One thing that we all need to come to terms with is that time is a finite resource, and we will not have the time to do every opportunity that we are presented with. I often joke that as I have become more senior in rank, there are times where Continue Reading
The Meaning Behind the Bow
If you have been exposed to any kind of martial arts, the bow is one of the most iconic gestures you will see in some form or another. It may seem like an odd ritual or some mystical exchange to those who don’t train in martial arts in the West, Continue Reading
What Your Stance Says About You
Anyone who has ever trained alongside me or taken a class taught by me, knows that I value stances a lot. While stances are a crucial fundamental and having a good foundation is critical for the development of good technique, that is not totally why I emphasize stances. I emphasize Continue Reading
How to Deal with Chronic Pain/Illness in Your Training
When I was 19 years old, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. This is a condition where your large intestine is inflamed and can result in a sensation of burning and stabbing pain in your gut, blood in your stool, fatigue in everyday life and activities, and that’s with medication. Continue Reading
Practice What You Preach
In the martial art I practice, Tang Soo Do, “Do” means a way of life. We’re much more than just an activity or sport; our Grandmaster said one of the main goals of training in Tang Soo Do is to become a better person. Therefore, our art has codes and Continue Reading
Create Things to Look Forward To
One thing that school created for all of us growing up is the idea of looking forward to breaks and long weekends! These breaks and long weekends are structured and determined for us and we don’t give much thought to planning them. If we were fortunate enough to have the Continue Reading
Imposter Syndrome Part 2: Duty as an Instructor, and Leading by Example
This article is less of a “part 2” than an addendum to David’s incredible Imposter Syndrome article, however I feel this is an important perspective to discuss. The nagging thought of “am I good enough?” David talked about not only impacts students, but instructors as well. As students, we looked Continue Reading
Make Time For Yourself
When you’re working a full time job 40+ hours a week, it’s easy to get in the habit of going to work, going home, and resting. I mentioned in a previous article that as a small business owner, I’ve been getting in the habit of doing as much work as Continue Reading
Training and motivation in martial arts
There are times when you can find yourself in a rut, so to speak, in terms of getting yourself to the dojang to train. Motivation can be hard to find when you have work deadlines to meet, family obligations to fulfill, and the weather outside is horrid. It can be Continue Reading
Prioritizing Good Technique Over Memorization
Disclaimer: My direct students are all university students, and as such, they are at their prime physically and have a mature yet sponge-like brain that can absorb things quickly. I understand that I teach in the most ideal situation, and some of what is mentioned will not apply as much Continue Reading