About a year and a half ago I wrote an article on why martial artists should create a blog and write publicly along with all of the direct and indirect benefits it will give them. You can find that article hear. https://urbanmartialartists.com/2022/06/09/why-you-should-start-a-blog-too/ Today’s article is going to be very similar Continue Reading
Philosophy
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
Revisit Your Work and Technique
In May 2021, I picked up photography as a new hobby. After taking pictures while hiking with my phone, I decided that I wanted something that would give me slightly better quality pictures and bought an advanced point and shoot camera. Shortly thereafter I took a trip to the Henry Continue Reading
In the Face of Change, Don’t Let Familiarity Blind You
Change can be a scary thing. This past Spring, I bought a townhouse and began to live on my own for the first time in my life. Admittedly, I was intimidated initially by this life change, but despite this change, not much else in my life was different. I still 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
Teach Like Your Training Depends on It
We constantly hear the importance of teaching as we become more advanced in our martial arts journey. Some may struggle to grasp the importance of this and may even have some resistance to this thinking that if they are spending so much of their time teaching, how will they have 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
Find Something That You are Bad at Yet You Enjoy
I was scrolling through Facebook recently on one of my days off. There was a post that caught my eye titled, “40 Cheat Codes I Wish I Knew at 20”. I always enjoy reading these types of articles where people who are older than me reflect back on what they Continue Reading
Don’t Forget to Celebrate
A while back a friend and I were competing at a tournament. After my friend’s round, I congratulated them on their performance. This person immediately started criticizing themselves and listing all of the ways they could have done better. I reminded them, celebrate your wins today, tomorrow is when you 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