Adult Martial Artist is for adult martial artists—men and women alike—who take their martial arts training seriously.
More specifically, Adult Martial Artist primarily focuses on self-defense and combatives for men and women who appreciate the importance of personal safety and security.
Whether you’re a beginning martial artist or returning to the martial arts after a long absence or a veteran martial artist, you’ll find articles, book reviews, video reviews, and much more showing how to become a better martial artist (and have some fun at the same time).
Is it too late for me to begin studying the martial arts?
What you’re really asking is, “Is there such a thing as martial arts after 30? Martial arts after 40? And even after 50?”
Yes!
Adult Martial Artist will show you how to begin your journey into the world of the martial arts. We’ll show you what to look for and what to avoid, what experience has shown works and doesn’t work.
What if I’m returning to the martial arts?
Adult Martial Artist will show you how to pursue the martial arts and how to enjoy them as much as you did when you were younger and carefree. Indeed, you may even find yourself pursuing them with renewed vigor and commitment.
Why the emphasis on self-defense?
The martial arts were from their earliest origin in both Western and Eastern culture about the arts of war. Only as centuries passed, did the arts of war develop their noble moral code and philosophical vision. All three aspects are valuable, but it all begins with the practice of the arts of war.
Adult Martial Artist embodies that tradition.
As adult martial artists, we no longer have the time to spend hours training at our favorite martial-arts school as we once did as teenagers. Nor can most of us afford the time and intensive commitment that training for competition demands. Besides, lining the walls of our family room with trophies and plaques is not a top priority. (Of course, that said, we’ll gladly accept whatever honors our fellow martial artists justly award us.)
Adult Martial Artist is for martial artists who realize that to be able to defend ourselves and our families, our neighbors and our country, is far more important than scoring points in a competition where little more than ego and vanity are typically at stake.
While we may on occasion amuse ourselves watching superbly muscled men, barefooted and bare-chested, tattooed and testosterone-laden, enter a cage and deftly apply figure-four leg-locks and the like to their opponents, we know that the more realistic test of a martial artist occurs in the dark parking lots and alley-ways of our hometowns, the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan—and elsewhere.
In short, it’s a dangerous world out there and Adult Martial Artist’s mission is to help you make your world a safer, more secure place to live.
Anything else?
While Adult Martial Artist to be primarily about self-defense, it’s also about personal growth and self-improvement.
In other words, bujutsu or the art of self-defense comes first.
Bushido, the moral code of the warrior, evolves from it.
Finally, there is budo or the martial arts as a lived philosophy of life.
That said, we aim to provide our readers the latest in martial-arts information regarding:
1. News and Events in the Martial Arts World
2. Book Reviews
3. Video Reviews
4. Courses and Seminars
6. Travel and Leisure
And more. . .
What are your qualifications as a martial artist?
I am an adult martial artist who has been practicing the martial arts since the 70’s.
Let me make it clear from the outset that I am not nor pretend to be a Special Operations warrior, a clandestine CIA operative, a professional street-fighter, or a martial arts guru.
Sorry, Adult Martial Artist is about reality, not fantasy.
Let me state my credentials straight away: I have a second-degree black belt in Combat Hapkido (ICHF) under the auspices of Master Al Medina of the Bronx Combat Hapkido Club. I earned a green belt in Tae Kwon Do and traditional Hapkido from Grandmaster Jung Hwan Park; a red belt in Hapkido from Master David Herbert at the New York Martial Arts Center; a blue belt in Hwa Rang Do from Master Yum at the East Coast headquarters of the Hwa Rang Do Association; a red belt in Cuong Nhu from the late Sensei Ralph Ashodian of the Purple Dragon School of Martial Arts.
Honorable mention goes to a friend of mine who I suspect would prefer to remain anonymous. Suffice it to say, he was a U.S. Army Airborne Ranger and Vietnam veteran who introduced me to the art of Hapkido and the realities of hard-core self-defense. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay. He dropped off the face of the earth some years ago under mysterious circumstances and has never been seen or heard from since. (Wherever you are I do hope you are well.)
Yes, I’ve also studied—or better yet, dabbled–at other schools. They remain nameless for two reasons. First, they weren’t particularly notable: I rarely stayed at these schools for long because they weren’t what I was searching for. I wanted to learn how to defend myself; they typically wanted to make me a Bruce Lee clone. Second, some schools proved to be just a plain waste of time and money, a mistake Adult Martial Artist will help you avoid.
Have you ever had to use your martial arts training to defend yourself?
Yes. On more than a few occasions. I was in the military during the Cold War and was a night bartender for almost 15 years, mostly in that concrete jungle known as the New York City Metro Area. Living in the East Harlem section of New York City and other dicey neighborhoods from time to time also gave me ample opportunity to test my martial skills. So I’ve been in more than a few barroom brawls and street fights.
In fact, what makes me really proud of my martial arts training is the number of times I avoided a physical confrontation because of the situational awareness and self-discipline my martial arts instructors imparted to me over the years.
I am who I am: A dedicated students of reality-based martial arts.
How did you get started in the martial arts?
To tell the truth, I got involved in the martial arts because I had enough of having the tar kicked out of me. As a schoolboy, I was the incessant target of bullies. I decided to do something about it. But my initial attempts to learn self defense ended in embarrassment or failure. Finally, I discovered hapkido, a martial art that enabled me to defend myself and understand, albeit imperfectly, the way of the warrior.
In retrospect, all those beatings proved to be valuable lessons.
At least I can tell you with certainty what won’t work.
What else should we know about you?
I make my living as a freelance writer, a book publicist, and a professor of philosophy who teaches ethics, religion, and the history of philosophy.
Do you give private lessons?
No, not at this time, although that may be subject to change. Stay tuned.
Any disclosures or disclaimers we should know about?
You bet.
And I want you to know about them. Read on…
Disclaimers
Before beginning any challenging program of physical activity, you should check with your doctor and address any medical concerns that need to be addressed. Adult Martial Artist, including its editors, writers and advertisers, is not responsible for any injuries or harm you suffer in your pursuit of martial arts training. That is a risk you assume as well as all of the liabilities contingent or otherwise attendant upon such training.
You should also familiarize yourself with the local and state laws where you live regarding the use of force in self-defense situations. Adult Martial Artist, including its editors, writers and advertisers, is not legally responsible for your actions. Think carefully and act prudently at all times.
Disclosures
Yes, I am an affiliate marketer. Yes, I make a (small) commission on the products and services my advertisers offer. Let me upfront about that.
That said, I do not offer anything unless I personally believe that it is a good product or service that will benefit my readers.
I promise that I will not offer something to my readers just to make a quick buck. That is not what Adult Martial Artist is about. I do not promote garbage; I don’t make false promises. I don’t accept advertising from wannabe gurus who want to charge you an arm and a leg for crap that may get you killed should you ever find yourself in a street fight—or worse. In short, I don’t hawk the martial-arts equivalent of snake oil.
When it comes to the martial arts, as with any other art, there is no substitute for dedication and determination. Martial virtue is a habit attained through practice and study, not a gimmick that can be bought and sold in the marketplace. Excellence in the arts is achieved through regular practice and commitment.
I will not therefore enter into an affiliate relationship with an advertiser unless I have carefully reviewed the product or service. I typically own the product or subscribe to the service before I review it. I never recommend a product or service unless I honestly believe it will be of benefit to my readers. Period. You have my word on that.
If you do have a negative experience with any product or service offered on this website, I want to know about it. Contact me at editor@adultmartialartist.com.
Train hard, live well.
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