Episode 55 - Sensei Andrea Harkins

 

On today's episode we're joined by Sensei Andrea Harkins, a martial artist from Florida. Sensei Andrea, as she asked I call her, is an author and blogger that runs a martial arts school in Florida with her husband. Whereas most of our guests have been training since they were children, Sensei Andrea started in her 20s which gives her an entirely different perspective. She was great about sharing that perspective with us and offers up some excellent stories.

Sensei Andrea is an active writer, contributing articles to not only her own publications but also some very well-respected online magazines. Read on for the show notes below to see where you can find her writing. We'll be updating this page when her book does come out, so stay tuned.

Today's featured product is our whistlekick ball cap, available in two styles. Head on over to the website to order - they've been really popular!

Show Notes

The Martial Arts Woman - Sensei Andrea's Website & Blog. Also the title of her upcoming book.

Andrea's professional and personal Facebook pages, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter accounts.

Sensei Andrea also writes for masuccess.com & worldmartialartsmagazine.com

While we didn't get into it on the show, Sensei Andrea is also a noted public speaker and life coach. You can learn more about those aspects of her at her website.

Don't forget, there are lots of ways you can help this show grow. The easiest one is to head over to iTunes and leave a review. Here's a direct link to the show webpage for iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whistlekick-martial-arts-radio/id986000331

For full show notes, please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/055-andrea-harkins/

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Episode 54 - Martial Arts Instincts

Instincts - Episode 54

What does having a strong sense of instinct have to do with being a good martial artist? How can you develop your instincts? We explore these questions and a lot more in today's episode.

 

For a full transcript of this show, head over to  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/054-instincts/

 

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Episode 53 - Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle

 

Today we talk with Dr. Terrence Webster-Doyle, or Dr. T as he's commonly referred to. A martial artist with over 55 years experience, numerous awards and decorations, it was an honor to have him on the show. Dr. T's passion is around bullying education and prevention, which is why he founded the organization Martial Arts for Peace. We talk about the path that brought him to founding the organization and the life events that showed him how important the issue of bullying was, decades before anyone else was talking about it.

Our conversation doesn't always follow the path you might expect, however. We talk about Dr. T's conversations with Linda Lee Cadwell (Bruce Lee's Widow) and her opinion of what Bruce Lee might have thought about his work. The thread of bullying weaves throughout the episode and Dr. T's answers to the questions, but there's a lot more to this man and his work than bullying. I found him to be very thoughtful and very authentic. I haven't spoken with many people who have shouldered a cause for as long as Dr. T, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for that.

Your humble host, Jeremy Lesniak

 

For full show notes, please visit  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/053-terrence-webster-doyle/

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Episode 52 - Tournaments

Tournaments - Episode 52

Bill Wallace, Jeff Smith & Joe Lewis

Our tournament - whistlekick Martial Arts Showdown

History of Modern Sport Karate - a great reference if you're interested in digging deeper.

Full episode transcript, photos, video and more can be found at  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/052-tournaments/

 

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Episode 51: Mr. Donavan Barrett

 

Today we get some time with Mr. Donavan Barrett, a WTF taekwondo practitioner from the gulf coast of Florida. Mr. Barrett is an exceptional kicker with amazing flexibility and a great passion for the martial arts. We first met him on social media and after a lot of conversation, we selected him as one of our Brand Ambassadors. While we do what we can to help our partners, we're not talking to Mr. Barrett (or Mr. Donavan as he's called in his dojang) because of our relationship with him. Rather, we think he's an exceptional martial artist with great stories and a passion for sharing his passion. It doesn't take long in the episode for you to understand just how much this young man loves what he does.

Mr. Donavan talks extensively about the inspiration he takes from martial arts idols and pioneers such as Chloe Bruce, Ronda Rousey and Bill Wallace. As with most of our guests, he opens up about who he is and the impact martial arts has had on his life. His strength of character is certainly admirable and his self-confidence and willingness to share openly is worth noting. This is likely to be an episode that inspires others for some time.

 

If you haven't yet, please check out our sparring gear. We have durable, comfortable and lightweight sparring gloves, boots, helmets and shin guards. There's a reason those that purchase from whistlekick are passionate about our products - it's because they can tell just how passionate we are about them.

 

For full show notes please visit  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/051-donavan-barrett/

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50 - Jet Li

Today's episode is all about one of our favorite martial arts actors, Jet Li. We jump headfirst into his history with the martial arts and his impact on the martial arts movie world. If you're at all a fan of him or his movies, you won't want to miss this episode. We referenced a number of resources for this episode, including his Wikipedia page.

 

For full show notes, video clips & show transcript please visit:  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/050-jet-li/

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Episode 49 - Sije Cheyenne Lachapelle

Leave your problems at the door. Leave whatever you have that's wrong, whatever's going on that's inside you, that you're not sharing... leave it at the door.

Today we have Sije Cheyenne Lachapelle, a kung fu practitioner from Worcester, Massachusetts. Most of the guests on Martial Arts Radio are suggestions, and Sije Lachapelle is no exception. This time, however, the suggestion didn't come from a previous guest or a listener - but rather someone I went to school with. See, Sije Lachapelle and I have one major thing in common, and that's our university of choice. I'm a graduate of Clark University in Worcester where she now trains. Her competitive success led to some local publicity which then caught the eye of a friend. I reached out, we chatted, and that brings us to now.

Sije Lachapelle is one of the few Chinese martial arts stylists we've had on the show, and at least for now, is the youngest. As with many who start young in the martial arts, Sije Cheyenne Lachapelle carries with her a maturity and a confidence that are beyond her years. I enjoyed our conversation and found her passion for the martial arts very grounding, her insights compelling. What you won't hear in this conversation is our time after the recording ended - we talked for quite a while about martial arts, Worcester and life in general. We share a mutual admiration for another Worcester, MA martial artist, Shihan Wayne Mello. (In fact, it was Shihan Mello that was partly responsible for me attending school in Worcester. I was very excited at the prospect of training with him.)

Please enjoy the episode,
Your host - Jeremy Lesniak

For full show notes please visit:  http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/049-cheyenne-lachapelle/

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Episode 48 - Martial Arts Movies

Perhaps more than any other pursuit, film is woven into our culture. Martial arts school owners, in particular, know the impact that The Karate Kid, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other films had on encouraging society to seek out martial arts instruction.

But do you know your martial arts film history? How about the impact these films have had on society? We’re going to explore these topics and more on today’s episode.

Check out today's featured product - our sparring helmet. Comfortable and durable, it's all you could want.

The Battle of Dingjunshan - 1905, first martial arts film

Bad Day at Black Rock - 1955 American film

Top grossing martial arts films

For full show notes please visit: http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/048-martial-arts-movies/

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Episode 47 - Master Ken & Mr. Matt Page

Master Ken & Mr. Matt Page - Episode 47

They beat the crap out of him, you know? Took his belt away. Foot stomped him, put cigarettes out on him. Threw him in the dumpster. And so I felt responsible, you know? Because I had given him the confidence too early. So I went to see him in the hospital, and I saw him laying there all beat up and broken. And that's when I demoted him.

Today we have a very different episode of Martial Arts Radio. Episode 47 marks our first interview of a fictional character, Master Ken, the beloved start of the breakout YouTube hit, Enter the Dojo. Our first portion of the episode is with the legendary founder of Ameri-Do-Te himself. Later, we're joined by Matt Page, the actor behind the character.

If you're not familiar with the show, it's a biting, sarcastic and sometimes all-to-true portrayal of the traditional martial arts. If you're willing to laugh at the martial arts, and maybe a bit at yourself, you'll enjoy it. With over 150 thousand subscribers, Enter the Dojo may be one of the most successful martial arts-related independent productions of all time.

There are some surprises in this episode that I hope you'll enjoy. While I rarely spend much time with a guest before their appearance, there's usually a bit of pre-show. Master Ken, Mr. Page & I spent very little time in the pre-show, electing to just sort of let it happen. That was the right call, and I have to say, this episode was a blast. Enjoy. ~jeremy

Show Notes

 

Matt Page, the man behind Master Ken

Actor - Jean Claude Van Damme

Movies - Double Impact (Bolo Yeung Fight Scene), Bloodsport (Final Fight Scene)

Enter The Dojo Show website and on YouTube

Master Ken on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, IMDb or Schedule a Live Appearance

Ameri-Do-Te on Facebook

Matt Page on IMDb

If you've never watched the Enter the Dojo show, the video below is not a full episode, but a wonderful introduction to the creativity and sense of humor it brings.

 

 

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