We work in an industry that continues to change from year to year and decade to decade. Since we teach arts that are supposedly timeless, being ancient in origin, one would think that there would be less change. Of course, the goals that we set for our schools and ourselves drive that change. Many older ...
Read More »Martial Arts Education
Stepping Off the High Horse
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 ...
Read More »My Secrect of Success, Part 2, With Chuck Norris
The legendary martial artist, movie and TV star and founder of the World Combat League and th Kick-Start Program shares the secret of this success. In part 2 of his interview with Stephen Oliver, Chuck Norris discusses his early martial arts training. As with many martial arts great of his decade, Chuck was first exposed ...
Read More »That Do Factor—As in Karate-Do, Taekwondo and Judo
Letter from a loving fatherDear Sons, You have learned your martial arts history from me as children, and now from your own study. You often teach me. You have learned how a man, Jigoro Kano, who was a member of the Japanese educational system, changed Jiujitsu into Judo. He took a Japanese martial art, modified ...
Read More »A Special Tribute to Grand Master H.U. Lee and Chief Master Richard Reed
Without a doubt, I would not be who I am, where I am, doing what I do, without the powerful influences of Grand Master H.U. Lee and Chief Master Richard Reed
Read More »How Not to Burn Bridges: An Open Letter to My Four Sons
Dear sons, now that you have decided to make teaching martial arts a career, instead of a pastime, please consider these words of experience. As you know, most traditional groups have an unwritten policy on how to handle their life-long relationships between students and teachers. I have often felt that traditional groups seem to be ...
Read More »Black Belt Testing
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 ...
Read More »What is Kata For? – Centering
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 ...
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