Musha Shugyo: A Warrior's Journey

A short episode exploring how you can use your voice to control a confrontation. 

Meet The Colonel, Todd K. Hulsey, a retired military man and FBI agent of 21 years. What are his thoughts on warrior mindset and martial arts? Find out more at the Dirt Wasp Podcast.

Al and J are making a documentary. They are exploring the obscure subculture of American craftsmen who create Japanese-style swords. You can find out more at The Sun's Shadow.

What do martial artists and combat veterans have in common? Take a dive into a fascinating article written by retired U.S. Marine, Lieutenant Colonel George H. Bristol. 

This is the story of Nancy Wake, nicknamed 'the white mouse' for her ability to evade capture. As the Gestapo's most wanted person, and one of the most highly decorated servicewomen of World War 2, she epitomises what it is to be a warrior. 

A conversation on the meaning of warriors and warriorship. This episode is part of a series of podcast talks by different hosts and their thoughts on the matter. Matthew Krueger, host of Walking with the Tengu joins me in this discussion. Find Matthew's podcast here .

Troy Knight is a retired Australian Air Force special forces operator. His role as a Combat Controller meant that he was responsible for calling in air support for groups on the ground such as the Australian Commandos and the SASR. Join me as we discuss war stories, mental health and warrior mindset.  Find Troy at https://www.instagram.com/troy_knight06/ or https://www.instagram.com/havoczerosix/

Continuing with my short series on aspects of a warrior mindset. What is determination and how can we train ourselves to never give up?

Neville Johnson and I continue our book review of The Warrior Ethos, written by Steven Pressfield.  You can find Neville at https://www.instagram.com/nevillejohnson01/

Neville Johnson, war veteran and poet helps me review the book, The Warrior Ethos by Steven  Pressfield. 

Has the modern sports arena taken the place of ancient warrior cultures? 

I return to one of the five aspects of a warrior's mindset. Composure. What does it take to remain calm under pressure?

What does a Japanese ritual of purification have in common with army recruits going through Boot Camp? Group cohesion, apparently. 

David Lynch started the first Aikido Dojo in New Zealand in 1965.  He was in Japan in 1962-64 and 1973-88,  while there he trained under great names in the Aikido world such as Gozo Shioda and Koichi Tohei. David has an interesting view on Aikido practice and mindset. 

Matthew Krueger, the host of Walking with the Tengu podcast returns to the show to discuss an old Chinese proverb.  For more on Matthew's musings go to his webpage: https://walkingtengu.wixsite.com/tengu

Douglas Tong sensei is invited back to the podcast to have a Q & A session about his earlier talk in episodes 9 and 10 concerning the Heiho Kadensho and Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. To learn more about Tong Sensei, check out the Tokumeikan website.

We continue our talk with Japanese sword instructor, Douglas Tong Sensei, as he explains the relationship between ethics and the new mindset needed at the dawn of the Edo Period. You can learn more about Tong Sensei at http://www.tokumeikan.org/

In this episode, we explore the Heiho Kadensho, ("Book of the Family Transmission of Swordsmanship") with Douglas Tong Sensei. With his more than 30 years of study and apprenticeship in Japan under legendary sword masters, Tong Sensei helps us to understand how this ancient text from 1632 A.D. applies today as much as it did 400 years ago. Find out more about Tong Sensei at http://www.to...

Morihei Ueshiba founded the Japanese martial art of Aikido. What was his purpose in creating this art? Are modern practitioners of Aikido following the founder's ideals now? I look at how the mindset of practitioners can change from past to present through an Aikido lens. 

Matthew Krueger is the host of a podcast called Walking with the Tengu. His podcast explores classic writings for the modern martial artist. Matthew joins me to discuss what happens to individuals of a warrior culture when there are no wars to fight. For more on Matthew's musings go to his webpage: https://walkingtengu.wixsite.com/tengu

Join me as I spend time talking to Nelville Johnson; a British Army veteran, a dad and a published poet. Find him at https://www.instagram.com/nevillejohnson01/

At what level are martial artists really training in violence? I take a brief look at Rory Miller's book, "Meditations on Violence: A Comparison of Martial Arts Training & Real World Violence."

This episode introduces my first guest of the show, Daimin Sammons. Daimin works for St. John as a paramedic. We discuss what it takes to be a paramedic in New Zealand and how Daimin deals with the pressures of a high stakes job. What he calls going into "Job Mode."

In this episode I look at five factors which I believe contribute to a warrior mindset. 

In this episode I define the concept of a warrior further and investigate what you can do to be that person in moments of crisis.