When teaching forms to beginners, I always have to remind them to look at where they want their next technique to go before executing it. It’s always obvious when they aren’t looking before moving, their technique will be off-center and sometimes not even fully executed. I have seen other instructors Continue Reading
Be One With Your Weapon
I always loved training with weapons, and over the years I’ve gotten the opportunity to train with a variety of weapons (knives, bo-staff, short sticks, swords, etc). As a Tang Soo Do practitioner originally, one of the weapons I unfortunately never got to try is the rope dart. It’s usually Continue Reading
Epistemology
When dealing with difficult people with altering views, interests, or values than your own, it is important to understand how these people came to believe what they believe. This is defined as epistemology, the study of how someone formed their beliefs and differentiates their beliefs from opinions. What’s the difference? Continue Reading
Learn From Anyone And Everyone
One thing I quickly learned from martial arts is that I can learn something from anyone and everyone. I remember when I was in my early teens and there were black belts a bit younger than me that would try to teach me and I would think to myself “What Continue Reading
Yin Yang Life
The Yin-Yang principle, the concept of equal and opposing forces, is a symbol, idea, and lifestyle that stems from the interest the Chinese had in the patterns and relationships that occurred in nature. Yin is the relaxed, passive, and overall more dense energy. Yang is the opposite, it’s the explosive Continue Reading
How Photography Changed Martial Arts
Chances are, if you train in a traditional form of Karate or Tang Soo Do, you have heard the Bubishi and the Moo Yae Dobo Tonji referenced a couple times by the instructors teaching you, and how it contains artifacts of what you are training in. This is all true, Continue Reading
Experiencing Patience
“Patience is a virtue” is a saying we hear quite often. Yet, it is difficult for a lot of us to practice patience. Because of this difficulty we miss out on a lot of things. I know this sounds counterintuitive. We may think that not having patience and moving on Continue Reading
Polarize Your Students
There are times when you are teaching or training that you will need to polarize your self or polarize your student. Mr. Miyagi is known for saying, “Karate yes or karate no, karate so so…. squish just like grape.” The Bible kind of disgustingly says, “Since you are lukewarm and Continue Reading
Train 24:7
How many days a week do you train? You may find yourself thinking you aren’t training enough, maybe too much, or any amount in between. However, notice I didn’t ask ‘How many days a week do you go to class?’. What are you like on the days where you’re not Continue Reading
Taking a Collaborative Approach to Sparring
I’m going to be honest with you. When I was younger, I absolutely hated sparring. I think a solid part of that had to do with the fact that I was a 9 year old novice among a class of adult black belts. I was terrified, and Physics certainly was Continue Reading