Blocks in Martial Arts are Strikes
I recently was explaining our concepts to a man who had been training at a local martial arts school. It was almost as if...
The Basics of Bunkai – Part 1
Kata (formal forms) were regarded as the cornerstone of martial arts training by the past masters. However, many modern karate practitioners question the value...
Footwork, Footwork, Footwork
The single biggest distinction between fitness and martial arts training is whether participants move or remain stationary, and the key is learning footwork.
However they...
The Link Between Martial Arts and Fitness
Many martial arts schools claim that studying their art is a great way to get fit, lose weight, and improve health. In reality, however,...
Fuydoshin and Zanshin
After reviewing an article I had previously written ("What Does a Black Belt Mean?"), one of my seniors in the SMAA that I highly...
A Frank Conversation About Internal Power in Martial Arts
Internal power training merits every martial artist’s attention because it is seldom presented in the current traditional understanding of Karate, Kung fu or Tae...
Your Secret Self-Defense Sequence
Unconscious Machine Gun of Moves
When people come into my self-defense gyms one of the first things I teach them is to have a defensive...
Police Officer Survival Guide – Ten Deadly on the Job Errors
There is little truly new on the subject of officer survival tactics. It is the simple, unglamorous basics that will keep an officer alive.
Sadly,...
Palm Heel Strike & Foot Stomp Technique Explained
In honor of Don Nagle's American Karate Association, Ed McGrath's School of Isshin Ryu Karatedo and Kobudo we would like to share our explanation...
Taijiquan: The Dao of Movement and Martial Arts
Taijiquan can be thought of as a martial art, a health exercise, a practice in healing sports injuries, and other things as well. But...
How to Cut Weight and Make Weight
Have any of you ever watched a weight class fight in which one fighter looks far bigger and heavier than the other even though...
Wood, Metal, Bamboo – Usage of the Japanese Sword
In the following few paragraphs I want to explain the “nuts and bolts” and the “hows and wherefores” for the usage of the Japanese...
The Four Interconnecting Roots of Martial Arts, Monastic Martial Science & Yoga
If someone tells me there is a dimension of martial practice beyond the obvious, above the commonly held mainstream methodologies and techniques, I want...
No Such Thing as Pressure Points
I realize this is controversial, it will upset some, it will anger others, but that should not prevent it from being said.
We need to...
Be Physically and Mentally Prepared
Officer Stacy Lim from the Los Angeles Police Department pulled into her driveway after an enjoyable evening of softball practice. When Lim got out...
The Jim Wagner Knife Disarm Rule for Police & Military
The Jim Wagner Knife Disarm Rule for police and military has four moves to effectively disarm any extreme close range knife attack. They are: 1....
