Lessons From A 911 Call I was sitting by the window in a tiny exam room with my wife, waiting for the pediatrician to come check out some irritation in my 9-month-old daughter’s eye. The street below, 6 stories down, was just a standard crawl of cars and pedestrians, sliding past in the sticky heat […]
While We Lie Here At Ease… Back when I fought in MMA my coach had a speech he would give. Later, when I was coaching my own team, I would make a similar declaration as my fighters sparred, grappled or labored over the heavy bags during conditioning. It was the speech we gave when a […]
A Dollar’s Worth of Awareness I was in the middle of my strength & conditioning class, jogging through the parking lot with a 20lb medicine ball on my shoulder, when I saw him. He had that look, almost stereotypical in how he popped up on my radar as a threat. Scraggly physique shrouded in layers […]
The Universal Fight Stance Many stances in martial arts are derived from sports. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, because competition hones the stance to perfection. The best stance wins, but the only the stance best suited for the rules of that particular contest. In fact, the wide array of stances in martial arts is […]
The Context Cornerstone Context /ˈkäntekst/. noun. The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. I have two questions for you: In your self-defense training, what are the threats you are training to address? In your everyday life, what are […]
The 4 Things to Look for in a Folding Knife The folding knife is one of the most ubiquitous tools in America. Go into any hardware store, sporting goods shop, or outfitter in the nation and you’ll find several to choose from. And, at least where I grew up, the folding knife was an integral part of American boyhood. […]
There are a lot of ways to hold a knife, and each way has its own pros and cons, but what are the most basic grips that everyone needs to know… and why those grips? In the text and video below I suggest the 4 grips that everyone should know. Each of these grips has variants and […]
“Just because I’m in a chair doesn’t mean I can’t stand up and do what’s right. Even if I can’t stand up it’s all about doing the right thing.” -Larry Skopnik I came across this video the other day and just had to share it. Give it a watch and check out my commentary after […]
I’m taking a trip this week and will be wearing my gun. That’s awesome. But I’ll also have my 3-year-old daughter with me. That’s kind of scary. What if I have to defend myself and my family while she’s present? That’s a scary thought, and it got me thinking. How can I adjust my training and […]
I have a lot for which to be thankful. I think most people do, if they pay attention. I’m sound in mind and body. I have food, shelter and a loving family. I get the chance to do what I love for a living in the greatest nation on Earth. In fact, I have too […]
