
And so I get in there and I'm inbasic training and the drill
(11:46):
sergeant, three o'clock in themorning, of staying in attention
, the drill sergeant comes up tome and goes Airman, he goes
what job are you here for?
I said, sir, I want to be anAir Force Entertainer.
Sir, now, this is an AfricanAmerican in the South.
He was mad.
He's like get in my office.
He starts screaming at me inthe office.
He said you're going to, I'mgiving you an order to dance
right now.
(12:06):
Three o'clock in the morning,just him and I.
He brings a boom box, puts iton his desk, hits the button.
I jump in the air.
I spin around, dropping thesplit, doing spinning kicks,
doing a flip, whatever things Iwas.
I was just he's like clicks thebutton goes.
Well, all right.
He said what you got to do.
You want to be, because you'regoing to have to win at base
(12:30):
level and command level andyou're going to go to worldwide.
You got to win all thesecompetitions.
You got to win first place.
They only take second placewinners and it's a worldwide
competition.
But you have to enter that toeven have that opportunity.
I said, yes, sir.
He says get back on your, getback into to your duties.
The next day it comes out withthe boom box route.
(12:52):
It's in Texas, san Antonio, hotas can be, while standing in
tension for like I don't know,for hours, just stand there
sweating.
It comes out, the boom box,puts it on the ground, holds my
name to come front and centerthe dance for the troops, out of
nowhere, no warm up, nopreparation.
Yes, sir, I get out there, dothe dance.
(13:13):
And they're all the soldierscan't?
They're not supposed to laugh,otherwise they get screamed at.
So they were trying not tolaugh, to hold in their breath,
and I'm just pop locking, doingall this crazy stuff.
And then he's like, tells me,yells to stop and get back in
line, and that was the beginning.
Then, by a week later, we're inbasic training and I'm on a bus.
(13:35):
This is where I was kind oflike, kind of a rule break, a
rule breaker when it came forthe right reasons, right.
So I see a sign.
It said break dance competitionon the same base Lackland
FWARTS base.
Now you have a side that'sactive duty they're not basic
training and then you have theside who's getting the training.
(13:55):
I was on the basic trainingside.
We had a shave bald and so I'mon the bus and I look at the
sign on the other side.
I said to the guy next.
I said I'm going to go competethere.
He's what are you talking about?
We're in basic training.
You're going to get locked up.
You're going to be peelingpotatoes.
You're going to be in prison.
I said I'm going to go overthere.
I said listen.
(14:16):
I said during our break time,the competition is the exact
time of our break.
We have a 5 pm break.
They let us out to go outside.
I'm going to run across thebase, compete and come back.
He said you're crazy.
I said it's okay, you don'thave to come.
I said I'm going to go.
So I I leave and he comes withme.
I turn around and he said whereyou going.
(14:36):
He said I'm coming with thiswhen you coming with me.
So if you go across the base, Iget there and the competition
already started, put my name inand you're spinning on their
heads and doing all this crazystuff.
So I ended up getting out there, I went first place and then I
run back to the other side,never got caught, never gotten
trouble, and that was whathappened.
(14:57):
Yeah, I love it.
It was really was extraordinary, and it happened just like
exactly what I'm telling.
The story is exactly how Ilived it out.
I get back, I Went, I went baselevel Competition.
I got letters from generalscommand.
I had like a fan following ofpeople who ran the.
They ran the base.
(15:18):
The high ranks would follow mearound wherever I would perform.
We here go watch John and itfollowed me.
And then I ended up movinggoing to Louisiana, barksdale,
louisiana and I competed thereone first place.
I beat out this, these balletdancer and this Michael Jackson
Invitated.
They were terrific, but I wasbetter, you know, and I was able
(15:39):
to move forward.
Then I ended up on a nationaltour and I went to maybe, maybe
about 13 states and they like,roll out the red carpet and
you're just performing forfamilies or you're performing
for Generals and kernels and itwas just like a.
So you're celebrity, theypeople give no autographs and
that cut that was.
It was just great fun to dothat.
(16:01):
And we had to learn.
We had to go through three daysof training for it when you had
another drill sergeant a womanwill come in and scream at you.
For three days we're allowed tosleep, drink coffee, soda in
the middle of the night and tostay awake.
And that was the training toget on that tour, that amazing
tour, and have that experience.
(16:21):
So I get out of the Well beforeI get out of the Air Force.
I saw this show called showtimeat the Apollo with Sinbad and I
told my friend this I want to goon that show.
And he said they, my AfricanAmerican friends, said there's
no way they're gonna let you inthere, you won't get on the
stage.
So he talked about.
He said they're gonna hate youjust because you're white.
(16:42):
He said you don't even get thatchance.
I said I said now I'm gonna gothere.
I saw I I drove from Fort Smith, new Hampshire, to Harlem in
New York City and I went to theBlack Music Theater and I get on
this line to go into thetheater and, sure enough, they
wouldn't let me in.
People kept cutting me so Irealized that wasn't in a safe
(17:04):
situation.
It was getting dark out, so Itook my radio, my boombox, got
in my car, drove back to themilitary base six hours they
said see, we told you.
Why did you do that?
That was there, was.
So I got to see my familybecause my family's in New York.
So I got to see my family inthat trip.
But I was mad and I was mad fora full year.
(17:26):
I was just couldn't as I gotout of military and they advised
me.
And they advised, I said theadvisors.
I said look, should I stay inthe military or should I get out
?
He said If I had your danceshoes, I get out.
Is it, john?
You're good, get out.
Went back to the Apollo andthey'd line.
(17:46):
They did the same thing again,except this time I took my
boombox and I cut the line.
I went right to the front, Iput it down, risked my life.
You're all looking at me,everybody's angry.
I thought I was gonna get out.
Though I got it.
They're alive.
And I put it down and the headof this event was called Ralph.
His name is Ralph Cooper senior.
He was the founder of amateurnight, the Apollo.
(18:08):
He says who are you?
And I said John Murion, why areyou here?
I said I came here to dance andhe said get it over with.
So I click the button and I getup and I'm doing my whole thing
and you know, and there it'sstarting to stand up.
The crowd in the room starts tostand up and they're screaming
(18:28):
and they're yelling and they'reloving it.
And then the music stops andeveryone's saying go, go, go.
They want me to keep dancing.
There was no music and they'rejust clapping just to see me
move.
So Ralph Cooper, senior, saidsit down.
So I sat down and he saidyou're gonna go on showtime at
the Apollo.
So I went on.
(18:50):
When I went on showtime topower the first round, they get
on the stage, had my radioWalking across the stage and
they go crazy loving thefootwork.
As soon as I turned toward theaudience they see my other face.
Oh, what's he doing on stageright?
And Then they start booing andcheering, booing and sure.
(19:11):
And then Sandman comes in,pulls me off the stage.
That was I got pulled off forthe first time.
Well, some time passed, I, youknow, moved to New Jersey and I
kept training.
I was gonna go back to theApollo again.
That was my mission to go inthere, went auditioned again and
I got on the stage.
(19:32):
When I got on the stage, thistime I they started the music
before I got on stage, almostlike to to hurt my act.
But what I did was they didspinning kicks Like like a
helicopter across the stage.
I did one, two, three, four andI turn around, dropped into a
split and stood up and I lookedat them and they went whoa.
(19:53):
And they just stood up and thenI started moving my hips and
the woman is screaming and thenthe men are going crazy and
everybody's just like, and ThenI walked off the stage.
I didn't finish the act.
I literally stopped what I wasdoing.
I walked off.
I was, I was in tears and theproducer comes over.
He said why you leave?
He was the producer's van he's.
Why did you walk off?
(20:13):
It's because they loved me.
I did it.
He said we're gonna put you onshowtime at the Apollo, which
was a televised event, was seenall over the world.
So then I came when I didshowtime, I went out there and
this time I did the act and itwas just booze and cheers and it
was like a struggle with thecrowd Doing the same act, but it
(20:36):
was just.
They just struggled with me.
And then I went on.
I came a fourth time a yearlater I created an act where it
was glowing in the dark becauseI was the dancer.
I was the choreographer anddancer for club MTV with
downtown, julie Brown.
I did 72 episodes.
I would listen for that at thesame time as I'm going back to
the Apollo for the fourth time.
So this act called neon city,where you see New York City in
(21:00):
the background, all glowing inthe dark.
I come out there with thisbaseball cap and this
fluorescent outfit.
That's in a time where neonbecame the colors.
I was the guy that brought thatto MTV the colors.
And then all of a sudden it wasall over the world and but I,
the Apollo, went crazy and atthe very end the house lights
went on.
Then they saw I wasn't, theysaw my color skin.
(21:21):
They were like booing andcheering again.
But I still did it and I and Istill prove that there are those
who loved me, I didn't care,and those those I have still
have those issues.
But it was a beautifulexperience because it led to
harmony power later on, whereyou know, I and also my martial
arts career.
I, there was, I was teachingwhile I was dancing.
(21:44):
I was teaching martial arts and, aside private lessons, I was
teaching for capital records inManhattan I was.
I had schools like these littlesatellites.
I was teaching and I broughtmartial arts to the vertical
clubs, all the vertical clubs inNew York.
I was the first to pioneer that.
I was lucky to Work with allthese celebrities that were in a
place called.
It was a vertical club on theeast side and it was an
(22:08):
incredible that was allhappening at the same time.
I was, I was doing this wholedance excursion and and being
adventurous, and then I wascompeting in martial arts as
well and winning lots ofcompetitions, mostly in forms.
I was a forms competitor andI've gotten as far as winning
second place worldwide infighting.
(22:28):
We had no great divisions, itwas full contact.
So I was a second place fighterWithout a weight class, and
that was good enough for me.
You know, I still have my bodyat 59 or well, my I don't
Haven't replaced anything yetfeel great.
But my other accolade that I'mknown for is Reebok.
I was a Reebok gym.
(22:50):
Reebok sports club gym Was afamous gym in New York that
opened up and they were lookingfor one athlete worldwide and
they interviewed the goldmedalist.
They interviewed everyone theycould find.
They wanted one teacher and itwas a leadership driven program.
They wanted somebody who wasgoing to teach the leaders of
New York City and thecelebrities and I was the first
interview and interview 200 toGet that one deal, that one
(23:14):
contract.
And after the fifth year theygave me two locations and I
became a partner With that gymand then I consolidated back to
the one location and I wasstated for 20 years in total
full-time With my dojo.
They closed shop and then Imoved to 81st and Broadway where
I'm at now almost 10 years.
So I've had a long stretch inManhattan with that and you know
(23:38):
it's been a remarkable career.
And so, with all of that successand Seeing the the bullying
crisis in America, while I wasdoing my martial arts, while I
was doing my dance it was it washard for me to know my success
and and the joy that I had andSee what was going on in the
country.
(23:58):
Every time I'd watch somethingbut trigger a trauma for me and
say I'm like I can't watch thisand do nothing.
So I I hired a publicist and Itraveled the United States out
of my own pocket into the worstneighborhoods, going into the
schools to see what was going on.
And it was.
It was extraordinary becauseI've learned that the system was
(24:22):
set up where when kids would dosomething wrong, they were
suspended, they were expelled,they went to jail.
That seemed to be what they doin most systems.
They had very few things inplace to recognize children for
the good they did.
Like me, when I achieved in mypast, like with dancing and wash
, all those achievements builtmy character.
(24:43):
That was my way out of thebully, my way to stand up for
myself, my way to love myself.
And they knew that they neededsomething like what I
experienced and have theopportunity in the schools,
because the schools were notgiving that.
Only a few, for the academicswould get rewards or those
athletes, those in the middle,just kind of left out.
(25:07):
And I started the campaign in2010.
And that led to getting a lotof media attention again on all
the networks throughout thecountry.
As you mentioned before, I didthe show with Deepak Chopra on
bullying.
His brother was there, sanjeev,who was the head dean for
Harvard Medical School.
He immediately joined my boardof directors for my charity for
(25:28):
Harmony Power.
In fact, harmony Power was setup by AIG and Verizon because
they were represented from thosecorporations that saw this as a
real solution Not a viable one,but like a real solution,
because when you're recognizingchildren for the good they're
doing through their gifts andpassions, and you're doing it in
(25:50):
mass volume.
That's what changes the world.
In one particular city in NewJersey, elizabeth not only
adopted Harmony Power, they madeit a mandate for the whole city
28,000 children where one outof three get the award for doing
good.
So when I go into these eventsit's like watching a concert.
(26:11):
It's like I walk in, it'shappening, and then I might be
the added bonus where they askme to tell the speech or
something or they want to see meperform, and I get them all
riled up and excited.
But literally, if there's a onehour event, I'm five minutes
and that's what's happenedWhereas I was in Brooklyn
(26:32):
recently.
I also have a contract now withNew York City Public Schools.
I'm actually the leadershipresource for anti-bullying for
all the schools in the fiveboroughs.
That took me six years to getthat contract, and so I went to
two assemblies.
I was the show I had to like,because you have to stop the
ground up again.
(26:53):
But they recognized.
Maybe they recognized 15% oftheir population instead of one
third, which I was thrilled with, and they got the Harmony Power
Awards.
They wanted more of my talk, myhistory, and they wanted to see
some video clips.
And then at the end the kidspushed me to still show my dance
(27:13):
and I'm like I don't really dothat.
Yeah, I do a little bit, youknow, but I practice every week.
And they went crazy.
These kids went from, like thisis inner city middle schoolers.
They went from, like when isthis guy going to stop talking?
You know, even though they likesome of the things I was saying
, we want to see him dance.
(27:35):
And they all liked the Apollo.
The kids went crazy, you know,and it was just I was excited.
I'm like why I was saying to mywife I can't believe that I
could still get inner city kidsthat are middle schools on their
feet, like they're so critical,like you have to be really good
to capture them.
And they not only did I capturethem, but they come up wanting
(27:55):
my autograph, wanting to shakemy head, wanting to take a
picture, because I know, in asmall way I touched their heart,
because when they see that I'mthat guy, it's not just a
history, I'm in the now, livingit, doing it, showing them
what's possible with theirbodies and their mind and their
spirit.
That's why Henry Power is thereal solution to bullying, the
(28:18):
bullying crisis.
We see it when you see massshootings.
It's these kids that are leftout that grow up and they're
angry because nobody paidattention.
And in my know you to payattention to me?
I don't exist.
Why should you?
That's their mindset.
So it doesn't take a crazyperson, it takes a person who's
left out to a point where theirlife doesn't matter anymore.
(28:39):
And this is why I feel that it'scritical that the leadership of
the school systems pay veryclose attention and that they
adopt this as their way, notbecause it's my way.
It's not my way.
The kids own it.
The kids want it and give thekids what they want.
They want it, they want.
Look, the system is like theyhave 33 days to change the world
(29:00):
and kids are doing things thatthey want to do and they're
getting a Harmony Power Award onthe 33rd day Universal Harmony
Day for what they do.
Right, because it's their thing, they own it.
It's not about me or the system, it's their system, and when
they own it, they love it andthey feel valued and they
believe in themselves andtherefore there's a whole lot
(29:23):
less chance to be a victim,whole lot less chance to be a
bully, because if that's the newculture, the new way of working
with the youth, we have a greatfuture in front of us.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
So tell me what the program involves, Because
working with the kids, you'resaying that they're doing it
their way.
So when you go in and work withthese schools, what do these
programs actually incorporate sothey can actually get these
awards?
But also it's making this hugechange in these kids' lives.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Well, they're doing what I do.
They get on stage, exceptthey're singing, they're dancing
.
They have artwork plasteredacross the walls with peace,
love, kindness, respect.
They're expressing who they are.
They're doing rap music,they're doing poetry.
There's no end to what they cando to express.
It's the way they express toeach other, but they're doing it
(30:12):
in a positive way and they'resharing it to each other and
they're being recognized forcoming out of their shell and
being who they are.
Some express pain.
They come up there and they'reangry about the world and
they're expressing it because noone listened, but now
everybody's listening.
So therefore they're morelikely to be positive in the
long run and the grades go upbecause now they love school,
(30:35):
they love being in school,because now they matter.
People are paying attention tothem, so it's a win-win
situation.
Anyone who doesn't do it isfoolish, truly, if they don't
adopt a system.
Look and quote what you want100 Power is a nice name, and I
can roll this out in an hour ortwo with any city, because I've
(30:57):
got it down pat.
I just overcome stupidobjections, like people say.
Well, I don't understand why wehave to recognize the children.
We already have this program.
I said no.
Are you recognizing the 70%that are being ignored?
Probably not.
That's the issue.
So it's more about convincingthe administration.
There's a lot of great teachersand great people out there
(31:17):
doing great things, but if itwas so great, we would have kids
out there torturing each other,hurting themselves and each
other the way that we do morethan we've ever seen.
So if they're hurting eachother in the masses and they're
shooting each other, we have todo something that is recognizing
the masses in a very profoundway.
(31:39):
Every year you have to givethem a month out of that school
year, like launch into the yearthat way, and you watch the
difference throughout the year.
It's like look, I had somebodycome over to my house to replace
my washer and dryer.
This is about three weeks ago.
I said where do you live?
He said Elizabeth, new Jersey.
He said oh yes, my program ismandated in that city.
(31:59):
What is that?
He said how many power do youstop?
He goes, wait a second.
He says my daughter has yourcertificate on my refrigerator.
It's been up there for months.
What is that piece of papermean to that child?
Speaker 1 (32:16):
It makes a difference , makes a huge difference, it's
a huge difference, right?
Speaker 2 (32:21):
These are the most sensitive years to a child.
So any recognition that saysthat they matter, they exist,
they're good at something Ifthey're just kind to people to
get an award.
There's something good ineveryone.
There's something good in theworst of children.
Look, I went to Chicago when Iwas on my tour, right.
So I got put in a room with themost challenging kids, but the
(32:44):
ones that they call bullies.
Of course I had to get toughwith them because I can't go in
there with fear, and had themall be quiet, sit down and just
listen.
Then I got to know each name.
Then I had these kids come helpme and I said look, there's a
big reward if you help me.
They set up a stage.
They followed me.
So the reward was I gave themthe whole front row of the 70
(33:06):
assembly.
When they saw what I did forthat assembly and the media
showed up.
It was a big to do.
I gave them attention.
They wouldn't leave.
Everyone left.
These kids stayed.
I said why are you guys notleaving?
They said we just love hearingyou talk.
They don't want to go.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
That's because you make them feel important and
that's what every kid wants,regardless of age or whatever
their background is.
Like you said, they want tofeel like they make a difference
, like they're significant, andyour program brings that to the
table.
And I wish I could take theclone and just drop you all over
the world, because it's neededso badly.
(33:50):
And you and I talked off air acouple of days ago we were
collaborating to do the podcastand I said it is such a huge
responsibility as a parent, butalso as a teacher, as a coach,
everybody that works with kids.
They're completely missing it.
Knowing that making adifference in a child's life is
(34:12):
a huge responsibility, andrecognizing every single one of
them and not just, like you said, the chosen few that may be
good at something or doingsomething on their own.
It's the ones that need you totake them under their wing and
let them know that they matter.
And I love that you take yourprogram and you utilize this and
you're teaching this in placesthat really need it the most.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
They need it everywhere, even in the richest
communities.
Where I know of a city in NewJersey, they put swastikas up
everywhere, attacking Jews.
They're attacking races ofpeople because kids don't feel
the love in themselves.
This is why they're doing that.
They're looking for attention.
Again, it's negative attention.
I'll tell you this other story.
(34:55):
I get choked up when I have somany stories in my head.
There was a picture sent to meand the boy was hugging the
teacher and he was crying.
And why was he crying?
Because he got the HarmonyPower Award.
Why did he get the HarmonyPower Award?
Because his behavior got betterin school.
(35:16):
So they recognized that.
Imagine this child who is atroublemaker.
He starts fights, he's violent,he got better and he's crying.
So we have to stop pointing thefinger at money.
I'm tired of hearing aboutmoney as an excuse.
(35:36):
I'm tired of people pointing atthe administrators.
They can do it right in theirclassroom.
What principle is going to say Idon't want you to give awards
out for kids that are behavingwell.
Make it your own piece of paper.
Don't tell me that that'sagainst anybody's rules, that
you need an approval torecognize the good in a child.
(35:57):
I'm just saying if you givethem something to do within the
classroom activities.
That's positive, maybe stuffthey're already doing and you
give them a month of focus wherethey're interacting about it in
some small way.
When you pay attention to it,it's a big thing to them.
You just said, here's a pieceof paper.
(36:19):
They're not going to feelanything.
But if you give them somethingto focus on just a little bit
each day or each week, and atthe end of the month it's about
how it's presented and the lovethat you're expressing to them
is the love they're going tofeel about who they are.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
I think it also teaches other kids too, the ones
that are always the superstarsor they excel at everything.
But to see somebody else getrecognized for something, that
is so important that it's notalways what you do that's to
excel at, but it's also to do tobe kind and recognize other
(37:00):
people that may not have thoseskills.
I'm looking at it from anathletic point of view because
I've worked, as you know, I dofootball and I see the
superstars that come through.
But then my heart has alwaysbeen with the kids that didn't
work, the starters that weren'tthe first runners, because they
were there to practice everysingle day.
They were giving 110% justbecause they didn't excel, they
(37:24):
didn't.
It didn't minimize who they wereor what their abilities or what
their value was part of thatteam.
It's no different than inschool.
It's like who they are as aperson.
Everybody's got value,everybody's unique.
I always tell them I said youknow, be yourself, because
everybody else is taken.
I know you.
Just you are unique and youhave a unique talent.
You just have to let it justshine through you and I can see.
(37:49):
Through your harmony you givethat ability for everybody, in
every place and every situation,to be able to be recognized
above and beyond, to see whattheir true values are, to shine
through.
Speaker 2 (38:03):
You know and here's the thing with it I have to
teach children, which is mostimportant, and this is for
adults too.
Look, I'm good at what I do.
There's so much better than me.
There's no end to what's betterthan me.
I watch that these kids aredoing today.
It's I'm a joke, but kids haveblown away when they see me
(38:24):
because I'm so loving andpassionate about it and I'm good
enough for them to understandthat I can do it and it's about
me doing it that makes them feelconnected.
Not that I'm so great that theyhaven't seen.
No, not at all.
I'll be 59 years old.
I'm not doing front flipsanymore.
There's certain things that Ihave to draw lines on, but the
(38:46):
love that I have for me doingwhat I do is just that's it.
So it doesn't matter what thechild does or what the picture
they draw looks like, or thesong you're singing or rapping
or whatever it might be.
It's that expression of thembeing who they want to be.
Look, in this life I tell, evenwhen I teach my martial arts
doing what you love to do withthose you love to do it with.
(39:08):
It's all about that.
You know and we know to be kindand respectful.
But you need respect first, torespect what we don't understand
.
And then kindness is an act oflove, showing levels of kindness
.
If we have the two, we haveeverything.
We have to have that forourselves first, and that's why
(39:29):
Hami Pao is so important.
We have to be respectful to whowe are kind to ourselves before
we can express it elsewhere.
So a lot of the anti-bullyprograms are very reactive.
This happens to you do this,this and that, be kind, be
respectful.
But if you don't have theself-part, you're just going to
(39:51):
fake it, even though faking ityou can fake it to your make it.
That can make you feel good too.
But to really do the inner workis to teach somebody to be you.
You be you because nobody cando that but you.
And that's the big nucleus, thebig missing piece in the
anti-bullying crisis that we'rein.
(40:12):
Well, the bullying crisis, Ishould say that's what's missing
in the mass shootings.
They've got more reactivemeasures, more like gun control
laws.
Look, I'm a military person.
I don't think somebody shouldhave a military weaponry in ever
.
You're going to be in themilitary and you should have a
background check.
I believe in the basics of that.
(40:34):
But the cause of a child,looking for something to hurt
people.
That needs to be dealt withmore so than anything else, and
that's why harm power is.
It's the real solution.
It's that idea.
Think about it.
We're doing it in the homes,right?
So we don't hit our kids, or wego across the lines where
(40:55):
people are hitting their kids,screaming at them whatever
they're doing, which is terrible, right, people cross those
lines.
I grew up there.
I was in a Italian householdthat was like you need to just
hit your kid, you bragged aboutit.
Kids children were seen, nothurt.
That's the culture we come from.
Now.
It's like you sit and have aconversation.
You actually listen.
I spent a lot of time listeningto what I've ever done, and
(41:17):
that's what the new generationwants.
They want to be heard, not bepeople doling out all the spirit
and intimidation.
That old school leadershipdoesn't work.
We look at it in our politics,right.
Look at who's trying to like.
Forget about what politicalparty you're in.
(41:37):
If people are using fear andintimidation or putting down
other people, other leaders, asa way to get ahead, we know is
not good.
You can't trust people who dothat if that's their methodology
, if you're doing that with yourchildren as parents using fear
and intimidation.
It doesn't work.
They go to school and thosekids do.
(41:58):
Fear and intimidation becomebullies.
We can't have bullying leadersin the home, in the schools, in
our society and in the corporateworld the corporate bullying.
It's a whole other crazinessthat people go to work and
they're miserable going to workbecause the way that's that old
paradigm that is struggling tobe phased out on a worldwide
(42:23):
scale, not just our society, Imean.
I'm thinking poverty power needsto be over the world.
That I know just from bullying.
That is a crisis everywhereright now.
It's not just the US phenomenon.
It's actually worse in otherplaces.
I go to Japan.
It's worse because these arekids that are.
They're just struggling toexpress who they are, let alone
(42:45):
being their passion.
You get awarded for it.
That's just not even.
It's a lot of emotionalsuppression.
I love you.
Speaker 1 (42:53):
Unfortunately, as you said, there's things that are
happening worldwide.
I could spend hours with youbecause you are so insightful
and you've got so much positivethings to share.
I've got to have you back on.
We can go on and do some more,because I really know that
you've got so much more valuableinformation, but up until then,
(43:15):
how can they reach you?
As everybody knows, theinformation will be down in the
description, so you can reachout to Fence John, but also
you'll be embedded into thepodcast if you're listening on
any of the platforms that thisis going to be on.
But just give a shout out realquick.
So where can they find you,just so we can hear it within
the podcast.
Speaker 2 (43:35):
Well for the charities, harmitypowernoworg.
So I welcome people to reachout to me.
Let's bring it to your city ina big way.
That's a given.
You want to change the world?
Contact me, we'll do ittogether.
Number one, number twoharmiebycaraticom.
That's my core base inManhattan.
If you want to contact me thatway, that's a possibility as
well.
(43:55):
But I want to thank you forbeing on this wonderful podcast.
Speaker 1 (44:00):
Well, I thank you for being here and it has been such
a seriously such a gift to haveyou on and share your
information and your story.
What you're doing is just Idon't know.
There's no words to put on.
I think it's just a feelingwhen you come across or you meet
somebody like you.
This information needs to beshared, not just where you are
(44:24):
locally, but, I think, globally,and I definitely would like to
have you back and share somemore information.
But thank you so much.
I love what you're doing.
You are an amazing person.
Let's come back.
I want you to come back.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I appreciate it.
It was a pleasure and honor tobe on your show.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (44:42):
I will see you soon.
Hey guys, again, please reachout to Sensei John.
I really feel as though, if youhave got a connection or
somebody you know and I knowmany of you listen and have got
kids in school or any otherprograms this could be something
amazing to incorporate whereyou're at, even if it's just to
reach out to Sensei John and say, hey, how can I do this?
(45:04):
I think this is something thatreally needs to be done,
especially with our youth andthe programs that are happening
now.
Why not just fit one moreprogram into what's happening
that can do really really good?
Until then, remember, the mostcourageous thing you can do is
be yourself.
I will look forward to seeingyou.
Until then, see ya.
Popular Podcasts
Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club
Welcome to Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club — the podcast where great stories, bold women, and irresistible conversations collide! Hosted by award-winning journalist Danielle Robay, each week new episodes balance thoughtful literary insight with the fervor of buzzy book trends, pop culture and more. Bookmarked brings together celebrities, tastemakers, influencers and authors from Reese's Book Club and beyond to share stories that transcend the page. Pull up a chair. You’re not just listening — you’re part of the conversation.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com