For those who read the headline and your first instinct is to comment that I’m wrong, hear me out first. People who have trained for years tend to hyper-focus on getting the right technique, or executing the correct sequence of moves in their form, or dive into the applications of Continue Reading
Yoshi Ota
The Meaning of “Soo”
The word “Soo” comes up often when it comes to Korean techniques and is present in the name of the style I train in (Tang Soo Do), and so it’s natural to be curious as to what it means. In basic terms, it means “hand”, and typically denotes an open Continue Reading
How to Find the Right Martial Arts Community for You
What defines a community? In simple terms it’s a group of people that are working towards the same goal. For martial arts, it could mean a studio or club, a loose collection of local schools, an association, all those who train in the same style, or perhaps as large as Continue Reading
Video Games that Best Showcase the Martial Arts
I’m an 80’s kid, and as such I grew up during a time that could be considered the dawn of modern video gaming. I played Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft, and PC games in equal measure and enjoyed a ton of entertainment. It wasn’t until I started training in martial arts that Continue Reading
Why ‘Good Enough” Really Isn’t Good Enough
There have been many times where I would either be doing house chores, working on a certain project, or even practicing my martial skills and will say, “that’s good enough” and then move on to the next task or activity. I’m certain I’m not alone in this sentiment, and it Continue Reading
Open Hand vs. Closed Fists – Which is Better?
If you’ve ever seen any fight scene in a movie or TV show, more often than not the characters are swinging at each other with closed fists, trading blows and against the temple or body many times over. Even fight “scenes” that end with one well-timed strike show the protagonist Continue Reading
How the Caste System Affected Martial Arts in Japan
Not that long ago, Japanese society was divided into a strict hierarchy of social classes that limited any upward mobility the further down the social ladder you were. At the top were the nobility, essentially the imperial family and its various offshoots; next were the samurai class, although their role Continue Reading
The Meaning of Sah Bum Nim
In April of 2022, I was given the rank of 4th degree black belt and the title “Sah Bum Nim” in the art of Tang Soo Do. It was an incredible honor, but it has also been a bit frustrating to explain to non-practitioners what my new rank meant: am Continue Reading
The Meaning of Hyung
In almost every traditional martial art, there are forms or patterns that are practiced and passed down from teacher to student. Hyung, or kata in Japanese martial arts, are essential in the tradition and identify of many martial art styles and the sheer variety means that everyone has at least Continue Reading
The Meaning of “Gup” and “Dan”
Early on in our training, we can be hyper focused on our rank. Color belts can visually see where they are in the hierarchy of the martial arts school just by looking at each other’s belts. This distinction becomes less obvious as we enter the black belt levels, but there Continue Reading