We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Grant Clyman. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Grant below.

Grant, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I remember sitting with my wife in our living room, me with my notebook, her with her laptop, and both of us brainstorming ideas and logos. I wanted a name that meant something, a name that represented what our martial arts school was about. It wasn’t easy. Some things sounded too cheesy, others too ostentatious. At the time we were workshopping the name, both of us were immersed in yoga training, along with martial arts and tai chi, and we really liked the sound of sanskrit. I was talking about learning to see through the tai chi lens, both philosophically and physically, as the real heart of what our school was about. Then, she suggested Darsana, a sanskrit word translating most directly as vision. At first I rejected it, thinking it fell into the category of being too ostentatious, but when I read that darsana can also mean seeing the causes of spiritual bondage and the path to unbinding, as well as implying a philosophical perspective, I knew it was the right name for our school. Our logo is a tai chi symbol making up the iris and pupil. Taken together with the name Darsana Martial Arts, it is meant to represent that our perspective, philosophically, physically, and martially is seen through the tai chi principle, that is, the principle of harmony of opposites as a means of returning to center.

Grant, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In the broadest sense, we are a Tai Chi school. What that means is everything we do is guided by the Tai Chi principle – the harmonization of seemingly opposing forces into complementary pairs. When we apply that principle, we come to experience another Taoist concept, Wei Wu Wei, which means doing without doing. Practically speaking, that manifests as learning to flow with and utilize whatever circumstances throw at us, rather than fight against them. In our movement and in fighting, we blend with the forces that are brought against us. In our minds and in our lives, we learn to find the balance between aggression and passivity, engaging challenges with calm, patience, and clarity. That’s our focus at Darsana Martial Arts.

I’m very proud of the growth Darsana Martial Arts has seen. I refer to our members as the Darsana Family, and that’s what it really feels like. There is a connection that develops when you are helping people find balance, confidence, and perspective; and there is something uniquely powerful about a process of training that combines physical movement, philosophical ideas, and deep, internal awareness the way Tai Chi does. That’s what I love about what I do. It’s more than exercise or self-defense. There is a deeper learning going on. My students and I explore our own natures, learn to center ourselves, and navigate life with greater balance and grace. It’s honestly a spiritual journey. It’s also really rewarding to work with children, watch them become empowered by the self-defense training, and grow as individuals who are realizing their potential to become more through consistency and effort.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

When I started teaching, I thought that if I could just explain things clearly enough, demonstrate them well enough, and break them down in accessible ways, that I could rocket my students down the fast track of learning and development. In other words, I believed that their progress was not only my responsibility, but in my power to propel. It took me a long time to realize that no matter what you do, people must learn and progress in their own way and time. I realized, that while it is important to regularly reexamine my methods and approach, no degree of adjustment on my end will ensure each student learns at the same rate or reaches the same level. I learned to be like a well, as clear and thirst quenching as possible, and let students draw from me as deeply and as often as they wish.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Contact Info:

• Website: https://darsanamartialarts.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darsanamartialarts/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DarsanaMartialArts
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DarsanaMartialArts
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/darsana-martial-arts-tamarac