Matthew Sylvester
Martial Arts
Pressure Testing
Pressure testing is a buzz word right now along with ‘reality-based’, ‘pressure points’ and ‘cross-training’. Just as with the other buzz words there is some misconception as to what pressure testing is. Most people seem to think it involves blood, sweat and tears in copious amounts; somewhat like an MMA fight actually. This isn’t far … Continue reading
Applications – They need to be Practical
When looking for applications in your patterns, it is important to always be critical. When you’re doing this from a Practical Taekwondo perspective, it’s vital that you also be practical. Take the picture below. Normally you see this sort of thing performed by people wearing doboks. I took it with us wearing street clothing to show just … Continue reading
The Olympics gave us REAL ROLE MODELS
So, with the Olympics over, I’m feeling strangely conflicted. On the one hand I’m feeling totally inspired by the effort that all of the Olympian put into their performance. Whether they came first or last, every one of those people did their utmost to represent not only their country, but themselves and their loved ones. … Continue reading
My Taekwondo’s MINE – What’s YOUR Taekwondo?
This is an article that I wrote a few years ago. I recently witnessed a spat between Taekwondo practitioners as to what was and wasn’t correct for a certain technique. Seeing this reminded me of the this article, so I thought I would post it up again. My Taekwondo has changed greatly due to the … Continue reading
Don’t take your instructors for granted
Members of clubs, any clubs, often take what the club provides for granted. This is perfectly understandable because quite often, they are completely removed from the running of the club. This is exactly the same for martial arts instructor. Students turn up, practice – or train – and then go home. The instructor has gone … Continue reading
Matthew Sylvester 