Two days ago on November 25, 2024, Grandmaster Keith R. Kernspecht, the pioneer of Wing Tsun kungfu in Europe passed away at the age of 79. To those who didn’t know him, one would assume that the death of ”a man in his seventies” meant he had spent his final years inactive and sedentary, but …
Author Archives: SifuJWebb
Martial Arts: Warriors and Combat?
Among my friends there is one in particular that I think of when I hear the word “Warrior.” My friend “M” (I use only an initial – out of respect for his privacy) is friendly and good-natured, but carries himself with an undeniable sense of confidence. Upon meeting him, you would agree that he seems …
The Virtue of Being Dangerous
Is there virtue in being competent, formidable, and dangerous? Coming from a life spent in the martial arts, firearms, defensive tactics and as a military veteran, subconsciously I’ve always thought so. I must admit though, at times I wondered if this was something that only others with a background similar to mine could appreciate. That …
All Skills Are Perishable!
I was recently listening to a presentation from a gentleman by the name of Dave Canterbury, during which he uttered a phrase that inspired this blog post. Mr. Canterbury is an interesting and practical individual whom you may know from the first two seasons of the Discovery Channel series Dual Survival. A US military veteran, …
The Lost Art of Respect
An important aspect of any culture, and the martial arts in particular, is that of respect. Respect for others, for their property, for their right to their own opinions, and also respect for oneself. It has really surprised me how over the last 10 years, the concept of respect has become lost on many Americans …
Setting High Expectations
In the two disciplines that I teach, martial arts and firearms, I’ve encountered both good and bad teachers over the years. When I myself became a young teacher many years ago, I tried to emulate those teachers that I had met who consistently produced skilled practitioners under their tutelage. Early on, one thing I noticed …
Qualified Outliers
Qualified: fitted (as by training or experience) for a given purpose: COMPETENT. Outlier: a value or point that differs substantially from the rest of the data. In the context of the martial arts a Qualified Outlier is a practitioner whose level of skill is substantially higher than the statistical norm, or more specifically, the majority of …
The Big 5-0
A few weeks ago I celebrated my 50th birthday! As a lifelong martial artist, I am still in excellent health and have managed to improve my strength, flexibility and speed over the years. Sure, there have been some physical changes, but in general I have always thought of myself as being a 30-something. I’ve never …
Self-Discipline and Lost Momentum
Ask any experienced martial arts instructor and they will agree: “when a student loses momentum in their training, it can be very difficult for them to regain it.” In the shadow of Covid-19, one of the hardest hit sectors of our economy has been gyms, dance studios, and of course martial arts schools. These businesses …
Important News!
I am happy to announce that the audiobook version of The Empty Cup is now available on Audible! Within the next few days you will also find it on iTunes and Amazon. To learn more, check out the link below: The Empty Cup on Audible Also, The Broken Rice Bowl, the long-awaited sequel to The …
The Empty Cup 