CHOP TALK: Karate | Martial Arts | Okinawa | Japan

This week's guest is Professor Stan Russell, expert on Japanese architecture and carpentry.  Stan is an Associate  Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He is also the founder of One Corner Architects, a full service Architetural design studio in Ybor City, Tampa Florida. One Corner Architects specialize in creative contemporary design solutions for residential, commercial, and institutional projects.  

This week, Masahiro Imafuji joins the show. Imafuji Sensei is the host of the Kendo Podcast, which you can find at www.kendo-podcast.com.  He is also the author of the Kendo Guide website www.kendo-guide.com, where you can find a TON of great information on kendo including books, videos, and web courses, this is for kendo practitiors of every level from complete beginners, intermediate, and  all the way to advanced students.

You sh...

This week,  Don Sonney returns to to discuss his career in law enforcement and how it was influenced by his martial arts training. Don Sonney's martial arts training led him  to join the Ohio Highway Patrol, which he discusses today. during his time as a trooper he was selected for their newly founded Ranger program (which was the predecessor of the SWAT Team) He also become an Instructor at the Highway Patrol's Academy. Mr. Sonney...

This week,  long time karate practitioner Don Sonney joins the show..  Mr. Sonney started his karate career in 1964, training in Shotokan Karate in Gary, Pennsylvania under Artis Simmons, who was one of the top karate competitors of the era. He then went on to train in Shuri Ryu with, James McLain in his Cleveland dojo.  Don Sonney competed against, worked out with some of the top karate men the time, including Dr. Mel Wise, Phil K...

This week, Andrew Clark joins us to discuss his experience living in Japan and training in Okinawan and Japanese Sumo. Andy moved to Japan 2004,  to teach English on the tiny island of Kitadaito Jima,  a few hundered miles East of Okinawa. While there, Andy had the unique opportunity to train both Kakuriki, or Okinawan Sumo (also known as Tegumi & Muto). and Japanese Edo Sumo, which is the Japanese sumo that most of you are familia...

This week, Dr. Andy Wells, joins us to talk about COVID-19 and the Corona Virus. Dr. Wells is an Internal Medicine physician, and will be starting a Cardiology fellowship this summer, at a major academic medical center.  

The Doctor breaks down what this virus IS, what makes it different that the flu, the best way to prevent yourself from getting it, what to do if you have symptoms, and the current  situation with protective equipm...

This week's guest is one of the top Jodo practitioners in the United States (and an instructor at our upcoming seminar in Cincinnnati!), Harvey King.  He started training in karate in the 60s/early 70's, before branching out to iaido, aikido, and his primary focus Jodo.  He has traveled, trained, and taught all over the world.  In today' show we go through some of this history and he shares several training stories from his many vi...

This week's guest is Ninja Nguyen, author of Step on the Mat: Life Lessons of the Ninja.  In Ninja's new book he shows how martial arts are more than just punching and kicking, and he highlights how the valuable lessons found in the routines of the martial arts can be applied to everything else you do in your life.  From the opening bow, sparring, and competitions, - all of these contain lessons that can help make you stronger ment...

Ezra Scott,  from James McLain's Kosho School of Karate in Nashville, and I continue our discussion on Martial Arts in the Digital Age.  Today we get into how to identify a credible source, how to bring what you learned on the internet back into your dojo, whether or not we care about society, and the generation gap that SEVERELY impacts people's perception of sharing martial arts on the internet.

If you want to learn more about Ez...

  This week's guest is Noah Legel, author of the "Karate Obsession" blog, and creator of Youtube channel Noah Legal's Karate obsession.  Noah and I originally trained together at the Academy of Okinawan Karate in Peoria Illinois.  In today's show we start off by reminiscing about our early training in Illinois, how Noah switched to Shorin Kan, how his blog and videos began, and then wrap up talking about his late teacher, Richard P...

Sharon Massey from Pyramid Karate in Indianapolis, Indiana joins us this week to discuss women's self defense. Sharon talks about some of the real-world situations she has been in, her transition to traditional martial arts, and how the self defense concerns of women differ significantly from men, including the difference in physicality, situational awareness, dealing with domestic violence, and sexual assault. 

Sharon will be host...

Phillip Koeppel returns this week. Sensei Koeppel has practiced martial arts for over 60 years, training with Yoshio Kawaguchi and Richard Kim in Yokohama Japan, Adriano Emperado in Hawaii, and Robert Trias in the US, and now practices Matsumura Seito Ryu. He opened the first karate dojo in Illinois in 1959.  

Today we start off by hearing how Mr. Koeppel met a fresh off the boat Bruce Lee, a few final thoughts on Kajukembo and Emp...

This week's guest, Phillip Koeppel, is a true American Karate Pioneer.  Sensei Koeppel has been practicing martial arts for over 60 years.  Starting in 1956 in Yokohama Japan under Toshio Kawaguchi and Richard Kim, then moving on to Hawaii to train in Kajukembo with Adriano Emperado, before returing to Illinois and joining Robert Trias and the USKA.  His many credits include opening the first karate school in Illinois, organizing t...