My Perspective

My Perspective shares the personal perspective of different martial  artists and others on martial thought, philosophy and more on USAdojo.com.

Donald Miskel

Brother to Brother (or Sister)

Greetings to my fellow Dragons and my martial art brethren. This is a letter to our fraternity but also to any and all that...
Martial Thought

Martial Thought

Thought is not uniquely human, but it is unique in the level of thinking power that mankind possesses. Man is a reflective and thinking...
To lead people, walk behind them. Lao Tzu

Leaders

To lead people, walk behind them. Lao Tzu To maintain order in the smooth and efficient functioning of civilized society, it is preferable for one...
Rodney King has the Freedom to Play

Martial Arts And The Freedom To Play

Freedom to Play is vital to my enjoyment of martial arts. You might find this is a puzzling, challenging, or controversial statement. I know that many...
Donald Miskel

Sand Fu: Building Without the Proper Foundation

Yeah, I know. I can almost hear you complaining, “Sand fu, here he goes again with those ridiculous titles”. If you’ll be kind enough...
Real Warrior Wisdom

Real Warrior Wisdom

In the Real Warrior Wisdom section of USAdojo.com you will find fantastic articles by men and women who continually make a difference in the...
Donald Miskel

Being a Grandmaster isn’t so Grand

Those of us that are still somewhat active at this age know that being a Grandmaster isn’t so grand. A lot of age and...
Don Nagle

What’s Next . . . The State of Isshinryu After Don Nagle’s Death

This letter is to all Isshinryu Karate-Ka and Martial Artists from Sensei Ed McGrath, Ju Dan, Hanshi Go. I am sure that you are all aware,...
Donald Miskel

Renshi, Shihan, Hanshi (Oh My)

There are teachers, sensei and masters out there in every shape size and variety. They teach some of anything and everything an aspiring martial...
Donald Miskel

Learning Through Failure

In all honesty, I might not be the one to write this particular study. I actually feel hypocritical in doing so. I am not...
Loyalty

LOYALTY in Judo and in Life

Nothing is more noble, nothing more venerable, than loyalty. Cicero (106 BC – 43 BC) After having lived in Japan for some time, one comes to...
Jigoro Kano

Judo and Education

Over a century ago, Japanese jujutsu men from various ryu or schools, often competed against one another and sometimes fought boxers and wrestlers in...

Powerful Punch Comes From The Brain

Brain scans have revealed distinctive features in the brain structure of karate experts which correlate with punching ability. The powerful punch comes from the...
Donald Miskel

Teaching Beginners . . .

A wonderful time in class this afternoon. Taught a beginner's class. I had almost forgotten the joy of taking the uninitiated and educating them in...
Kata and Prearranged Drills

Kata and Prearranged Drills Are About Cooperation

In today’s hypercompetitive society, where everyone is trying to outdo someone else, these kinds of traditional martial art drills are the closest we can...
Donald Miskel

Bruce Tegner Demystified The Martial Arts

The martial arts are my passion. When I was a youth I proclaimed that, “karate is my life”. I’ve since grown past that kind...