When we are training in the martial arts, we must appreciate each and every opportunity that we have to train with another person and we must respect that opportunity. We need training partners to get 100% of what we need out of our training. This is very obvious when it Continue Reading
David Paprocki
Sonder: A Key to Empathy and Sympathy in Martial Arts and Life
Sonder: a word that is found in John Koenig’s The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, a dictionary of made-up words for emotions that we feel but can’t quite explain, has a profound connection to the martial arts. Sonder is defined as “The profound feeling of realizing that each random passerby is Continue Reading
Don’t Negotiate Against Yourself: Ask For What You Want!
I remember one Saturday afternoon after finishing class in the city, my students and I had planned to go share a meal together in Chicago’s Chinatown. In the past, going to eat dinner in Chinatown was a relatively easy thing. We would go to one of our favorite restaurants and Continue Reading
Supplemental Exercise: Is It Necessary for Martial Artists?
A student last week approached me and asked, “Sir, do you have a workout regimine that you do? I would like to work on my physique.” The short answer to his question was yes, but when you pull back the layers, the better answer to the question is that while Continue Reading
Don’t Confuse the Roles of School Owner and instructor
When evaluating yourself and your ability to have your own and run a martial arts program, you need to be able to evaluate yourself in the different roles that you have. You are both an instructor and a school owner simultaneously! Your business skills AND martial arts skills matter. Sometimes Continue Reading
Why White Belts Can Be Difficult to Spar: What Does That Mean For Self Defense?
In David Epstein’s Range he defines different environments in which we develop ourselves or compete in. He defines those in which we can recognize patterns as kind environments, and those that are the opposite as wicked. “In wicked domains, the rules of the game are often unclear or incomplete, there Continue Reading
Growing Into The Next Rank
Sometimes as an instructor, I may feel that a student is not quite up to par with their technique to be advanced to the next level. There are times where I may fail a colored belt student while there are other times where I might promote a colored belt student Continue Reading
Happy New Year! Go Eat Your Vegetables
As we cross into 2023, many people will be making New Year’s Resolutions. Most of the time, these resolutions are long term habitual goals. Some will dedicate themselves to going to the gym everyday, while others will try to quit a bad habit, while others may try to go on Continue Reading
I Failed a Test: 3 Takeaways for Growth in the Martial Arts
In June of 2009, I was set to test for my Cho Dan Bo Blue Belt (Black Belt Candidate Rank) in Tang Soo Do. I was very excited to take this test, but during the test itself, something didn’t feel quite right. About half way through the test, I started Continue Reading
Finding The Secrets to Good Technique: A Story About Jump Kicking
When I reached the rank of green belt in Tang Soo Do around 15 years ago, my instructor took out the student manual and read to us the expectations for brown belt. He made sure to emphasize the following point: Must be able to demonstrate jumping techniques. In particular, the Continue Reading