We recently had the chance to connect with Jacob Brinnand and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jacob , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: When was the last time you felt true joy?
Joy, for me, is something I witness every day in my students — especially in the children. They remind me of something essential: that inside each of us is a great and natural goodness. Children have a natural disposition to laugh, to smile, to share without greed or selfishness. They live completely in the moment, and that’s a powerful lesson.
Our true nature is also like that — a state of freedom, laughter, and simple goodness. When we act against it, we can feel it deep in our bones. That’s why it’s so important to live in harmony with our nature, before the world teaches us to chase money, power, or fame.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Sifu Jacob Brinnand, and I’m the founder of Iron Wire Martial Arts and the Traditional Martial Arts Federation. I’m a full-time martial arts instructor dedicated to helping both children and adults cultivate strength, confidence, and clarity through the practice of self-defense and personal growth.
I currently teach out of Premier Martial Arts in Houston, Texas, where we go beyond physical training — our mission is to shape character, discipline, and resilience. Every class is an opportunity to help students grow not only in skill but in spirit. What makes our school unique is our belief that martial arts is more than a sport; it’s a lifelong path of self-discovery, harmony, and balance.
Right now, I’m focused on expanding our programs to reach more families within the community — creating a space where people can reconnect with their true nature through movement, mindfulness, and perseverance.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
This question connects beautifully to the one about joy. Naturally, children are joyous — they carry a purity and innocence untouched by the memories of pain or the pull of desire. There’s a lightness, an inherent goodness in them. This is who we all are before the world teaches us how to act, how to be hurt, or what to chase.
As for me, I was an athletic kid who played sports, laughed with friends, and spent hours in the cul-de-sac with my brothers. We all experienced that freedom of childhood — that unburdened joy. That same essence still exists within us today, if we are willing to shed the layers that hide us from our true nature.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
These are such beautiful questions today — thank you. I speak to my inner child every day. I listen to my emotional self without judgment or condemnation, offering it love, care, and encouragement.
I practice the same with the children I teach, many aged 3–12. The message is the same for them and for me: Do not shy away from what is difficult. What is difficult becomes easy when faced with courage, and what seems easy can become difficult if ignored. Protect your place of joy — the part of you that knows right from wrong.
You are already whole. You are kind, good-natured, and perfect just as you are. There is nothing to fix, nothing to earn, nothing to prove. You are incredible simply for being you. Let your strengths, your light, and your goodness shine fully into this world. Be brave. You already have the power to make the world better — simply by being here, you have made it better. I believe in you with all my heart. I know you will not only surpass me, but I would stake everything I have that you will grow to be radiant, strong, and wise.
Never let anyone define who you are or dim your light. Be courageous. Trust yourself. Within your heart lies all the strength, guidance, and love you will ever need. Protect it. Honor it. Let it guide you to greatness.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Where are smart people getting it totally wrong today?
Are we smart people getting it wrong today? You can be intelligent — you can even have a PhD. In fact, I know many doctors and professionals who are intellectually brilliant, yet say one thing to them, and they either fly off the handle or emotionally collapse when faced with real struggle.
Being smart in the mind often means having a good memory — memorizing other people’s knowledge. But most of what we carry isn’t truly ours. We’ve become filled with other people’s information; we’ve become secondhand thinkers.
What about you? What is your own experience? What is actually happening within you? We don’t always need to look outside ourselves for answers. The deepest truths must always be discovered from within.
Learn to trust your own experiential wisdom. Look within and ask yourself: Is this true? Really question it. Become a thinking human being, not someone who simply memorizes, copies, or recites information. Be confident in your own truths.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. When do you feel most at peace?
Is peace something we create? Is it a product of thinking? Can more thinking ever bring peace? And if not, then where does this rest come from?
We are naturally at peace — in sleep, in waking, in rest, and when we act in alignment with our heart. It is not thinking, wanting, or ignoring that brings peace; those only give rise to desires and dissatisfaction.
Peace is the shedding of what no longer serves us. Peace is what remains when illusions fall away. It is not manufactured in the mind; it is revealed when we stop resisting ourselves.
When we are at rest, we see clearly and can distinguish right from wrong. When we are angry or distracted, illusions cloud the mind.
The question is: are you willing to be at peace — to truly recognize freedom as your own and see it reflected in your life? And by realizing this, are you ready to let go of what no longer serves you?
Learn to recognize quiet as something precious. You don’t need constant stimulation. Notice how still nature can be. Enjoy a quiet morning. Take time for yourself in simplicity. Even in a busy subway, your heart can remain at ease.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://IronWireMartialArts.com
- Instagram: @ironwiremartialarts
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-brinnand-4b1a861b2/
- Twitter: @IWMAofficial
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/ironwiremartialarts
- Youtube: https://Youtube.com/ironwiremartialarts
Image Credits
Photos Sifu Jacob Brinnand with Iron Wire Martial Arts
