Walking With The Tengu

Join me as we look at Ernest Hemingway's novella "The Old Man and The Sea" and read it through the lens of martial arts training. There are several directly practical lessons we can get from this classic work of literature.

Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You can find the book here: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

What's in a name? What do you do when your art has four different names for the same move? We look at Frege's Puzzle in this episode and apply it to Boxing, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, Savate, and BJJ.

Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You can find the book here: ⁠⁠https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

In this episode we look at two parables from the work known as the Zhuangzi that relate to things martial artists care about.

Specifically the ideas of Wuwei (無為) non-action and Ziran (自然 - "Self-so") spontaneity.

However, these aren't just high-minded philosophical jibber-jab. These have direct, practical applications to our martial arts.

Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You can find the book here: ⁠https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

For any sufficiently strong mathematical theory, there are truths that cannot be proven by that theory.

If martial arts systems are formal systems in the same sense that Gödel referred to them. How can we apply Gödel's incompleteness theorems to our training?

I use examples from BJJ and Wing Chun in today's episode but would love to hear of examples for your own arts.

Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You can find the book here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

Welcome to 2026. Let's look at a couple short quotes, one from "The Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho and another from "The Life-Giving Sword" by Yagyu Munenori to set the tone for this year.

Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You can find the book here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

Closing out 2025 with a short meditation on the end of the year.

Check out the pocket sized book of short quotes and meditations I wrote, paired with simple exercises valuable to any martial artist. Take your practice anywhere.

Buy Here From Lulu.

It can be dangerous to discuss politics in general, let alone in the martial arts world. Yet, Jonathan Bluestein wrote a book about it. I highlight some interesting discussion to be had from the topics in his book though I only scratch the surface.

You can find the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Martial-Arts-Politics-Explained-History/dp/B0DHKS2XVS/

WWTT Episode: “Traditional vs. Modern”

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/walkingtengu/episodes/Traditional-vs-Modern-e3de4i

Ever been told to use less strength and focus on technique?This is both true and not entirely accurate. What we need to actually do is learn to regulate our tension.Let's take a look at what the classics have to say about regulating our strength.The Book of Five Ringshttps://archive.org/stream/MiyamotoMusashi-BookOfFiveRingsgoRinNoSho/Book_of_Five_Rings_djvu.txtSupport Walking With The Tengu by purchasing the small pocket volume of classical quotes with musings and training prompts.

Buy it here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html

What happens when you give monkeys 3 measures of acorns in the morning and 4 at night? They get angry. But what happens when you give them 4 in the morning and 3 at night? They are content.

Find a vast library of classical Chinese works to read for free at: ⁠ctext.org⁠

Support Walking With The Tengu by purchasing the small pocket volume of classical quotes with musings and training prompts.

Buy it here: https://www.lulu.com/shop/matthew-krueger/pocket-training-volume-1/paperback/product-e7pqmyv.html