Training with Sensei.

I am often asked, why should I train with you on the online academy or in person with you in a private lesson. Good questions. The thing is, I put together the entire Northstar Ju jitsu syllabus. It is based on my years of fighting. For those of you that have done one of my…

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Living a disciplined life

This is one of the chapters from my new book: A warrior must live a disciplined life. Unless you live a disciplined life, it’s too easy to get involved with stuff. People use their car horn as a weapon because you’re not moving as fast as they want you to. When we had the hair-trigger…

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Where the police a little rough?

There is no doubt that the police were a little rough on the 95-year-old in the nursing home. From what I can make out is this innocent woman with dementia was shuffling towards the police in her walking frame carrying a large knife. As a survivor of being in a real situation and being attacked…

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The Perfect Student.

Steve is a perfect student. He works hard and dreams of getting ahead and providing for his family. He is a hard worker that is committed and disciplined. He will stick it out and work hard to achieve his goals. He is happy to work through on line learning modules of the academy with my…

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The importance of repetition and training every day.

The importance of repetition and training every day. Well, the year has officially begun. With Australia day over and schools going back this week, it is all forward into the year. I’m not sure how much training you did over the break, but regardless, if you are still keen it is time to recycle and…

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Time for Black Belts to step up

The black belt does not exist as a symbol of excellence. The concept of a black belt is something that was invented by Judo Founder Jigoro Kano when he took the concept from the traditional martial arts that predominately wore a white belt to hold their pants up, to a colour system that gave certain…

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Martial Arts near me.

For quite some time I have wondered how I am going to write a blog post on martial arts near me. When I get the google analytics each month for the Northstar website, by far “martial arts near me” is hands down the most used search term in looking for martial arts schools. I have…

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Are you a Mc Dojo.

Just for a minute, let go of everything that you believe about martial arts tuition. Just take your blinkers off and ask yourself. Who wrote the rule book on how martial arts should be presented? It takes courage to step outside of the norm in anything you do. But it is we few pioneers that…

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But you can’t learn Ju Jitsu on the internet.

Learning just about anything online has been around for years. Now is the time to act. Why should martial arts be so different? Since Taebo swept the world with Taebo educational DVD’s, and now the myriad of yoga, meditation  and Pilates studios now teaching online. This is nothing new for me. I first offered an…

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Ju Jitsu Lessons Online

Ju Jitsu Lessons Online. The idea of learning such a detailed skill such as Ju Jitsu on line may be a completely new concept for you. Especially as a beginner. What you may be thinking is; “doesn’t Ju Jitsu rely on throwing and other moves that require a partner?” Well the answer is yes and…

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Learn Martial Arts Online.

For the last 40 years I have spent my time learning, seeking, developing and refining my interpretation of martial arts. The term “martial arts” was first used as a western concept in recent history. I first began to notice martial arts in the early 70’s, watching Bruce Lee movies. Once I started watching the ground…

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Qualities of a modern martial arts school.

To make your dojo look and feel special, the following qualities will help. These are unique to Northstar Ju Jitsu. Every dojo is different. Zanshin is an intense awareness. It includes awareness that you exist, you exist in a space around you, that you can control, awareness of the other, and their space, all at…

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MMA in Korea

Kyeok Too Ki. I visited this school in 1993. A country which has seen its fair share of conflict. Mortal enemies of the Japanese up until they finally left the Korean shores only then to be pitted up against their own kind , families separated by the forward progression of the Red peril of Communism.…

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Martial Arts near me.

martial arts near me

As parents we definitely want what is the best for our children. As adults we race from pillar to post, juggling work, family, friends and we want to stay fit and healthy. The time that we have allocated for ourselves tends to be the last priority. I try to have my time each morning from…

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The good samaritan and the milk crate.

Defend yourself

The Good Samaritan. In Sydney last week, we all had a bird’s eye view of a man blatantly wielding a long knife as he stalked people on the street. The scene unfolded in what could have easily been a scene from a movie shoot. The attacker appeared onto the street after he killed a woman…

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Ju Jitsu Mums.

The modern-day mum has a lot to take on. The days of the stay at home mum is an out dated model as more and more mothers are continuing to contribute to and remain in the work force as best as they can. Supported by their partners and a healthy dose of sheer will, mums…

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What are the qualities of a traditional Martial Arts Dojo?

The qualities of a traditional martial arts studio are those that bring with it, the soul of the martial art’s eastern origin, reflecting the history of peace and non-violence,connecting the old tradition with new and creating a space with full zanshin. The qualities of a traditional marital arts dojo include a space that creates a…

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What’s missing from modern Ju Jitsu.

What’s missing from modern Ju Jitsu? Off the bat, I use the Ju Jitsu spelling for modern Ju Jitsu because it is easier for people to read and say. The correct translation from the Japanese calligraphy is in fact “Ju Jutsu”. It is not Jiu Jitsu or any other interpretation that people use. Modern Ju…

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MMA competition report.

I am not normally drawn to martial arts competitions, but Tom my son and a couple of the other kids trainers were keen to compete. They chose a submission grappling MMA competition and I knew immediately that their spirit would be tested as the day would be long, hot and niggling injuries would test their…

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Getting a Black Belt

Before I commenced my current dojo; Northstar, I was employed full time and also ran a dojo called Fight Club, and you probably guessed right as it seemed to attract only fit men between the ages of 17 and 25. It was a fighting dojo and reflected the stage that I was at with my…

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The best style for self defence. Judo, Boxing or MMA?

The best style for self defence Over the weekend, I kind of over dosed on fighting sports. I watched the incredible destructive power of the current world champion heavy weight boxers. Apparently, the heavy weight competition is the best that it has been in years. The ruthless knock outs that I watched by these destructive…

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Martial Arts and Fighting.

Martial arts and fighting

Martial arts and fighting I remember starting martial Arts because I believed it was the answer to my fear of fighting and being bullied. It did not matter that I was 17, 183cm and 90kg, I was still very insecure. Learning martial arts did give me so much confidence, in fact probably too much. Back…

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Martial Arts in Sydney

Martial arts sydney

Martial arts in Sydney I was in the US a couple of weeks ago and I was invited to attend one of the premier American Martial Arts competitions, The Battle of Atlanta. This was an honour as it was the 50th anniversary of the event, so it was attended by American Martial Arts so called…

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