Teaching the Centerline
Many martial arts incorporate the concept of centerline. Wing Chun is well known for its emphasis on the centerline theory. As seen in the phenomenal video below, even boxing incorporates this as well. Teaching the centerline is often easy and difficult at the same time. If you…
The Challenge of Teaching Footwork to Kids
The biggest challenge in teaching kids is footwork. Good footwork is crucial to self-defence and particularly so for Filipino Martial Arts. Want to avoid getting hit, slashed or stabbed? Move your feet. At the most basic level, one should be able to step up at a…
7 Ways I Teach Children Filipino Martial Arts
Some believe children should not be taught a “violent” activity like Filipino Martial Arts. I’ve encountered those who believe FMAs are inappropriate for children because they involve swinging a stick or two. Ahem. While risks are inherent in swinging sticks, many age-appropriate ways to teach Filipino…
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys
Regarding kids and martial arts, a fair bit of time is spent differentiating between the good and bad guys. It seems pretty easy since we’re dealing with schoolyard bullies, various stranger scenarios, and practicing self-defence moves. It all seems pretty cut and dried until you…
The Mad Scotsman and the Burmese Strangler
The “Mad Scotsman” and “The Burmese Strangler” are fun nicknames that I’ve given to two great gentlemen, Alan and Noel. Alan is an 80-year-old Scotsman; Noel is 78 years old and was born in Burma. I first met Alan in 2009 through a Senior Citizens…
The 5 Benefits of Teaching Private Lessons
“In learning, you will teach. In teaching, you will learn.” – Phil Collins. I have previously discussed reasons to take private lessons and how to get the most out of private lessons. Both of these posts were written from the student’s perspective. Fun reads, weren’t they? In this…
Seminar Weekend at Stronger You
I’ve been teaching Modern Arnis seminars at the Stronger You Martial Arts and Fitness dojo since August of 2008 when I first met Renshi Janet Lawless. Since then, I’ve been going to Ottawa 6 to 8 times a year to teach seminars and private lessons to those…
The End of My Break Fall Career
One of the things that I enjoyed over the years was taking break falls. Unfortunately, my break fall career has come to an end. I first started learning serious break falls as a freshman at Notre Dame, specifically as a member of the Notre Dame…
7 Killer Reasons To Take Private Lessons
For many students, group classes are the optimal option for various reasons. These reasons range from socializing to the opportunity to train with different partners, decompressing from work, forgetting about distractions, and having get-togethers after class. On the other hand, there are 7 killer reasons to…
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…
