Blog: True Freedom from Martial Arts and Meditation
Since tomorrow is the 4th of July, the idea of freedom is on my mind. I am especially reminded of the big picture of freedom. As a young country we had to fight for our freedom against an oppressive regime.
Blog: Your Martial Arts Practice is Not for You
There have been a few incidents in the dojo recently. Some have been private conversations, some have been public, and all have been disturbing to me. The reason they bothered me is because I’m not enlightened (yet). There is still a
Blog: The Worst Horse doing Tai Chi
One of my favorite quotes, although talking about meditation, can be applied to Tai Chi and is from Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki, It is said there are four kinds of horses: excellent ones, good ones, poor ones, and
Blog: Martial Arts and Embracing Discomfort
A few weeks ago I went back to Michigan to visit Sifu Brown’s school and attend Jeremiah’s Black Sash test. As part of his test, Jeremiah gave a talk about embracing discomfort that I just loved. Jeremiah Savage is, as his name
Blog: Kung Fu Brother
Jeremiah Savage is testing with my teacher Sifu Brown for black sash. It’s a very rare and special occasion, so some of the staff at our dojo and I are flying to Michigan to take part in the ceremony. Jeremiah and I
Blog: Rank in Martial Arts
How do you get a black belt? You find a competent teacher and a good school, begin your training and work hard. Someday—who knows when—it will come. It is not easy, but it’s worth it. It may take one year;
Blog: How to Make and Keep your Martial Arts Resolutions
The first real goal I ever made was to meditate every day for a year. I did this when I was 17 and had just begun practicing martial arts with Sifu Brown. It was one of my New Year’s resolutions,
Blog: Every Day is a Vacation – Using Martial Arts for Relaxation and Mindfulness
I just came back from a week-long family trip to Hawai’i. Anybody who has been at the dojo for a significant time knows that I don’t really go on vacation, and this trip was actually the longest I’ve ever been
Blog: Role Models
The Question of the Week at the dojo is: Who are your role models? The term “role model” has always had a childish, boy scout-type connotation for me, but we’ll use it. Who do you model yourself after? Who do
Blog: Finger Pointing the Way to the Moon
In an early scene from one of the greatest martial arts movies of all time, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee is shown sparring with a student. Unsatisfied with the student’s performance, he implores him to throw his technique with emotional
