Blog Feed: American/Traditional

Martial Arts and the Myth of Learning Styles

Published on 2011-03-11 15:44:12

When last year I read of a study that debunked key popular beliefs about “learning styles,” I thought, “Yes! I knew it!” These beliefs were, and no doubt still are, very widely and deeply held: that there are distinct styles, or modalities, o > read more

First post of the new year…

Published on 2011-01-03 00:51:54

I resolve to write some new blog posts this year. There’s plenty to write about; just can’t always find the time, in between all the other things I resolve to get done. Happy New Year, blogosphere! > read more

A Question of Respect

Published on 2010-09-27 13:06:16

I’ve decided to post a question, because I’ve been too busy to write a good post in quite some time, and this trend might continue. It’s on one of my favorite subjects: Respect- what it is, what it means. Here’s the question: > read more

Can you teach what you don’t understand?

Published on 2010-05-03 01:28:14

I was put in mind of this question when I read some comments a colleague had made about board-breaking. Breaking boards is unquestionably an exercise in physics. But my colleague, through his remarks, revealed that he didn’t quite understand th > read more

The Art of Dodging Bullets

Published on 2010-04-23 00:12:45

My first martial art was taekwondo, but the senior student in the club was enamored with aikido. He talked about it all the time, regaling us with tales of elderly masters who could subdue multiple attackers without striking a blow, and best of all > read more

I Lost a Student With “Too Much Philosophy”

Published on 2010-04-10 01:05:30

This was quite a few years ago already. And while the student in question did not use that exact phrase, I don’t think he’d disagree. But let me give the background. As you’ll know if you have read other parts of this blog, I do hav > read more

Two Principles

Published on 2010-01-18 02:15:14

Off to a bit of a slow start this year, but now that I’m back online I’m posting a couple of quotes I came across over the holidays: “If there is anything to do, there is certainly a best way to do it, and the best way is both the most economic > read more

What is a ‘martial arts master’?

Published on 2009-11-01 13:01:43

While I’ve been too busy to write these past several weeks, a certain news story has been preying on my mind. Many of you probably read it: “Judo champ jailed in train station beating.” The Striking Thoughts blog made mention of it, if you didn > read more

Women, Men, How Different?

Published on 2009-09-18 00:27:44

Someone sent me this link. I think the column is hilarious, and telling, and among other things it caused me to wonder whether you, readers, think a woman’s experience is really completely different from a man’s. Or, how different you thi > read more

(Not) How to Choose a Dojo

Published on 2009-09-01 14:05:10

Someone once asked me whether I’d write a guide to choosing a dojo, to go along with a training manual I was working on. I thought about it, but decided the answer was “no.” It’s not that I don’t have ideas and opinions on the subject; I ha > read more

Blogging Lessons for an Old Fogey

Published on 2009-08-25 15:46:06

For those of you who haven’t figured it out by reading my posts: I am a bit of an old fogey. I started training over thirty years ago, and I wasn’t a young kid when I started. I got interested in this blogging thing earlier this year R > read more