Today we’d like to introduce you to Khari Sekou I.
Hi Khari, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been a martial artist since I was a kid, competing in tournaments and taking classes at the YMCA. I was always fascinated by the majestic power, dignity of character, and remarkable strength of the Master Warriors. I wanted to be a ninja like most boys my age.
I continued my training despite the lure of the street life and other negative factors. Being a young rap artist, I was exposed to the dark side of the music game – drugs, violence, addiction, fast money, materialism, etc. Martial arts was a positive alternative to the negative environment.
After more than 30 years of training in various disciplines (Aikido, Ninjutsu, FuJuKa Boxing, Fannul Harb Jujitsu, Qigong, and others), I founded Warrior Garden, a family society of high-ranking martial artists offering classes in-person and online.
Current classes include:
Sekm Maa (“True Power”) Warrior Arts – a hybrid combat system of self-protection and personal development.
Warrior Fitness – a powerful conditioning program combined with urban combat training.
Silat Buka Lingkaran (Open Circle) – a beautiful, effective, and explosively dynamic form of Indonesian Pencak Silat.
Seishin Kenjutsu (“Spirit of the Sword”) – the moving meditation and combat arts of the Samurai & Ninja.
Group seminars, private lessons, class passes, and online lessons available. Memberships include access to the recorded library of over 50 hours of recorded training.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Martial arts itself is a difficult path, but I’ve had my share of additional challenges. I was at war with myself like we all are. I made many good decisions, but I also worked against my own best interest.
Growing up in the music game, I had some bad habits like being addicted to marijuana. It seemed like a cool thing to do when I was young, but it ultimately became a crutch. It got to the point that I felt like I needed to be high to do anything else. “Wake and bake” and stay “blitzed” all day. My mind was cloudy and unfocused. I felt anxious almost always, and I tried to smoke it away, which only made it worse.
I came up on Boulevard, aka 4th Ward, right in the heart of Downtown ATL. I was a young hustler selling phones, weed, clothes, cars, and whatnot. I still pursued my music career and had some successes – Trace Magazine, Source Magazine Unsigned Hype, I toured internationally, had a shoe deal with a skateboard company, and had several deals on the table. I chose not to put on the shiny suit, dress, or prison uniform, so my record deals didn’t materialize. Meanwhile, I saw my homies die and go to prison. I almost joined them, but by the grace of the Most High, I made it out.
In 2000, I was depressed, suicidal, and out of control. My mom took me to be hospitalized. I was drugged and held against my will. I was 51-50 and put on the heavy narcotics. Although it was very difficult, I made it through that dark period of my life and started over.
I got my real estate appraisers license and worked hard. I started investing and making real estate money. I made more money than I knew what to do with at that time. I was buying more houses, cars, and jewelry and taking expensive trips with beautiful women, but I continued to train when I could.
After the market crashed in 2007-2008, I lost several real estate properties and cars, my father left the body, my rib was broken in an accident, and I had two bar fights. I was drinking and smoking heavily, although I continued to train. I was really fighting myself, and I eventually went into another depression.
The depression medicine the doctors gave me made me gain weight. I was like 300 pounds. My body was twisted from the accident and fights, and I walked around in pain for 17 years. Therapy after therapy, treatment after treatment, I saw some results, but my body was still imbalanced. I stayed in the house, smoked all day, and felt sorry for myself. My longtime teacher, Sijo, kept calling me to get me back into my training. For that, I am grateful. He helped to pull me out of another dark place.
I got back into my training, eventually quit smoking and drinking for good, lost over 100 pounds, became a plant-based chef and nutritional counselor, got multiple black belts, started learning piano, recorded several albums, and made motivational projects. I vowed to make my life a success story instead of a tragedy.
In 2022, I started taking Silat Buka Lingkaran/SBL (Silat Open Circle), founded by Guro Alvin Guinanao, online. It’s an international organization that’s spreading rapidly across the world. The standard of excellence, fitness, and quality of training that they practice & teach has taken me to another level. My speed, mobility, strength, agility, and overall fitness have improved tremendously. I finally got a chance to train with SBL Italy & the US Instructors this year in Houston, TX. I just opened an SBL study group in ATL, June 2, 2024.
Last year, I started taking Open Hand Combat Jujutsu from Shihan Saheri N’Amen to get formal Jujutsu training. He teaches from a curriculum, and I’m currently going up the ranks. His system is straight to the point, highly explosive, and extremely effective self-defense.
I can honestly say that martial arts and meditation saved my life. They not only kept me out of trouble but gave me the discipline, willpower, and focus to rise above my challenges.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As I said above, martial arts and meditation saved my life. We share that knowledge and experience with our students and those who train with us. Rather than being a victim of circumstances or another statistic, we can make a real difference in people’s lives.
Our Mindset & Violence Prevention (MVP) program focuses on stopping violence before it starts by transforming the individual. The program is comprehensive and teaches physical & emotional wellness, situational awareness, violence prevention, how to handle violent encounters, and mindset transformation.
We teach de-escalation techniques to try to avoid violence if at all possible. Opening the door to violence is like opening Pandora’s Box. You can’t control the outcome, and someone will likely die, be hospitalized, and/or go to prison.
Sun Tzu’s The Art of War says, “The supreme Art of War is to subdue the enemy without fighting” and “only fight when the situation is critical.”
We know this to be true and teach this to our students and team. If you learn and master all the killing and combat arts but don’t understand these principles, you haven’t learned the essence of the teachings. Martial art is supposed to transform you into a Warrior Monk that heals the people.
This is what makes us different from other dojos.
What are your plans for the future?
We are working to deploy the Mindset & Violence Prevention (MVP) program nationwide, adding more classes to the schedule, as well as launching various digital training products. Sekm Maa Warrior Arts Combat Philosophy, “6 Levels of War,” “Functional Mobility,” “Warrior Healing,” and the Sekm Maa “Heru Drills” are being recorded and will be offered for sale soon.
Pricing:
- $25/drop-in class
- $80/4 class pass
- $100 Silat Open Circle AIP Study Group Membership
- $175 Sekm Maa Warrior Arts/Warrior Fitness Membership
- $225/All Access Pass
Contact Info:
- Website: https://warriorgarden.net/train
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/warriorgardencombat
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/warriorgardencombat
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/warriorgardencombat
- Other: https://warriorgarden.com/levels
