Category: Martial Arts

Review: Meditations on Violence by Rory Miller

(I’ve been posting a lot of my reviews lately at Metamora Martial Arts, so if you’re wondering why you haven’t seen any here lately, that’s why.) Look. I’ve never been in a fight. Don’t want to. That’s why I’m glad there are people like Rory Miller. A 30-year veteran of the martial arts and corrections… Continue reading Review: Meditations on Violence by Rory Miller

Review: Clean Concepts in Kane & Wilder’s Dirty Ground

Martial arts instructors teach some pretty brutal moves. Some show the moves without providing much context. “This is the person’s attack. This is your defense. Practice it,” they say. But self-defense is much more nuanced than that. Luckily for me, I train under instructors who challenge my assumptions about what I would do in a… Continue reading Review: Clean Concepts in Kane & Wilder’s Dirty Ground

3 Reasons Why You Should Learn More Than One Martial Art

Any martial artist should have experience in more than one style. Last week, I attended a combat hapkido seminar led by Mr. Donald Moore. I have no formal training in combat hapkido, so I was apprehensive about making the hour-and-45-minute trip to Moline. However, as I found out during the course of the four-hour seminar,… Continue reading 3 Reasons Why You Should Learn More Than One Martial Art

Scaling Force: A Review of Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane’s Book on How to Choose the Right Response Level

It’s not often I read a book twice within six months. But that’s exactly what I did with the latest book from Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane. Scaling Force: Dynamic Decision Making Under Threat of Violence is essential for anybody who studies self-defense. As a karateka, most of my time is spent working strikes, locks,… Continue reading Scaling Force: A Review of Rory Miller and Lawrence A. Kane’s Book on How to Choose the Right Response Level