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 …
Author Archives: SifuJWebb
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 …
Posses, Insurrections and the Second Amendment
In his work, The Law published in 1850, French economist Frédéric Bastiat stated, “Each of us has a natural right–from God–to defend his person, his liberty, and his property. These are the three basic requirements of life, and the preservation of any one of them is completely dependent upon the preservation of the other two.” …
Continue reading “Posses, Insurrections and the Second Amendment”
Freedom in America: Blood or Birthright?
Is freedom in America a birthright or is it in our blood? Over the past two weeks, as our country continues to struggle with Covid-19, there have been multiple news reports of government officials taking liberties with the constitutional rights of Americans living in their jurisdictions. In Los Angeles, the mayor threatened owners of “non-essential” …
The Empty Cup 