by admin | Apr 20, 2022 | Martial Arts, Musings
“No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” -Heraclitus Upon starting to train in a martial art, there exists an unacknowledged expectation that our development will be linear; we will move toward our goals in...
by Wendy Gough Soroka | Mar 20, 2019 | Martial Arts, Musings
This March, in 2019, marks 20 years since I first stepped onto a dojo mat as a student. My first thought upon making this realization is, “I really should be better at this by now.” My second is, “Who the hell could’ve predicted that?” To be fair to myself, I...
by Wendy Gough Soroka | Oct 7, 2017 | Martial Arts, Musings
Not too long ago, a yoga studio opened up next door to the martial arts studio where I train. The two businesses share a parking lot in the back, and both have a rear entrance, along a narrow path about five feet below the level of the parking lot. One day, I parked...
by Wendy Gough Soroka | Dec 7, 2014 | Martial Arts, Musings
“Unless I’m crying or bleeding, you don’t need to apologize.” I found myself uttering this odd phrase the other day during Kenpo class when I was practicing techniques with a girl who was about 12 years old (and taller than me). Our dojo in Granada Hills is still...
by Wendy Gough Soroka | Feb 9, 2014 | Children, Martial Arts, Musings
Winning feels amazing. Speaking as someone who doesn’t win often, winning makes me want to do my happy dance and shout from the rooftops. American culture loves winners; we have no patience for second place. But there are all kinds of ‘wins’ in life that go...
