Martial Arts Education

In this column, we have talked about how to modify a variety of exercise to reduce the chance of injury to some people who may be predisposed to certain conditions like lower back or knee problems. Risk can be based on three factors: chronological, cardiovascular, and orthopedic. The key is to run an exercise program ...

I want to relate some of the very powerful effects that adrenal stress has on the human mind and body. As an instructor, you must understand how the adrenal reaction can affect a student’s ability to defend himself during an actual encounter. We ask applicants to our RMCAT self-defense course if they have ever been ...

In our journey through life, it may at times seem as though we’re passing through a great jungle, devoid of civilized comforts, safety nets and hospitality. Where huge trees of worry take root in the soil of aspiration and shed used leaves, which create a carpet of urgency, pushing us along. At some point in ...

1) Make sure that everyone who enters your fitness classes is properly screened to ensure that they are physically capable of handling the class. 2) Students need to be brought slowly into the program with some type of introductory class, so the instructor can get to know students and evaluate their fitness level. This is ...

Recently, I’ve been thinking about the difference between the relationships I’ve established with my current students and how I previously interacted with my traditional martial arts students. The biggest difference, of course, is that my current students are adults. In a short period of time, I realized that for me to be successful teaching fitness ...

During the course of our travels through life, it’s a commonly accepted fact that what bring us the greatest joy can often bring us the most troublesome worries as well. When my son, Aria, was born, the great joy my wife and I experienced was matched only by the anxiety we felt when he contracted ...

In this series of columns, I’ve addressed the topic of so-called controversial exercises that many martial arts instructors have been doing for years, but those exercises may lead to student injuries. Now, I want to address, perhaps, the most controversial exercises of all, “ballistic stretches.” Ballistic stretches can include the swinging leg-lifts to the front ...

Some years ago, I was at a major “contact” Karate tournament that had attracted fighters from across the country for many years. More than a few of the matches are decided by knockouts, and the action is always hard and fast. The rules allow for full-contact kicking to the head and body, but hand strikes ...

People study martial arts for many worthwhile reasons, which is entirely separate from the desire to acquire self-defense skills. There’s a big difference between martial arts study and self-defense training. That difference is based on an individual’s motivation to pursue either of these goals. There is some overlap, but they are most certainly not the ...

Last month, I noted that our academic school systems operate on the premise that “nothing is worth fighting for.” This month, I want to bring this point directly home by reporting on a manifestation of this passive philosophy that shouldn’t be ignored-and that is rape.If you have a daughter in middle or high school or ...