Paths of Transformation

One of the unique aspects of TMAA is how the philosophy we learn is integrated into our curriculum.  At every belt level, students commit acts of service in the community.  At every third belt level, they do special projects to deepen their understanding of a particular concept.  At Purple Belt, students do projects on the nature of Brotherhood.  Typically these projects involve spending time in someone else’s  shoes since empathetic connection and understanding is at the center of brotherhood.

Three of my adult students–Jeff, Kaia and Nate–wanted to explore homelessness.  So for their project, they spent 24 hours on the street, seeing what it would be like first hand.  I’m very proud of their inspiration and commitment for the project.  What follows is a description that they submitted for publishing on this blog.  I think you will find that it was an impressive idea that yielded some unexpected lessons. continue reading…

Long before I became a teacher, I used to imagine what it would mean to be a black belt instructor and to have my own school. I dreamed of technical mastery like that of my own teachers. I also hoped to become wise. Our school was full of “philosophy,” stories and words of wisdom, so I assumed that these concepts would be part of my training. This was not the case. We trained our martial arts techniques with vigor and dedication and my technical ability improved accordingly. But the stories and words of wisdom remained only that. By the time I earned my first black belt, I had absorbed many philosophical concepts with little practical understanding of how to integrate the ideas into how I lived my life. continue reading…

For this posting, I conclude my series on the relationship between the Dojang Hun and the Three Relationships. continue reading…

I want to continue with my series of articles on how the Dojang Philosophy of Honor, Brotherhood and Service without Return relates to the Three Relationships of Self, Family and Community. This month, we will look at the connection between Brotherhood and Family. continue reading…

In my last posting, I began a discussion about the importance of bringing philosophy into action with an emphasis on the Dojang Hun and the Three Relationships. This month, I want to begin exploring how these two philosophies relate to each other. The former is the Dojang Philosophy of Honor, Brotherhood and Service Without Return (“Doing Things for Others” in the children’s classes). The latter is a framework for exploring the primary connections of our life: Self, Family and Community. continue reading…

In the Dojang, philosophy is central to our study and practice of martial arts. Asian martial arts have deep roots and associations with Buddhism and Taoism. Because of this, an important part of training as a “Path” is to see relationships between the study of your art and the living of your life. As you learn about Mindfulness-being centered and present-in the context of martial arts, you will also see how you can extend those lessons to the rest of your life. continue reading…