“What would you do if someone was drunk and in your face, and a whole lot bigger than you?” My instructor grabbed the front of my uniform in his fist, and shook me slightly to emphasize his point. Standing a foot taller than me and outweighing me by about 100 [Read More]
This month’s post is an open letter to martial arts teachers and martial artist parents worldwide. It’s not about kickpunchery or tapping people out, but it’s about important Halloween safety things you need to know. As parents, we worry about kids’ safety on this scariest of nights — and it [Read More]
“What I have in my heart and soul – must find a way out. That’s the reason for music.” ~ Ludwig van Beethoven Many years ago, a friend of mine told me that when someone asked Beethoven about the meaning of one of his Symphonies he said something to the [Read More]
Ever met the guy who decides, often unsolicited, to describe the many martial arts he has trained in? The person before you could be a human cornucopia of combat systems, information you would never have had if you hadn’t asked. But wait… you didn’t. You can’t stop and you won’t [Read More]
Disclaimer As is my custom, I will lay a caveat that these are my thoughts and opinions about ukemi. I have asked around for others’ input as I feel that this is a broad and complex area of inquiry, however it will have all been tied together by my brain [Read More]
Martial training is focused on the physical training emphasizing speed and power. This leads us to stretch, calisthenics or weight lifting, sparring…Yet, when it comes to the fuel that drives our training is overlooked while we punch and kick. The fuel we put into our bodies is essentially one of [Read More]
Swimming Through Martial Arts Before the pandemic, I was attending Krav Maga five days a week for a total of twelve and a half hours of training. I was already behind the eight-ball in terms of disabilities, so I would do anything to catch up. Then my overworking of my [Read More]
Even though it is mandatory, I was still proud to start my military service. I had been protected by soldiers since my birth. Everywhere I went, I could see a soldier dressed in their olive uniform and rifle. I knew that they kept my family and I safe. Now, it [Read More]
We’ve all seen it in a movie or on television: an athlete “blows out their knee” and is never heard from again. Most people assume the felled athlete smoothly transitioned into another sport or hobby without realizing how difficult, lonely, and frustrating injury and recovery can be. Life doesn’t stop [Read More]
Introduction Wing Chun Kung Fu is a well-known southern Chinese martial arts style, although it’s not popular for the reasons its practitioners would like. Simply put: it’s known as being ineffective, impractical, unrealistic, useless, etc. Pull up any Wing Chun video on YouTube. You will find endless comments from “keyboard [Read More]
Part 1 Disclaimer As is my custom I will lay a caveat that these are my thoughts and opinions. I have asked around for others’ input as I feel that this is a broad and complex area of inquiry, however it will have all been tied together by my brain [Read More]
Can we talk for a minute about something that really bothers me in the martial arts? I’m going to come off super-judgy talking about this pet peeve, but that’s okay. Because this is important, or at least important to me. This is true of every self-protection concept I’ve ever come [Read More]
Introduction If you’re a martial arts nerd like me, who likes not only to train but to read about history and watch movies and all that you’ve at the very least heard about the Shaolin Monastery and the Wudang Mountains. Fiction portrays them as two distinct, opposite martial arts factions [Read More]
So, your kid wants to try martial arts! Sometimes, I wish I could give an interview to every parent that expresses interest in classes for their kids. I suppose this is because I am a martial arts instructor, and I am passionate about kids and working with them. My desire [Read More]
Title: The Ankō Itosu Biography (The Man, The Master, The Myth) Author: Thomas Feldmann Publisher: Lulu Publish Date: 2021 Pages: 448 Cover Price: $55.41 ISBN: 978-1-008-98617-6 Ankō Itosu is one of those names that you continuously hear if you study or research Japanese or Okinawan martial arts. However, to me [Read More]
Last year, at the height of lockdowns, I was starved for martial arts training. Much of my time as a martial artist is already cerebral – podcast, business, etc. – but pre-pandemic, I still had physical outlets. Then… whoosh. Gone. And I was left only with the mental portion. Or, [Read More]
Introduction Metal weapons clashed violently together in combat. On the Great Wall of China, over two thousand years ago, ancient Chinese warriors were defending their country against brutal nomadic invaders. Warriors of the past greatly relied on their mind-body skills and not fancy technology. In fact, some ancient Chinese warriors [Read More]
Discipline, hard work, integrity spring to mind when you think of martial arts. We have been inundated with images of karateka, judoka and juijiteiro fighting adversity with sweat dripping from their body, making their Gi wet from practice, diligent in their quest for perfection. I think of wrapped fingers, bloody [Read More]
As I mentioned in the introduction, before I was in Krav Maga, I started out as an athlete. Before I was a year old, I was already running, and by the age of thirteen, I was studying capoeira and playing soccer. I may have been smaller than the other kids, [Read More]
Learning to Live… Again When Steven Tyler yelled in 1976 that he was back in the proverbial saddle it was without any inclination what the year 2020 was going to have in store and how hard it would be to just jump back on in ‘21. I have heard the [Read More]
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