Helping you perform your best in life & martial arts

Training & Recovery

Learn how to optimize your health and performance with smart karate training, cross-training, stretching, sleep and recovery. 

Training Burnout in Martial Arts

Whenever I post something online about the importance of rest and recovery, I always get at least one comment claiming that rest makes us weak as martial artists. I used to have this mentality. When I started karate, I had a reasonable training schedule. I’d train 3 nights per [...]

2023-03-06T14:11:29-08:00March 6th, 2023|Categories: Training & Recovery|

Best Teaching Style for Martial Arts?

Almost every teacher and coach I’ve ever had has been more concerned with having power over their students and being admired for their expertise than with building rapport and trust with their students. The small minority of teachers who weren’t like this were by far the best teachers I’ve ever had. Why? Because [...]

2022-12-19T08:38:59-08:00October 17th, 2022|Categories: Training & Recovery|

Karate & Kobudo Weapons are Awesome

I get this thrill of excitement every time I pick up my karate weapons. Bo. Nunchaku. Sai. Tonfa. Eku. I love them all. They are incredibly challenging to learn, but once you get proficient with them, you can learn some pretty cool kata and techniques. Learning a new weapons kata is awesome [...]

2022-12-19T08:43:15-08:00August 22nd, 2022|Categories: Training & Recovery|

The TRUTH About Starting Karate

I never knew how much of a pounding I could actually take until I started karate. I mean, I was 41. I wasn’t totally inexperienced. But I’d never been through anything like THAT before. Me, the only white belt, surrounded by black belts. They all knew what they were [...]

2022-12-19T08:43:43-08:00August 15th, 2022|Categories: Training & Recovery|

Do Rice Digs to Build Grip Strength for Karate

This training exercise is called “dirty rice,” "rice grips," or “rice digs,” and is a very effective—and fun!—way to increase grip strength for karate and other martial arts. Building up strength in your fingers, hands, wrists, and forearms is great for power, but is also a smart idea for combat fighters. [...]

2022-12-19T08:46:51-08:00July 25th, 2022|Categories: Training & Recovery|

Don’t Ever, EVER Wash Your Karate Belt

Legend has it that ranking in karate arose from an ancient tradition of martial artists never washing their belts. White belts turned black from years of dirt, sweat, blood, and dedication. The more knowledgeable the martial artist, the darker and filthier the belt. As the modern enlightened, we know a thing or two [...]

2022-12-19T08:47:14-08:00July 18th, 2022|Categories: Training & Recovery|
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