Travis Bratton - 5th Dan in Aikido

Hard work matters.  We all know it.  But few really live it and even fewer exemplify what hard work really is better than former NFL player and now (2020) head coach of Trinity University.  Raised on a cattle farm in South Texas, Jerheme learned about hard work at a young age and those lessons laid the foundation for what would become his character and by virtually every standard make him a successful human being.  He now attempts to lay that foundation for those he encounters including student athletes that attend NCAA Division III Trinity University, his family, and most recently, me.

6th Dan in American Tang Soo Do, Mike Jones talks about his martial arts journey through not 1 but 2 major life disruptions that I believe would have broken any normal human being. But not Mike.  He has used both obstacles to hone and sharpen the man that he is, often carried through them by his community and faith.  A truly inspirational man with an incredible life story, I'm honored to have been able to spend this time with him.

Professional Health and Fitness Coach and BJJ Black Belt Raynald Ray joins me to discuss increasing power in my quest to do a jump 540 kick (cheat 720).  At a high level being able to increase revolutions in the air requires proper technique and power, which can be aided by strength training and losing weight.  One of my long time friends, I always enjoy the opportunity to visit with Ray and am grateful for his knowledge.

Was invited to speak on Taekwondo on Li Lin's Funny Millionaires podcast where we discuss what Taekwondo is, why it's awesome, and which if my kids will take over the reigns when I'm gone.

Learn more about Li Lin at funnymillionaires.com and more about me at taekwondaddy.com.

A great episode covering some technical details on kicking and then moving quickly into how Chris' approach to building a kicking and martial arts curriculum is secretly a parallel to how we can all become better humans.  Be present and remember that small incremental changes make habits you want to form better.

You can learn more about Chris at his official website http://chrisjonesaction.co.uk/ and check out his online kicking class at https://onlinekicking.co.uk.

In this episode I get to visit with Master Jose Ramirez of the Christian Taekwondo League (San Antonio, TX) on the Top 10 Taekwondo Mistakes You Are Making (and not really you, of course, but probably someone you know).

I used to consider myself a long distance runner, but I don't anymore; primarily because I practice martial arts now.  On this episode I give 10 reasons why I chose martial arts over running and why I think all runners should do the same (with the obvious exception of elite runners, triathletes+, and ultra marathon folks...those folks are amazing and should keep doing what their doing...)

A short 10m explanation of the roots behind the TaeKwonDaddy podcast, why I started this thing, and what I hope to accomplish through it.  While rooted in fighting, the reality of martial arts today (at least for those of us not training to fight professionally) is you will statistically never use what you're learning in real life.  Yes, obviously, you might and in that day, we all hope you will be ready, but I am just saying, in general, that it is uncommon that we have to actually to fight someone.  What is far more common, however, is dealing with shame and guilt and obesity and humility and pride and all of these other social and emotional learning words that every one navigates personally and especially as a parent.  The TaeKwonDaddy Podcast aims to explore both, the important world of martial arts and the important world of navigating life.

Kata, also referred to as forms, is defined as a system of individual training exercises for practitioners of karate and other martial arts and it's a term from which virtually ever martial artists if familiar with.  And while I used to think it was just part of the deal, another step towards belt promotion, I feel like I have been fortunate enough to meet some men and women in my martial arts journey who have opened my eyes to not only what they are, but what they can be.  And I'm excited to present this recording I did with one of those men - Hanshi, or 8th Dan, Tony Georgiades, or "JorJaDes" if you can't roll your Rs...

You can read Hanshi Georgiades full bio on the official Budo Kai International website here:
http://www.budokaiinternational.com/kaicho-tony-georgiades.html

Needless to say, it was an honor to not just meet Hanshi at the recentlt USIMOF, but a real gift that he was willing to sit down with me and have this conversation.  I fall in the camp of people who happen to like kata and after visiting with Hanshi Georgiades, I like it even more.

How do you handle a student crying on the dojang floor?  Do you yell at them to stop or let them get off the floor and take a break or something else entirely?  Regardless of the answer, what we do during those developmental moments in children matters and I believe as martial artists we should take emotional learning and training as seriously as we take the physical one.

On this episode I visit with clinical child psychologist Dr. Jami Furr, Assistant Clinical Professor at Florida International University, to answer some tough questions about the best way to handle crying children and hopefully am a better parent/instructor today because of it.