A short piece discussing the concept and the practice of ukemi, usually translated or defined as "the art of falling." Here, we try to look past this surface definition or translation. This originally appeared in jujitsu pioneer Geroge Kirby's Kokoro newsletter in March 2019 issue. In the traditional Japanese martial arts, many practitioners learn that ukemi … Continue reading More Than Just Falling: The Art of Self-Preservation
John Paccione Sensei, current president of the United States Judo Association, began his judo training, along with jujitsu and karate training, in 1979 in Staten Island, New York. Around 2003, Paccione Sensei relocated to Cape Coral, Florida, opening a school there. A nationally recognized coach that produces high-level competitors, Paccione Sensei took some time in … Continue reading Interview with USJA President John Paccione: Current State of American Judo
This is a transcript of an interview with the United States Aikido Federation’s Chairman of the Board of Directors George Kennedy Shihan in the summer of 2017 for research of my upcoming American aikido history book. In it, we discuss his first aikido instructor, Rodney Grantham, as well as Yoshimitsu Yamada and his role in … Continue reading Interview with Aikido Shihan George Kennedy: Rodney Grantham and Southeastern Aikido
A short piece discussing the role of uke, the receiver of the technique, in training. This originally appeared in jujitsu pioneer Geroge Kirby's Kokoro newsletter in October 2018 issue. Uke – the “attacker,” the “opponent,” or the “one who is being thrown” – is the counterpart role of nage/tori, the one who performs the technique/throw. During … Continue reading The Benefits of Receiving
Donohue, John J. Warrior Dreams: The Martial Arts and the American Imagination. Westport, Conn: Praeger, 1994. One would think that a scholarly/academic monograph on the martial arts would be somewhat of a labor to read let alone understand the points the author attempts to make. This is the exact opposite when reading John Donohue’s Warrior … Continue reading Reflecting on John Donohue’s Warrior Dreams
In this interview, Keith Bryant, CEO of USA Judo since 2016, discussed judo and America’s largest judo organizations’ responses to the decline in popularity of the martial arts. Such topics include membership numbers, creating a new American judo development model, standardizing teaching methods in the Coaching Task Force. Interview conducted in April 2019. MAYTT: Before … Continue reading Interview with CEO of USA Judo Keith Bryant
This is the second part of a two-part interview with Irvin Gill. Read the first part here. Irvin Gill Sensei began training in the Tracy System of American Kenpo in 1990 and has been teaching since 1994. After almost thirty years of training in American Kenpo, he recently published his book, American Kenpo Karate: The … Continue reading Interview with Kenpo Karate Instructor and Author Irvin Gill Part II
Irvin Gill Sensei began training in the Tracy System of American Kenpo in 1990 and has been teaching since 1994. After almost thirty years of training in American Kenpo, he recently published his book, American Kenpo Karate: The Key Principles and Rules of American Kenpo Karate. With Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, Gill … Continue reading Interview with Kenpo Karate Instructor and Author Irvin Gill Part I
This is the transcript of an interview with American jujitsu pioneer George Kirby Sensei in the summer of 2017 for the research of my upcoming American aikido history book. In it, we discussed the American public view of the martial arts during the 1960s and 70s, his personal journey through jujitsu, and his organizational endeavors. … Continue reading Interview with American Jujitsu Pioneer George Kirby
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 