My Thoughts on the Musical “Hamilton”

A quick caveat: I’m not a big fan of musicals. I like Cabaret, aka the best-musical-ever, and I like Hair, aka the second-best-musical-ever. Other than that, I’m generally not a fan. In the musical Hamilton, I really liked the character Lafayette. I was like, “Who is this French guy who is named after that streetContinue reading “My Thoughts on the Musical “Hamilton””

The Partner/Opponent: Paradox in Push Hands

I’ve liked fighting since I was a kid. Not real fighting, and not watching sport fighting, but wrestling with my little brother. I loved the energy of it— getting mad at each other, getting riled up, then yelling at each other, the grappling, the slapping each other, but not so hard that we’d actually hurtContinue reading “The Partner/Opponent: Paradox in Push Hands”

Self-Defense Mindset?

Self-defense can be a mindset, a way of life. It’s a way of life I’ve been living since I first took martial arts classes as a young teenager. But is it a healthy mindset, a healthy way of life? As a student in my first tae kwon do school in the 90’s, the focus ofContinue reading “Self-Defense Mindset?”

Formula for Success

I’ve been thinking of how to set up my martial arts teaching practice, and today I came up with a formula: The formula seems simple enough. I practice, I write about the practice, I share the writing, and I also share the practice. Sharing means on social media, on here, and with friends or studentsContinue reading “Formula for Success”

Training Journal 08.08.2022

In my life and in my practice lately, I feel like I’ve been fighting too hard, trying too hard, pushing too hard. I end up breaking myself again and again. Part of this is an expression of grief. My heart has been broken recently– by the death of my father, my mother’s stroke, challenges withContinue reading “Training Journal 08.08.2022”