For me, like for many people, martial arts is a lifetime endeavour. But as I approach my 50th year I don't (or can't) do the same things I used to do in my teens or twenties. I used to feel guilty about this, but then I heard Dan Inosanto talk about how your game needs to change every 10 years to adapt to the changes in your body. He started training at age 11 and is … [Read more...]
Should You Stretch Before or After Martial Arts Training?
You wouldn't think that something like stretching before a martial arts class could be controversial, but it is (I blame the running community for muddying the waters)! Some evidence and experts suggest that you should only do it after your workout, whereas most traditions say that you should do it before. Who's right and what should you do? Well, in the following … [Read more...]
5 Basics of Martial Arts Nutrition
You know what's funny? If I told someone - anyone - that they could only drive one car for the rest of their life then they would take amazing care of that car. No cheap waterlogged Tijuana gas would ever go into that fuel tank, and only the highest grade synthetic lubricants would be used for oil changes. If you can never replace that vehicle then you would do … [Read more...]
The Most Important Physical Attribute for Self Defense
There are many different physical attributes that help with your martial arts training and self defense skills: strength, power, explosiveness, endurance, coordination, sensitivity, speed, and flexibility, to name just a few. But what's the most important one? There are various martial artists who build their game around a few special attributes, but if you were going to … [Read more...]