the yin and yang of competition
Competition is tricky. A balancing act. Being 100% non-competing or always competing can be difficult. For me, competition lures me in. In…
A historical component of martial arts: herbal medicine
After trying for a third time to be a runner (do your joints talk to you? ‘Cause my knees just piped up…
When the Army asks you to army crawl, they let you wear shoes
It’s been a while since I regaled you with tales of my flops and foibles and mess-ups in class. I’ve been in…
Lifting the Earth element: Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang
Talking to parents outside my son’s taekwondo class, I hear women say, “I can’t join class because I can’t do the jumping…
The gift of groundedness, or, my third attempt at being a runner
Every so many years, I try running. Since my mid-20s, I’ve tried to be a runner THREE times. I love the idea…
the view from the mesa
I live next to a beautiful mesa in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. To review that fourth grade geography, a mesa…
My Orange Belt Test!!
It’s like being at Disneyworld (or your favorite amusement park). You’re having fun, riding the cool theme rides, seeing the entertainment–it’s all…
Does practicing martial arts mean you like to hurt people?
In a class at our Summer Expo, working and practicing in one of the many classes, I was admonished by someone with…
Was I an imposter at Expo?
Summer vacation means Expo! 3 days of Taekwondo in a resort setting. While non-TKD family members relax, the students work our way…
onward, to orange!
I was stunned. After being out of class for two weeks while in Ireland, and coming back with a nice cold that…