To find out where and when the ManKind Project is holding New Warrior Training Adventures, see our complete online calendar by CLICKING HERE.
The New Warrior Training Adventure is a singular type of life affirming event, honoring the best in what men have to offer the planet. We are only able to recognize the powerful brilliance of men because we are willing to look at, and take full responsibility for, the pain we are also capable of creating … and suffering. This is the paradox of modern masculinity, and it is a lesson we are dedicated to learning and teaching.
The New Warrior Training Adventure is a modern male initiation and self-examination. We believe that this is crucial to the development of a healthy and mature male self, no matter how old a man is. It is the “hero’s journey” of classical literature and myth that has nearly disappeared in modern culture. We ask men to stop living vicariously through movies, television, addictions and distractions and step up into their own adventure – in real time and surrounded by other men.
“The only devils in the world are those running around in our own hearts. That is where the battle must be fought.” — Mahatma Ghandi
- Who, What and Where?
- Who Runs the Training?
- How Do I Register?
- How Much Does the Training Cost?
- Who Comes to the Training?
- Am I Ready?
- What Happens After the Training?
- Does this work make a real difference?
- Is the New Warrior Training Adventure for Every Man?
- What Will I Get Out of This?
If you don’t see what you are looking for here, try the FAQ’s.
The basics: You will join a group of between 15 and 40 other men at a camp or retreat facility somewhere in one of our geographical centers. We recommend that men drive no more than 3 hours to the training site. You will be asked to car-pool, in line with a commitment to ecological consciousness and as a way of beginning to create connections and camaraderie with the other men attending the training.
From Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon, (with meals, breaks and time for sleep) you will be asked to join in a series of processes and activities – all designed with one goal in mind – to help every man at the training step into his own unique sense of himself as a man among men. Some of the activities are individual, many are group processes. There are physical activities, writing, visualizations. It will be one of the most action packed weekends of your life.
You will be guided on this journey by a group of 25 to 50 staff men. Some of these men will be staffing for the first time, others will have had decades of experience and advanced training. Each staff man will play a role in creating the weekend experience.
On Sunday afternoon, after celebrating your success, you will return home. It is a good idea to have a quiet evening planned. Some men choose to take Monday off in order to digest their experience and catch up on sleep. It will be up to you what you do with what you have learned about yourself and other men. For many men, Monday’s sunrise is the beginning of a life with a renewed sense of vitality and purpose.
The ManKind Project, an international not-for-profit organization, has assembled a highly-motivated, experienced staff to lead the training programs. Most staff members are volunteers, and because all have experienced the initiation process themselves, they have a compelling sense of male initiation and authentic self-examination.
The Leader team on your training will have years of experience working with men in transformational settings. Leaders in the ManKind Project have chosen to live a life of fierce and rigorous self examination. They have been judged repeatedly by their peers, and by the ManKind Project, and certified to lead the New Warrior Training, a serious responsibility. Their commitment is to the safety and success of each man on a training weekend.
In the final analysis, however, you run your own training through the responses and decisions you make along your journey. The staff serve as your guides and mentors, but you choose your own level of commitment, and you decide how far you will explore the inner terrain of your life, to discover the treasures, and obstacles buried within your self.
Only you can decide if you are ready to participate in the New Warrior Training Adventure. There is likely a training happening near you soon in one of our 39 geographical centers. See our International Communities Page[on the ManKind Project International web site] for more information on where our trainings are held. Click Here to register. There is a simple process for registering that includes a detailed questionnaire. Some communities also conduct telephone or face to face interviews. Not every man is ready for the NWTA, but most men are. Face the fear. Take the risk.
How Much Does the Training Cost?
Tuition for the New Warrior Training Adventure varies from community to community depending on the local costs for site rental and the cost of living. In the Memphis Community, the cost of the training is $700. There is often scholarship money available. Please contact the community contact to learn more.
During your training you will stand shoulder to shoulder with an immensely rich mix of masculinity, with occupations and ages as wide as masculinity itself. Whether they’re corporate executives or high school students, all come to share a common understanding that their lives as men can be empowered with greater focus and direction, and that this personal initiation into manhood is crucial to their full development as men.
Some men come to heal. Some men come to find role models for positive and mature masculinity. Some men come to explore their Leadership abilities and expand their skills. Some men come to make a conscious transition for adolescent life to the life of a man. Some men come to find peace of mind in their transition to elder-hood. All men come because a small voice within them lets them know when it’s time.
“Some people sleep until morning. Others know they have to bring the morning.” — Shlomo Carlbach
We do not recommend this training for every man. We urge you not to apply to this program without serious forethought, and not to enroll simply at the urging of a spouse or friend.
To participate in this training, you must be in reasonably good physical condition, and willing to face the prospect of transformative change in your life. You must be highly committed to your life, and ready to participate fully in all training activities, many of which encourage you to take a hard look at yourself, your deepest fears, your wounds from the past, and and how you are willing to learn what you can do to take control of and improve your life. We choose to work only with men who are ready, and willing to do this initiatory work with us.
What Happens After the Training?
No weekend workshop is a fix-all. We do not expect the NWTA to “cure” you or “fix” your life. What we do expect is that a crack will be opened in the shield that you have covered yourself with, maybe the shield will break apart completely. The awakening that results from the NWTA can be very powerful … but the ongoing growth in self-awareness and empowerment that can come about by participating in ongoing men’s groups, called Integration Groups, is the most compelling reason that many of us took the NWTA to begin with. After the NWTA you will be invited to participate in an I-Group.
You will also be invited to join the Global Community of men that is the ManKind Project. Within MKP you can participate in advanced leadership and skill trainings, learn facilitation skills, and participate as staff at any of our trainings. You will also find a wider community of men, women, families and organizations dedicated to making the world a better, safer, more alive place through missions of service.
Does this work make a real difference?
Like a stone dropping into a pond, the New Warrior Training Adventure [NWTA] sends ripples through the lives of men, their families, and their communities. The growth and healing that men experience doesn’t stop with them. New Warrior men and Centers are involved in mentoring disaffected youth, working with gangs and incarcerated young men, building shelters for the homeless, creating programs for Vietnam-era veterans, and other causes that cry out for healthy masculine presence.
No. This training is not intended for men with active mental health issues that might lead to self harming or violent behaviors. Please seek professional mental health counseling. If you have been involved in ongoing treatment, talk to your provider about whether an intense men’s weekend could be valuable to you. Involvement with the ManKind Project is often recognized to have positive effects for men in recovery from chemical addictions or a history of addictive behavior. Talk to your sponsor. If you are actively using, we do not recommend the New Warrior Training Adventure.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate; our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” — Marianne Williamson
We don’t know exactly what you will walk away with. Your experience will be unique. You will learn about yourself and how you show up in the world. You will learn about your place in a community of men. You will learn about masculinity and the possibility of creating a new kind of a warrior, a peaceful warrior, to help heal the wounds in our society. You will see men mentor other men, support each other, play together and form a safe, authentic container where men are free to be exactly who they are, without defenses or masks.
It’s likely that when you leave this training you will have the possibility to love and be loved in a way you have not experienced in a very long time. You’ll have a gift to offer the world, and the energy to share it.
“Previous cultures throughout history always intended authentic masculine initiation. But their vision and their cultural context of the world was necessarily limited. Since the first earthrise photograph from outer space, we have entered a new mythological era. For the first time in human history, we have before us the possibility of authentic masculine initiation – an initiation into the global brotherhood.” –Dr. Robert Moore Coauthor of King, Warrior, Magician, Lover
