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Don Bowen

@dbowen72

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Retired USArmy Green Beret, BJJ & Judo Black belt,former SF COMBATIVES instructor,SAG-AFTRA,HistoryChannel show THE SELECTION cadre, familyman 🇺🇸🇵🇦

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Not all healing happens in silence. After someone, a person who has my heart, faced a tough, traumatic moment, I did what I know best as a father—we hit the mitts, and let it out. Whether it’s boxing, jiu-jitsu, or even a simple walk, we must move forward together. Trauma can weigh us down, but action—shared with someone we trust—can help lift us up. If you’re struggling, don’t bottle it up. Find a healthy outlet—train, run, kayak, or simply talk. We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can choose how we fight through it—together.As Isaiah 40:31 says, ‘But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.’ And as Philippians 4:13 reminds us, ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’As Seneca once said, ‘We suffer more in imagination than in reality.’ Let’s act, heal, and rise—one step at a time.——#igy6 #suicideprevention #healing #veteransuicideawareness #father by @dbowen72

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2 months ago

@mariana.i.bowen , let’s continue to trust God’s promises! (Proverbs 3:5-6). “Hope” and “want” is our heart’s desire (Jeremiah 17:9), but only through consistent hard work we will persevere. Let’s continue to be results driven, and not be driven by trying to find excuses. Excuses only promote stagnation, and leads to a life of ruin (Proverbs 18:9). Let’s goooooo!!!! Psalm 144:1Proverbs 3:5-6Philippians 4:12-13Colossians 2:8--#usawrestling #girlswrestling #usajudo #ibjjf #judogirls by @dbowen72

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7 months ago

Incredible run at the 2026 Fargo Nationals! 🇺🇸🤼 Mariana went 4-0 with pins over CA, NY (returning champ), NJ, and KS before battling the #1 seed and falling just short in the blood round. No podium—but true victory is courage, grit, and stepping into the arena.So proud of her heart, discipline, and humility. Thank you to our coaches, teammates, and supporters—especially Coach Nikolao, Coach Shires, Lexi Dean, and a special thank you to my brother Dionisio for traveling out to support Mariana. We are truly blessed.“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you.” — Joshua 1:9“The credit belongs to the one in the arena…” — Theodore RooseveltMariana, you showed what it means to fight. I love you! The best is ahead. ❤️ by @dbowen72

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8 days ago

This week, our daughter Mariana Bowen steps onto the mat at the 2026 Fargo Wrestling National Championships, representing not only herself and our family, but also Team Tennessee, her coaches, teammates, and everyone who has poured into her journey.The countless hours on the mat…The early mornings…The difficult practices…The sacrifices…The victories and lessons learned through adversity…They have all led to this moment.We ask our family, friends, teammates, and community to join us in lifting Mariana up in your thoughts and prayers as she competes 16–18 July.🙏 Pray for:* Strength, health, and protection throughout the tournament.* Confidence, composure, and clarity in every position and every exchange.* Success and favor in each of her matches.* Wisdom and discernment for her coaches as they corner her and provide the right advice and coaching commands at the right moments.* Sharp eyes and quick decisions when challenging calls, and that truth and fairness prevail in every situation.* The ability for Mariana to compete freely, aggressively, and with joy, trusting in all the work she has already put in.Most importantly, we pray that regardless of the outcome, she competes in a manner that honors God, her family, her coaches, and herself.We are incredibly thankful for everyone who has supported Mariana throughout the years. Your encouragement, prayers, messages, training rounds, travel support, and belief in her mean more than words can express.Our family is truly blessed by those who stand beside us and walk this journey with us.Thank you for being part of Team Mariana.🇺🇸 Let’s rally behind her and cheer loudly from wherever we are!Bring home the memories. Bring home the lessons. And if God wills it, bring home the hardware.⸻📖 Scripture“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”— Proverbs 16:3⸻🏛️ Stoic/Wisdom Quote“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”— SenecaFargo is the opportunity. The years of preparation have already been done.———#USAWrestling #TeamTN #TeamMarianaBowen #Fargo2026 #TSSAAChamp x4 by @dbowen72

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10 days ago

Making Champions 🏆 #jiujitsu #mma #fyp #kids #clarksvilletn by @dbowen72

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10 days ago

1% Better Everyday ⚡️ #jiujitsu #EveryDayVictories#clarksvilletn #zenith by @dbowen72

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11 days ago

There are few blessings in life greater than sharing the mats with your son and your grandson.To train, sweat, learn, struggle, and roll together in Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu across three generations is something I never take for granted. Every round, every lesson, every challenge on the mat becomes another opportunity to build something far bigger than medals, belts, or trophies.I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity, the health, and the God-given ability to pass along not only skills and techniques, but values, discipline, resilience, humility, and character.The mission has never simply been to produce better athletes or better fighters. The mission is to help forge future leaders, protectors, and warriors — men who possess the confidence to walk away from unnecessary conflict, the courage to stand firm when duty calls, and the wisdom to lead others with integrity and compassion.As a father and grandfather, there is something special about watching a legacy continue through the next generation. The techniques matter, but the conversations between rounds, the lessons learned through adversity, and the example set through consistent effort matter even more.Above all else, the goal is to raise Men of God — men who understand that strength and humility belong together, that service is greater than status, and that true power is found in faith, character, and self-control.The mats are more than a place to train. They are a classroom for life and a forge for future generations.“One generation shall commend Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts.” — Psalm 145:4Feeling incredibly blessed for the opportunity, the health, and the responsibility to help shape the next generation of leaders, warriors, and Men of God.Legacy isn’t what we leave behind someday. Legacy is what we build today.Marcus Aurelius once said “Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one”#fathers #sons #grandfather #bjj #judo by @dbowen72

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12 days ago

From One Warrior to Another… 🙏🏾💪🏾🇺🇸⚔️There are battles that the world sees… and then there are battles fought silently within the mind, heart, and soul.Too many warriors — our brothers and sisters in arms, first responders, fathers, mothers, leaders, and everyday people — are fighting battles in silence. Battles against depression, loneliness, trauma, hopelessness, and the crushing weight of believing they have to carry it all alone.But hear this clearly:You are NOT weak for struggling.You are NOT alone in the fight.And sometimes… simply waking up, standing up, and choosing to keep moving forward another day is the greatest act of courage.As the Stoic philosopher Seneca once said:“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”There is strength in asking for help.There is strength in checking on your people.There is strength in saying: “Brother… Sister… I’m not okay.”To every warrior reading this:Check on your brothers.Check on your sisters.Send the text. Make the phone call. Invite them over. Sit with them. Listen to them.Pride has buried too many good people.And remember this promise from Scripture:“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”— Joshua 1:9You have survived battles before.You were built for endurance.Your story is not over.Stay in the fight.Because the world is better with you in it.“The strongest warriors are not the ones who never struggle… but the ones who refuse to quit.”#SuicidePrevention#SuicideAwareness#StayInTheFight#MentalHealthMatters#MementoMori by @dbowen72

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a month ago

Memorial Day is more than a long weekend.It is a sacred reminder that freedom has never been free.Today we honor the men and women who laid down their lives for this nation — warriors, protectors, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters who answered the call of duty with courage and sacrifice.Some gave years.Some gave blood.Some gave everything.May we never become so comfortable in our freedom that we forget the price that was paid for it.Today, we remember the fallen.We honor their sacrifice.We carry their legacy forward through the way we live, lead, love, and serve others.To all Gold Star families and those carrying invisible wounds from loss — we stand with you today.“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” — Matthew 5:9And may we always remember:“The brave die never, though they sleep in dust:Their courage nerves a thousand living men.” — Minot J. Savage#MemorialDay #HonorTheFallen #NeverForgotten #FreedomIsNotFree #GoldStarFamilies by @dbowen72

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2 months ago

What a beautiful memory!?!With the family, and my brother-in-Christ, as well as my brother-in-arms (fellow Green Beret🇺🇸), Mike Lee! God has blessed me with placing Mike in my life at a time when I was navigating how to be a dad & a husband, by focusing on Jesus! Thank God for those people who were put in my path, and my family’s path, that helped me be a better man, a better warrior, and a better witness for Jesus. But don’t look too hard at me & my life, I am still very far from perfect. You have my permission to talk to any of my kids (obviously they’re all adults now), but ask them about how it was like for me being their father & coach. I only wanted the best for them, and I demanded discipline in their early life (Proverbs 22:6) because I wanted them to understand that doing the hard things early in life (discipline) will set them up for greater success in life. And I always reminded them that I am blessed to be their earthly father, but definitely take all instructions from their Heavenly Father, through His son Jesus Christ! ✝️John 14:6 says “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” #blessed #family #mentor #greenberet #JesusChrist by @dbowen72

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5 months ago

After years of “almost” linking up across countries and in the U.S.… we finally made it happen.Sat down with my brother Scott last night — miles apart never broke the bond.Great food.Great conversation.Great atmosphere.Even greater brotherhood.Some friendships are forged, not formed.Grateful.#brotherhood #greenberets by @dbowen72

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5 months ago

Lord, I pray that our troops will dwell in the shelter of the Most High and rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I declare that You, Lord, are their refuge and their fortress, my God in whom they trust.Rescue them, Lord, from every trap and protect them from deadly diseases. Cover them with Your feathers; let Your faithful promises be their armor and shield. Let them not fear the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day. Even if a thousand fall at their side and ten thousand at their right hand, I pray that no evil will touch them.Command Your angels to protect them wherever they go, guarding them in all their ways. Keep them safe in the midst of conflict, and satisfy them with long life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen." by @dbowen72

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