#22 Fatherhood Field Notes: Introducing Physicality and Self-defense

In this episode, Sam and Cole dive into why physicality and self-defense are crucial components of raising confident, capable kids in 2025. Fresh off their own travels (Cole from three weeks filming a TV show in Texas, Sam from quick trip to the Netherlands), they discuss how maintaining physical readiness impacts everything from mental health to parenting effectiveness.

Key Topics Covered:

• Starting Early: How to introduce physicality to young children through nature exploration, wrestling with dad, and letting kids navigate physical challenges without overreacting to every bump and scrape
• Building Confidence: Why physical skills like jiujitsu or weightlifting create undeniable self-confidence that can't be taken away—unlike achievements that depend on others' approval
• The Jiujitsu Journey: Why both hosts enrolled all their kids in jiujitsu and the life lessons it teaches about winning, losing, discipline, and reality testing
• Self-Defense Reality: The uncomfortable but necessary conversation about being prepared to protect your family in an unpredictable world
• Avoiding Overcorrection: How to support kids emotionally while not coddling them physically—knowing when to step in and when to let them self-regulate
• Leading by Example: Why dads need to maintain their own physicality and what message it sends when you let yourself go

Practical Takeaways:

• Get kids outside in nature early and often (Move Naturally philosophy)
• Make wrestling with dad a regular occurrence
• Don't over-react to minor physical injuries—let kids self-assess
• Consider martial arts training (especially jiujitsu) for pressure-tested skills
• Model physical readiness yourself as a father

Whether you grew up physically active or not, this episode challenges you to think about what you're passing on to your kids and how physicality builds the kind of confidence that translates into every area of life.