Shield and spear
To the ancient Romans, the concept of a non-violent martial art would be nonsensical. Their literal definition of martial was “belonging to Mars”, the god of war. Modern usage of the term martial arts, however, is hardly related to military strategy and tactics.
Today, most popular martial arts are practiced without arms. […]

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Mastery is efficiency.  A master of their art simultaneously exerts less effort, and achieves greater results than others.  Wouldn’t it would be wonderful if attaining mastery was as easy as defining it? 
It is that easy, and that difficult.

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It is a common sentiment among Aikido practitioners that their martial art is a lot like dancing.
With all due respect, most Aikidoka have got nothing on these guys. These two videos illustrate the body skills resulting from diligent solo practice, skills which cannot be gained by practicing with a partner in the dojo.

David “Elsewhere” […]

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Martial arts is one of those rare arenas where people show their true personality, without disguise or pretense. Unfortunately, some of these people are real nut jobs!
Here are three short stories of artifice and cowardice, taken from my experience in the gentle art of Aikido.

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Attempts to categorize the various styles of martial arts practice typically place them into one of two groups: striking or grappling, soft or hard, internal or external, etc. But this type of classification is overly broad and misleading; all comprehensive martial arts transcend simple dualism.
Here is a different model you can use to describe and […]

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Stability is a critical component of martial application. Without stability, your ability to apply force, or withstand an opponent’s force, is severely compromised.
Stability is a function of strength and balance. And the easiest way to improve your balance is to adjust your posture.
I learned this postural adjustment tip from a Russian martial artist […]

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Victory in combat does not always belong to the strongest contender. As demonstrated repeatedly throughout history, the weaker fighter can prevail, if they attack efficiently and deny their opponent the opportunity to strike back.
What can you do to increase the efficiency of your attack and defense, and overcome the odds?

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