Paths of Transformation

Centuries ago, it was discovered that rubbing metals on dark stones such as slate left visible streaks of color.  The color varied depending on the purity of the metals.  This led to an explosion of commerce because now people had the ability to standardize the value of metals and thus establish consistent methods for pricing goods.  These dark rocks became known as touchstones.

Today, the term is used to describe a reference point, a means of establishing value.  In my life, I have found my martial arts training to be a touchstone.  continue reading…

Since I first started martial arts, I’ve been intrigued by the concept of mastery. It seemed to me that the process of achieving mastery was a transcendent one, meaning that not only did you achieve a high level of skill in something (in this case, martial arts), but also that somehow you acquired special wisdom and insight into the human condition. This motivated me that much more to apply myself to my training. How cool that not only would I become an invincible martial artist, but also an impeccably wise guru as well. continue reading…

Nutrition is a very large subject. I will offer postings from time to time that address specific issues, but for now, we will look at some very general ideas. continue reading…

When we close children’s classes at TMAA, we work on basic meditation before bowing out.  I’d like to give parents some pointers on how to bring this type of practice home with your children. continue reading…

For the past posts, we’ve been looking at fear and love, and how these emotions effect our lives. We’ve also looked at some strategies for dealing with fear more effectively and how we go about bringing more compassion and love into our lives. For this posting, I want to continue exploring the cultivation of love. continue reading…

Psychologist Abraham Maslow established through his work a description of how we process the immediateness of our needs and establish our priorities around motivations and behaviors. continue reading…

In my last posting, we looked at the importance of moving to a love-based approach to life and away from a fear-based approach. The conclusion was that we should embrace fear and cultivate love. But how? continue reading…

Fear is something we live with everyday. It can be the small doubt about yourself that arises in a conversation. It can be the dread that sinks into you as you face your boss. It can be the nervous anxiety that rattles you when someone is walking towards you on a dark street. continue reading…

At Traditional Martial Arts Academy we study Pyon Moo Do, The Warrior Path of Transformation. The name implies that we are transforming ourselves into warriors. Doesn’t this stand in contradiction to my teaching students to practice peace, harmony and unconditional love? Isn’t warriorship rooted in violence and conflict, things to be avoided? continue reading…

I have had the good fortune to have had some exceptional teachers in my life. Some were extraordinary people. Some were extraordinary in a narrow aspect of what they taught. All of them had a profound impact on my understanding of life and helped to shape the teacher I am today.

One of the things I learned was the importance of balancing the philosophy that you teach with the way you go about living your life. continue reading…