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I arrived 30 minutes early to enroll the parents in my program and though all received directions to enroll with me directly and NOT the center, one parent did try to enroll with the TKD instructor, the man I saw at the counter complaining that there was another martial arts class that would...
Yeah, I stuck with the "CMAA" theme for the school name.
I have most of the alumni returning and may have one new kid - who used to take TKD. That will be a challenge because his old style will be right next door when he trains with me.
One returning child is rather autistic and used to have...
I have been trying to save and now resurrect a kid's martial arts program a colleague of mine taught for some time. She has retired due to medical reasons and the community center where she has been for years replaced her program with another, knowing an instructor was in place to take over...
I've posted it before in discussions, but here it is: my rule no1 when it comes to dealing with internet, email or any other kind of message exchange.
Rule number 1 when posting anything on the net (or via email):
Do not write anything down that you wouldn't want your partner, kids, family...
Title: Fujita Seiko, The Last Koga Ninja
Author: Phillip T. Hevener
A couple of weeks ago I was trying to find some background information on Fujita Seiko, and I decided to buy this book.
I bought it for several reasons.
It was only 10 dollars, so even if it was a dud, it would be no big...
That is a topic that often comes up in different threads, especially when concerning TMA. Many people dismiss kata and 1/2/3 step partner drills as glorified dancing.
An art that gets a lot of flak for being useless in a real situation is aikido. However, I suggest you look at this vid on...
The very first stance you learn in ninpo is ichimonji-no-kamae.
And if you are new to ninpo, it might look silly to you. I readily admit my first thought was 'WTF...?'
Not only did it look a bit silly to me, but it felt awkward too.
But I practise it at home several times per week, and...
I know it sounds silly, but I am finally getting the hang of being still and relaxed. It's not as easy as it sounds.
One of the things that gets repeated every training is tai-sabaki: Basic body movement for the purpose of evading a strike.
My sensei uses a boken for the strike, though the...
I was reading a discussion on a firearms centric forum that I go to regarding a transition method vs. a slightly different transition method. While the thread was interesting for those that carry both long gun and hand gun, even more interesting to me was Sonny’s observation on reasoning...
Journal Entry 06APR2009
Yesterday the head sensei conducted class again. He does this every month.
The training focused mainly on variation of the basic kihon. I.e one step and 2 step partner drill. The attacker punches one or two times, and the defender blocks / gets out of the way and...
Journal Entry 23MAR2009
Last week we leared the first forward shoulder roll. I had to correct the end position of my toes, but otherwise my (JJ) roll was fine, so I could help out the rest. I had to show how to do it repeatedly.
At the end I asked sensei if apart from my toes, everything...
Journal Entry 23MAR2009
Last year I weighed 82 kg, and I was starting to get a small potbelly. When I saw myself sideways in the mirror, I finally decided that enough was enough.
I cut out sugar and snacks, started workout again, cut back on alcohol, cut out snacks inbetween meals, and...
Journal Entry 24FEB2009
Today's session was much more intense than the previous ones.
We spent all time on the basic kamae: Ichimonji-no-kamae, either going forward for a single punch, or going backward with a single block. left-right-left-....
The ninpo kamae is unlike any other kamae...
Journal Entry 09FEB2009
I know, I know... I was going to work out some more before I was going to do martial arts again. And I kinda said a long time ago that the martial arts chapter in my life was closed for good...
But this was just too good to pass up on.
Genbukan opened a ninpo dojo...
Well, today I finally decided to cough up the 20$ and become a supporting member.
For one thing, I really like this site, and the people here. So there is the supportive aspect.
But I also wanted to have the ability to blog about my progress in the martial arts. Not that I am doing...
Taking Better Action photos By Bob Hubbard
Taking Better Action photos
By Bob Hubbard
Ever been at a martial arts or other sporting event and taken pictures and not been happy with what you got? Were the eyes red and demonic looking, or did the subjects look like blurs or whispery ghosts...
Sweet Tooth? Try Stevia!
By Bob Hubbard
Walk through your sweetener area and you’ll find a wide range of choices. Cane Sugar our old stand by, as well as corn syrups, molasses, and a wide array of artificial sweeteners made in labs, each with it’s own associated health risks and concerns...
What is Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM?
By Bob Hubbard
Medicine today is high technology field, involving all types of advanced equipment, complex chemicals, and designer drugs. American’s spend billions of dollars every year on treatments and doctor visits. But what if there was an...
Snows mostly gone from WNY, temperatures are starting to stay in the 40's, touching the 50's even. Springs almost here, thankfully. I'm finding as I get older, that my allergies start kicking in around mid November and stay in full swing until late April. I'm of course referring to my allergy to...
About a year ago if you asked me what my primary martial art was I would have unhesitatingly answered Kenpo Jutsu. Now I'm not so sure. Sure, all of my rank is in it, but when it comes down to it, it's just a piece of paper.
So I started exploring what was around me. Took me a while to...