Welcome to Episode #119 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Lighten Your Load – Tai Chi’s Double-Weighted Error.” The art of Tai Chi Chuan is often criticized (or even mocked) in modern martial arts circles. Of course, much of that criticism comes from people who have never researched or practiced the art whatsoever!…
Author: Ando Mierzwa
Ando Mierzwa is a martial arts teacher living in Los Angeles, CA.
#118: How to Get More from Your Martial Arts Practice [Video + Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #118 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Get More from Your Martial Arts Practice.” You train hard… but are you getting everything you can out of your martial arts practice? Probably not! Don’t worry—in this episode, I share three practice tips that will pay you back with BIG…
#117: Bad Advice in the Martial Arts [Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #117 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Bad Advice in the Martial Arts.” You get a lot of advice as a martial arts student… you probably give a lot of advice, too! But is it possible that all of that good advice is actually bad advice? In this episode, I’m…
#116: You Got This! Confidence in the Martial Arts [Video + Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #116 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “You Got This.” Confidence is a tricky commodity. If you have too much—trouble. If you have too little—trouble! Especially in the martial arts, place too much faith in your skills, you might wind up dead. But place NO faith in your skills, you…
#115: How to Be a Good Judge in Martial Arts and Life [Video + Podcast]
Welcome to Episode #115 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Be a Good Judge.” Are you a good judge or a bad judge? In the martial arts (and in life!), I’ve definitely been both. But as I get older, I’d like to think I’m getting better at passing judgement. Whether we’re…
3 Sparring Tips for Beginners in Self-Defense
Can a few basic sparring tips make a difference in a real-life self-defense situation? Absolutely! I’m not saying that combat sports and self-defense are the same—they’re not! But there are some fundamental principles that apply to both. Here are a few I hope you’ll consider. You can watch the video below or scroll down for…
#114: Driving Without Brakes – A Warning for Martial Arts and Life
Welcome to Episode #114 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Driving Without Brakes.” I’ve done some stupid things in my life… but driving without brakes may be the stupidest! Of course, I didn’t plan on putting myself (and everybody on the road around me!) in danger, but it also wasn’t a big surprise….