The Vital Triad: Leg Strength, Balance, and Stability
A long-time cliche in boxing is that “the legs are the first thing to go.” And so it is for martial arts and life in general. While we can’t fight against Father Time, we can slow aging by regularly exercising our legs. Martial arts combine…
Friday Recommendation #11
Okay, okay, okay (in Joe Pesci voice), I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted a podcast or video recommendation. The readers of this blog are familiar with what I’ve gone through in the last year or so. Anyway, it’s time to post my…
Self-Defense Tips for Deaf Individuals
Introduction I have been wearing cochlear implants since 2013. They are amazing and a vast improvement over hearing aids. But they are not the be-all and end-all. I often can’t hear people coming up behind me, and when I’m walking, I often don’t hear cars…
Going Back To The Gym
Let’s start with this Instagram video as I walked inside the gym last night. Before my hip replacement surgery and my mother-in-law’s last few months of her life, I had regularly worked out at the local gym. These workouts were an essential supplement to my…
“It’s a Pain in the Ass.”
How many of you have described a task as “a pain in the ass?” When confronted with an unwanted task, people often approach it in one of two ways: Disclosure: I have been guilty of buying into the above excuses. It’s human nature. But what…
5 Reasons to Challenge Yourself
You see a mousetrap; I see free cheese and a f*****g challenge! -Scroobius Pip Pretty funny! However, Mr. Pip does have a point though. Life is full of challenges, and a mousetrap may seem an irresistible challenge to an adventurous mouse. In looking back at my life,…
The Geezer Phase of Being A Martial Artist
Last Friday, I had back-to-back private lessons with a pair of brothers. As always, I was active with them, pushing them hard and expanding their martial horizons. I had a lot of fun with them. However, the aftermath was brutal. My right hip became quite…
Martial Arts Training Seasons
Do you vary your martial arts training seasons? For instance, summer and fall have tended to be the “camp and seminar” seasons. You pick up what you learn at these sessions and integrate it into your repertoire. “Oh! That’s a fantastic technique! Let’s work on…
Even “Perfect” Folks Struggle!
How many of you have been in a martial arts class and felt your partner was perfect? Or that a classmate seemed to have it all together? I would wager that we have had those thoughts about another person. But, as most of us know…
Mixing It Up!
Yet Another Project! One project I have undertaken lately involves my practice of the Modern Arnis Empty Hand Anyos. Like most martial arts, we perform our anyos in a more or less standard way. While the execution of the forms may differ, there are similarities….
