Martial Arts Education

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 ...

For most martial artists, the most challenging aspect of self-defense in the real world is to know when to use violence. I must tell you that the hesitation that comes from fear, confusion and the denial of truly aggressive behavior can often preempt the use of any self-defense skills or training. As instructors, we have ...

If you’ve been a martial artist for very long, then you know that many of the “old-timers” seem to have bad knees. Some of these problems stem from dramatic injuries, such as a strike to the knee joint (like my ACL tear several years ago) or an attempt at a jumping or spinning kick. Some ...

There has been a long-running dispute among the “experts” about certain exercises used in many fitness workout routines. Some say that there are contraindicated exercises that should probably be eliminated from any program that targets a general audience. Other experts want to see scientific evidence that certain exercises are harmful before they consider modifying their ...

At our school, we just finished a black belt test with 48 students, of whom five were testing for 2nd degree and 43 were testing for 1st degree. The group included a number of children nine years of age and older (testing to junior black belt) and a number of adults who ranged from in ...

As we move into a new year I believe that it’s an exciting one for our small but dedicated and eclectic industry. Ahead lie huge ...

Part 3 of a Six-Part Series on Using Kata (or Form) For Martial Arts Development The goal for the ancient and modern martial artist is to learn how to develop a stable, mobile and fluid platform that can move in any direction and EXPLODE arms, legs, hands and feet with tremendous force. It is easier ...

Last month we talked about the differences between ballistic (bounce) stretching and static (slow) stretching. Bouncing is not a good idea as it can result in inadvertent injury. “Dynamic” stretching like high leg lifts are OK if you warm up first and use moderate velocity while swinging your leg. (Go back and read last month¹s ...

I want to reiterate that most people can do these exercises with no problems. Since modern research has proven that there can be harmful effects for a minority of people, however; it is important that fitness professionals (and if you are a teaching Black Belt, then you qualify) take a conservative approach and utilize only ...