Musashi and Arnis
Below is a terrific video about Muhammad Ali and the famed swordsman Miyamoto Musashi. The video draws upon Musashi’s famous book, “Book of Five Rings.” For me, it’s interesting to see Musashi’s martial philosophy through the prism of Modern Arnis. One would be wise to…
Video of the Week 24: Abanico Double Action off Block, Check, Counter
One of the mainstay drills of Modern Arnis is the block, check, counter drill. At the drill’s core is learning to respond to the 12 angles of attack. One variation of this drill involves the abanico double action. The basic sequence is as follows: See…
Practicing With My Left Hand
I like to do a fair bit of solo training with both the right and left hands. Unfortunately, my right shoulder’s condition is such that I haven’t done much solo training with that side. In other words, I generally save my right shoulder for the…
Video of the Week 23: Double Zero after the Slap off/Pull Off Drill
A few weeks ago, I posted a video demonstrating the 12 angles of attack with the double zero. In the video below, I demonstrate the double zero of the slap-off/pull-off drill. From a teaching and training perspective, mixing things up on the basic drills is…
A Look Back On 2024
First, let’s look at my top posts for this year. My top posts for 2024. I am surprised my post on violent crime in the Durham Region got as many views as it did. I suspect it’s because residents of the area read this post…
Video of the Week 22: Angles of Attack with Abanico Double Action
Heeeyo! I’m going to keep this post short due to the holiday season! Here’s another version of the 12 angles of attack—this time with the abanico double action. This is a fun way to mix up the practice of the 12 angles. Many of you…
Video of the Week 21: Angles of Attack with Double Zero
As many of you know, I’m an ardent believer in solo training. I constantly look for ways to mix things up and create new routines. Many of us practice the angles of attack with control, pull back and follow through. Why not expand beyond the…
Reality vs. Fantasy
Before I offer brief thoughts about the Mike Tyson fight, I want to inform you that I’ve had trouble with my blog/website. It has taken a couple of weeks to fix various issues. The main issue (the Jetpack plugin) has been fixed, and some others…
Post Push-up Challenge Blues and a New Plan
I haven’t posted for a while for two reasons. First, my work-related responsibilities have increased substantially since September. Secondly, I have to admit to a post-push-up challenge letdown. It’s time for a new plan. I had worked so hard at this particular challenge, and I…
Don’t Take Anything For Granted
On Saturday, September 14th, I received a text from Professor Chuck Gauss informing me of Professor Will Higginbotham’s passing. I was shocked. Like many of his colleagues, I did not expect this at all. He was healthy and showed no signs of ill health. I…
