—Kent Nelson talks about martial arts culture Continuing our interview from this summer, we talk how the teacher/student relationship is evolving and how it changes how to manage a martial arts business. Even maintaining a more traditional environment—and sorry to always use this example, but having students sweep the floor is the classic—the mere fact[…]
It doesn’t matter if they have the whole system. They just need to make you better than you were When searching for a teacher of a specific art, prospective students have an image in their head, and a natural question is, “does this person have the whole system?” They are thinking tiger-emblazoned sleeveless gis, catching[…]
School Formality is a tool or road block depending on how you use it Many people expect a certain ritual in their martial arts. Ritual brings focus, and for parents especially, it warms their heart to see their kids lined up in uniform being a little more formal than in their daily life. Even adults[…]
Today doesn’t matter in the long run. Be a good person. I was at the MKG Instructor Conference this week, which dovetailed into a Dan Inosanto seminar, so naturally I stayed over for some of it and was really looking forward to working with a variety of very skilled people; the level in that room[…]
Do you, your teachers, or students suffer from sifu or guru voice? As we ease into the holiday weekend, now may be the perfect time to meet your martial arts community in a more social setting: watching fireworks, or eating chicken wings or quinoa salad. And in this setting, do people still talk like Kwai[…]
A martial arts teacher’s influence is often as great as a priest over his congregation or a captain over her crew. With a US election coming up and a state of extreme divisiveness and intolerance for the other side, this seems like a good time to write about the teacher’s influence. Many who come to[…]