Going Into The Martial Arts Hibernation Season
Do you expect to train on the same martial material year-round? That approach will lead to burnout and stagnation. The intelligent approach is to vary your training throughout the year. Changing routines is relatively easy for martial arts competitors. For example, they can spend the…
Friday Recommendation #22
If you are not able to view the video, go here. In short, I highly recommend this video. This video starts with Jesse demonstrating Naihanchi/Tekki Shodan and explaining that it contains elements of Wing Chun. Beginning with that kata, Sensei Jesse and Sifu Kevin Lee…
From Pixels to Stick Fighting
A number of my Padawans play video games. That’s not exactly shocking to you, is it? However, I have often wondered how it translates to their FMA training or, more importantly, how it informs my teaching approach. Minecraft is one of the most popular video…
The Difficulty of Teaching Structure in Martial Arts
Teaching martial arts involves more than just physical techniques. One must teach structure along with techniques. I have found that teaching structure is much more challenging than a martial art’s physical techniques. But what is structure? Structure includes stances, footwork, positioning, body posture and much…
Friday Recommendation #21
October 30th marked the 49th anniversary of the “Rumble In The Jungle,” one of the most famous fights in boxing history. There is no doubt in my mind that the 50th anniversary next year will result in numerous articles about this fight. In this epic…
Inside The Martial Arts Bubble
Not everyone is inside the martial arts bubble. A recent self-defence class at Durham College/Ontario Tech University drove this home. I was teaching a basic ground defence to the participants to a group of 5 to 6 students. I explained to the participants that, after…
Taking A Break From Pumping Iron: I’ll Be Back!
As many of you know, I returned to the gym in June after sufficiently recovering from my hip replacement surgery. First, my sessions at the gym from June to August were experimental in the sense that I tried out different lifting routines. I finally settled…
What A Phenomenal ArnisFest!
Wow, what can I say about the 25th ArnisFest, which occurred this past weekend in Mooresville, Indiana? It was a phenomenal event filled with great instruction, training, friendships, and making new friends. In short, I’ve been blessed to have attended two great camps this year….
All Your Losses Lead Back To…….You
I’ve long believed that any loss, setback, or problem usually involves you. A quick caveat: I recognize that some losses or setbacks can be traced to external factors. But let’s set that caveat aside. Any time I’ve had a setback, loss or bad experience, I…
Why I Avoid FMA Discussion Forums
In short, too much backstabbing, negative energy, and other bullshit percolating on these forums. I’ve seen some of this behavior in person and online. I became cautious about participating in these forums several years ago and have not participated much. Until recently, I posted on…
