A long way from the block
Stories of how passion and craft take us to different corners of the world.@alongwayfromtheblock@dialoguesofjazz
A long way from the block
Ep. 108-Activate my blessings—my conversation with Professor Zahalea Anderson
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Anthony Thomas
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Season 1
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Episode 108
Professor Zahalea Anderson is a second-generation student of Sanuces Ryu JuJitsu System and founder of RA Life Defense. We recently met at her makeshift outdoor studio, at Bluff Park in Long Beach, to discuss her upbringing and martial arts journey. Anderson learned from her father, Grand Master Urban Muhammad, who was a first-generation student of the legendary Dr. Moses Powell. She talks about the importance she places on incorporating African history and culture in her teaching. She discusses losing her dojo during the George Floyd uprising, and the loss of her husband. Her life experiences are central to her work; we discuss that, and how she fosters mutual respect with her students.