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Star Trek fans have a saying when it comes to a personal, moral compass: "There's the right way, the wrong way, and the Janeway."

When a system routinely takes advantage of our patterns, especially the ones we can't control, it's easy to turn inward and begin breaking ourselves rather than our patterns.

Longsword is generally a two-handed weapon, but sometimes it's a great idea to let go with one hand.

Music is a big part of our HEMA (historical European martial arts) club. There is always music playing.

Rule #1 of HEMA: Don't get hit. In one fight, my opponent thrusted their sword into my arm about five times before I figured out how to block it. The bruise from that fight went from my shoulder to my elbow. My body didn't sign up for sword fighting. I don't look like the average longsword wielder in my classes. I don't come across as white, male, tall, or athletic. My body is completely different, and my body is the one who takes the damage. When I get hit, it goes deeper b

So how do I feel putting on my Iroh dress? Amazing.

I'd been holding my sword incorrectly. My wrist was at the wrong angle, and it made my attacks slower. So I'm unlearning how to hold my sword. It's not easy. I have to think about it. It feels wrong. I am really comfortable holding my sword in an inefficient and potentially harmful way. Unlearning is an active way of being that requires conscious effort. And, if I can unlearn, I will be even better. This isn't just about swords, though. I'm constantly unlearning the role th

It’s getting colder, the holidays are around the corner, and people kind of stop coming to their martial arts classes. It’s not a rule, but it’s certainly a trend. I was waiting for someone (anyone) to show up for a class, and 10 minutes after the scheduled start time, two people showed up. One was a student who had been coming for a couple of months, and he’d brought a friend. I gave them a private lesson, and they both seemed to enjoy it. The friend said she’d had a lot of

I pulled off the Bee Sting this week. While grappling my opponent’s sword, I swung my sword behind my back and stabbed him in his side (Our swords have rounded tips and we wear lots of protective gear. No one got hurt, in fact, we were both laughing!). It's a move that has been used against me many times. This was the first time I used it against someone else. I studied. I practiced. I recognized my moment and I took it. Perseverance paid off and I'm still riding that high da