Mastering Martial Arts Ep.14: The Cost of Martial Arts Training One of the most common questions I get asked is “How much do your classes cost?” And that’s a great question to ask. After all, you need to know if you can afford classes long-term. I’ve seen martial arts classes in Plymouth range from £3 per...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.13: Pre-competition Tactics One of the most common questions I get asked is how do I prepare for a competition and deal with pre-competition nerves. Nerves can kill your performance. For a long time, I really struggled with pre-competition nerves. I would arrive at a competition well prepared and in peak condition but...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.12: Effective Pad Holding pt1 One of my biggest pet hates is bad pad holding. I’m sure at some point in your martial arts journey you’ve had an experienced something like this; you’re working with a new training partner on the pads and go to land your knockout blow… …except when you...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.11: Lifestyle Challenges Three weeks in and I was shredded. And I mean Arnie level shredded. Not Arnie in Terminator Genesis, I’m talking Arnie in his Mr Universe days. I had a full six pack and my back looked like the Himalayas. All I’d done is make one simple change to my...

Mastering Martial Arts #10: Five Easy Nutrition Tips In 2008, I was in the process of losing 5kg to make weight for the World Grappling Games.Losing 5kg when you’re already lean is a challenge. Particularly when the weigh in and fight are only a few hours apart. I had reduced my calorie intake, I was...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.09: Training with Injuries Injuries or breaks from training are inevitable but they don’t have to stop your development. In fact its possible to return from a break in training better than when you stopped. In this video you’ll learn how to keep progressing even if you can’t physically train. Key Points:...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.08: Hierarchy of Technique How you learn a new technique is crucial in the how quickly you’ll be able to use it. Unfortunately, most people place do it completely wrong. In this short video Masters Academy Coach, Tom Barlow, shares the best way to learn a new technique. Key Points: Focus on...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.06: Belts and Grading Belts and grading are an integral part of most martial arts. However, they are often misunderstood. Coloured belts are a relatively new tradition, originally the only belt you received was a white belt. This stayed with you throughout your entire martial arts journey. Over the years your white...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.05: Mobility and Flexibility through Exercise In this short video you’ll discover one simple change the way you exercise that will increase your mobility, strength, and Flexibilty without adding any extra exercises. One of my pet hates is not using the full range of movement during exercises. I admit there are certain...

Mastering Martial Arts Ep.04: Why Do We Bow? One of the most important traditions in martial arts is the bow. Regardless of how you do it it’s a sign of respect for your training partners, coaches, and the academy. This short video covers these topics in greater detail and will also show how you can...