Developing Courage and Community through Martial Arts
I have been doing Song Moo Kwan Taekwondo for a LONG time. I had the fortune of getting a couple articles published in Black Belt, Taekwondo Times and Inside Taekwondo back in the 1990’s. One other goal has been to create a guide for the hyungs that are exclusive to Song Moo Kwan. I have […]
The Complete History of McDojos (pt. 1) and The Complete History of McDojos (pt. 2) are excellent articles discussing the perils of the martial arts industry. There are many opinions and some very fierce positions about the variety of issues. My story… I started Taekwondo back in 1981. At the time I didn’t know it […]
Happening across the end of the movie “Blue Crush” on a movie channel, the heroine takes the last ride on a beautiful wave but due to the struggles leading to this point her score isn’t good enough to qualify for the next round of the competition. As she is mobbed by family, friends and fans […]
The martial arts is the perfect place to practice making stress your friend…well, at least, your ally. The challenges that are presented go beyond what you normally do in daily life. Even if you look just at the fitness aspect, your body is not ready for it. I had trained in Taekwondo for 10 years […]
I found this series of articles and they gave me cause for thought about my leadership and capabilities. The Essentials of Leadership Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3. I have always tried to impress on students that the school/class is theirs, not mine. While I may have started the movement, I know it […]
During a Haidong Gumdo (Korean sword) seminar led by Senior Chief Master Marshall Parnell, he commented that his job isn’t to make students the best swordsman that he can but it is to help them learn to drive their car better. My school has loved the hard physical training that develops the spirit in addition […]
I will probably upset many people with this post but I think that it is time to speak up. I have enjoyed my martial arts training and have benefited greatly from it. I have grown personally and professionally. I have also had the awesome opportunity to work with the wonderful people who have been and […]
Helen Ryan writes in The Power of Letting Go of Fear about the adventure she had in trying to give her son a memorable 12th birthday. She came up with an idea and ran with it. She used it to describe getting over the fear of doing new things that are beyond your current knowledge. […]
Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of having my students participate in rank promotion testing. Many gup (colored belt rank) tests and several Dan (black belt) tests. Seeing my school grow in size, ranks and personal maturity is very much a awesome thing to see. All of the excitement after months […]
Leadership is an important topic to me. I think that everyone must be a leader. This doesn’t mean that everyone is “in charge of” a company, a department, an organization or people in any manner. It does mean that they continually strive to improve themselves and support others. I’ve heard the saying forever “Lead by […]
The LinkedIn article written by James Citrin titled The No. 1 Lesson from Navy SEALs: ‘Don’t Quit in Anticipation of Future Failure’ had a couple good items for martial artists. The article presents a response to the question of why SEAL candidates succeed. The former commander of SOCOM stated “First he explained the attributes, which […]
If you wish to read the original LinkedIn article, follow the link here – 21 Things People With Confidence Embrace – but the list is below with some commentary about the martial arts affect and/or viewpoint. 1. They don’t walk like they own the world. They walk like they don’t care who does. 2. They […]
The following is an email from a Twin Ports Gumdo (Duluth, MN) student, Mrs. Amy Ojard, who tested for her World Haidong Gumdo Federation Chodan at this weekend’s Spring Seminar. Mrs. Ojard is also the Athletic Director at Lakeview Christian Academy in Duluth, MN. ———– Master F., First of all, thank you for your passion […]
This LinkedIn article – Want to Be a Real Leader? Forget “You” – helps describe something that I’ve always tried to promote. While I was a security supervisor, I told my officers that I should be replaceable. Basically, this meant that if I wasn’t on duty, the client (in contract security settings) shouldn’t be able […]
Recently I had a call from a Mom wanting to put her child into Taekwondo classes. She said that he needed to learn more discipline because he had “anger issues”. She went straight to asking the costs and such. When I found out the child was 5 years old, I politely informed her that we […]
Learn to Speak or Teach Better in 30 Minutes The concept presented within the article holds true for learning and developing any martial arts skills, also. Your training MUST be more than mere practice and repetition. If you are not applying deliberate practice to all of your training, you are WASTING time and energy. I […]
So, how is your training going? Good? Frustrating? While everyone plateaus during their training, in all kinds of topics, one of the reasons is often overlooked. Many students develop good technique and then move on to something new. This development serves them well…for the most part. As frustration starts, the student struggles to figure out […]
I tried three times to write something wise to help deepen the understanding of what is presented here. I stopped after I remembered being told that I talk too much. I will leave everyone with this though – It isn’t enough to just practice the technique! You must spend time developing the understanding. Without understanding, […]
Back in the early 1980s, I came across two things that changed my thoughts about what I should be doing in life. The first one is from an adventure series called “Ninja Master” by Wade Barker. This is a brain candy series that didn’t have a lot of story but was a fun read. What […]
Having some really cold weather here in Minnesota provided the opportunity to do some searching for more lessons to learn and bring to my students. I found this article “The Big Secret to A Successful Career” on LinkedIn and thought that it not only fit how to be successful in a career but in martial […]
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.
