The Martial Arts Education

Depending on which school you choose to train with, there is a degree of martial arts rivalry or "politics" that students may have to endure. For instance, fellowship among the various organizations (ITF, WTF, ATA, etc.) within Taekwon-Do is rare as each branch believes in its superiority over the other. It's even worse between styles (Karate, Kung Fu, Ju Jitsu, etc). You can see it all over the internet on message boards and blogs. People get into some pretty serious arguments over which style is better or more complete.

Some instructors may offer to teach techniques from other martial arts, but they would certainly NEVER allow another instructor to teach their students.

The blame for these rivalries very often lies with the instructors. Whether it's ego or self-preservation, many instructors will tell a student that they need only train in one art; that their art is complete and cross-training is unnecessary. Some instructors may offer to teach techniques from other martial arts, but they would certainly NEVER allow another instructor to teach their students. Ultimately, the students suffer because the instructor is either too arrogant or afraid that students will leave to train under another teacher.

In Living the Martial Way, Forrest Morgan discusses the idea of the "core" art and cross-training. He explains that a martial artist should focus on one style as the one he/she will choose to master. This one art will serve as the core of your martial arts education; the one in which you will learn and perfect every nuance; the one in which you will be considered an expert. A student certainly can choose to focus only on his/her core art and have a very fulfilling experience. It isn't necessary to cross-train in several arts, but it is highly encouraged if you cross-train that you maintain your core art. Otherwise, a student runs the risk of becoming a Jack of All Trades, but Master of None.

Few schools embrace this philosophy. It's the reason Sorce Martial Arts offers individual programs with separate ranking. Further, it's the reason Mr. Sorce offers seminars and invites guest instructors as often as possible. Exposing students to a variety of instructors isn't a risk; it's a great way to enrich the martial arts experience. The seminars are special events open to ALL students, regardless of their core art. In fact, we invite students and instructors who train in a variety of martial arts from all over Wisconsin and Illinois to attend the seminars.

Martial arts is more than just punching and kicking. It is an education in a given discipline, just like engineering, language or mathmatics. To reap the most reward from your education, a student should seek a well-rounded experience in several disciplines from as many skilled teachers as possible, while maintaining a well focused and dedicated effort toward mastering a core curriculum.

Top 10 Martial Arts Movies of All Time

Martial arts makes for great movies. Here is a list of some of the greatest martial arts movies of all time. Some made the list because of the martial arts pioneers that star in them, while others are there for memorable quotes and scenes. If you haven't seen some of these films, check 'em out. (Kids should check with their parents first!)

This list is by no means complete, so feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.


Wouldn't it be great to plug in the back of your head, flutter your eyes and say, "I know Kung Fu." I mean, without all the robots farming you for food.

Best Scene: After "learning" Kung Fu, Neo spars with Morpheus to test out his new skills. Just when Neo seems to be doing well, Morpheus schools him. Kind of like sparring Mr. Synowicz.



Danny LaRusso has to deal with bullies. He meets a janitor. The janitor makes him wash cars, sand a deck and paint a fence. Danny enters Karate tournament and hurts his leg. The janitor rubs his hands together to heal the leg. Danny wins tournament with a pumping front kick. No can defend Crane kick.

Best quote: "Sweep the leg!"



A moving and inspiring story of redemption and personal triumph in the face of great odds, Jet Li's Fearless is the based-on-facts story of Chinese folk hero Huo Yuanjia (Jet Li). The son of a martial-arts master whose greatest strength was his restraint, Huo grows into an unbeatable fighter whose pride and thoughtlessness lead to a chain of tragic losses.

Best haircut: How cool is that "bald but with a pony tail" look?


This film features Chuck Norris AND David Carradine in a fight to the death at the end. It's the martial arts version of Michael Jordan versus Larry Bird in those McDonald's commercials.

Best Quote: "My kind of trouble doesn't take vacations."




Arguably the best martial arts movie of all time. Bruce Lee brought martial arts to the forefront of American culture in the 60s and 70s, not to mention his impact on the whole martial arts community world wide.

Best scene: At the end of the movie, Bruce Lee fights the bad guy in a room full of mirrors. Rather than figuring out the difference between the bad guy and the mirrors, he just breaks every mirror with a side kick.


With a slight resemblance to Bruce Lee, the star of the film gets into all kinds of trouble in case after case of mistaken identity. The movie is not very well made and the jokes are hokey, but it's pretty darn funny anyway.

Best Quote:
Anita, "You must know Kung Fu."
Bruce, "Yes. I stepped in some yesterday."


The Bourne trilogy is super cool for many reasons, but the martial arts scenes are incredible. Part of the reason the fight scenes are so awesome for us is that the primary martial art used in the films is Filipino Kali, a close relative of our style of Eskrima.

Best Scene: Any scene where two or more guys are stupid enough to mess with Jason Bourne.


A supposedly true story about Frank Dux, a US soldier and martial artist, who fights in an underground tournament in Hong Kong. While the plot is goofy and Van Damme has a Belgian accent, the tournament scenes are fantastic.

Best Quote: "Very good, but brick not hit back."




Five guys tryout and qualify for the US National Karate Team, which will compete against Korea in a tournament. The team is coached by none other than James Earl Jones. Phillip and Simon Rhee (brothers in real life) are the chief rivalry in the movie and both are INCREDIBLE. Oddly, among the cast of American actors, not one of them is actually a martial artist.

Best Quote: "You shouldn't block with your face."


Steven Seagal's first movie and easily the best of the bunch. This film was America's first real look at Aikido and Seagal's fight scenes are smooth as silk. The best part is that this movie was filmed before Seagal became a chubby wannabe New Orleans cop.

Best Scene: Trying to get information about a local criminal, Nico is approached by a giant guy looking for trouble. Nico takes him out with a single punch to the big dude's solar plexus.


Two words....Patrick Swayze.

Dalton's words to live by:
"All you have to do is follow three simple rules. One, never underestimate your opponent. Expect the unexpected. Two, take it outside. Never start anything inside the bar unless it's absolutely necessary. And three, be nice."

The Impact of Confidence

A long time ago there lived a great Tea Master. He was an elderly, small and frail man. He was known throughout the countryside where he lived for his beautiful Tea Ceremony. His work was so good that one day the Emperor heard about him and summoned him to the Palace to perform this special ceremony.

The sensei said, 'First, in the morning, you are going to die.'

The quiet, little Tea Master received this invitation from the Emperor. He packed his belongings, placed them on his back and started on a long journey by foot to the Imperial Palace.

After many days traveling, the little man arrived and performed the ceremony for the Emperor. The Emperor was so impressed! He presented the Tea Master with the highest honor that he was allowed. He presented him with the two swords of the Samurai.

Proudly, the Tea Master accepted the swords. He bowed to the emperor, placed the swords on his back, picked up his belongings and started his journey home.

On the journey back to his home, the little man walked through a small country village when he was spotted by the Samurai that protected that area. He was a great and powerful Samurai. At first, when he saw the swords in the Tea Master's satchel, the Samurai could not believe his eyes. What was this little frail man doing with them?!

The Samurai confronted the little man. “How dare you make a mockery of all Samurai! I can not stand for this dishonor. We will meet here in the morning and correct this!”

The Tea Master bowed, and the Samurai turned quickly and left. The Tea Master, of course, was in a panic. What should he do? He would surely be no match for the great warrior.

That evening he sought the advice of an wise, old Samurai teacher. The sensei said, “First, in the morning, you are going to die.” Then he went silent.

The Tea Master asked, “Is there nothing I can do?”

The sensei replied, “Yes. Make tea.”

In the morning, the Tea Master and the Samurai met in the village. They bowed to each other, and then each drew their swords. The great Samurai stared down the gleaming blade of his sword at the Tea Master.

The Tea Master, steely eyed, stared down the blade of his own sword with all the focus, confidence and determination...of making tea.

The great Samurai stepped back, sheathed his sword, bowed and said, “Please excuse me, I have been mistaken.”

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Confidence can often be a great equalizer. We all face difficult challenges in our day to day lives, whether they are in our martial arts training, in our school work or at our jobs. If we strive to develop confidence (to believe in ourselves), we can face those challenges and defeat them. Pil Sung!

The Martial Arts Journey

Welcome to the Sorce Martial Arts blog! This blog will serve the same purpose as the "Message of the Week" block in the newsletter, but with more in-depth topics. We'd like this forum to be interactive, so we encourage you to post questions or comments often.

If you would like to see a post about a specific topic, send your idea to Mr. Bitzan here.

We're looking forward to your comments. Enjoy!

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We all know that it takes a great deal of patience and hard work to be successful in martial arts. For instance, it takes around five years to earn a black belt in Taekwon-do. For some, it may take a bit longer. Even for the most patient student, five years is a long time. Most students begin their martial arts education with the intent of sticking with it and earning a black belt, but some end up quitting short of their goals. Fortunately, you can keep your training fresh and exciting with the right state of mind, taking advanced classes and cross-training.

Do you want to wear a black belt or be a black belt?

Black belt is a good goal, but you should ask yourself a question: Do you want to wear a black belt or be a black belt? Anyone can buy a black belt from a catalog, but the value of the belt is measured by the person wearing it, not the belt alone. The way to being a black belt is patience and hard work. Students should reflect on this idea when they start feeling frustrated by long term goals. Remember, the journey is far more important than the destination. For a long time, this philosophy was all students had to motivate them. Times have changed for the better.

Most students notice a HUGE difference in their abilities between white and green belt. At white belt, you essentially know nothing about martial arts. You struggle during class just to keep up with the other students. It's new and exciting, and very challenging. By the time you earn your green belt, you learn faster and struggle less. You can execute most basic techniques effortlessly. While others will still see you improving, it won't be as apparent to you. This is a dangerous time in your journey. Twenty years ago (and still today at some schools), frustrated students would just give up. If you recognize that you are reaching this point in your training, it's time to present yourself with more challenges.

For youth students, this means Warrior classes. Ultimately, the standard curriculum is the core of your training and you need to know it in order to progress toward your black belt. Warrior classes are designed specifically to keep intermediate and advanced students engaged with more challenging concepts like Eskrima, Ju Jitsu, advanced kicking and weapons training. Keep in mind that not every youth student should attend these classes, only those who feel they can handle the challenge in addition to their traditional training.

Kids aren't the only students that can find themselves suffering from the "Blue Belt Blues." While adults are expected to be able to demonstrate a little more patience than children, they can get frustrated too. It's encouraged that all students train in a "core" art, but there is definite value in cross-training in complementary arts. Often, each art stands on its own individual merit AND proves effective when blended with your core art. Plus, cross-training can provide that additional challenge that intermediate and advanced adult students crave.

This isn't to say that training in one art or focusing on our traditional curriculum is necessarily a bad thing. Each art is complete. If you're unsure about what your path should be, seek out an instructor or senior student. Often, you can benefit from hearing about their journeys and experiences. What's most important is that you are satisfied with your level of training, that you benefit from your hard work, and that you find fulfillment along your journey.