When I first started training, there was a single black belt in the class that my instructor referred to as “Steve the Marine”. I’m not sure if he actually was a marine, but he had crisp technique, a no-nonsense attitude, and very hard shin and forearm bones. He provided a Continue Reading
Our Friends and Who We Associate With
While reading through Malcom Gladwell’s Tipping Point, one point that he made really stuck with me. He points out that those with whom we spend the most amount of time and build connections are not necessarily those that share the same values with us, but rather those that partake in Continue Reading
The Meaning of Dojang
We discussed the Meaning of Do here, and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I highly encourage you to do so before continuing on. This is because the “Do” in “Dojang” is the same character, and it is critical to understanding “Do” first to truly appreciate Continue Reading
Bruce Lee’s Take on Sparring
After enjoying the book Bruce Lee Artist of Life and using its takeaways towards my 4th Dan Thesis, I decided to purchase Bruce Lee Jeet Kune Do by the same author, John Little. The former book dives into Lee’s personal philosophy for life, whereas the latter book dives into his Continue Reading
Meaning of “Yin” and “Yang”
The terms “Yin” (or “Um” in Korean) and “Yang” have become commonplace in our modern Western culture, and whenever anyone uses these words, it is mostly used to contrast two individuals or two objects. The Yin and Yang symbol is commonly represented by a white and black circle, as shown Continue Reading
Find Solace in Solitude
One of my favorite parts about martial arts is how individualized it is; many other physical activities are team-based. While we do utilize partner work in martial arts, a majority of our training and progression in skill comes from working on your own. Everyday you train you are aiming to Continue Reading
The Meaning of Cho
Learning to count is one of the first things one learns when learning a language, whether it is their first or tenth. It was no different when I began training Tang Soo Do; while I am fluent in Japanese, the Korean language is quite different enough that it took a Continue Reading
Rock What You Got: Your Martial Arts, Your Do
In simple terms, training in martial arts is essentially being in a constant state of comparing your skills to your instructor and your peers, and eventually your students. You are constantly striving to match your instructor, be better than your fellow students (or at least their equal) and stay one Continue Reading
Bad or Just “Not for Me”?
If you don’t like something, it isn’t necessarily “bad”. I recently finished watching a movie on Netflix, and at the end of the film, it asked me to review it. I was presented with three options: “Like it”, “Love it” and “Not for Me”. This struck me as the word Continue Reading
Blog Revamp!
Hello everyone. Since starting this blog, our lives have changed and we have all taken on different responsibilities in various aspects of our lives. This has affected our ability to keep up with our aggressive release cadence. We will be continuing the blog and the podcasts, but on a different Continue Reading