As a follow-up to the KIA article Kylee Perez — Warrior With Glove & Grace, the Pac-12 Network has created a terrific YouTube video recognizing the UCLA senior softball standout and her battle with Type 1 Diabetes. Kylee’s story is an inspiration for all people afflicted with T1D.

Thanks, Kylee! You’re a great inspiration and role model! And thank you Pac-12 Network for your wonderful video tribute.

When we think of self-defense, it is fair to say that the most common perception is of an assailant attacking us as we defend ourselves with our martial arts skills. Such a scenario comes within the milieu of external self-defense.

However, how often do we consider defending ourselves from ourselves? Answer: not often, if ever. Yet, defending ourselves from our own selves via bad judgement and foolish behaviors can, arguably, be the most critical application of self-defense. Learning to protect ourselves from ourselves fits into the category of internal self-defense or defending ourselves from the “inside out” rather than the “outside in.”

There are warriors, and then there are warriors with a glove. There are athletes, and then there are athletes with grace. Kylee Perez, star second baseman and undisputed Senior leader of the historically vaunted UCLA Bruins Women’s Softball team, is both a warrior with a glove and an athlete with grace. For Kylee Perez, glove and grace go hand in hand.

In unadulterated sports speak, Kylee Nicole Perez is an absolute stud. Her high school and collegiate careers are a cornucopia of leadership, championship success and achievement—scholastic and athletic. Not only did she earn Scholar Athlete awards all four years at Alhambra High School in Martinez, California, she lettered in both baseball and basketball, was Most Valuable Player for three straight seasons, helped her team to four Diablo Foothill Athletic League titles and ended her high school career with a gaudy .590 hitting percentage, 42 homers, 139 RBI and 71 steals. Pretty average, right? Wrong! Way wrong!

General George Patton was one of the most iconic military leaders in history. And what do “White Tie and Tails” have to do with this vaunted martial leader?

I always believe in being prepared, even when I’m dressed in white tie and tails.

In other words, “No matter where I am or how I’m dressed, I’m always prepared to fight.”

From a personal standpoint, are we prepared to such a level? When we go to a movie, are we prepared to confront an assailant? When we’re driving on the road, shopping in the mall, going to our kids athletic event, visiting a loved one in the hospital, getting groceries at the corner store or a cup of coffee at the neighborhood coffee vendor, enjoying the fun at an amusement park, are we constantly alert to the potential of trouble in some capacity? Yes? No?

During its highly successful competitive era, Kiado-Ryu Martial Arts and the Karate Institute of America utilized the following mantra for motivation. It certainly worked. The KIA was so successful that a mother, whose children studied in another karate system, stopped Ken “Ramjet” Rogers (now Anderson) as he walked through the tournament crowd. She said, quite frankly, “You’re going to win.” Ramjet asked why. She retorted, “Because people with that patch always win!”

One doesn’t normally think of Buddha in a martial arts manner. Yet, his following quote harmonizes perfectly with the heart of martial arts philosophy, which is ultimately not about beating up other people but conquering oneself.