LISA MARIA POTTHOFF

What martial arts teaches me about life

Renowned actress Lisa Maria Potthoff started martial arts late in life. She was in her late 30s and actually only wanted to do the stunts for a movie role herself. But the initial sport quickly became more than just a physical challenge and she discovered her love for martial arts. In her book, she talks openly, humorously and philosophically about how martial arts changed her life and taught her fundamental virtues such as discipline, patience and humility. She shows that it is never too late to learn something new, even if it takes courage to embrace the unknown. With great honesty, Potthoff describes the parallels between acting and fighting: both require full commitment of body and mind. An inspiring book about the courage to overcome hurdles and the power of constant learning - in life, in sport and on stage.

"I like the saying: Do, fail, fail better, do again. And if you don't fail, you haven't even tried. Thinking like that helps me to question this eternal demand for perfection. To invite the courage to fail into life and to see this failure as part of the learning process. That's what martial arts has taught me. Or rather, I haven't finally learned it yet, but I know that I'm on my way and that this process is never finished. I know that I have at least understood this task that life actually sets us. You are never finished. You are never finished. Everything is a process. That's life."

About the author:

Born in Berlin, Lisa Maria Potthoff grew up near Munich and therefore describes herself as Bavarian with a migration background. At school, she was always denied honorary certificates in the national youth games due to a lack of motivation, but she was very happy to come 8th in the downhill race at the Neubiberger ski school in 1986. Lisa does all the stunts in her films herself, whether she is stalking through Lower Bavaria as Susi in the successful literary adaptation of the Eberhofer series or shooting her fight scenes as Sarah Kohr, usually without a double. She has received two stunt awards for this, which now stand on her piano and weigh down her daughter's loose collection of sheet music.

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