The Decisive Martial Artist
Being decisive is incredibly important as a Martial Artist. Of course in self defense, if we wait too long to respond we will get hurt. Sparring, hitting mitts and rolling in BJJ helps train our minds to make split-second decisions.
Kung Fu and the Meaning of Martial Arts
In kids’ class yesterday a brand new student asked me, “What does Martial Arts mean?” I then characteristically went on a long rant about Martial Arts, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and much more. It’s been a while
Dark Night of the Soul
A Dark Night of the Soul (not to be confused with The Dark Knight, the only superhero movie I saw twice in theaters) is a concept I’ve been familiar with for a while but haven’t had much direct experience with.
Ups, Downs, and our Attachment to Each
In martial arts and meditation we strive to become aware of our emotional states and learn to ride the waves of physical and internal energy to our benefit. The ups and downs become more predictable, just like practicing falls on
Empowering Context
Creating an empowering context is a crucial skill. Empowering context is basically shifting your mindset so that you get energy from a given situation and you can flow creatively to meet challenges. An example of an empowering context we talk
Baby Zen
Aside from the moments where I am avoiding punches in Kung Fu or getting tapped in BJJ, I can’t recall being as present as I have been since baby Alora was born. For one, I basically have nothing to do
Asking for Help
The theme for this year's Kung Fu retreat was “asking for help”. The idea came to me as we were talking about using the jo (a 4 ft staff) for a few drills. It's basically the same size as a
Stillness within Motion
This Tuesday was the Dojo’s twelfth anniversary. As I reflect on all the wonderful students that have come through these doors and the amazing experiences we’ve shared, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. There’s nothing I’d rather do with my life. It
Our Defining Moments
Nobody likes being defined in a limiting way by other people. If someone looked at me and says, “that’s a white man”. While of course that’s true it also misses a lot about me. One Saturday morning a Chinese man
The Art of Difficult Conversations
The internal challenge in the dojo this week is to have one difficult conversation that you’ve been putting off. For some of you, you immediately know the conversation you need to have. For others, you may spend a minute thinking.
