Accepting Funakoshi’s Challenge
My favorite Gichin Funakoshi quote is: “Everything you encounter is an aspect of karate: find the marvelous truth there.”
By Thomas A. Newnam ~ Did...
Christians and the Martial Arts
Some have been called war mongers, mystics, heroes and some, just plain old bad dudes. Martial artists have gone by many names throughout the...
Chris Thomas Martial Arts Enters the 21st Century
Me, blogging! I can't believe I'm entering the 21st century. People who know me, know that I am notoriously lax in using that 1980's...
Draw Him A Cat
A rich man, fond of felines, asked a famous Zen ink painter to draw him a cat. The master agreed and asked the man...
Improvisational Movement
This article is dedicated to Ms. Michelle Wood, former editor of Yang-Sheng magazine.
True improvisational movement is a form or level of movement which expresses...
Twenty-First Century Martial Arts
I’m a firm believer of growth and evolution. I’m not talking about the Darwinian concept of evolution but the evolution of growth and change...
Promote Peace: Harmony and Unity in the Martial Arts Community
Anyone who knows me knows that I promote peace, harmony and unity in the martial arts community. Since the martial arts became popular in...
Why Not to Fight
I’m a minister and a pastor. I’m not supposed to advocate violence, yet I teach combat. I have on occasion taught the rare self...
Training In The Nojo
I learned what I know of focus, form and function in the dojo, but I learned to fight in the streets; in the nojo.
No,...
Transition
Eventually I’ll make my own transition. I pray that the life I've lived and the legacy I leave behind will pave the way for...
Martial Arts Training is a Practice in Balance
Training became a practice in balance, as I learned not just the techniques of martial arts but also how to live.
Martial arts training tests...
Martial Arts Ethics
It comes as no surprise to anyone who knows me and who chances to read any of my essays or articles that I am...
Enlightenment – A Most Profound Universal Experience
We have all been taught by well-meaning and not so well-meaning people throughout the ages that enlightenment is the true answer for coming to...
Still a Mother . . .
Still a Mother . . . okay, martial artists, I got your attention. The clean cut folks out there are probably envisioning an article...
Veterans Seeking Psychiatric Help
Here is an excellent question I received about a recent tip, saying that, "A suck it up and drive on" ethos has great survival...
Building On a Preexisting Foundation
Archaeologists often find older cities beneath cities that rose up later. I’m not sure why that is but maybe it is because they use...
