https://youtu.be/DZZ9EV-8AgQ?si=uK-Sz4Vmfi0TR4SZ In any potentially violent encounter, it is important to remember that there are steps we can take before needing to go hands on. Avoidance and evasion are the first…

I'm not a particularly good golfer. In fact, despite my physical prowess in the martial arts, I would say my ability to consistently strike the ball in the direction I'm…

When learning self-defense, it is very common (and correct, btw) for students to stay very self-aware and focus purely on their technique. Time and energy are spent perfecting footwork, hand…

I have a good friend, who is a recovering alcoholic. He told me a story that had a great self-defense lesson in it. In his heyday, he would frequent a…

A few years ago, I was training a 60-year-old woman whose job puts her in precarious places on a regular basis. Her reasons for training are fairly clear, but the…

Interesting experience with two private clients that came in, back to back, some years ago. The first client is a woman of advancing age, but with a spirit that views…

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you can't, you're right.” This quote reinforces a key aspect to self defense training: your mindset and belief in yourself…

I am frequently amazed by the choices made by men, mostly, when confronted by aggression. In a recent story told to me by one of my students, he had been…

Some years ago, I was sparring a highly talented black belt, whose striking and footwork prowess were amongst the best I've seen in my 35 plus years of martial arts…

My instructor, Alan Feldman, once started a seminar at my studio by asking the question,”if I wanted to get to Dunkin' Donuts, what would be the best route to get…