The Saber Martial Arts Podcast

¡Bienvenidos a Episodio 70 de SMAFcast , con nuestros amigos fantásticos Puertoriqueños, los hermanos Andinos! Maestros Aureo, Victor, y Roberto de "Saber Legends" ofrecían una charla divertida sobre varios artes marciales y cómo enseñándoles en un "dojo" balletístico, las dinámicas de la familia cuando el hermanito tiene el primer Cinturón Negro, el papel de Puerto Rico dentro del mundo más grand...

Once again, Kay Sensei brings us a guest who is a Master in his craft: Sensei Thanh Nguyen is a chief protege of Grandmaster Fumio Demura and a high-ranking Black Belt in Shitō-ryū Karate. As jovial as he is wise, Thanh Sensei's Yoda-like demeanor serves him well as Chief Instructor of Genbu-Kai International. He shared many stories, and we all shared many laughs over the course of two hours. We t...

Kay Sensei is back for another dojo-cleaning session! We sort through some hot-button tournament-related topics in anticipation of our biggest SMA event to date (despite being released after said event), as well as some fun "Star Wars" banter to liven the mood. Please don't forget to Subscribe to all the stuff, and Share that stuff with people who like similar stuff! Thank you for listening, frien...

As you may have guessed by the titling of this episode, we're joined by a lovely "lightsabre" chap from the UK, Mr. Faisal Mian of Silver Sabres Combat Academy! A longtime Tai Chi artist, Headmaster, proponent of youth saber training, and believer in the "Power of the Force" as it were, Sifu Faisal was an astonishingly delightful guest, and someone we are proud to now count among our friends and B...

It is our extreme privilege to have Sensei Bill Viola Jr. and Sensei Rocky Whatule on the show! Bill Sensei is the owner of the upcoming Kumite Classic Tournament and Viola Karate (PA), a champion karateka, author, and namesake of Sensei Viola Sr., one of the Godfathers of modern MMA. Rocky Sensei is the coordinator of the Kumite Classic and owner of Zanshin Shotokan (CA), a stand-up comic , and a...

Fode, Alan, and Kay preview the new SMA partnership with the Kumite Classic , a massive martial arts tournament that is now part of the incredible Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus, OH on Feb. 28th & March 1st! The SMA Instructors are honored to spearhead this huge leap for LED saber sports and participate in such a massively credentialed martial arts event. We chat about the Official Weapons...

7th Degree Kenjutsu Black Belt, globetrotting Master Instructor, and the inventor of our favorite ActionFlex brand of foam "full-speed" weaponry, Shihan Dana Abbott finally bows us into the SMAFcast SaberDojo! Treat yourself to an exclusive pow-wow with one of the most prominent American swordsmen and a true lifetime martial artist whose contributions to the arts run deeper than a three-body katan...

Yes, the title of this episode is a geek thirst-trap: we are unfortunately not posing for any saber-thicc wall calendars. We are, however, VERY BUSY in 2025 bringing Saber Martial Arts from literal coast to coast! Fode and Sifu break down all of the events planned for this year (so far, with more to come), and you can see the calendar by clicking these words ! We hope to see many of you in person...

Take a knee on the dojo mat and listen to storyteller Brian Takahashi regale you with tales from the life of a stunt performer, martial artist, Star Wars fan, and the actor under the gi top for Young Miyagi-san in Cobra Kai ! Brian offers sage advice for aspiring artists and humorous accounts from decades of filmmaking experience, and his uniquely charming delivery is sure to make this episode an...

Fode and Alan break down the Official SMA Patreon tiers for individual martial artists and saber academies! Becoming a Patron is an incredibly helpful way to support and perpetuate Saber Martial Arts, and thus our ability to give back to this community we love. Please enjoy this bonus release, and click that Patreon link above (and below) to level your SMA game up! Thank you for subscribing and sh...

The first SMAFcast of 2025 is all about choreography! Story-driven vs. combat-driven, "stage combat" vs. "play-combat", the harmony of choreography and actual martial arts training, and some of the elements, actors, and films that we feel define what makes a great "fight scene"! This episode is a primer for next week's show when we'll get some insights from a seasoned stunt actor and choreographer...

Commander Tony Negron, Founder & Head Instructor of SC's Aiken Saber Academy, is our guest commentator for the final entry in our Sparchives trilogy on the SLK Praxeum 2024! Tony, Alan, and Fode dig deep into all the action of the S.I.T.S. Foam Weapons Division. WATCH ALONG WITH THESE LINKS: Foam Weapon Competition (skip to 49 seconds) ; Praxeum Foam Wars The Women (skip to 35 seconds) ; Foam...

Knight Ryan McKenna, Instructor and Event Coordinator for VA's Saber Light Knights, is our guest commentator for the second entry in our Sparchives trilogy on the SLK Praxeum 2024! Ryan, Alan, and Fode dig deep into all the action of the Exotic Saber Division. WATCH ALONG WITH THIS LINK: SLK Praxeum War Day 2 (skip to 8:18) . Thank you SMA fans for sticking with us, and please point your homies in...

Sifu Courtney "Darth Chocolate" Monroe, Headmaster of VA's Saber Light Knights, is our guest commentator for the first entry in our Sparchives trilogy on the SLK Praxeum 2024! Courtney, Alan, and Fode dig deep into all the action of the Standard Saber Division. WATCH ALONG WITH THIS LINK: SLK Praxeum War Day 1 Part 2 (skip to 4:00) . Thank you SMA fans for sticking with us, and please point your h...

Time to mop and roll the mats! Kay Sensei is back in the hot seat to chew on some gristly topics with Fode and Alan. Also, Alan takes a nap on mic. Sorry 'bout the spontaeous snoring towards the finale of this episode, but poor sweet Sifu was a tuckered-out boy. THANK YOU for being you and listening to us! Subscribe for more at the same hawkbat-time on the same hawkbat-channel. Join Saber Martial...

In this episode of SMAFcast , we break down the mutualistic relationship between video games and martial artistry, training traditionally and practically in a world of digital education, and how various multimedia can influence your growth in the martial arts. Plus we glaze some of our favorite video game martial artists and titles we can't button-mash through enough. Thank you for listening to Th...

Battle Proctor Matthew Dominguez of SMA founding school San Diego Sabers is back on the podcast to commentate fights from the 2024 Labor Day Spar-B-Que! WATCH ALONG with this LINK: SDS Labor Day Spar-B-Que 2024 This is a throwback to the OG days of our organization, and we had a massively fun time calling these fights. Please let your nerd flag fly as you listen to the silky smooth sounds of SMAFc...

Pan American Champion and Team USA Olympic Karateka extraordinaire, Ms. Sakura Kokumai, sits with Sifu and Your Main Man for a SMAFcast like no other. Sakura-san is a 4th Dan in Shitō-ryū and the only American female Olympian to compete in 2020, finishing in 5th place after competing in the Bronze Medal match. She was extremely generous with her time (and her fielding of Fode's barrage of fanboy q...

Fode and Alan provide commentary for the second day of matches from the USA Lightfencing Activation Workshop at Terra Prime headquarters. Watch along using this link: USA Lightfencing Day 2 Playlist . Thank you for watching and listening! Please subscribe and share for more. The Home of TPLA & USA Lightfencing Learn Saber Martial Arts and become an SMA Affiliate! Become an Official SMA Patron!...

Fode and Alan provide commentary for the first day of matches from the USA Lightfencing Activation Workshop at Terra Prime headquarters. Watch along using this link: USA Lightfencing Day 1 Playlist . Thank you for watching and listening! Please subscribe and share for more. The Home of TPLA & USA Lightfencing Learn Saber Martial Arts and become an SMA Affiliate! Become an Official SMA Patron!...

"The Path of Light" ever winds further as Alan chats across 3 time zones with Evan from Saber Arts Club in Missouri, and Vince from The Lightsaber Path. SAC is the first affiliate school of TLP. Both are lifetime martial artists, and Sifu brings the nerd right out of these boys. If you didn't catch Part 1 of this conversation with Vince and Fode, go back to Episode 52 first! THANK YOU as always fo...

After coordinating over three time zones, Fode and Sifu are joined by JKnight Vince, Headmaster and founder of French saber academy The Lightsaber Path. We had an absolutely bromantic conversation about traditional martial arts, Star Wars fandom, and the intertwining of the two forms of geekery. Thank you to Vince for taking time out of your morning to talk shop with us, and thanks to all of you w...

We're back in Fode's Falcon on our way to the Columbus Spaceport from the USA Lightfencing seminar in Ann Arbor. We ruminate on the weekend's activities. Please enjoy this candid episode of SMAF cast, and don't shy from a Subscribe & Share! *We had a long weekend and a long drive; some adult language was inevitable. Learn Saber Martial Arts and become an SMA Affiliate! Become an Official SMA P...

Sifu Chad aka "Darth Nonymous" from Terra Prime Light Armory and USA Lightfencing invites Sifu Alan and Fode-san to his actual living room for a pow-wow prior to our final day of training/certification as Lightfencing Officials. Please Subscribe to Saber Martial Arts as well as Terra Prime Light Armory for the latest in SMA and Lightfencing media! The Home of TPLA & USA Lightfencing Learn Sabe...

Sifu Alan and Fode-san are joined by SMAF O.G. and one of the Head Instructors of San Diego Sabers, Matthew Dominguez! This is one of our nerdiest shows to date, with a troll's share of great martial arts chatter and saber-speak. Please remember to Subscribe and Share SMAFcast with your friends and your friendliest foes! San Diego Sabers Official Site Learn Saber Martial Arts and become an SMA Aff...