I began my traditional martial arts training in September of 1997. My Sensei’s school was located in Alexandria, Indiana. For me, martial arts was the right fit from the very first punch. It wasn’t long until I was training at his school four days per week. I eventually ended up with a key to his school, where I would meet other students on Fridays or Saturdays for additional training and sparring. In addition, I purchased a heavy bag for my home and a stretching machine to gain better flexibility. So basically, I trained every free minute I owned, whether it was during regular class time,...

I’ve only suffered two major injuries in thirteen years of training. One was a sprained knee. The other was a freak accident in sparring which required a surgery to alleviate a lower leg condition called acute compartment syndrome. Both of those injuries required time from training. However, according to my doctors and physical therapists in both scenarios- I bounced back quicker than most folks, which include elite professional and collegiate athletes. I’ve had my share of black eyes, bruised ribs, sprained fingers, sprained ankles, and one broken nose. All in all I’ve maintained a...

A great deal of martial art programs do not blend fitness and self defense. Or they do not blend the two well. Most programs that offer a strong fitness regiment, do not offer a solid, simple, and effective self defense system. Most programs built on self defense do not offer a proper fitness regiment. You can visit martial arts all across the country and you will notice out of shape black belts or senior members. If one is forced to fight in the street, then one must be in shape to deal with the scenario, the stress, the raised levels of adrenaline, the rapid breathing and heart rate. Most...

Sorry for the delay ladies and gents. I’ve been busy this week and had a minor surgical deal which took me out for two days.  Krav Maga just keeps getting bigger. The challenge is to keep it interesting as the level one layer is somewhat thin in regards to the number of techniques and defenses. The thinness of the level one curriculum is appropriate.  It t requires me to constantly reinvent drills and combos to keep it fresh and exciting for everyone. Traditional Karate- We had a particularly good summer for sign ups thus far. I expect that to continue as we get closer to the new school year....

Goju-Ryu: Congrats to Aric Cates in earning his brown belt. Aric was on form, worked hard, and impressed the entire promotion board. Nice work Aric! Dog Days of Summer- In Westlake residents fill their summers with travels, sports, and in general keep their schedules very busy. We’ve certainly seen a growth slow down, and we’ve noticed students missing more classes than normal. However, this has been a great summer as families are making a sincere efforts to attend martial art classes as much as they can. In other words, this is the first summer that it feels as if most of our student body...

Perpetual growth. Not every martial artists will consistently seek for an expansion of knowledge, drills, philosophies, and experiences. I have been on that journey since I began training at Larry Davenport Karate in 1997. However, the desire to grow and expand my knowledge and experiences has ebbs and flows. About  a year ago I bought a Wing Chun Wooden Dummy. I’ve ordered ‘how to use it’ DVD’s in the last year, I’ve looked at usage on line via youtube, and I’ve even sought individual one on one instruction from Kung Fu martial artists. Sadly, it is tough to watch...