Ramblings about the martial arts, training, life and other subjects. That’s why its called “rambling”.
These quotes come from an article written by.Dave Berke for the Business Insider “Discipline drives you to do the work you don’t enjoy, but is required.” If you want someone who will handle adversity, find someone who is disciplined. If you want someone who will conquer fear, find someone who is disciplined. If you want […]
It is often stated that Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. I completely agree with this. I’ve watched as those who claim to lead us only take care of themselves. It is truly sad. This being said, it struck me the other night as I watched the TNT show “Last Ship”. The great struggle that they […]
Everyone tries hard but… Did you learn what you needed to BEFORE trying your best? This seems to be one of those “isn’t it obvious that I know what I’m doing” things whenever someone is actively seeking to accomplish the goal. Well…it doesn’t always seem to be true in the martial arts. Between the industry […]
Starting New It’s hard starting something new, and even harder when you find out that everything you thought you already knew is wrong (or at least just slightly off). That’s what it was like leaving the White Tiger family and joining Hwang Yong in Cheltenham, England. I left American a 1st Dan thinking that my […]
One of our Chodans has moved to the Untied Kingdom to follow her academic goals and has become one of their new teachers. Here’s some of her thoughts after a Summer visit. Thank you, Becky Jones, for the guest post. Coming Back It’s been almost a year since I left for England, and left the […]
One of our Chodans has moved to the Untied Kingdom to follow her academic goals and has become one of their new teachers. Here’s some of her thoughts after a Summer visit. Thank you, Becky Jones, for the guest post. Coming Back It’s been almost a year since I left for England, and left the […]
“Show me a guy who’s afraid to look bad, and I’ll show you a guy you can beat every time.” – Lou Brock This could be the person who isn’t willing to make the effort. It may be the person with too much ego. Either case the results aren’t good. How many times have you […]
Recently a student commented that she like the rules that I offered as part of training. Well, they’re more guidelines that I offer to students to help develop their technique. I use them so often that students can recite them back to me when asked. Something that needs to be kept in mind is that […]
One of the fun quotes from Dr. Strange: The Ancient One: You wonder what I see in your future? Dr. Stephen Strange: No. Yes. The Ancient One: I never saw your future, only its possibilities. You have such a capacity for goodness. You’ve always excelled, but not because you crave success but because of your […]
There has been a post that has gone through Facebook a bunch of times about the what parents are really paying for when putting their children in martial arts classes. If you haven’t seen it or don’t remember all that was written in it, you can follow this link to review it – From A […]
I finally got the chance to watch the movie Dr. Strange. I liked it and found this piece of dialog interesting. Dr. Stephen Strange: How do I get from here to there? The Ancient One: How did you get to reattach severed nerves and put a human spine back together bone by bone? Dr. Stephen […]
Many of you know my “liking” of NCIS. Yeah, I would LOVE to be Gibbs and have everything written for me! That’s beside the point, though, as enough happens within the show that sets examples for how role models should act. That said, I’d like to show you an example of my world in Gibbs […]
My 7th Dan Test panel = 8th Dan Grand Master James S. Cahn (Cleveland Taekwondo Martial Arts), 8th Dan Grand Master Roy Bushman, 10th Dan Supreme Grand Master Joon Pyo Choi (Columbus OMAC & World Song Moo Kwan United leader), 9th Dan Grand Master Young Pyo Choi (OMAC Indiana); 8th Dan Grand Master Kwang Ho Kim […]
Why delusion can be a good thing! If you’re a fan of Westerns, you may remember Clint Eastwood saying, “A man’s got to know his limitations.” This is true! But how do you find your limitations? Most people live lives of quiet mediocrity, avoiding pain because it hurts! Yes, it does, that’s the main attribute […]
“Well, techniques can be packed up and taken anywhere. Not so with dedication.” – Sensei Skip Taylor The picture to the left is from a local thrift shop. While I understand that not everyone will train for their lifetime in the martial arts but this shouldn’t happen. Yes, this is just my opinion so you […]
The other evening we had some newbies, 4 white belts and a yellow. Master F. took extra time to talk through the mechanics of cutting, and Dave worked with the white belts on the first form. Nothing odd there, but the thing I was surprised and delighted by was my attention to this. I’ve been […]
I’ve had the recognition in the past couple weeks that I have learned forms to complete tests without having the knowledge about what happens during these forms. This is particularly in regard to my Haidong Gumdo training, but there is some Taekwondo as well as I prepare for my next test. I have preached to […]
Aikido master Endō Seishirō shihan stated: “It is known that, when we learn or train in something, we pass through the stages of shu, ha, and ri. These stages are explained as follows. In shu, we repeat the forms and discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the forms that our forebears created. We remain […]
This is the end of an excellent day…weekend (3/17-3/18). I had the pleasure of hosting Grand Master Bill “Superfoot” Wallace while he was here for a seminar. His knowledge and experience makes him a highly valuable resource to supplement anyone’s training. The stories from his training, his fights, his movies, and his travels are entertaining […]
Understanding that not every person or body is the same and helping to work through that. The love and passion you and your students have. The geekiness we can all be. You allow your students to be their own person.
