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]
Having spent the better part of the last twenty years focusing my training on reality, what would really work outside a take-away on a Saturday night, what would really work in a traffic jam if the driver in front gets out of his car and tries to drag me from [Read More]
I have been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu since 2011. In 10 years, I have earned a purple belt and two stripes. I often beat myself up for this. I tell myself I should be further along and compare myself to the training partners who received their blue belts at the [Read More]
Master Class: Jazz In Relation To Martial Arts A master of one pursuit can often tread gracefully in many more paths. When you train, you are working on improving a specific subject or skill. Make no mistake however! This specificity can lead to a much broader range of mastery. When you [Read More]
Title: Flashing Steel, 25th Anniversary Edition: Mastering Eishin-Ryu Swordsmanship Author: Masayuki Shimabukuro and Leonard Pellman Publisher: Blue Snake Books Publication Date: October 6, 2020 Format: Paperback Pages: 572, 10 in x 8 in Cover Price: $34.95 ISBN: 978-1623175030 Content The late Shimabukuro Masayuki Hidenobu (1948-2012) was the 21st sōshihan (headmaster) [Read More]
In Krav Maga, we train to make the best of a bad situation. We use hard times to grow and improve and learn new skills that will benefit us. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating. Gyms have been forced to close and I have been without a classroom to [Read More]
Positivity In a Pandemic There is no better time than today to use martial arts to make a difference in this Covid-19 defined world. People face a slowed economy, orders to wear masks, or stay clear of strangers, friends, and loved ones. In these trying times, martial arts provide refuge [Read More]
Title: Ninja Fighting Techniques Author: Stephen K. Hayes Publisher: Tuttle Publishing Publish Date: 03/24/2020 Format: Hardback, Jacketed Pages: 160 Cover Price: $16.99 Content The subtitle under Stephen K. Hayes’ latest book Ninja Fighting Techniques couldn’t have summed up the entirety of its contents in words more precise: “A [Read More]
Life is constantly changing. Our virtues need to keep up. Traditional martial arts’ virtue is not about clinging to the past, but learning from the wisdom from the past and adapting it to the present. Our friend, Justin Ford, told me a great quote from Matsuo Basho: “Do not seek [Read More]
Have you practiced qi as a part of your training yet? This is a short essay on a topic that deserves a few volumes of books, which would cover medicine, ecology, diet, exercise, social studies, and meditation, among many other subjects. I have oversimplified and skipped many elements to help [Read More]
Title: Reach Your Goal Author: Anna Wonsley and Richard Bejtlich Publisher: Blurb Publish Date: January 2019 Format: Paperback Pages: 180 Cover Price: $14.95 What do professional dancers, amateur martial artists, and “Professional Couch Potatoes” who help keep Netflix and Hulu in business all by themselves have in common? (HINT: It’s [Read More]
“Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick” ~ Bruce Lee Martial Arts movies have done wonders for inspiring people of all backgrounds to take to the dojo, don uniforms and learn martial arts in hopes of being close to the [Read More]
Benefits are everywhere when you look for them, even if you are not a fan of where the benefit comes from. Many TMA practitioners (Traditional Martial Arts) don’t like MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Many MMA fighters don’t like TMA. The reasons are everything from a lack of an open mind [Read More]
“Stand in your power. Own your space. Never apologize for who you are or what you know.” – Michelle Manu They have been celebrated among the ancient Polynesian royals and people for their ferocity, discipline, and skill on the battlefield…their mastery in all aspects of the Hawaiian warrior arts…. They [Read More]
“Wake early if you want another man’s life or land. No lamb for the lazy wolf. No battle’s won in bed.” – The Havamal Glima: The Warrior Art Of The Vikings Anthropologists, historians and researchers alike cannot deny the warrior prowess of the Vikings who charged head on into [Read More]
As martial artists, each of us will inevitably face an illness, injury, or surgery that will knock us so far down that the evil little voice in our heads will whisper, “This is it. You’ll never train again.” Turn to the internet for solace and you may begin to feel [Read More]
“As you think, so shall you become.” ~ Bruce Lee Guro Lynn Varghese is a talented instructor in the martial community, a dear friend and influential woman. Currently she inspires women to express themselves, learn self defense and have fun while learning the effective martial arts of the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, China, [Read More]
At 11 years old, my son earned the right to wear the most universally-recognised symbol of excellence there is – a Black Belt in martial arts. I consider it one of my greatest achievements as a parent so far. Do I sound smug? Probably. Like I’m living vicariously through my [Read More]
The open letter I’d love to write, but would never send… Dear Parent/Spectator, I spend a lot of my time looking at my feet. Part of it is as I am getting older I am working ever harder at making sure I can still see them as I stand [Read More]
Martial Art’s Hot Button Issue Competition. The litmus test in modern martial arts. A simple dividing line that we use to put a martial artist in one of two buckets. People who train for competition and everyone else. It seems a silly and arbitrary reason to cause such a huge divide in [Read More]
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