The three pillars of the Generative Warrior model
They are not three ideas.
These are three living axes.
Three anchor points…
who unite in the Flow
🌀 The Foundation Plate
“Everything starts from the inside.
Never from the outside.
That's where your inner revolution begins.”
This truth changes everything.
Acknowledging that your inner reality determines your outer reality means you stop fighting your circumstances, and return to the source.
When you experience this inner revolution, performance anxiety disappears. Your inner diamond, hidden beneath layers of fear and uncertainty, finally reappears.
This is the essential condition for Flow to emerge naturally within you.
🌊 1. Flow
“Like surfing a perfect wave: you don't have to push, you just let it carry you.”
Flow is that state where thoughts calm down, where every gesture comes naturally, without effort or tension. You become fluid, instinctive, completely present in the action. You no longer force yourself: you just let it flow through you.
In combat, this manifests itself in an intuitive reading of your opponent, the right reaction and perfect timing.
Question for you:
Have you ever experienced that feeling where everything flows naturally? What would change if you lived like that, on a regular basis?
👁️ 2. Presence
“Like a steady flame that never wavers, even in a storm.
Presence is the art of being totally there, whatever is going on around you. You're centered, calm, attentive. You don't try to escape the present moment: you feel it completely.
In combat, this is what allows you to remain lucid under pressure, to stay attentive to important details without being overwhelmed by your thoughts.
Question for you:
What does your fight look like when you're fully present? Have you ever felt the quiet power of that Presence?
⚡ 3. Impact
“Like a precise, clean, silent bolt of lightning that strikes exactly in the right place.”
Impact doesn't mean hitting hard, but hitting just right. It's expressing your whole intention in a single, clear, precise and effective gesture. When Flow and Presence unite, Impact arises naturally.
In combat, it's that clear, decisive blow, without hesitation or superfluous aggression. It's the simple, true gesture that leaves a lasting impression on the opponent.
Question for you:
What if every blow you landed came from a place of calm, of complete inner alignment, what would your fights and your life be like?
🔗 The interdependence of the Three Pillars
Flow without Presence is dispersion.
Presence without Impact remains contemplation.
Impact without Flow becomes tension and effort.
When these three pillars unite within you, you become a Generative Warrior:
“You no longer strike. Space strikes through you.
Questions & Answers - A living extract from the Way
What follows is more than a simple complement to the explanation of the Three Pillars.
It's an invitation to enter into living practice.
In my upcoming book, The Generative Warrior and the Flow in Combat, each chapter alternates between a clear theoretical approach... and moments of embodied dialogue between a Coach and his fighters.
These dialogues, often profound, sometimes funny, translate teaching into reality, where ideas become experience.
This format allows us to feel the principles - not just understand them intellectually.
The questions that follow are those often asked by students, beginners and advanced alike. And the answers don't come from dogma... but from a Way lived, transmitted and refined in the dojo, in combat and in life.
Sit back. Take a breath. And join us in this living circle...
under the stars, where the pillars take shape.
Questions & Answers - Under the stars
After the seminar on the three pillars of the Generative Warrior. Coach invites students outside the dojo for a Q&A on the three pillars.
The dojo is calm. The energy is down, but the faces are still shining.
They came out together, in silence. Bare feet on the grass. The sky is open. A clear night, a gentle breeze, and a large circle of warriors... attentive.
Coach sits down. Upright, but relaxed.
And as is often the case... it's the youngest who dares first.
1. Coach... what exactly is Flow? And how do I know if I'm in it?
Coach smiles. He makes a small gesture with his hand as if to say:
“Finally. Good question.”
- Flow, he says, isn't some magic potion they give you at green belt.
Nor is it what you feel after three coffees before the fight.
A few laughs from the group. He continues.
- It's that moment... when you don't have to think consciously anymore.
Your body acts. Your gestures are right.
And you're just... there.
Not thinking about whether you should block, or hit, or run away to Costa Rica.
The young man nods. He says:
- I think I had that once... during a fight. It was quick, but... I felt it.
- There, says the Coach.
You didn't do anything about it. And it came.
You don't invent Flow. You welcome it.
And the more you stop forcing it... the more often it comes to you.
2. Can you live like that even if you're a yellow belt?
Coach makes an exaggerated face.
- Yellow belt?! Absolutely not.
You have to be at least... 6th dan, have survived three tournaments in Siberia, and have fought a bear with your bare hands.
The group bursts out laughing.
Then he adds, more seriously:
- Of course it is.
Flow doesn't look at your belt.
But what it goes through... is you. And the better prepared your body is, the more clearly Flow can express itself.
So even if you have little experience, you can experience it.
And the more you practice, the further you can follow it.
- So you still have to practice, don't you?
- Not only do you have to... but that's the beauty of Flow.
Flow:It comes through what you've integrated.
It's not a state that makes you good. It's your rigor that makes it powerful.
3. Can it be provoked? Or should we just hope it falls on us like a rare Pokemon?
General laughter. Coach laughs too.
- Rare Pokémon... I like that.
But no, Flow, it's not a spiritual Pikachu.
He resumes more gently:
- You can't force it.
But you can prepare the ground.
When you breathe, relax, come back to the moment...
You become available. And then it happens.
Not because you've caught it...
But because you've aligned yourself.
He lifts a finger:
- And remember: the more you look for Flow... the more you scare him.
He likes people who forget him... and listen.
4. What if I lose him in the middle of a fight? Like, he was there... and poof! Gone.
What if I lose him in the middle of a fight? Like, he was there... and poof! The Coach smiles, puts his hand on his heart and says, playing out the tragedy:
- Adieu my Flow... it was a beautiful story... Sniff...
The laughter rises slowly, then he continues:
- You do as you would with a good friend: you come back to him.
A breath. A presence. You feel your support.
You don't panic. You don't run after him.
You return to what's stable: your body, your breath, your axis.
- And does he come back?
- Not always. Sometimes it waits for you to stop begging.
But it comes back faster to those who know how to stay open.
After a moment's silence, an orange belt fighter speaks up. She keeps her arms crossed, but you can tell the question is close to her heart.
5. For me, it's mostly before the fight that I lose my nerve.
I feel like I'm leaving my body... How do I get back?
Coach nods earnestly, then mimes a panicking warrior, eyes wide:
- You mean... when your brain starts saying:
“What if I lose? What if they look at me? What if I forget everything and fall on my ass in front of my Sensei ?”
Laughs. She smiles, a little embarrassed. Well, that's just it.
- You're not the only one,” he says.
The mind loves to invent disaster scenarios.
But the Presence doesn't play games. It's here.
Right here. Now.
He raises a finger.
- Do you want to come back? Breathe.
Feel your feet on the floor or tatami. Your breath in your belly.
And remember: stress is just your mind forgetting that there's nothing to run away from.
- Even if it's a big fight?
- Especially if it's a big fight.
6. Does staring into my opponent's eyes mean being present?
The Coach bursts out laughing.
— Staring down your opponent? If it’s to scare him, you’ve got a 50% chance he’ll either pee himself… or land a mawashi right in your liver.
Laughter breaks out. He continues, more calmly:
— Presence isn’t about having an intense stare.
It’s not: “I’m glaring at you with my mystical tiger aura.”
He looks around the group.
— It’s an opening. You expand your vision. You enter peripheral awareness.
You see the whole picture — their stance, their shoulders, their intentions.
You’re not locked into the stare…
You’re in the perception.
7. But... why is it so hard to stay there, even when you want to?
A young man asks the question, clearly annoyed with himself.
The Coach smiles gently, as if he'd asked it a thousand times himself, in another life.
- Because we've been brought up to think.
We think about what we're going to say, what we've done, what we should have done.
But staying here, without running away... it's not natural at first.
He leans forward a little.
- You want to do well. You want to be the best. But sometimes, to be there... you have to accept that you suck for two seconds.
Just breathe. Being there. Without having to perform.
- It's hard,” admits the young man.
- Yes, it is.
But tell yourself this: Presence is invisible training.
You don't gain anything on the outside at first...
But inside, you become unshakeable.
8. Is Presence only practised in the dojo? Or in life too?
A soft, almost whispered voice. The group falls silent. The coach smiles.
- Good news: Presence doesn't need tatami.
He looks up at the sky for a moment.
- You can practice being present... when you're doing the dishes.
When you listen to your child.
When you walk. When you say “I love you” without thinking about anything else.
He turns to her.
- The dojo is just a mirror.
But your real practice... that's your life.
A stocky fighter with a brown belt raises his hand. You can see in his eyes that he's already thought about her question. And probably tested a few “big moves” in training...
9. Sensei... hitting hard doesn't automatically mean making an impact, does it?
Coach laughs:
- If it did, my six-year-old nephew would be doing ippons with his baseball bat.
The group laughs. Coach continues, more seriously:
- Hitting hard can impress.
But hitting just right... that scores.
You can hit like a gorilla, and have the other guy look at you and yawn.
Or you can hit exactly where you need to, when you need to, and he collapses without understanding.
He looks the fighter in the eye.
- Impact doesn't come from muscle.
It comes from aligned intention.
Your breath, your timing, your grounding.
It's as if your whole being is saying, “Now.”
10. And if I'm smaller... or weaker... what do I do?
Do I pray?
Coach bursts out laughing again.
- You can pray, yes... but aim for the liver while you're doing it.
The group laughs with him.
- Listen,” he says.
Raw power is an asset. But not a condition.
Small guys who understand timing, axis and release... take down colossuses.
He points to Sonia, a discreet, slender but fast student.
- If she hits your leg at the right moment with a well-placed low kick, you'll say a prayer... but lying down.
More laughter.
- Impact is precision + truth.
Not volume.
11. What does it mean to strike to win… versus striking true?
A silence settles over the group.
Everyone is hanging on the answer.
The Coach locks eyes with the one who just spoke.
— When you strike to win, you're trying to take something.
Victory. Respect. Relief.
You're striking to fill a void.
He straightens slightly.
— But when you strike true, you're expressing something.
No need to force it. No need to chase it.
It’s just… there.
Then, more gently:
— The first kind of strike drains you.
The second… frees you.
A young student adds with a laugh:
— And the third is when you strike… into thin air!
The Coach bursts out laughing.
— Exactly. We all know that one.
And it’s a great reminder… to come back inside.
12. How do you develop impact that comes from within — not just from muscle?
A yellow-belted fighter asks the question with sincere curiosity.
She’s not trying to impress. She just wants to understand.
The Coach slightly nods.
— You let go of the need to be impressive.
You train yourself to be real.
You breathe. You feel your axis.
You engage the body… without tension.
And most of all, you strike at the right moment.
Not a second too soon. Not a second too late.
He pauses, then adds with a smirk:
— And by the way… you do squats.
Because sure, “from within” is great,
but strong legs definitely help.
The circle erupts in laughter.
He closes softly:
— True impact is when your body and your mind… strike as one.
13. Is it true that a strike can “reach” someone… beyond the body?
The Coach smiles, slowly.
— Yes. And it’s often that kind of strike… that you never forget.
He looks around, then adds:
— You strike. You don’t force it. You’re not aiming to break.
But your intention is whole. Your presence is complete.
And the other… they feel it.
Not just in their ribs.
In their entire system.
A student slips in:
— Like an existential punch.
The group laughs. The Coach raises a finger.
— Exactly. It doesn’t injure you.
It wakes you up.
14. Does my impact come from strength… or alignment?
The Coach puts on a face like he’s pondering deeply.
— Hmm… That depends. Do you want a hammer strike… or a sword cut?
— Sword, says the student.
— Perfect. Then… alignment.
Brute strength rattles.
Alignment pierces.
He demonstrates a perfectly relaxed tsuki.
— When everything in you agrees — your breath, your structure, your decision — the movement becomes undeniable.
Even if you don’t have the biggest biceps in the room.
A student adds:
— But hey, if you’ve got the big biceps and alignment… that’s not bad.
— Yes, says the Coach.
But only if your ego isn’t bigger than both.
Laughter breaks out in the circle.
15. What if I didn’t strike to win… but to express something? What would that change?
The Coach smiles, like the question just touched something deep.
— It would change everything.
You wouldn’t be trying to take something.
You’d become someone who gives.
He looks the student straight in the eye.
— You wouldn’t strike to hurt, or to be seen.
You’d strike to speak the truth of the moment.
A fighter raises an eyebrow:
— And what if the truth is “I want to smash you”?
— Then express it… without tension. And with a solid guard.
Big laugh from the group.
Then, more softly:
— But often, when you’re really in that kind of expression…
the violence fades. The effectiveness stays.
16. And what if the strongest strike… wasn’t a physical one?
The Coach smiles with his eyes.
— You mean, like a stare that makes you rethink your life choices?
Laughter. Then he continues, calmer:
— Yes. The most powerful impact isn’t always visible.
It’s a grounded gaze. A silent posture.
An attitude that says: “I’m here. Whole. And I’m not backing down.”
He adds:
— There are people who “strike” just by walking into a room.
And they haven’t even lifted a finger.
17. Striking to win… is that about trying to fill something?
But if I won first on the inside… how would I strike?
The Coach goes quiet. He likes this one.
He looks up at the stars a moment. Then says:
— If you win first on the inside…
you’ve got nothing to prove.
You don’t strike to exist.
You exist — and that’s what strikes.
He gestures from the heart… to the hand.
— The movement comes from a quiet place. Steady. Free.
And when it lands… it doesn’t miss.
Then, with a knowing smile:
— And hey, between you and me…
chasing victory is more exhausting than embodying it from the start.
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