No Martial Arts Masters Here, Just Ordinary Men
A Buddhist friend showed me a video featuring some Tibetan yogis. These were people whom she greatly admired (some were her teachers). She saw...
Martial Arts Instructor Accountability
We all expect martial arts instructor accountability, but have you noticed that, more often than not, allegations of misconduct, inappropriate sexual behavior, and improper...
Karate Ranking and Training
Karate Ranking System:
The karate ranking system uses a similar belt ranking system as seen in other Japanese martial arts. Karate ranking has its basis in technical...
The Grandmaster Phenomenon
In this article I want to examine the grandmaster phenomenon that has become an epidemic in the western world of martial arts.
As always when...
Dangers of Self Proclaimed Masters
Besides the potential harm expected from training with self proclaimed masters is that these individuals may be dangerous if their reality is challenged...
"Learn secret...
Soke and Smokie
As with many, I have watched the proliferation of Smokies …. I mean Soke, and my thoughts drift back to my first encounter with...
Rank in Martial Arts
This past June (2011) I traveled back to Germany with my family after being absent for 23 years. The occasion of our last visit...
What Does a Black Belt Mean
A black belt is a piece of dyed white cotton, but we attribute many characteristics with the attainment of this object. Martial arts training...
Fade to White: Rank and Position in Martial Arts
You might recognize the title of this article as a play on an old theatrical phrase. After the end of a scene or at...
Accountability in the Martial Arts
I submitted this article because there has been a disturbance in the force and I feel this is being caused by a lack of...
Women in the Martial Arts
No matter what belt women have around their waist, or what title they hold, they will always be women.
This is a powerful statement that might...
The Rank Side of Rank in Martial Arts
In my very long involvement in the martial arts I have seen many trends come and go. Some were beneficial some less so. Even...
Origins of the Colored Belt System, My Thoughts
The most popular theory of the origins of the coloured belt system is that it was originated by the father of Judo himself `...
Power in Unity
The psalmist said in Ps. 133:1, “How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.” Unity certainly makes human...
Weeding Out the Weeds: Fake Martial Artists
Oh really? One man’s weed is another man’s cuisine. Take the lowly dandelion. Weed? Flower? Pest or foodstuff? Dandelions are used for food in...
Transparency in Martial Arts
Recently something was brought to my attention that concerns me. The claims of several very recognizable martial artists are being put to question. Apparently...
