Reflecting on Her Own Hero
Rouse, Wendy. Her Own Hero: The Origins of the Women’s Self-Defense Movement. New York: New York University Press, 2017. With many female martial artists coming into the limelight, regardless of what art or circles one is a participant of, it may seem that such modern trend – something that is helped by the digital age…
Building On the Mat Spirituality by Michael Aloia
Over the years, I have heard many an instructor say to leave your worldly thoughts and concerns at the door of the dojo before entering. I even worked with a fellow instructor who placed a trashcan at the entrance of the training area to tangibly remind practitioners to dump their “baggage” or “personal trash” before…
Interview with Heartland HEMA Founder Mike Roth: HEMA, Tournaments, and Sportsification
Mike Roth always enjoyed playing with swords, even as a child. He quickly joined a fencing class while in college and wanted more. Roth soon found Mark Wickersham at Five Rings Fencing in 2013 and has not stopped fencing single sword since then. About five years later, Roth established his Heartland HEMA and has placed…
Interview with Byakkokan Dojo Founder Sang Kim: Toyama-ryu in the United States, Part II
Sang Kim began studying battodo at the age of eighteen, after being inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at a young age. What also helped him join was the fact that he used to hang out consistently at Bob Elder’s East Coast Martial Arts Supplies. From there, he joined the Toyama-ryu battodo dojo at Shindai…
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Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 