Foreword This is a personal field report documenting one individual’s unexpected physical experiences after two years of consistent Hatha yoga and jiu-jitsu training. It is not medical advice, spiritual guidance, instructional material, or a critique of any teacher, system, or lineage. The observations, opinions, and comparisons here are entirely subjective—they [Read More]
Introduction The World Cup has ended, and I am writing this review of Shaolin Soccer (2001) to ward off the symptoms of soccer withdrawal. Is a twenty-five-year-old movie worth the watch? Can it help fill the hole the World Cup has left behind? It is a big ask for a [Read More]
The Quiet Interface Two palms face one another in the air. They do not touch. Slowly, the space between them is compressed and released, as if the hands were gently shearing across an invisible sphere. The exercise is familiar to anyone who has trained in 太極拳, Tàijíquán (Supreme Ultimate Fist) [Read More]
Introduction As Father’s Day approaches, I look forward to my annual martial arts movie review with my children. As their teenage years fly by, each article we write together means more and more. This year, my children and I have chosen to review Kung Fu Panda (2008). This film is [Read More]
A typical day at a traditional Shaolin Temple or one of the many martial arts academies surrounding it in Dengfeng is intense, disciplined, and deeply structured. While schedules vary from school to school, most students experience a blend of martial arts, conditioning, meditation, academics, and daily responsibilities. For many students, [Read More]
You have likely sung “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” before. Perhaps as a child, rocking back and forth with a parent or friend, hands clasped, pretending to row. Perhaps later, at Summer camp or in a classroom, your voice joining the group as you merrily, merrily sang along. The [Read More]
Introduction By now, you know what I am going to ask. Is The Paper Tigers (2020) worth the watch? It is not a new question, and The Paper Tigers (2020) was actually reviewed five years ago in Martial Journal. So, why review it again? I have three reasons for reviewing [Read More]
People often assume that martial arts instructors are the ones doing all the teaching. After all, we stand at the front of the class. We wear the black belts. We correct the stances, demonstrate the forms, and explain the lessons. Yet after more than five decades of martial arts training [Read More]
Introduction I do take a certain amount of pride in the fact that I have watched many obscure martial arts films. I have watched films in English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, etc. I have watched films produced in multiple countries and over many decades. I even watch films in which [Read More]
Chess Boxing – are you serious? I was watching television when the most unusual sporting event came on, which both intrigued me and mystified me. There inside a boxing ring were two fighters in standard boxing gear sitting in the middle of the ring playing CHESS! I had heard of [Read More]
Introduction Carlos Ray Norris, aka Chuck Norris, passed away on March 19, 2026. Despite what the AI generated photo of he and I might suggest, I never had the opportunity to meet him. Despite that, he was a constant presence in my life through movies, TV, and martial arts. He [Read More]
What’s the answer to authentic Kata? Is there one? Does it depend on your perspective? Do we mean authentic in the sense of Kata origins and traditional standards, or do we mean authentic Kata in the sense that we are working at it for some personal reason. Are we training [Read More]
(The Budokai Samurai 2025 Summer Games Demonstration in St. John’s NL) It’s been just over a year since we started the Samurai program, a traditional Shotokan karate program for students who have diverse support needs. In the current class, we have students with developmental/cognitive delays, low muscle tone, and some [Read More]
“The progression of a painter’s work, as it travels from time to time from point to point, will be toward clarity.” Introduction If you have trained in a Japanese martial art for any length of time, you have likely encountered the concept of 守破離, Shuhari. You may [Read More]
A viral TikTok moment leads to real-life transformation: filmmaker Michal Simon shares her journey from watching Chase Infiniti’s powerful performance to earning her yellow belt in Taekwondo By Karina Whamond, MartialArts.io, Martial Arts Software When Michal Simon walked out of the theater after watching Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, [Read More]
Gossip and rumors test the integrity of any community. How we respond — on and off the mat — reveals whether our training is performance or practice. I used to have strong opinions. Now, I tolerate much more — offering grace in ways that once seemed impossible. Still, tolerance has [Read More]
INTRODUCTION Prisoner of War is a 2025 film starring Scott Adkins. What makes this film unique is that it blends the styles of Bloodsport (1988) with conventional films about World War II. This is not, however, a standard war movie. Rather than focus on specific battles and WWII weaponry, this [Read More]
Few weapons in Chinese history are as instantly recognizable—or as steeped in legend—as the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, traditionally attributed to Guan Yu, the peerless warrior-saint of the Three Kingdoms era. Known in Chinese as the Qīnglóng Yǎnyuè Dāo (青龍偃月刀), the weapon has become inseparable from Guan Yu’s image: a [Read More]
The Chinese broadsword—most commonly called the dao—is one of the most iconic weapons in Chinese martial culture. Instantly recognizable by its single-edged blade and forward-weighted profile, the dao has long been known as “the general of weapons,” prized for its power, adaptability, and battlefield practicality. From ancient warfare to modern [Read More]
Abstract American martial arts culture has long oscillated between striking-centric traditions and sport-driven grappling systems. While boxing, karate, taekwondo, wrestling, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and mixed martial arts (MMA) have each shaped the landscape, a crucial element remains underrepresented: a battlefield-oriented ground-fighting system that integrates striking, off-balancing, weapons awareness, and environmental adaptation. [Read More]
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