The Book of The Ground – Discipline and Focus

May 3, 2025 Kris Wilder 0

The Book of The Ground – Discipline and Focus Discipline, training, and focus are addressed in Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings. He introduces these ideas in the first of the five books, The Book of The Ground. In Book of the Ground, Musashi points to mastery of oneself is [Read More]

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Shaolin (2011) – Worth the Watch?

April 30, 2025 Gary Padgett 0

Introduction Spring is the time of year for renewal and recommitment.  We see this in nature as the trees awaken and flowers bloom.  We can follow the lessons from nature and use this season to renew good habits and recommit to our training.  Shaolin, a 2011 Hong Kong-Chinese film, echoes [Read More]

Opening – The Book of The Ground

March 10, 2025 Kris Wilder 0

The Book of The Ground Opening – The Book of The Ground. Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵, c. 1584 – June 13, 1645) was a legendary Japanese swordsman, strategist, artist, and writer. He is often called a “sword saint“ because of his skill in swordsmanship. He wrote, “The Book of Five Rings. [Read More]

Mitori Geiko

March 1, 2025 Andries Pruim 0

The Art of Learning by Watching The last time I traveled to Japan, I was still determined to train with my Sensei (Shihan Manabu Murakami) even though I was well past 60 years old and was now the proud owner of an artificial knee. When I arrived in Tokyo, I [Read More]

Life After Fighting – Worth the Watch?

February 15, 2025 Gary Padgett 2

Introduction Life After Fighting is a 2024 martial arts film set in modern-day Australia.  I do tend to select films that are set within a historical context or are based on competitions – tournaments, cage fights, etc. – so this film is a little different from what I usually watch.  [Read More]

Structuring a Successful Martial Arts Curriculum

February 14, 2025 Andries Pruim 0

As an avid follower of martial arts business seminars and courses, I have committed myself to attending as many virtual and in-person events as possible. Upon retiring from my corporate management position, I took a deep dive into the current trends in the martial arts industry. After summarizing numerous seminars [Read More]

Musashi and Bruce Lee Agree

February 12, 2025 Kris Wilder 5

Musashi and Bruce Lee Agree Almost 400 years apart Musashi and Bruce Lee agreed. Miyamoto Musashi was the greatest samurai and sword strategist that ever lived. And he has advice for you. Born in 1584 in Japan, he lived a life of strategy and tactics as well as life and [Read More]

Black Belt: Only The Beginning

February 11, 2025 Kim Hoang 6

There has been a lifelong belief that has been around for years, which to some has been a statement that has been expressed long before a lot of us were born, which is that in the world of martial arts, the black belt is the last rank to achieve and [Read More]

Flowing Like River Water: Dàoist Wisdom for Knee Health

February 3, 2025 Stephen Watson 0

  This article is written to be a companion piece for: https://open.substack.com/pub/shhdragon/p/listening-to-the-knee-forces-flexibility Flowing Like River Water: Dàoist Wisdom for Knee Health   In the Martial Arts, the knee represents far more than a mere mechanical joint – it embodies a meeting point between Earth and Heaven, structure and fluidity, intention [Read More]

State of the Martial Arts

January 30, 2025 Stephen Watson 1

State of the Martial Arts Transforming Martial Arts for Tomorrow’s Challenges   Changing Training In dojos and training halls across the globe, Martial Arts practitioners perfect techniques honed over many centuries. Yet beyond these walls, the world races forward at a dizzying pace, presenting challenges our Ancestors could never have [Read More]

Spending time in the Garden

January 28, 2025 Nick Taber 0

The phrase “Time in the Garden” has always been something in my family’s way of reminding us to slow down and rest. Many generations were farmers, but as time moved on and life changed for all of us after the depression and we got jobs in factories and offices, the [Read More]

Adaptive Martial Arts, an Occupational Therapy Perspective

January 25, 2025 Amanda Piepgras 5

Martial arts offer a unique blend of physical, cognitive, and social benefits, making them an excellent medium for occupational therapy (OT). As an occupational therapist and martial arts instructor, I have witnessed firsthand how martial arts can positively impact individuals, particularly those with special needs. By integrating martial arts into [Read More]