Episode 157 - Sensei Roberto Davila

Sensei Roberto Davila is an Arnis & Jujitsu practitioner from Massachusetts, born in Puerto Rico.

Sensei Roberto Davila - Episode 157

I don't think the guy on the street is going to care if I have injuries or not, so I have to find new ways, as I'm slowing down, you know , to make it more simple and very effective.

I had heard stories of today's guest months before I had spoken with him. Months, even, before a listener to the show suggested him and introduced us. The martial arts world can be very small, and today's interview again reminds me of that. I've known Sensei Davila's instructor for some time, as we were introduced by a few past guests. [His instructor's interview was lost due to technical issues and we're in the process of rescheduling.]

Sensei Davila holds nothing back in this episode as he talks about two very different times in his life. Early on, he was a troubled youth, engaged in some of the worst behavior someone can. After finding martial arts, however, he changed. This dramatic shift is seen in the stories he tells and the emotion with which he tells them. It is an honest, open and thoughtful episode that I hope you enjoy.

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Episode 156 - Everyone Needs a Teacher

On today's episode, we tackle the importance of having an instructor, no matter what your rank and experience.

Everyone Needs a Teacher - Episode 156

On today's episode, we discuss why it's so critical that every martial artist has someone to learn from - at least one person. Jeremy riffs without a transcript on this installment of the show, talking about some of his varied training experiences and encouraging listeners to take responsibility for their training, even if that makes difficult decisions or having tough conversations.

On this episode, Jeremy references past guest Sensei Earl Smith from episode 17.

 

For other episodes please visit:

 

http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/156-everyone-needs-teacher/

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Episode 155 - Mr. Charles Murdock

Mr. Charles Murdock is a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) practitioner with roots in Aikido and Karate.

Mr. Charles Murdock - Episode 155

"You know, he always had this idea of these three legs on a stool. You had your work life, you had your family life and you had your training life. And that when something was going off in one of them you could always lean on the other two."

The more time I spend with this show, and meeting martial artists - in person and virtually - the more I realize the lines between location and style are blurry. It is from these blurry lines that today's guest comes to us. Instructor to a personal friend of mine, Mr. Charles Murdock is a practitioner of Historical European Martial Arts - often called HEMA - who started life with Asian martial arts. He talks to us today about those roots and what he's up to today, and how it all comes together.

Today's product of note is a second mention of our new Horizon colorway of sparring gear. We have some great new photos that really showcase the incredible depth and variances in the swirl color process. Check out all four colors at whistlekick.com

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Episode 154 - Question & Answer #2

On today's episode, we tackle why repetition of forms is important, how all martial artists could improve with a single focus, ways to improve your sparring and how to self-train with weapons.

Question & Answer #2 - Episode 154

In this episode we handle these four questions:

1. If the newer martial arts forms a student learns contain more complex and advanced movements and sequences, why continue to work on the old ones?
2. What is one thing could all martial artists improve?
3. I find sparring overwhelming, how do I get better so it doesn't feel so daunting?
4. My school doesn't teach martial arts weapons but I want to learn how to use them, at least a little. What can I do?

If you like this format, check out our first question & answer show.

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Episode 153 - Miss Elise Lenahan

Miss Elise Lenahan is a taekwondo black belt as well as a black belt in the Marine Corp Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).

Miss Elise Lenahan - Episode 153

Martial arts isn't just about your form or anything like that, it's about your mentality towards it. If you don't come into it with an open mind, I think sometimes it's really difficult to work with other people, because you're like, you're not supposed to do it that way you're supposed to do it this way. But, sometimes you didn't see that this other way has another advantage for somebody else.

Today's guest is someone I've known for years, but she's on here for a reason. Miss Elise Lenahan is the only person I know - though there are certainly others - to have earned a black belt in a traditional martial art (in this case Taekwondo) and a black belt in the Marine Corp Martial Arts Program (MCMAP). On this episode, we discuss what the process of attaining each was like for her, the differences between the two and what she's taken from her varied experience as a martial artist.

Today's featured product is our sparring gloves. When we developed the gloves, we took a hard look at why everyone else's gloves seemed to fail so quickly. Through our better materials, smarter design and extra reinforcement, we've created gloves that simply don't fail. Personally, my pair is now 4 years old. I may not spar as much as some of you out there, but these have had some use. You can learn more about our gloves and maybe get yourself a pair at whistlekick.com

 

For full show notes, please visit:

 

http://www.whistlekickmartialartsradio.com/153-elise-lenahan/

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Episode 152 - Conversations on Women in Martial Arts: Part 2

Mrs. April Pettengill, Sensei Katie Jordan and Miss Jessica Henderson return to discuss topics related to women's involvement in the martial arts world.

Conversations on Women in Martial Arts: Part 2 - Episode 152

Last week's Part 1 of the two-part series on women in the martial arts was our best-ever debut for a Thursday episode. We knew there was demand for these conversations but we had no idea how much. Thank you to everyone for sharing and listening. If you haven't heard it, please check out Conversations on Women in Martial Arts: Part 1. There's no need to hear part 1 before part 2, as they're completely independent shows.

We hear from Mrs. April Pettengill, Sensei Katie Jordan, and Miss Jessica Henderson along with host Jeremy Lesniak as they discuss a number of topics related to women and gender differences in the context of martial arts. We discuss everything from classes to uniforms to psychology, with the hope that both male and female listeners will come away with a better understanding and give some thought to subjects that affect us all.

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Episode 151 - Soke Joe Droual

Soke Joe Droual is a long-time martial arts instructor from New York. His background includes karate, jiu-jitsu, Kobudo and kung fu.

Soke Joe Droual - Episode 151

The master teacher is the master student, and we're always learning. And I think that that ties in with the martial arts community realizing that their whole lifetime is learning something that is very old, the traditions are showing respect and kindness to everybody and to themselves. Self-development and that is actually, that grounding and that respect, I think, is at the heart of all martial arts.

Soke Joe Droual comes to us from Long Island, New York. A long-time practitioner and instructor, Soke Joe has dedicated his life to martial arts - and you can hear it in his words. On today's episode, we hear why Soke Joe Droual continues to train after so many years, why martial arts is like music and his views on the personal development side of martial arts.

We've seen a lot of sparring gear head out of the warehouse lately - even more so than the weeks leading up to Christmas. Remember, we have four colors now and not a single pair of boots has that silly toe strap. If you want sparring gear that lasts longer and gives better grip on the floor, whistlekick boots are what you want. Find them online at whistlekick.com

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Episode 150 - Conversations on Women in Martial Arts: Part 1

We unpack some of the differences - and similarities - between male and female martial artists with two past guests, Renshi Lisa Magiera and Master Amanda Meltzer.

Conversations on Women in Martial Arts: Part 1 - Episode 150

Over the last few months, we've had some listeners ask for more group conversations. Feedback on the Women in Martial Arts episode was very positive, and some listeners asked for more discussion, with women. We've combined those two ideas and brought back Renshi Lisa Magiera and Master Amanda Meltzer to discuss a few subjects related to women in martial arts. This is not an episode that's "for women," and I suspect it will make a lot of people think about some things, regardless of gender.

During this episode we reference our past episode on Helping People Find the Right Martial Arts School.

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Episode 149 - Sensei Cheryl Murphy

Sensei Cheryl Murphy is a competitive karate practitioner, best known for her sparring and being a member of Team USA.

Sensei Cheryl Murphy - Episode 151

 Being able to pull myself up from my bootstraps. Of course, you still have your support system, in order to thrive from.

A lot of our guests come from referrals of past guests, and so it was we were introduced to Sensei Cheryl Murphy. We've heard from a number of martial artists who enjoy competing - and some who compete at a very high level. You may see Sensei Murphy at the Olympics in 2020, though, and that would be a first for our guests. As a competitive kumite fighter, Sensei Murphy travels the world sparring. She has numerous national and world titles to her name, but here on the show we learn why competing is so important to her, why she's still passionate about martial arts and how her Mom has been such a strong influence on her life.

You know whistlekick as making awesome sparring gear - and we certainly do that. But we also have a line of apparel that you should check out. Comfortable sweatpants, functional t-shirts and a lot more. Find everything we offer at our online store at whistlekick.com

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