martial arts

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles.” Sun Tzu Except for a couple of scraps in high school and college, I never got in a real fight as a ... Continue Reading

Discussing the topic of uncertainty is difficult to do without descending into clichés. For instance, how many times have you heard that “the only constant is change?” But in life, and in your martial ... Continue Reading

There is something primal and satisfying about strong movement. Think of the incredible grace and terrifying power of a prowling tiger, or the way monkeys swing from branches and vines with ease while we ... Continue Reading

“Why study a martial art?” is a question that has many answers. The benefits of the training are widely touted and the popularity of mixed martial arts has brought new insight and perspective to the arts. ... Continue Reading

My name is Chris Holder and I am the head strength coach at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, California. We are a Division I athletics program competing in 21 varsity sports and on paper we operate and ... Continue Reading

Artemis Scantalides is one of nine women in the world to complete the Iron Maiden Challenge. And that's not even the bravest thing she's done. She is StrongFirst Level 2 and RKC Level 2 certified ... Continue Reading

Other than a couple of minor scraps in high school and college, I had never been in a fight prior to studying martial arts. Getting hit wasn’t something I was used to when I showed up to kung fu many moons ... Continue Reading

Why is specific grip training for BJJ so important? If your grips fail, all your technique goes out of the window. It becomes hard to execute anything. This article will show you how to develop grip ... Continue Reading

This has been my first full week of training since the holidays. It’s been tough getting back into the swing of things, but I have to get ready for my super fight in February. Meet the ... Continue Reading

It’s been a challenging week at school, but I still managed to get in a lot of good training. Midterm grades are due next week, so of course all of my teachers decided they needed to give us one last test, ... Continue Reading

When awarded his fifth degree black belt at the age of 81, Willie Nelson said, "I think martial arts is one of the best exercises you can do. Mentally, spiritually, physically, everything." His achievement ... Continue Reading

As an athlete, you know that the mental state you bring into the gym has a huge impact on your performance. But it goes the other way, too. How you are and what you learn in the gym can impact your life as ... Continue Reading

When I think of the word martial arts, I think of that old song Kung Fu Fighting. I think of the kid in my neighborhood who thought he was a ninja and would play incessantly with nunchucks and throwing ... Continue Reading

For the eighth time this year, it’s tournament time. Even though I’ve been competing so much this year, it’s always a little more exciting going to a larger event like the IBJJF Boston Summer Open. It’s ... Continue Reading

Personally, I can’t say that if I could go back in time, I would choose to start BJJ in a women-only beginner class over a co-ed class, but I think I would strongly lean towards it. I had some shitty ... Continue Reading

This week I was pressed for time, but I still got four good days of mat time and three days of strength and conditioning. Since my last competition a week ago, I've been focusing on filling some holes that ... Continue Reading

Last Saturday I held my free women’s self-defense seminar and it was great! I had a total of nineteen women attend. They all worked hard and did an awesome job. I think we picked the perfect moves for them ... Continue Reading