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…
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….
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…
Friday Recommendation #20
Quick background: Sonny Sison produced the well-known FMA documentary “Bladed Hand” several years ago, which was widely acclaimed. He has long been involved in the entertainment industry. As evidenced by the interview below, he has studied various styles of FMAs. The interview touches on topics…
More Trouble Ahead for Martial Arts Schools?
When we thought martial arts schools could rest easy after the pandemic, we now realize that potentially tough times are ahead. Jeebus, what now? In short, interest rate hikes. First, before we discuss interest rate hikes, there are already some troubling signs for consumers in…
The Importance of Grinding!
In this day and age of the McDonald’s drive-through instant gratification culture, I feel the importance of grinding our way through life has been lost in the shuffle. To be clear, I believe in grinding through any problem, obstacle or challenge. To me, it’s the…
Friday Recommendation #17
Muttering to myself: “Damn it! I can’t execute this technique. I suck!” Newsflash: Nearly all of us have struggled with martial arts for various reasons. Maybe it’s a technique. Or it’s a difficult training partner. Work interferes with your training. If so, watch the below…
Friday Recommendation #15
It’s time to return to FMA videos. To this end, I recently found an interesting interview with GM Rodel “Smoking Sticks” Dagooc. He talks about his journey from karate to Filipino Martial Arts. While the interview is not in-depth, it does provide interesting information about…
