Canadian Dojo

So here is our recap of the recently held WKC team Canada tryouts which took place over the May long weekend this year. We talked about all aspects of the tournament and we don't pull any punches. We tell you what we liked and what we didn't like. Give a listen and let us know if you agree with our breakdown.

It goes without saying that if you're going to participate in physical activity like the martial arts injuries can occur. I'm not telling any of you anything you don't already know. The questions we ask you this episode are how do you manage your injury and is it possible to continue training while injured. Give a listen and share your stories of how you managed your injuries and training.

Today is January 16, 2023. Monday, January 16 in fact. Today is what they are calling Blue Monday. It's supposed to be the saddest day of the year, at least so far. I take a quick look into what Blue Monday is where it came from and if it's even real. Give a listen and remember to have a GOOD day :-)

Here we are at the beginning of a new year. In this podcast I do a quick review of the last 12 months for me and my dojo but I also talk about my goals for the coming year. Give a listen and don't be afraid to share your goals with us.

A good martial arts instructor does more than just teach martial arts. They share their experiences with you. They will be in your corner when you need them, sometimes literally. They will route for you inside and outside of the Dojo. They absolutely want you to succeed and gain as much as you can from the martial arts. That said they don't necessarily share everything. I came across a list of 10 things your martial arts instructor may not tell you, but it's good for you to know. Give a listen and see if you agree with them and my breakdown of them. Don't hesitate to share some of the things that you wish you knew, or wish you were told earlier in your training.

As a follow up to our last podcast, Random Questions, we have a sequel episode called Random Questions - Kids Edition. During our recent March Break karate camp I had the kids ask me anything they wanted. I think I may have gotten off easy here, but some of the questions were very good and really made me think. Some of them even surprised me. Give a listen and see if he would've ask any of these questions.

Is weight training good for your martial arts? Who is the GOAT? What's my favourite memory from a tournament? These are some of the questions I was asked in our random questions podcast. Give a listen to find out the answers and the answers to many many more questions.

Are martial arts tournaments even a thing anymore? The answer is yes they are. Coming out of the pandemic they are starting to gather steam again and this can be a very good thing for the martial arts community. Many people think that tournaments are something that only kids do but that's not the case. Today I talk to three adults who competed at a tournament recently for the very first time. We discuss the motivations that led them to compete, how they felt about their performance and whether or not they'll do it again. If you're an adult who does martial arts this is something you're going to want to listen to.

Here we go with Part 2 of our WKC World Championships discussion. We have a couple of days of the tournament under our belts now and we discuss what we've seen and experienced so far. Did you attend the tournament? Do you agree with our breakdown? Let us know.

The WKC World Championships starts tomorrow at 9:00am. Here is a pre-tournament break down of our hopes and expectations. The training that got us here and where we go from here. We also spend some time talking about Killarney Ireland which is where the tournament is taking place. Definitely a place worth visiting. Part 2 will land on Wednesday or Thursday so give a listen and stay tuned.

Here is the long the weighted part two of our favourite martial arts movies Saga. My guest for this podcast certainly has a theme which you will no doubt catch on to pretty quickly. Give a listen and see how many of our selections you've seen and how many you agree with.

In this latest episode I have the privilege of sitting down and talking with the one and only Sensei Rick Joslin. Mr. Joslin has been a driving force and an influence in the local martial arts community since the 1960s. It was a privilege speaking with him and talking about his martial arts journey so far. Give a listen as we talk about the past and how his approach to teaching changed over the years. 

In our continuing conversation with Sensei Flood we move from the past to the present and the future. We talk about and break down the benefits of martial arts training and how well run dojos can be a positive force in their community. We also talk about the state of the martial arts industry as it is today and where he feels it could and should go in the future. He also breaks down his new program that brings the benefits of the martial arts and martial arts training to people who, at one time, may not have been welcome in the old school hard-core dojo system. Definitely a conversation not to be missed 

In this episode of the Canadian Dojo podcast we are very lucky to have Sensei Jim Flood join us and talk about his journey so far in the Martial Arts. Sensei Flood is highly regarded as one of the top karate coaches in the country. In part one of this two-part episode we discuss his routes in the Martial arts and where how and why it all began. We talk about his experience as a competitor and then as a coach and how his communication style and coaching style has changed over the years. We also dive into how karate and the martial arts has changed over the past quarter century and how his background in karate help him recover from a catastrophic car accident. This episode was a lot of fun to record and I hope you really enjoy it.

Motivation and staying motivated is your key to success as a martial artist. It's not easy! You will never always be motivated. No one ever is. What motivated you today may not work tomorrow. In this episode we talk about the different types of motivation as well as why people lose their motivation and what they can do to prevent that.

As you know I love speaking to people about their training in the martial arts. Whether currently training or reminiscing about previous training I enjoy hearing how the lessons learned in the martial arts are brought to other aspects of peoples lives. Today's a big day for my guest doctoral candidate Stuart Pearson. Today is a day he defends his thesis in the Netherlands. Originally recorded over the Christmas holidays last year I spoke with Stuart about his time training with me and how he feels the martial arts has helped prepare him for his thesis defense. 

What is a McDojo? Have you ever heard the term? In today's podcast we talk about what might make a dojo a "McDojo". We explain the term and some of the beliefs behind the idea and break down some of the misconceptions. We also discuss if, at its core, the idea behind the term is even still relevant in the modern martial arts world. Give a listen and see if you may train at a a "McDojo".

During this pandemic many Dojos and martial arts clubs had to pivot and pivot quickly to online training classes. Now that lockdowns are over or are quickly coming to an end the question is, does online training work? Can you functionally learn martial arts in a completely or mostly online setting? These are questions we try to answer in today's episode of the Canadian Dojo Podcast.

It's our first episode of the new year. I take a moment to reminisce about the highs and lows of 2021 and talk about my goals and hopes for the coming year. I also take an opportunity to share some of my thoughts on the continuing Covid pandemic and what it means for a small dojo trying to grow and move forward. 

Karate at its core is a self defence system. At least it was. The question is, is it still? Is Karate an effective method of personal protection or has it been usurped by other martial arts. Has Karate lost its original guiding principle and if so does it actually matter? These are the topics we tackle in this podcast.