[Editor’s note: The following is yet another great guest post from Adam Marshall. Adam is an instructor at the American School of Martial Arts in Burbank, California]. When it comes time for the student to take what they have learned in class and bring it home for their personal training, most students just draw a…
Category Archives: Philosophy
Laziness
[Editors note: The following is a guest post from Adam Marshall. Adam is an instructor at the American School of Martial Arts in Burbank, California.] Laziness- a disinclination to activity or exertion despite having the ability to do so. A wonderful word that we use for so many things. It is the one that hits…
Martial Arts Terms
Welcome to Burbank Martial Arts (dot net): Many folks, students or not, ask me about kung fu and what it means. They ask the same thing about Shaolin. Then, they ask, “well, what is the term for martial arts in China”? These are three common questions. KUNG FU Kung fu has become, these days, kind…
Kung Fu: The Art Of Mastering One’s Self
‘Train only to master yourself” is our long-standing school motto. We developed it over 30 years ago from a phrase that Mr. Suh frequently used. We all come to martial arts (kung fu) for varying reasons. Some come for self -defense: others come for self-esteem, better health, greater confidence and/or to align themselves with themselves….
Looking to the future . . .
Each year that we have our annual Promotion Dinner, I’m reminded of how important it is for the students to understand that the school isn’t simply a business I own, but in many ways, it is theirs as well. While they might not own it in a legal sense, they are absolutely (individually and collectively)…
Kung Fu: Anti-Aging
Through softness, life can continue. Through stiffness, life will end. These thoughts are simple but far reaching. When you look at a baby you see such suppleness and pliability. Yet, each year that goes by the baby becomes less so. If you take a moment and suddenly picture the baby in her 90s, you will…
The Martial Art Zone
There are three zones to be aware of in basic self-defense. The first zone is what we call “safe zone” or a distance that makes it very difficult for the opponent to successfully attack you without you having time to react. We don’t always have the luxury to be at that distance when a perpetrator…
Process vs. Results
So often I hear the phrase “are we learning something new today?” It’s almost a beginning martial artist’s mantra. I love the enthusiasm: I adore beginners and their eager minds. They are the new blood fused into the rhythmic heartbeat of the school. But, in being new to the school, they are completely unaware of…
