Welcome to Episode #99 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “You Are a Master.” Do you ever feel like a martial arts “loser”? Ever feel like you’re so far away from achieving your goals that you might be better off just giving up? STOP! I bet you’re doing just fine. In fact, I have some good news for you– You are already a master…you just don’t know it. Is that possible? Can you really be a master without knowing it? Well, that’s the advice someone gave me...

Welcome to Episode #98 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Tame Your Brain to Win the Game.” Are you too smart for your own good? Does overthinking get in the way of performing at your best? If you’re like me, the answer is YES! My mind is so busy judging, worrying, and arguing that it sometimes stops me from learning and growing. Sure, I’ve gotten better at training my brain to help me reach my goals, but the battle to maximize my mind seems to never end. In...

Welcome to Episode #97 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Little Pain, Big Trouble.” Pain is part of life… especially if you’re a martial artist! But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to minimize injuries and avoid trouble. Those should be your first priorities in studying self-defense, in fact! Even though I KNOW this, I recently caused myself some unnecessary pain while preparing to move from Los Angeles to Raleigh, NC. I’m embarrassed to admit that my arm still...

Welcome to Episode #96 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Decision and Action.” It’s common in self-defense training to focus on the speed of your punches and kicks… but how fast can you make a decision and take action? Like it or not, no matter how good you are at performing your martial arts techniques, they won’t help if you freeze up or hesitate under pressure. That’s why we must train to pull the trigger and make things happen as much as possible. Join...

Welcome to Episode #95 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Respect for McDojos.” Is your martial arts school a “McDojo”? Could that term of derision ever be a good thing? I say YES! If your school or teacher is helping you reach your goals and improve your life, then keep going! Only you can judge what is worth your time, effort, and money. The fact is there will always be haters and naysayers no matter HOW you train or WHAT style you practice. So, don’t worry...

Welcome to Episode #94 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Don’t Be Water, My Friend.” We’ve all heard Bruce Lee say, “Boards don’t hit back.” You probably also remember his admonishment, “Don’t think–feel.” No doubt about it… Bruce Lee was full of good advice. But that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he said! In this episode, I will turn a critical eye towards one of his most famous pieces of advice: “Be water, my friend.” Sure, it sounds cool, but I...

Welcome to Episode #93 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Cross-training Tips for Martial Arts.” Actually, a better title for this episode would be, “My First Ballet Class!” That’s right! I started taking online ballet classes a few weeks ago. No, not to become a better dancer, to become a better fighter! That’s what cross-training is all about, right? Looking outside your normal routine to find new ways to approach your old goals. But be warned–not...

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Shouting at the Moon.” Stress is a part of life… especially this year! The challenge—if we want to maximize our health and happiness—is to find effective ways to face and manage that stress. Is martial arts training one way to do that? Absolutely! But there’s another exercise that I discovered by accident back in my teenage years… a simple, but powerful exercise that I still practice to this day. In...

Welcome to Episode #91 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Dark Side of Self-Improvement.” We all want to make our lives better in some way, right? Unfortunately, it might sometimes seem that the harder we work, the more difficult and frustrating life gets! That’s because self-improvement has a bright side AND a dark side. If we’re not careful, our good intentions can lead us down a path to ruin. Join me as I share two BIG challenges you’re going to face...

Welcome to Episode #90 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “12 Tips for a Happy Life.” We all a love a list, don’t we? Well, here’s a new one for ya! To be honest, I actually compiled this list a few years ago thinking it would make a nice poster someday… and maybe someday it still will! But for now, I just want to get it out of my notebook and say it! Of course, living a happy life based on 12 quick tips is easier said than done! But if even one or two of...

Welcome to Episode #89 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Living in a Lockdown.” The Covid-19 lockdown has changed all of our lives… but is it possible that it might be for the better? My old routine and training habits have been shattered over the last 6 months, but I’ve been happily surprised at how many new ways I can still make progress. And if I can keep going, so can you! Let me share a few thoughts that might help you make the most of our new reality,...

Welcome to Episode #88 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Andrea Harkins. Andrea Harkins is the powerful voice behind The Martial Arts Woman—a blog that offers a female perspective on the world of martial arts. She is also a life coach, the host of her own podcast, and the author of two books sharing stories to inspire martial artists and non-martial artists alike. Click here to listen to Andrea’s podcast. Click here to find...

Welcome to Episode #87 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Kris Wilder. Where do I begin…? First off, Sensei Kris is the owner and chief instructor of the West Seattle Karate Academy. He’s also the host of not one, but TWO podcasts— The Back Channel Martial Arts & Life But wait—there’s more! Sensei Kris is also the author of a long list of books related to the martial arts. You can check out his many titles here:...

Welcome to Episode #86 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Seth Adams. Sensei Seth is a lifelong martial artist-—his first Karate teachers were his own Mom and Dad! By the age of 14, he was responsible for teaching kids classes-—a calling he still enjoys to this day. Armed with a 3rd degree black belt and an MBA, Sensei Seth has been blazing a trail through the world of online martial arts through friendly, free tutorials and some crazy kicking skills. Come for...

Welcome to Episode #85 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Ramsey Dewey. Fighters aren’t always the best teachers… or best communicators! So, it was a special pleasure to sit down with Ramsey Dewey, an MMA coach working in Shanghai, China. That’s right! Ramsey left the USA to open his own MMA gym in China several years ago, which gives him a unique perspective on the world of martial arts. If you’ve seen his popular YouTube channel, you’ll know he’s also a thoughtful...

Welcome to Episode #84 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Jesse Enkamp, founder of KarateByJesse.com. You already know Jesse… and you probably LOVE him! Jesse Enkamp was born into Karate family and has devoted his entire life to developing and spreading that legacy far and wide. Student, teacher, blogging superstar, entrepreneur, world-class Karate competitor… how does he do it all? In this inspiring interview, Jesse will reveal— * Advice for a happy...

Welcome to Episode #83 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Jaredd Wilson. Who is Jaredd Wilson? Jaredd is the host of the long-running Martial Thoughts Podcast. For martial arts junkies looking for some intelligent and entertaining conversations, you’ll want to check it out. Oh, did I mention that I was once a guest on Jaredd’s show? If you enjoy this episode, you might like that one, too! More of Jaredd Wilson and Ando. You can also find Jaredd’s show here on...

Forms and kata… a functional, practical training tool in the martial arts or a big waste of time? Join me and special guest, Sifu Randy Brown, for a lively discussion on the pros and cons of forms training. We’ve both gone through through phases of LOTS of kata and NO kata, so I think you’ll find this to be a very fair conversation. If you can’t listen to the whole hour, here are three questions we agree (I think!) you should be asking if you train forms: * What other training are you...

Welcome to Episode #81 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Law of the Jungle and Self-Defense.” Can a smaller, weaker animal survive an attack by a larger, stronger animal? The truth is UGLY, but I’m going to tell you anyway! If you can handle it, I’m going to examine the benefits of training in the martial arts as well expose the limitations. Let’s face it—you hear a lot of nonsense out there. Is training really worth all that time, sweat, and money? Spoiler alert: I’m still...

Welcome to Episode #80 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Menamy Mitanes. You can find a lot of show-offs in the martial arts… Menamy Mitanes is not one of them. But he could be! Menamy has not only earned black belts in Judo and BJJ, he is a certified instructor in JKD and Systema as well. As the head of Systema Los Angeles, Menamy has been quietly building a following for many years. I have personally trained with Menamy and can tell you that his knowledge is deep...

Welcome to Episode #79 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Two Teacher Types.” There are two major teacher types in the martial arts. Each has pros and cons, depending on what type of student you are! In this episode, I’ll share my experiences with both teacher types and offer my advice on how to get the most of your training. We’ll discuss— * Earning respect versus expecting it * Security and insecurity * Living in a fun house * Bloopers in art and life * Freedom from anxiety *...

Welcome to Episode #78 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “My First Fight.” When I was seven years old, my babysitter set me up to fight another kid in the neighborhood. Surprise! Even though the situation was totally ridiculous, the lessons I learned from that fight have stayed with me to this day. Perhaps most importantly, always ask your babysitter if they have secret dreams of becoming a fight promoter. 🙂 Anyway, if you have a little time, I’d love to share what I learned with...

Welcome to Episode #77 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Paul Read. If you don’t follow Paul’s work as a Tai Chi instructor, you should! Many people talk about expressing themselves through their martial arts training, but Paul is one of the few who actually does! I’ve been of a fan of Paul’s from afar for a few years, so it was an honor to finally sit down with the man who calls himself the Teapot Monk. Join our conversation for insights on— * How to find...

Welcome to Episode #76 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Chris Hanson. Chris Hanson is a school teacher, father, lifelong martial artist, founder of Karate Unity… and a really nice guy! As you’ll hear, Chris is on a mission to bring the martial arts community together by training with as many different stylists as possible. Not surprisingly, he’s already picked up some valuable insights along the way. In this conversation, I asked Chris to share some tips for...

Welcome to Episode #75 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Talk to Your Body.” Question—how well do you know your body? If you’re like me, you probably think some parts are strong and healthy… but you label other parts as weak, stiff, or just plain “bad”. You gotta stop that! Whether it’s due to old age or old injuries, if you accept a limitation, you are giving away some of your power. Be careful with that! Because every time you reduce your capabilities, you are willingly taking one...