About the Founder

Hey there,

My name is Joelle Nañawa. I am a certified personal trainer, mindfulness educator, martial arts practitioner, and founder of Warrior Healing Arts—an online and in-person platform where martial arts, inclusive fitness, and intentional practices come together to cultivate strength, balance, and wisdom.

I’ve spent my life navigating extremes—struggling with self-worth, painfully low energy, body image issues, neurodivergence, and complex inner contradictions—while searching for balance. It was in experiencing these polarities that I learned to reconcile seemingly disparate parts of myself and cultivate inner power. Through observation, mindful movement, mentorship, ritual, and making space for nuance, I discovered the profound impact of respecting my body’s wisdom and nurturing life force energy.

I’ve moved through many worlds—wellness elitist and fitness spaces, spiritual circles, secular study halls, and martial arts family trees. I’ve had some remarkable mentors, as well as trainers who, though well-intentioned, pushed me further out of balance, and into dysregulation, inflammation, and self-doubt. I’ve joined multiple communities, some that uplifted me and others that took from me, and I’ve learned to recognize charisma and influence that exploits rather than empowers. I’ve sought spaces that honor every body, respect science while leaving room for magic, teach people to heal themselves and support their communities, and offer structure without hierarchy. When I couldn’t find them, I made my own.

Through Warrior Healing Arts, I help people reconnect with their body’s wisdom, honor their rhythms, and cultivate vital energy. I combine martial arts, trauma-informed movement, ritual, and storytelling with evidence-based tools to foster inner harmony and empowered action. I love guiding people to visualize and embody their inner warrior archetype and watching them unlock courage, audacity, and the ability to live boldly and in alignment with their true nature.

If you’ve ever felt like an underdog, questioned the rules while craving structure, or longed for a space that honors your complexity while cultivating clarity, welcome. You belong here.

Training Lineage and Specializations

My path is rooted in diverse lineages and disciplines that continue to shape my work. I honor my teachers, communities, and the places where I’ve trained, knowing that Warrior Healing Arts is part of a much larger living tradition.

Foundational Training

• 2012–2013 — Arnis and Wing Chun
  Teacher: Roberto Gell

• 2013–2014 — Capoeira
  Group: Grupo Capoeira Brasil
  Teacher: Professora Pavão

• 2015–2023 — Shaolin Chang Quan Kung Fu, T’ai Chi Chuan, Xin Yi, Bagua
  Influences: Pencak Silat and Arnis
  School: Shaolin Martial Arts Center
  Teacher: Mark Wright
  Rank: Black Belt

Ongoing Training

• 2021–Present — Karaho Kempo
  Teacher: Ka’imipono Kuoha
  Rank: Blue Belt