One of the most daunting things in life is starting something new. It can be starting a new martial art, starting a blog article, or starting a project at work. While getting started and taking the first step is easily the most difficult thing to do, it is the most Continue Reading
Inspiration
The Necessity of Training with Others and Connection
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
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
Spirituality in Martial Arts
David wrote an article called “Religious Overtones in the Martial Arts”, which you can find here –> https://urbanmartialartists.com/2021/12/09/religious-overtones-in-the-martial-arts/ I find that this is a related but parallel article to what I wrote about. While he discusses the influence of religion and moral codes on the martial arts (and keeping an 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
Musicality in Martial Arts
From sixth grade through high school, I played the trumpet in my school band. I wasn’t a particularly skilled trumpeter (trumpetist?) but the experience gave me several valuable experiences: a love of classical music, an increased lung capacity, and an understanding of basic musical theory. I can still sight read Continue Reading
My Answers to Commonly Asked Martial Arts Questions
The minute someone finds out that I practice martial arts, I find myself immediately bracing for the same questions I hear all of the time. And I feel like most martial artists can probably relate. So I figured I would answer some of the more common questions I have been 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
Maintaining Excellence: Ryun Ma
Everyone talks about the end product, sometimes about the journey to get there. But rarely anyone talks about what it takes to maintain your level of success, and keep it growing. This comes up a lot in martial arts; you work really hard to get your black belt, or second 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