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
The Meaning of Hyung
In almost every traditional martial art, there are forms or patterns that are practiced and passed down from teacher to student. Hyung, or kata in Japanese martial arts, are essential in the tradition and identify of many martial art styles and the sheer variety means that everyone has at least Continue Reading
Applying Hip Motion to Kicks
One thing that is certain when it comes to any type of technique in any style of martial art, is the importance of hip rotation. This hip rotation can apply to different axes. We can rotate our hip forward and backward as well as side to side. When it comes Continue Reading
Mentally Recovering from Injury
A while back I wrote a post about strength and conditioning and avoiding injury. (Link here). And I had said that my own recovery story was for another day. Well here we are. The fact is that I have tried to sit down and write this article so many times. Continue Reading
Opportunities: Rise to the Occasion
When I was in high school band, a few members of the wind ensembles were borrowed to play with the string ensembles to make a full orchestra. If there was a certain member that was playing in the full orchestra was absent, someone else would need to step in for Continue Reading
What You Value in Others
I have a lot of great friends that I’ve met through training and our association. I’ve mentioned in previous articles that the connections you make in martial arts are different from regular everyday interactions; you have to have a certain level of trust and respect to let someone punch and Continue Reading
The Meaning of “Gup” and “Dan”
Early on in our training, we can be hyper focused on our rank. Color belts can visually see where they are in the hierarchy of the martial arts school just by looking at each other’s belts. This distinction becomes less obvious as we enter the black belt levels, but there Continue Reading
Is Insecurity Holding You Back?
This past weekend, I had the privilege of sharing some knowledge of jump kicking with some youth black belts at our regional black belt camp. It was a great time; I really enjoy the opportunity to dive deep into certain martial arts topics and proverbially, Preach to the Choir sharing Continue Reading
Ask for Help
I don’t know why, but it’s always been extremely hard for me to speak up about how I feel or what I need, or even just talk about myself in general. I’ve mentioned my struggles with mental health before, so I’m guessing it’s a winning combination of that plus my Continue Reading
How to Budget for Martial Arts
For those who have been training for some time, you know there are quite a few other expenses that one needs to consider the total cost of martial arts. I hope to take a more holistic approach to budgeting for the martial arts, and in so doing help those with Continue Reading