John Hackleman is a living legend. He’s a master martial artist, founder of his own style—Hawaiian Kempo, founder and owner of the world-famous Pit Martial Arts and Fitness Center, coach and trainer to kickboxing and UFC champions, and a top level competitor in kickboxing, boxing, and no-holds-barred fighting. But forget all that! The reason I’m…
Category: MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING
Martial arts training tips for students and teachers of martial arts.
Make Yourself Comfortable–It’s a Matter of Life and Death!
Stop! Before you read this, make yourself comfortable. Straighten your back. Relax your shoulders. Take a deep breath. Here’s why– When you make yourself comfortable, you’re smarter, safer, happier, and more efficient. As an animal, it’s natural to seek pleasure and avoid pain. Yet, how often do we find ourselves, or put ourselves, into situations…
Finish Strong: How To Get Things Done
I admit it–martial artists can be a wacky bunch. Allow me to share an example… One night, during an Aikido class, my teacher demonstrated how to defend against a knife attack. She called up a student and handed him a wooden knife, then gave the cue to attack… The student stuck out his arm, thrusting…
Be You…If You Dare!
Be you. Sounds simple enough. Yet it’s probably the greatest challenge of your life. Sure, it was easy to be you when you were a child. You could scream and cry. You could run around without your pants. You could lie down on the floor at the mall. You could grab a crayon and draw…
Don’t Talk to Tigers: The Worst Mistake in Martial Arts
Imagine you’re at the zoo. AGHHH! You hear a scream. You spin around and see the door to the tiger cage thrown open… A tiger is sitting on your friend’s chest, biting his head off. You’re horrified because your friend not only owed you money, but was also your ride home. Uh oh. The tiger…
Martial Arts Is No Walk in the Park
You’ve seen the picture a thousand times. A karate master standing in a waterfall. A kung fu master kicking on a mountain top. A tai chi master balancing under a tree. Cue the flute and cymbals. It looks so cool. It looks so spiritual. It looks like the masters are absorbing the powers of the…
Thank You, Pain: Why Injuries Are Good for You
If you train in the martial arts, you’re going to suffer injuries. How much you suffer is up to you. It all depends on your attitude about pain. Why Injuries Are Good for You The first time I got hurt was during college. I met a girl—a pretty girl!—who had never done martial arts. Being…