Attacking Combinations
The story of how I came up with the “Attacking Combinations” video! While I miss teaching classes and private lessons, one of the upsides of the lockdown is that I have had mucho time on my hands to figure out variations of solo workouts. Hence,…
Lockdown Routine
To my martial arts friends, how have you kept your martial arts training since the lockdowns started? Here is a list of what I’ve done: How about you? What kind of training are you doing? Is anything different from my list? Now, some of my…
Post Lockdown Thoughts
During these unprecedented times, martial arts instructors have to think about their short term futures, after the lockdowns are gradually eased, and we return to teaching. But, first, what is the definition of “short term future” in the context of these times? For me, the…
Solo Training
Many of us cannot train with our martial arts classmates and friends during these extraordinary times. Since I have confined myself at home, I have done a fair bit of solo training, including, but not limited to, bodyweight and martial exercises, solo stick exercises, Shotokan…
Under Lockdown, Part 2
Earlier this month, I published a post entitled “Under Lockdown.” I have to confess that it was a thought exercise and I honestly did not think we would be in the situation we are in today. Since that post, Ontario has imposed social distancing and…
Tribute To Alan
I learned on Saturday morning that one of my favourite private clients, Alan, passed away at 84. I first met him through a senior citizens’ self-defence course I taught for the City of Oshawa in 2008. The classes were held at the Legends Community Centre….
Under Lockdown
Note: I wrote this on March 2nd, which seems so long ago. A lockdown has been imposed. Still, much of what I wrote below still applies. Well, these are wild times. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’re likely aware of the coronavirus. As…
The Learning Cycle
As many of you know, I like teaching flow drills. I find it a practical and fun way to introduce the concepts of Modern Arnis. I find this a useful addition to a student’s learning cycle. The concepts range from abanico corto, palis palis, disarms,…
Get Out of the Comfort Zone!
Often, martial artists stay in their comfort zone and practice the same form or workout routine daily. They perform their favourite kata the same way several times a week. As a result, some get stuck in a rut. Why not challenge yourself? Why not get…
The Comparison Game
Several years ago, one of my students, who was in his mid 70s, stopped by my class and announced that he had decided to quit. I asked him for a reason, expecting him to cite a health or age-related issue. He surprised me by responding,…
