So you visited the local Karate dojo.  You enjoyed the free introductory class, and you’re ready to enroll.  One minor detail stands between you and black belt prowess: The Contract.

[Read more →]

Let me tell you a dirty little secret about black belts.  They have no particular meaning at all.

[Read more →]

Last week, I attempted to describe one of my favorite lower body warm-up exercises. Online and offline feedback since then indicate that my description wasn’t as clear as I intended.
The particular choreography of this kicking exercise isn’t so important. I recommended it for its general characteristics. To explore those qualities, let’s contrast […]

[Read more →]

Chen style Tai Chi Chuan practice
Attaining competency in Tai Chi Chuan requires hundreds of hours of correct form practice, and mastery requires thousands more. One impediment to sustained practice is a lack of interest: Tai Chi forms are too boring to perform daily.
Perseverance in the face of boredom builds character; however, feelings of boredom […]

[Read more →]

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.

[Read more →]

Pro blogger Darren Rowse asked me to make a prediction on what the new year will bring to the martial arts community.  I expect that qigong will continue growing in popularity, and that within ten years it will be as ubiquitous as yoga is today.

[Read more →]

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 […]

[Read more →]

A martial arts school is defined primarily by the skills and the personality of its teachers. While technical ability is important, and universally known to be so, the importance of a teacher’s personality and attitude is often underestimated.

Teachers invest far more time and effort sharpening their martial skills, than in improving their attitude. It is […]

[Read more →]

A good martial arts instructor is hard to find. But if you aren’t too picky, you can save literally hours of time by picking a bad instructor instead. This simple four-step plan will keep you on the wrong track!

[Read more →]