What I Learned from Guro Dan

Guro Dan and Coach Roderick

I look forward to training with Dan Inosanto when he conducts his seminars in Atlanta every year. I always learn something new from him, because he is always learning something new. One of the qualities I admire about Guro Dan, as he is affectionately called, is his personal commitment to life-long learning. Even at the age of 83, Guro Dan continues to explore, research, and learn new ways of expressing himself in the martial arts. He does not rest on his many laurels. His thirst for knowledge is the reason he has had so many different martial arts instructors over the years. From Ed Parker to Bruce Lee to John Lacoste. Guro Dan knows that no one person has a monopoly on martial arts knowledge. I have been greatly influenced by Guro Dan's example. I find myself searching out the best instructors I can find and learning what they have to teach me. I adhere to what Guro Dan's most famous instructor once said, "Absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add what is specifically your own." Thank you Guro Dan for being such a great role model to me and many other martial artists around the world.

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Grandmaster Ulysses "Pop" Winn Jr

My first martial arts instructor Grandmaster Ulysses "Pop" Winn passed away on May 9, 2024. He was a 10th degree black belt in Nisei Goju Ryu. Thank you Sensei for being a mentor and positive role model to me when I was growing up. Until we meet again in heaven.

Fit to Fight

I am a big believer in physical fitness. This is especially important for those engaged in Combat Sports, such as Boxing, Kickboxing, and MMA. It does not matter how skillful you are if you cannot go the distance. That is why I became a Certified MMA Conditioning Coach. I wanted to have the knowledge to train athletes to be in top physical condition to compete successfully. To show just how serious I am about fitness, I recently entered a fitness competition. I am competing to be crowned Mr. Health & Fitness for 2023. You can view my profile and cast your vote here: https://featured.muscleandfitness.com/2023/roderick-p

The Day I Became A Ronin

Miyamoto Mushashi In feudal Japan, there were two types of warriors: Samurai and Ronin. Samurai were loyal to a particular Master, while Ronin answered to no one. One of the most famous Ronin in history was Miyamoto Mushashi who lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. He wrote the masterpiece of swordsmanship known as the "Book of Five Rings." In more recent times, Bruce Lee could be considered a Ronin. He famously broke from the teachings of his Master Yip Man to create his own unique martial art of Jeet Kune Do. His conversion from Samurai to Ronin was prompted by his difficulty in winning a fight against fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man. Lee discovered that sticking dogmatically to the Wing Chun techniques taught by his Master limited his growth as a martial artist. I had a similar epiphany. One day I attended a martial arts class and I was asked by my instructor to demonstrate effective defenses against a straight right or cros...

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