What Have You Failed At Today?
This is not an accounting of how you "are a failure." Quite the opposite: it is an accounting of how you "are someone who dares."
The Art of Gathering
Every martial arts meetup, whether it’s a class, a study group, or a tournament, is a type of gathering. It is so easy to approach…
Be Intentional About Your Open Sparring Times
Whether you call it randori, kumite, sparring, or touching hands, many martial arts provide space and time for students to explore the art in a…
SKIL: A model for learning martial forms
Having a form that you can practice without a training partner provides structure for improving and maintaining your martial ability when training sol…
The Role of Martial Forms
Solo forms are a part of many different martial arts from around the world, and European martial arts are no exception. Solo and partnered martial…
Setting Successful Swordy Resolutions
The main failure I see in most people’s resolution setting is that the resolutions themselves tend to live in a vacuum without any clear systems…
Right or Left Hand Lead?
Which hand should go on top with a two-handed weapon? Across martial arts there are actually a lot of arguments for placing your dominant hand…
Is There a Link Between Ballet and Fencing?
I have long heard that ballet has its origins in historical fencing. It's a romantic idea and as someone who both teaches martial arts and dance (thou…
Share Your Struggles to Get Through Your Blocks
The path to mastery is as little as 25% technical, and 75% psychological. Not to diminish what it takes to learn and apply a martial art physically, b…
The Road to Mastery is 25% Technical, 75% Mental
When I look at my pursuit of mastery and proficiency in the various arts of my life I see more clearly now that truly a…