A Sensei is many things – janitor, nurse, counsellor, accountant, career guidance coach, wailing wall, mentor, caterer, event manager, teacher and role model. Even when we don’t want to be, we are always in a gi.
Category: Martial Arts
Should I Watch My Child Train?
One of the questions we get asked most is: Can I watch my child train?
Usually, this is a great thing, because it shows interest in the student’s progress and maybe the art itself. However, it is important for an instructor to decide how valuable it will be.
Late Bloomers Welcome
I got an email from a possible student the other day, asking if we offered adult classes, or if we… Read more Late Bloomers Welcome
Real Futureproofing
We get it, parents: you are trying to make sure your child, the centre of your universe, your precious genetic… Read more Real Futureproofing
Vygotsky and the Sempai
Lev Vygotsky offers a way for us to understand the value of peer teaching, which appears in all good dojos around the world: the sempai-kouhai relationship.
How to look after your gi
They say the suit maketh the man, and while that’s a bit narrow, it is helpful to paraphrase it as the… Read more How to look after your gi
Returning to the Dojo
One missed class can easily become three. Three classes becomes a month. Then six. Then a year. And then there’s a day when you open your cupboard and there is your gi, hanging up and gathering dust. Waiting. (And silently judging you.)
Doilies, Vases and Greek Life Lessons
It all began with a doily, and a vase. My yaya, a woman who has caustic wit and very thin… Read more Doilies, Vases and Greek Life Lessons
Five Reasons Why Kids Need Karate
As a partner piece to my perennial classic Eight Reasons Why Women Should Do a Martial Art, read on to see all the benefits a martial art can bring your kids.
Obituary: Kazuo Chiba, 1940 – 2015
Even though I no longer formally practice Aikido, it is a martial art that still matters to me, and one… Read more Obituary: Kazuo Chiba, 1940 – 2015
Zojo Dojo 