Yoshi: I would tell my white belt self that he won’t regret joining the college karate club, and to just keep showing up! My life would be very different and for the worse if I hadn’t started training. Ana: I would tell my white belt self that you can do 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
Discussion Question: What Is Your Favorite Technique?
Yoshi: My favorite technique is the bit chaki, or reverse roundhouse kick. It’s a very niche kick with limited utility, but if you can do it correctly (i.e. at head height) and can land it, it looks and feels awesome! Ana: My favorite technique is the 360 jump spin round 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
The Meaning of “Moo”
No, this article is not about the noise a cow makes while grazing. What I’m referring to is the Chinese character of “Moo” in Korean, or “Bu”, “Takeshi”, “Mononofu” in Japanese, and finally “Wǔ” in Chinese. This is the same character that appears in such words/phrases such as “Moo Duk 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
Discussion Question: What’s The Weirdest Question a Student Has Asked You?
Yoshi: I’m sure I’ve been asked weird questions in my life, but I can’t think of any one example. I think the most important part is: no matter how weird or off-the-wall the question may be, it’s important to listen to the question humbly and respectfully and don’t mock the Continue Reading
How To Train When You Don’t Have a Home Studio?
Have you ever found yourself training on a metaphorical island of your style of martial arts? You might have started training in one particular style and progressed through the ranks, or it was just something that really clicked for you; and then life happened and you had to move, your Continue Reading