Category Archives: Uncategorized

Living a martial life. What does that mean? As a martial artist for over 20 years I have seen many fellow martial artists practice for various reasons. Some love the art side and some love the martial side. Martial is way beyond just fighting, there is order to it. Think about the term ‘martial law.’Continue reading “Martial Life”

In Nanzan Kenpo there are two different kinds of grading systems that are utilized. For children, kyu/colored belts are used. Students begin as a white belt, then progress to yellow, orange, blue, green, green 1st stripe, green 2nd stripe, green 3rd stripe and finally brown. It is a straight forward system. Each belt up untilContinue reading “GRADING”

In Budo arts “tai-sabaki,” meaning body shifting, is paramount in the execution of waza or techniques. In Western martial arts the use of body shifting is most evident in boxing. Boxer’s utilize head movement to avoid punches, use footwork to evade or enter into an opponents space. Western fencing uses a more straight back andContinue reading “Body Movement and Footwork”

Kempo or kenpo is a martial art of Japanese origin. The term can be translated as “Fist Method.” Most people who study or are interested in the martial arts have heard, studied, or are studying a style called American Kenpo. This style was created by a man named Ed Parker in the United States afterContinue reading “What is Kempo?”

Kata is a solo martial arts exercise typically seen in Japanese and Okinawan Karate, and in Chinese martial arts. In traditional Japanese Jujutsu, kata refers to the two person pre-patterned martial exercises. Some martial arts have over 40 kata and some less than 10. Some are entirely based on two person kata. First, I willContinue reading “TO KATA OR NOT TO KATA?”

I have always been an advocate of solo training. My first martial arts instructor was a man named Thomas Reyes who taught Tae Kwon Do. He always told us to practice at home and to workout at home as well. I was just a 7 year old than but that advice has stuck with meContinue reading “SOLO TRAINING”