store front schools ep. 1

Asian Martial arts instruction in America was largely incubated in two varities of places: YMCAs and other such community centers where teachers- often US servicemen returned from parts East- taught classes; and in private spaces. As martial arts grew in popularity and more Asian teachers became willing to teach non-Asians, the dedicated martial arts school proliferated. Now days I would guess the majority of martial arts schools are storefronts in strip malls. Images of pre-fabricated TaeKwonDo schools sandwiched by a discount clothing store and a restaurant, off a local highway aren't the most romantic. However, in between these timeframes there was a boon period for storefront schools, often with lurid or extravagant appearances. In many cities, particularly those with older and/or disinvested neighborhoods, the curious eye can still find some interesting examples of such relics of martial arts yesteryear. Then again, some of them are still open and teaching.  Go inside!

thoughts on belt ranking.

I recently read an article thread on belt ranking systems on MartialTalk and was inspired to comment. The original author briefly elucidates the factors in a common complaint against martial arts- that the pursuit of rank often detracts from the pursuit of the art itself. While I couldn’t agree more, I also feel that some sort of rank system is necessary in public schools.

movie review: choke.

I recently watched "Choke," a documentary film about Rickson Gracie's preparation for, and competition in the second Japanese Vale Tudo tournament in 1995. The film profiles his career and training in California, then follows him to the competition. As well, the filmmakers follow two other competitors, one American, one Japanese as they prepare. The second half of the film documents the actual tournament, compressing the matches and showing some interesting backstage goings-on. Choke is primarily a profile of an important fighter at the height of his career but it only skims the surface of the ancillary and highly relevant subject material- the emerging dominance of Gracie Jujitsu and the then unnamed MMA.

jiu jitsu youtubes.

.Who doesn't waste time surfing Youtube? In terms of martial arts it's a great way to get new ideas, see what other people are doing, learn a little history and even get a few laughs in the process. I found two Jiu Jitsu Youtubes recently that I found interesting. Both are ads for schools, but they're doing stuff that's a little different and definitely at least a little interesting. Are they showing amazing technique? Is it practical? Dunno, I don't practice Jiu Jitsu; I just know that this stuff looks kind of cool.

the art of studying martial arts.

part one: choosing a school

I have had several people ask me recently to assist them with choosing a martial art to study. Sometimes they have a vague idea what they want to learn, often it just seems like a more interesting way for them to work out. “Why lift weights and run on a treadmill when I could be learning something cool and important?” Fair enough. I believe however, that if one gets invested in a particular school, or specific art without adequate research they are prone to losing interest after a short period and becoming discouraged from further participation. Unfortunately the volume of (mis)information out there can be quite daunting for the uninitiated. One solution is that those of us currently studying develop a holistic knowledge of the Arts in order to assist those who are curious about taking up their study.