Author: Ando Mierzwa

Ando Mierzwa is a martial arts teacher living in Los Angeles, CA.

The Myth of Women’s Self-Defense

Posted on by Ando Mierzwa

I admit it. I’ve taught seminars billed as “Women’s Self-Defense”. But I’ve never been comfortable with that title. Here’s why— I have come to believe there should be no distinction between women’s self-defense classes and self-defense classes for men. None whatsoever. Doing so just over-complicates what is really a very straight-forward goal—preparing good guys to…

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Sting Like a Bee: Tips for the Little Guy

Posted on by Ando Mierzwa

Muhammad Ali described his boxing style with the famous phrase: “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”  Did you ever wonder why a heavyweight boxer would compare himself to a tiny bumblebee? The average bumblebee weighs about five hundredths of a gram. They say a queen bumblebee weighs almost a full gram, but no one’s…

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Sucker Punched By Life

Posted on by Ando Mierzwa

The first time I was sucker punched, I was in first grade. It was recess. I was standing in a field of grass. POW! Okay, now I’m lying on my back. I’m staring up at the sky. There’s a third grader sitting on my chest. He looks angry. And the only thought in my head…

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