Interviews

An Interview with Charles Rotenberg In the movie, “Rocky Balboa”, Rocky is in his mid-sixties, going up against a fighter much more youthful in age in an exhibition match. At one point in the film, Paulie, Rocky’s brother-in-law, questions his motivation for the fight. Rocky tells him, “There’s still some [Read More]

The unarmed arts of the Maori are termed Mamau or Rongomamau, with the arts themselves said to have descended straight from the gods. As fierce warriors, the Maori warred with neighboring tribes before European arrival quite regularly and although they had no shortage of weaponry, these fierce warriors preferred close [Read More]

“It is better to have less thunder in the mouth and more lightning in the hand.” ~ Apache Proverb We have heard before of the Native American’s as having had their own unique and effective modes of warfare, self defense, martial arts and survival. As having been practiced and skilled warriors who perfected [Read More]

Here at Martial Journal and Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio, we love stories. We could listen for hours to martial artists talk about how they began their journeys, the highs and lows of their training, what they learned along the way… But beneath those stories lies an even bigger story: Who [Read More]

I recently had the opportunity to ask Dr. Bohdi Sanders some questions by email. He was kind enough to write back – and generously. This is not a short interview, but I am so pleased that he took the time. We have not edited any of the document that he [Read More]

“Stand in your power. Own your space. Never apologize for who you are or what you know.” – Michelle Manu They have been celebrated among the ancient Polynesian royals and people for their ferocity, discipline, and skill on the battlefield…their mastery in all aspects of the Hawaiian warrior arts…. They [Read More]

  “Wake early if you want another man’s life or land. No lamb for the lazy wolf. No battle’s won in bed.” – The Havamal Glima: The Warrior Art Of The Vikings Anthropologists, historians and researchers alike cannot deny the warrior prowess of the Vikings who charged head on into [Read More]

“As you think, so shall you become.” ~ Bruce Lee Guro Lynn Varghese is a talented instructor in the martial community, a dear friend and influential woman. Currently she inspires women to express themselves, learn self defense and have fun while learning the effective martial arts of the Philippines, Korea, Indonesia, China, [Read More]

The McDojo and Bringing Back McDojoLife McDojoLife is a… I’m not really sure how to define it. To call it a “website” doesn’t even come close to covering what it is. Maybe we should call it a movement. That certainly seems, to me at least, what it’s quickly becoming. Regardless [Read More]

Robert Talks About McDojoLife Before McDojoLife, there was the McDojo. In the 1970’s martial arts exploded into the United States and subsequently fueled the industry of McDojos, or belt factories. They stemmed from the use of the art providing lower ranked artists colored belts to establish their rank and to [Read More]

Sensei Xanthi Gerasimo Talks About Her Dojo They often say that the younger you learn something the easier it is to remember it long-term. If you think back to what you were doing as a child did you ever think you would be doing that very same thing today? Most [Read More]

Mr. Ken Greer Talks About His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gym The time of year is here where most of us will have more daylight and extra energy for new activities. Allowing yourself the extra time for a new activity to keep you busy is sometimes harder than expected; you must continuously [Read More]

Mr. Sanil Gandhi Talks About His Training, What Matters To Him, And Where He Is Going I get to read lots of inspiring stories about martial artists and schools when I put together the weekly Positivity Posts. While all have their merit in one way or another, some stories stand [Read More]

Mr. Mohammed Mahmoud Talks About The Club Now, And Going Forward Things are always changing with the sands of time. This is no different with the UND Karate Club. Mr. Mohammed Mahmoud is the new president of the club. His instructor, Sensei La Royce Batchelor who I previously interviewed, relocated [Read More]

Master Jhon Cardona Speaks About His School, and His Drive We are back with another Martial Journal Spotlight. This time we are speaking with Master Jhon Cardona, owner of Cardona’s Academy of Martial Arts in Delray Beach, Florida. Master Cardona’s school was featured in a previous Positivity Post a while [Read More]