whistlekick Martial Arts Radio

Today we talk about the history and usage of martial arts weapons. We squash some stories that get thrown around, give you reasons for why you should do some weapons training and even help you understand how weapons training can improve your unarmed martial arts. We talk about the origins of Asian martial arts weapons, the loss of Korean swordsmanship, the similarities and differences between weap...

Today's episode brings us Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) practitioner Guro Chris Thompson. With a background in Goju Karate, Guro Chris found his passion in a very different style - and we talk today about that transition. While not as well know as karate, Filipino arts are starting to receive global acceptance and recognition. If you're unfamiliar with the systems of the island nation, you'll learn...

When we consider the space that martial arts occupies in the Western world, specifically the United States, it's easy to see the impact. Our movies are full of martial arts-inspired fight scenes. Popular culture lifts up the skilled fighters from the UFC. A man who has been dead for forty years is one of our most recognized icons . Yet, when we break down the numbers, martial arts participation in...

Today's episode is with one of my long-time martial arts friends, Miss Jessica Henderson. Over the last year we've heard from a lot of different people - different styles, different paths and different outlooks on the arts. I believe strongly that everyone has a story to tell - wisdom to share. Miss Henderson is no different, and the fact I was able to sit down with her in person was a bonus. Most...

Today's show topic started as an email from a listener. This listener was feeling conflict with the vast amounts of information that was expected to be taught to students at their martial arts school. As they wrote, on the one hand, diversity of techniques is very much in line with the artistic side of what we do. Yet, on the other hand, it makes it more challenging to achieve a level of proficien...

Today's episode is with another of the wonderful martial artists I first met in 2015 at the Super Summer Seminars event. (As of this episode, the others we've heard from that came out of this weekend are Sensei Katie Murphy & Kyoshi Dave Kovar ) We didn't get a lot of time together, but I had a good feeling about him and what he offered as an instructor. I then saw him in January at Sifu Alan Gold...

  Most people that have trained in the martial arts for a time have had some type of external training - meaning training outside their typical location from people other than their typical instructor(s). These could be seminars or visiting another school, whether it's of a similar style or something completely different. There's a lot of value in learning different things, even the same things fr...

Today's episode is with Mr. Michael Rowe, a martial artist with as diverse a training history as anyone I've ever seen. With experience in Karate, ninjitsu, taekwondo, hapkido, and a lot more, under a number of different instructors, Mr. Rowe brings a lot to the table. An insightful man, his stories are wonderful – they're entertaining, they're honest and they're real. So sit back, and let's hear...

n today's episode we're talking about martial arts warmups and the four phases of an effective warmup and how most martial arts classes miss the boat. These are: low-risk cardiovascular movement, joint mobility, intensifying cardiovascular movement, flexibility (aka stretching). We discuss what they are, how to handle them, why to approach them in this order, how long to do them and so much more....

Our guest today is the star of one of the most-beloved martial arts films of all-time, Mr. Taimak Guarriello. The Last Dragon is one of those rare martial arts films that had an impact that transcended martial arts culture, and could be felt in general society. Here we are 80 episodes in, and the news of his Mr. Guarriello's appearance created more buzz than any other guest we've had. While even h...

Today's episode is very different. Over the last few months, we've bumped into a recurring theme from our guests. That theme being the support martial arts provided to them during difficult times, especially as children. I've been struggling with how to tell my piece of this story, and whether or not to even tell it. In the end, I felt it was important to share simply because it may help provide c...

Today on Martial Arts Radio we have an interesting guest, unlike anyone we've had on before. Over the last 10-20 years, we've seen a growing diversity in the martial arts world. We can no longer consider martial arts to simply be the arts of Korea, Japan and China (as well as their derivatives). We now see arts coming out of nearly every country and region on the global stage. Historical European...

On today's episode of Martial Arts Radio, we tackle the sensitive subject of handling the aches & pains that turn into worse problems. As martial artists, we're often taught to push through the pain, but that can have disastrous long term effects. We give you real strategies for preventing those injuries, recovering from everyday training and knowing when to take a step back or even get some help....

Today we get to talk to someone that, in some ways, is very much a mirror of myself. Sensei Jaredd Wilson is a martial artist with experience in Aikido, Silat and Kenjutsu, but he also hosts a podcast about the martial arts, called Martial Thoughts. And in a very new development, it looks like we'll be seeing him at the first-ever whistlekick Martial Arts Weekend in July, 2016. We became friends o...

On today's episode we offer up some strategies for avoiding fights, including creative situations for diffusing the situations that often lead to fights. This list is certainly not complete, but covers the  seven primary strategies for getting yourself out of a rough situation and avoiding combat altogether. For full show notes and other episodes, please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsrad...

Today's episode features our first conversation with someone who trains primarily in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Mr. Jeremiah Grossman started his martial arts training in other styles but found his calling later when he switched. With the strong ties we often hear of between BJJ and mixed martial arts, you might go into this episode thinking we're going to have a wholly different conversation than norma...

Welcome to the Martial Arts Radio profile of the classic martial arts movie, Enter the Dragon. On today's episode we talk about the history of the film, trivia and a lot more. Check it out - you'll be sure to know a lot more about this film than you did before.   For full show notes, lots of photos, fun videos and more, please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/enter-the-dragon/

Grandmaster John Pellegrini is a well-known martial artist with a list of credentials and accolades that few will accomplish, in any industry. He's a sought-after seminar instructor and routinely travels around the world sharing his knowledge. Many of his seminar attendees have said he's a must-see, and it was one of those attendees that reached out and asked us to bring him on the show. We rarely...

Now, today's episode is a little different. We had a member of the whistlekick online community write in with a suggestion that we discuss the benefits or martial arts for children, but from the idea that any martial arts training can be a benefit to any child. We thought it was an interesting topic, so we reached out to one of our past guests, Master Tanya Panizzo . As a school owner, instructor,...

And I think that's where I've learned the greatest lesson is... you know, my ego should have stayed outside the door. And if I'd have kept it outside the door, I think I would have been able to process things better. ~Aaron Wayne-Duke Today we're joined by Mr. Aaron Wayne-Duke. Mr. Duke is a practitioner of taekwondo & hapkido, an author, and a truly passionate fan of martial arts and martial art...

On today's show we tackle a tough topic - the media's attention on the bad seeds in the martial arts. It seems that reporters love talking about those of us that can't walk an ethical path, and it makes the rest of us look bad. What do we do? Listen in for some ideas.   For a full transcript and more, please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/069-martial-arts-integrity/

Today we're joined by Sensei Rocky DiRico, an excellent martial artist and accomplished competitor. Sensei DiRico, like all of our guests, loves the martial arts. Unlike other guests, though, he's made competition a core part of his training, having been ranked #1 in the nation or world by NASKA, NBL and PKL rating organizations. He also spent a ten-year stint at the top of the KRANE rankings - al...

On today's episode of Martial Arts Radio we talk about one of our top-referenced film from our interviews, The Karate Kid. Tons of trivia, behinds the scenes and blooper info, celebrities that didn't get parts and so much more.   For full show notes and lots of pictures and videos, please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/067-the-karate-kid/

Today's episode brings us Professor Gary Dill, a multi-disciplined martial artist best known for being one of the few remaining original students of Jeet Kune Do, the martial art pioneered by Bruce Lee. While this is absolutely not an episode about Bruce Lee, it's impossible to discuss Professor Dill's history and views on martial arts without the legend's name being thrown around. During our chat...

Today's episode comes out of discussions that have happened on this very show. We've had a number of guests admit openly that they've found themselves uninspired with their training at times, even bored. I've faced that myself, but I've always managed to move through it. I thought it time that we do an episode on this taboo subject and offer some suggestions on how you can beat the martial arts tr...