Author Archives: tonydismukes
Video Review – Die Less Often
I love watching martial arts instructional videos. I used to collect them, but these days I spend 5-6 days per week training trying to just master the material I already have to work on. Given that fact, it’s hard to … Continue reading
Interview with Mike O’Donnell – Part 2
Part 2 of the interview with my BJJ coach, Mike O’Donnell. Part 1 can be found here.
Interview with Mike ODonnell
This is an interview with my BJJ coach, Mike ODonnell. Mike is the head instructor at Four Seasons Martial Arts in Lexington, Kentucky. It’s interesting to hear how training has changed over the years.
Self-Improvement
Look at the website for just about any martial arts school. Read interviews with senior martial artists. The same idea comes up over and over again. “Martial arts aren’t just about fighting. Martial arts training is about self-improvement. Martial arts … Continue reading
High-Percentage vs Low-Percentage
No technique works every time. Every technique works some of the time. When you gather a sufficient number of martial artists online, you will inevitably generate arguments over which techniques really work or do not work. Frequently this gets framed … Continue reading
Why train?
In the martial arts, we have a tendency to valorize long-term dedication to training. It is true that getting really good at the martial arts (or anything else) takes a lot of time and hard work. I’ve been studying the … Continue reading
Sparring options
Sparring, rolling, randori – whatever you want to call it, it’s a lynchpin of BJJ training. No matter how many repetitions you perform of a technique, you haven’t mastered it until you can execute it in a free-form setting against … Continue reading
The Importance of Failure
I was having a conversation with an online acquaintance of mine, Lynn, about the application of lessons learned in the martial arts to other areas of life. He offered the following anecdote, which I thought was highly relevant: “Something I … Continue reading
Regressing, Stagnating, or Progressing?
I came across an interesting blog post the other day where the author talks about the risk of regressing in one’s jiu-jitsu skills despite regular practice. Probably lots of us have felt at one time or another like we are … Continue reading
BJJ and Dirty Fighting
I had a fun session with my instructor a few days ago working on techniques that sometimes get neglected in BJJ training – eye gouges, head butts, and groin slaps. These techniques have no place in sport competition, but are … Continue reading
BJJ Contemplations 