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.

Picking the right Dojo is a much bigger decision than people give it credit for. When you're looking to start your journey in the martial arts what most people don't think about is that the club they are walking into could be a big part of their life for the next several years or more! Whether you're registering yourself as an adult or looking for a dojo for your kids, the club you choose and the instructor you choose is a potentially very big decision for you to make. Choosing the right Dojo is an investment that can potentially pay dividends for years to come.

As an instructor and a dojo owner this is something I see on a regular basis and have seen many times in the past. It is the karate equivalent of a tale as old as time. An adult reaches out about starting their journey in the martial arts. In actuality though, they are restarting their journey because  they originally started training when they were kids or teens. Now, years later, they have decided to rekindle their passion and love for karate and hopefully achieve their goal of black belt. This is more common than you might think and it's a great topic of conversation for the Canadian Dojo Podcast.

In today's episode we discuss the concepts of Embusen and Bunkai as they are practised in Karate kata. Embusen is less well-known than Bunkai and is considered to be the "new kid" on the block as a practice concept in kata. Many styles of karate as well as many clubs do not embrace the concept of Embusen but at the Canadian Dojo Podcast, we do and that's why we're talking about it. Bunkai is a far better known concept but is often sadly overlooked. If kata is the heart of Karate then Bunkai the heart of kata.