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…
A Fantastic Michigan Modern Arnis Camp!
My trip to the Michigan Modern Arnis Camp got off to an inauspicious start due to the worldwide IT outage that occurred earlier that day. I arrived at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor and got stuck in the middle of the bridge. It took 2.5…
Triple Threat Martial Arts Seminar in London, Ontario
Yesterday, I attended a Triple Threat seminar in London, Ontario, featuring Professors Steve Stewart, Ken Smith, and Leon Jay. During the day, each instructor took turns teaching their respective arts. Professor Ken Smith used me as uke to share his Modern Arnis expertise, demonstrating a…
Video of the Week 13: Two Great Leg Exercises
Strengthening the legs is essential for martial arts because it enhances stability, power, and explosiveness. Strong legs provide a solid foundation, enabling practitioners to maintain balance and control while executing self-defense techniques. Lastly, increased leg endurance allows for sustained performance during training and sparring, reducing…
Video of the Week 12: Solo Sinawali Training
Every so often, a student or a client will ask me for solo training tips. I often advise them to try solo sinawali training, focusing on the angles of attack. As I demonstrate in the video below, the key to solo sinawali training is paying…
Video of the Week 6: Slap Off Structure
Youth Vs Experience
As many have heard, 57-year-old Mike Tyson will fight 27-year-old YouTube celebrity Jake Paul in July. For me, this will be a story of youth vs experience. Both being born showmen, this fight is getting a lot of hype and speculation as its outcome. For…
Phenomenal Houston Modern Arnis Camp
What can I say about last week’s Houston Modern Arnis Camp? I had a phenomenal time training and teaching. The last time I went to Houston was pre-COVID-19. In addition, I missed last year’s camp since it took place three weeks after my right hip…
Sparring or Free Play?
Sensei Jesse Enkamp has a great video on the issue of sparring versus free play. It’s a worthwhile watch. Martial artists often discuss the concepts of free play and sparring. On the one hand, free play, characterized by a less structured and more exploratory form…
Top Ten Tips for Watching Martial Arts Instructional Videos
Introduction With the rise of digital learning, martial arts enthusiasts have unprecedented access to a wealth of instructional videos. Nowadays, we can access videos through online platforms, streaming videos and DVDs. I have a huge collection of videos dating back to the 1980s. Over time,…
