Today we’d like to introduce you to Carnation Contreras.
Hi Carnation, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been training martial arts since I was 3. I competed in taekwondo tournaments all the way up to the junior Olympics. When I got older I trained different styles. I hold a second degree black belt in taekwondo, a second degree black belt in Shurin ryu karate do, a third degree black belt in Krav Maga and a tenth degree black belt as a grand master for creating The Way of the New Element. I’ve competed in boxing and mma fights as well. I can remember dreaming about opening Nation’s Lab since I was 15. I taught at gyms all over Los Angeles and even owned a taekwondo school when I was in middle school. I took opportunities to open up nations lab several times… they not always working out even at points leaving me homeless sleeping in my car. Today Nation’s Lab is pillar of our community and I enjoy mentoring my students using martial arts as a tool to develop human potential.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I explained some of this in the previous post, but I’ll add some more detail. Outside of sleeping in my own car I also lived in someone else’s gym. I had falling outs with my mentors making hard at times to level up in the systems. Heavy strains on my relationship with my ex fiance that ended up with a break up after close to a decade. Money issues
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I teach martial arts from a mentorship perspective. From all the martial arts I’ve practiced I created my own, with the purpose of self-discovery. As I teach my students the art I mirror to them their higher self and slowly they start discovering new perspectives as they gain the tools to take on life
How do you define success?
By creating something no one else can
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nations-lab.gymdesk.com/
- Instagram: Nationslab
- Facebook: Nationslab
- Yelp: https://yelp.to/cNz4Dhx8ON
