The True Freedom Foundation (TFF) began operations in January of 2008 with minimal funding and resources. Although our initial focus was on sharing practical tools for personal transformation with people confined to prisons, our signature program has become a program for youth called The Ultimate Warrior Program. Below you will find descriptions of our programs. PRISON PROGRAM BOOKS The TFF began its work with the True Happiness and Freedom for Incarcerated Individuals program. Via this program, we work to help incarcerated individuals turn their prison into a training center for deep, personal transformation. We send free copies of books that offer mindfulness-based tools to people inside the walls. The books offer people concrete tools for managing difficult emotions, controlling impulsive behavior, and realizing that an ethical, drug-free lifestyle is absolutely essential for realizing true happiness. We also correspond with a number of incarcerated individuals in order to offer them one-on-one guidance in the practice of Intentional Living.
YOUTH PROGRAMS
THE TRUE HAPPINESS AND FREEDOM PROGRAM
In our efforts to keep young people from turning toward a life of crime and drugs, this was the first program we offered for youth. The program was first offered at the PACE Center for Girls, where it ran for nine months. With this program, we aimed to give young people, especially underprivileged youth, practical, concrete tools for realizing deep peace and satisfaction in life, and help them to have the personal insight that drugs and crime will only lead to suffering for them. This program has now merged into part of the more popular Ultimate Warrior Program.
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR PROGRAM
The Ultimate Warrior program utilizes the world's most effective system of self defense, the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), to encourage youth to participate in constructive, after-school programs already offered in the community. By learning and practicing BJJ, participants have a constructive outlet for aggression and excess energy, learn to successfully defend themselves, and gain increased self-confidence and physical fitness.
Gradually, participants learn that the Ultimate Warrior is not the one who has mastered the martial arts, but the one who has mastered her or his own mind. Participants are offered simple, highly-effective tools for learning to be more self-aware, to be free from the control of conditioned thoughts and emotions, and to develop a high degree of self control and personal freedom.
The Ultimate Warrior Program has run as a pilot for the last year at the Reichert House in Gainesville, FL. It is currently being offered as part of the City of Gainesville/Gainesville Police Department Summer Heat Wave Program. The program is scheduled to run again at Reichert House for the 2010-2011 school year. The program is also scheduled to run at Lincoln Middle School for the 2010-2011 school year as part of the Title I, 21st Century Learning Centers programming.
PROGRAMS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC
THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR PROGRAM FOR WOMEN
In the fall of 2010, we plan to offer the Ultimate Warrior Program for Women as a free course at the Martin Luther King Center in Gainesville, FL.
The goal of the Ultimate Warrior Program for Women is to empower women, helping them to realize that they too can become an Ultimate Warrior. Particpants are taught techniques from the world's most effective system of self defense, the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), and quickly gain the self confidence of knowing that they can successfully defend themselves against larger, stronger opponents.
Participants are also offered simple, practical tools for becoming an Ultimate Warrior: someone who has mastered her own mind, who has transcended fear and stress and realized a high level of personal freedom.
TALKS
We also offer free public talks on personal freedom to anyone who requests one. If you would like to schedule a presentation on the art of true happiness and freedom, please visit the Contact Us page.
TALKS
In the future, we hope to be able to provide presentations to prison populations. In these presentations, we would hope to inspire incarcerated individuals to take advantage of their time in confinement as an opportunity to realize freedom from the behaviors and mental constructs that keep us bound to suffering.
