School of the Living Arts

08/27/2026

08/27/2026

Learning a simple stick pattern is about wiring your brain to coordinate eye hand coordination. As the patterns become more complex, the subconscious is trained to take over because your conscious thought cannot process what is happening fast enough to keep up. You start by observing and reacting consciously and slowly transition to the subconscious taking over. This allows you to observe and adjust to environmental changes.

It is the same with physical drills with the hands and feet. First you learn the movement. You practice them by yourself, in a choreographed set they are called a form or pattern. Then, you practice the movements with a partner. They initiate a known strike, you respond with a predetermined evasion, block, and counter. Then you move on to light contact, but spontaneous fighting called "sparring."

Most people do not move beyond this light to moderate contact sparring. Moving to heavy and full contact comes with a much higher risk of injury. I have trained full contact fighters for many years. Dislocations, fractures, and concussions happen. The dilemma with practicing light contact is that without creating the potential risk in your mind that a strike or kick that got through could have been injurious, complacency and a disregard for good technique can develop.

It is important to develop an understanding of how a strike with a foot, fist, stick, or knife can have serious consequences. Practicing light contact with full speed can develop a high degree of proficiency if this perspective is maintained. This allows training without injury.

The two gentlemen in the video are just learning how to work together and learn the pattern. That is why there is no speed, force, or intent applied. Reckless engagement precipitates injury. This beginning is how you develop the foundation of much more skill in time.

08/18/2026

Practical Self-defense, Wing Chun, Arnis, TKD, BJJ, practical and traditional weapons, Chen Tai Chi.

Learning the principles of structured fighting and martial arts is the goal when practicing and learning technique. Technique, forms, etc, is essentially practicing story problems. Not applicable unless you understand the principles and "math" that provide a solution.

The forms, technique, etc are the alphabet, spelling, and grammar. Sparring and fighting are the spontaneous "conversation" that requires practice and frequency to become fluent in the martial arts.

Attending a class once, twice, even three times a week for an hour or two doesn't develop fluent ability. It has to be applied mentally and physically throughout your life.

Classes are at No Limit Fitness in North Bend

07/09/2026

07/08/2026

Basic flow drill. Block attack, follow up, disarm, disable.

To be able to actually use these principles, practice, repetition, timing, and practice that is as realistic as safely possible.

What you see here is less than 40 repetitions at a slow speed: attack, and response. A few thousand repetitions, getting closer to real attack speed, this may be useful.

Most martial arts practitioners, 98%, never develop realistic skills. They do, however, develop a false sense of confidence.

The only way to develop real useful self-defense skills is by frequent training with real intent. Intent is generated internally. Self-discipline is the skill of controlling the mind and body of yourself.

Training with focus and giving the actions the importance of life and death, treating each mistake as a fatal error, correcting and constantly refining to reduce the potential for error, then practicing every variation to instill the principles instead of only a single reaction to a single movement, trains the subconscious and the body to react effectively.

Martial arts, as a hobby, has many benefits. Self-discipline, emotional management, fitness, strength, flexibility, stress management, situational awareness, etc.

Practical self-defense skills requires more training than 1 or 2 days a week for a couple of hours. Studio fighting will give the most basic skills. Without experiencing someone really trying to inflict serious bodily harm, the shock of force and ferocity will shock most people causing debilitating panic and or wild overreaction. All training goes out the window.

Controlled training establishes a comfort threshold. Confidence is often broken once that comfort threshold is passed. So it is critical to raise that threshold as high as possible. Intensity, speed, power, and intent needs to be experienced, felt, and managed.

Challenging yourself constantly is where growth occurs. This applies to all areas of life. Work, school, fitness, anything you want to do well requires practice with intention.

"Practice makes permanent. Perfect practice makes perfect." -Unknown-

"Don't worry about perfection, you will never get there." Salvador Dali

Those two statements mean constant practice is necessary, and there is always room for improvement.