“He Opened My Eyes to Budo…”
Way back in 2009 I started studying this weird, rarely talked about, even more rarely taught aspect of traditional martial arts called internal power. To say it opened up my worldview when it came to martial arts training would be a huge understatement! Now, to put it in perspective, I’d been training in martial arts since…
5.5 Principles for More Effective Striking in ANY Martial Art
Part 1 of this series, Conditioning the Fists for Striking can be found HERE. Being able to strike with power and precision involves a lot more than merely knowing the technique. Practice must include these principles of effective striking techniques for all martial arts… 1. Whole Body Power All movement in real life happens in…
10 Books Every Warrior Should Read
I am what you would call an avid reader. Some would even say my reading habit borders on a reading obsession since at any one time I can be found to have at least three, sometimes four books going simultaneously. I have several on my nightstand next to my bed, a couple on the coffee…
Kata (Alone) Will Never Build Internal Power
Trying to develop Internal Power by training kata (alone) in martial art is problematic. On one hand, you may inadvertently have minor success in creating some internal connection over the course of 20-30 years of training, but you will most likely have no idea how you did it, no idea why it worked (minimally at…
Gyokko Ryu’s Internal Power Training
There is no doubt in my mind that Hatsumi Sensei possesses unusual power in his budo. Anyone who has trained with him can tell you that! But what is it and where does it come from? More importantly, how can YOU develop it as well? Soke’s martial movement displays many of the characteristics associated with Internal…
25 Life Lessons from Martial Arts Practice
At 41 years old, I have now been training in the martial arts for over 30 years. It does not seem like it’s been that long! Some days I look at the huge expanse of knowledge and history that is real budo and feel dwarfed by its enormity. Other days I feel like I have…
Training Through Injuries
Four weeks ago I injured my ankle. The diagnosis? Peroneal tendonitis. Walking was painful. Squating was painful. Lunging was out of the question. Heck, even balancing on my injured foot hurt.
The UN-Natural Athlete
I was never what you would call a natural athlete growing up. In fact, I pretty much sucked at every sport I tried – baseball, basketball, soccer, kickball, tennis… you name it, I sucked at it. To make things worse I was also ridiculously shy and introverted as a kid, so that combination, on top…
Training in the Elements
If you are a martial artist, it is essential to train your art outside in the elements. Since most traditional arts were born outside, and not in a gym or dojo setting, it is important to every once in a while get back to the roots of your art. Correct me if I’m wrong, but…
The Ninja 300 – Advanced Level
Before proceeding onto this Advanced Level of my Ninja 300 Workout, make sure you have successfully completed the Level 1 Warm-up and the Level 2 Intermediate Workout!
Lost Empire Herbs
