So you're a senior belt or an older individual or both and you're looking to compete maybe for the very first time. Your journey to the ring is very different from the average competitor who may have been competing from the very beginning. In this episode we talk about competing once again but under these circumstances. We mostly stay on point, mostly....

In this episode we talk about using Japanese terminology on the floor during your karate classes. Some clubs do it, some clubs do not but we're going to discuss why we do it and why we believe at least having a basic understanding of the language of karate is important.

Black belt may be your goal when you start your journey in the martial arts but more than likely it is not. It is some far off distant thought. Most adults who start karate do it for varying different reasons other than getting a black belt. What happens though when you get to that stage and it comes time to test for Shodan. I bring in my two newest adult black belts to discuss their journeys and what it means to become a black belt in their 40s and 50s. Whether you're an adult, teen or junior black belt it's definitely worth a listen.

Here is our recap of the opening ceremonies and day one of competition at the recently held WKC World Championships in Albufeira, Portugal. We share our thoughts on everything from the judging to the Team Canada uniforms and much more. Give a listen and share your thoughts.

So here is our recap of the recently held WKC team Canada tryouts which took place over the May long weekend this year. We talked about all aspects of the tournament and we don't pull any punches. We tell you what we liked and what we didn't like. Give a listen and let us know if you agree with our breakdown.

It goes without saying that if you're going to participate in physical activity like the martial arts injuries can occur. I'm not telling any of you anything you don't already know. The questions we ask you this episode are how do you manage your injury and is it possible to continue training while injured. Give a listen and share your stories of how you managed your injuries and training.

It's been a crazy several months but we are finally back with new episodes. In this latest short episode I just give a brief history lesson on what's been going on as well as a preview of some of the episodes to come. Thank you to everyone who stuck with us and were "nagging" me to get back in the proverbial saddle.

More great content is coming your way so please stay tuned.

A good martial arts instructor does more than just teach martial arts. They share their experiences with you. They will be in your corner when you need them, sometimes literally. They will route for you inside and outside of the Dojo. They absolutely want you to succeed and gain as much as you can from the martial arts. That said they don't necessarily share everything. I came across a list of 10 things your martial arts instructor may not tell you, but it's good for you to know. Give a listen and see if you agree with them and my breakdown of them. Don't hesitate to share some of the things that you wish you knew, or wish you were told earlier in your training.

As a follow up to our last podcast, Random Questions, we have a sequel episode called Random Questions - Kids Edition. During our recent March Break karate camp I had the kids ask me anything they wanted. I think I may have gotten off easy here, but some of the questions were very good and really made me think. Some of them even surprised me. Give a listen and see if he would've ask any of these questions.

Is weight training good for your martial arts? Who is the GOAT? What's my favourite memory from a tournament? These are some of the questions I was asked in our random questions podcast. Give a listen to find out the answers and the answers to many many more questions.

Today is January 16, 2023. Monday, January 16 in fact. Today is what they are calling Blue Monday. It's supposed to be the saddest day of the year, at least so far. I take a quick look into what Blue Monday is where it came from and if it's even real. Give a listen and remember to have a GOOD day :-)

Here we are at the beginning of a new year. In this podcast I do a quick review of the last 12 months for me and my dojo but I also talk about my goals for the coming year. Give a listen and don't be afraid to share your goals with us.

Are martial arts tournaments even a thing anymore? The answer is yes they are. Coming out of the pandemic they are starting to gather steam again and this can be a very good thing for the martial arts community. Many people think that tournaments are something that only kids do but that's not the case. Today I talk to three adults who competed at a tournament recently for the very first time. We discuss the motivations that led them to compete, how they felt about their performance and whether or not they'll do it again. If you're an adult who does martial arts this is something you're going to want to listen to.

Here we go with Part 2 of our WKC World Championships discussion. We have a couple of days of the tournament under our belts now and we discuss what we've seen and experienced so far. Did you attend the tournament? Do you agree with our breakdown? Let us know.

The WKC World Championships starts tomorrow at 9:00am. Here is a pre-tournament break down of our hopes and expectations. The training that got us here and where we go from here. We also spend some time talking about Killarney Ireland which is where the tournament is taking place. Definitely a place worth visiting. Part 2 will land on Wednesday or Thursday so give a listen and stay tuned.

Here is the long the weighted part two of our favourite martial arts movies Saga. My guest for this podcast certainly has a theme which you will no doubt catch on to pretty quickly. Give a listen and see how many of our selections you've seen and how many you agree with.

It goes without saying that the past 2 1/2 years have been tough. Not just tough financially they have been tough emotionally and mentally for so many people. Our family, our neighbours, our coworkers, our friends. Many of them have struggled with their mental health. Maybe it's you who have struggled with your mental health. Maybe this is a new thing or maybe it's some thing you've been dealing with for a long time. Today that is what we were going to talk about. We're going to discuss the science about how being physically active and working out can help people struggling with mental health issues. Of course it wouldn't be the Canadian Dojo Podcast if we didn't talk about how the martial arts is uniquely situated to help people working on these issues. 

In this latest episode I have the privilege of sitting down and talking with the one and only Sensei Rick Joslin. Mr. Joslin has been a driving force and an influence in the local martial arts community since the 1960s. It was a privilege speaking with him and talking about his martial arts journey so far. Give a listen as we talk about the past and how his approach to teaching changed over the years. 

In our continuing conversation with Sensei Flood we move from the past to the present and the future. We talk about and break down the benefits of martial arts training and how well run dojos can be a positive force in their community. We also talk about the state of the martial arts industry as it is today and where he feels it could and should go in the future. He also breaks down his new program that brings the benefits of the martial arts and martial arts training to people who, at one time, may not have been welcome in the old school hard-core dojo system. Definitely a conversation not to be missed 

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.