Starting today, I will recommend interesting podcasts, articles, and videos for interested readers. This will be a weekly endeavour. Most will relate to Filipino Martial Arts and may touch upon other areas.

My first recommendation is a podcast interview between Guy Windsor and Majia Soderholm. The interview touches on several topics, including Finnish knives, books, HEMA (Historial European Martial Arts), sword play, and Majia’s FMA training under Maestro Sonny Umpad.

If you are not able to view this video, click here.

What’s the big deal about this podcast interview besides Filipino Martial Arts?

For one thing, I am not interested in podcasts that don’t have transcripts. Due to my lifelong deafness, it is difficult to follow a podcast without a transcript. Give me a transcript, and I can read and listen with my cochlear implants.

I was delighted when I found that Guy Windsor’s podcasts are transcripted. AWESOME. While his specialty is HEMA, I often return to listen to his other podcasts.

Click here to access this 59-minute podcast.

Some thoughts about this interview:

  1. Soderholm mentions Rory Miller’s “Meditations on Violence.” I highly recommend this book. It’s a thought-provoking read and delves into topics that many martial artists don’t consider.
  2. Also mentioned is Soderholm’s book “The Liar, The Cheat, and The Thief.” I highly recommend this book as well.
  3. In addition, Soderholm also discussed Maestro Sonny Umpad’s teaching methodology. She observed that he did not believe in drills or pre-set sequences. I don’t necessarily agree with this teaching philosophy. Due to their inexperience, newbies need drills and sequences to progress. Other than that, I loved hearing her FMA-related thoughts.

I hope you enjoy the interview, and I look forward to providing more recommendations every Friday! I always try to expand my horizons by searching for quality and relevant social media posts.

Additional Reading