My Martial Arts Beginning
I began in the martial arts in December of 1982 after I “retired” from high school football. I was a star player for the YMCA team, the Oakdale Red Devils, from the 4th through 7th grade. The trajectory to stardom continued as a member of…
Women Warriors of FMAs: Karen Callahan (Part 2)
To see part 1 of this article about this warrior, click here. If you are not able to see this video tribute to a great warrior, click here. John Doreck’s Memories of Karen The first story to come to mind was the first time I…
Women Warriors of FMAs: Karen Callahan (Part 1)
When looking at YouTube videos of Filipino Martial Arts or a cursory look at Filipino Martial Arts events, it is evident, like many martial arts, that males far outnumber females. This is unfortunate, as I have seen a number of incredible female FMA players, both known and…
Martial Arts Training and Learning
Recently, I came across a quote from Rickson Gracie that nicely sums up my training and learning philosophy: “When you train you should put more emphasis on learning than competing with your partner.” In other words, Rickson is emphasizing the technical side of the art…
The Dance of Pain!
In this video, I demonstrate the dance of pain, showcasing another area of Modern Arnis. As alluded to in this previous post, Modern Arnis is more than stick fighting. We cover stick fighting, empty hands against a cane, joint locks, takedowns, ground controls, trapping hands, knife…
Style or Approach?
This entry is written from the perspective of self-defence needs and does not delve into the competition-oriented arts or those geared toward personal development. Specifically, I address whether you should care more about an instructor’s approach than his style. Some claim the superiority of one…
I Already Know That
Recently, I had a conversation with Master Chuck regarding martial artists who say, “I already know that” when training. Sometimes, it means they don’t want to lose face and not admit they don’t know the material. Often, it means something else. It means that the…
Evolving with the Times
I’ve been considering whether martial arts should evolve with the times or remain in its “pure form.” Let me elaborate. I think of martial arts as a vehicle to defend oneself—Self-defence, in other words. From that perspective, should it not make sense for martial arts…
“There Are No Superior Styles, Just Superior Fighters.”
Many in the martial arts community have paraphrased the above quote. At the outset, I would have to say that the quote about martial arts styles is essentially on target. However, a closer examination of this quote reveals a more nuanced understanding of just what…
