Having a reliable and effective partner is crucial for honing your skills. Whether you’re practicing Arnis, Boxing, Tae Kwon Do, Kempo Karate, or even Tai […]
Author: Bryan Bagnas
Master and Founder of Golden Leopard Kempo Martial Arts School, teaching Philippine Combatives, Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, Combat Kickboxing, Hawaiian Shaolin Kempo, and Self-Defense to San Diego students for over three decades.
The Practice Priority: Commitment to Practice Leads to Success
While learning and mastering any skill, the role of consistent practice should not be overstated. Many beginning students, especially in martial arts, believe attending classes […]
Body Contact Theory: How to Prepare For A Real Fight
I remember the first time I was punched. It was my teacher demonstrating a technique, and he punched hard. Years later, when I was in […]
The Grandma Rule: Situational Awareness Explained
It was a cool, dark November evening. I passed my Yellow Belt test a few weeks prior, and my whole family knew how much I […]
Kempo Marinate and Black Belt Stew: The Journey of Advanced Training
In martial arts, achieving a Black Belt is often seen as the pinnacle of one’s journey. However, many students are frustrated by the long periods […]
How Phases Work
Teaching a room full of students at different skill levels has vexed instructors for years. What is the best way to keep everyone progressing towards […]
History of Karate in Hawai’i
A good article about Hawaiian Karate history so read it here at the Honolulu Advertiser. Hamilton Library exhibit celebrates spread of the martial art from […]
Loyalty and Lineage
I become increasingly frustrated with the state of affairs in the Kempo community, in the world of karate for that matter. Almost weekly, I learn […]
Lights, Camera, Kata!
When you compete in tournaments, remember that you are being judged on your performance of the kata not only the technical execution. Kata are subjectively […]
Musical Kata
“The irony of musical kata is that the kata were probably folk dances to start with. They lost their musical ties and have since been […]