We never know when our small act of kindness will change someone else’s entire life for the better. When I first started Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) in early 2013, I had already done many years of martial art training, specifically traditional Korean hapkido. I loved hapkido and still do for what it is. Not only was … Continue reading A Single Act Of Kindness
“I have only ever asked God for enough and he has always provided.”—Joe Sheya (my first martial art instructor) I am have never been shy about discussing the large degree to which my late hapkido teacher, Joe Sheya, impacted my life. He passed away in 2014, but some of the lessons he passed onto me … Continue reading Enough May Be All That We Get (And That Is Okay)
“The aiki-arts (aikido, aikijujutsu, hapkido, et al) are ineffective for fighting and incapable of teaching practitioners how to defend themselves against even the most inexperienced attacker, let alone a seasoned martial artist.” As a practitioner of both aikido (one aspect of Taikyoku Budo) and Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ), I have spent a lot of time contemplating … Continue reading It’s Not For That (And That’s Okay)
In the Spring of 2014, I attended my first aikido seminar. The seminar was hosted by Aikido of Pittsburgh and featured Ellis Amdur who would be teaching his unique framework for aikido which he called Taikyoku Aikido. Taikyoku Aikido is based on Amdur’s observation that all aikido techniques can be mapped along five movement shapes, … Continue reading Taikyoku Aikido and Aikido of Pittsburgh
Why practice a martial art that is not “the best?” There is a lot of criticism in martial arts circles these days around what are seen as impractical or ineffective martial arts. These are martial arts that do not participate in sportive sparring, competitive bouts, or resistance-based training. At the top of the list are … Continue reading Enjoyment Is Its Own Reason
