Fight for a Happy Life with Sensei Ando: Martial Arts for Everyday Life

Welcome to Episode #126 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Blind Spots.” In case you didn’t notice, I’ve been wearing glasses for several years… but not anymore!...

Welcome to Episode #125 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Killer Instinct.” Speed, power, and flexibility are all important, yes… but here’s the truth– They&...

Welcome to Episode #124 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Stop Pulling Your Punches.” It might sound harsh, but most people are holding back… not just on the mats, but in e...

Welcome to Episode #123 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Build Courage in Martial Arts.” Many people worry that they won’t have the courage to fight back against a ...

Welcome to Episode #122 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Yin or Yang: A Tale of Two Black Belts.” There are many paths to choose from in the martial arts… but how do you k...

Welcome to Episode #121 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Hero Worship in the Martial Arts.” We all need teachers and role models in the martial arts… but can following a l...

Welcome to Episode #120 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Use It or Lose It.” Some people say martial arts is like riding a bike… I don’t! I say use it or lose it! ...

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 ...

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 yo...

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 adv...

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! Es...

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 definit...

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 ...

Welcome to Episode #113 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The First Technique in Martial Arts.” Do you remember the first technique you learned in the martial arts? Was it a ...

Welcome to Episode #112 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Lessons From Being Choked Out.” When I started training in the martial arts, I practiced a long list of moves to esc...

Welcome to Episode #111 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “How to Make Martial Arts Techniques Work.” You see a move. You learn a move. You try a move… …but it doe...

Welcome to Episode #110 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Close Your Mind to Learn More.” We all know that a martial arts student should keep an open mind, right? But should it s...

Welcome to Episode #109 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Panic and Pandemonium.” In self-defense, facing a single attacker is never easy. Now imagine defending yourself from 80,...

Welcome to Episode #108 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Hardest Part of Self-Defense.” I have some bad news–the hardest part of self-defense is something you can̵...

Welcome to Episode #107 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Art of Moving Furniture.” I moved twice in the last year—first from L.A. to Raleigh and now to a new place 6 miles u...

Welcome to Episode #106 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “It’s Okay to Suck at Martial Arts.” After almost two years of hiding out from Covid, I finally stepped outside and...

Welcome to Episode #105 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Waiting to Die.” My wife and I once found ourselves in a scary situation. Fortunately, we lived to tell the tale… ...

Welcome to Episode #104 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Participation Trophies.” Awarding trophies for participation, as opposed to the actual winning of an event, is a controv...

Welcome to Episode #103 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Tools Not Rules.” Is there a difference between sticking to a routine and being stuck to one? YES, absolutely! If you...

Welcome to Episode #102 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “3 Halloween Self-Defense Lessons.” When I was a kid, Halloween was a big deal. That’s because in our town, you wer...

Welcome to Episode #101 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “You Are the Dojo.” A few years ago, I made a video called, The World Is Your Dojo. The message—that you can learn anywhe...

Welcome to Episode #100 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Throw the First Punch.” That’s right! We made it to Episode 100. I say “we” because if you weren’...

Welcome to Episode #99 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “You Are a Master.” Do you ever feel like a martial arts “loser”? Ever feel like you’re so far away from...

Welcome to Episode #98 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Tame Your Brain to Win the Game.” Are you too smart for your own good? Does overthinking get in the way of performing at ...

Welcome to Episode #97 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Little Pain, Big Trouble.” Pain is part of life… especially if you’re a martial artist! But that doesn’t mean you s...

Welcome to Episode #96 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Decision and Action.” It’s common in self-defense training to focus on the speed of your punches and kicks… b...

Welcome to Episode #95 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Respect for McDojos.” Is your martial arts school a “McDojo”? Could that term of derision ever be a good thin...

Welcome to Episode #94 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Don’t Be Water, My Friend.” We’ve all heard Bruce Lee say, “Boards don’t hit back.” You pro...

Welcome to Episode #93 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Cross-training Tips for Martial Arts.” Actually, a better title for this episode would be, “My First Ballet Class!&...

Welcome to Episode #92 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Shouting at the Moon.” Stress is a part of life… especially this year! The challenge—if we want to maximize our hea...

Welcome to Episode #91 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Dark Side of Self-Improvement.” We all want to make our lives better in some way, right? Unfortunately, it might some...

Welcome to Episode #90 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “12 Tips for a Happy Life.” We all a love a list, don’t we? Well, here’s a new one for ya! To be honest...

Welcome to Episode #89 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Living in a Lockdown.” The Covid-19 lockdown has changed all of our lives… but is it possible that it might be for ...

Welcome to Episode #88 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Andrea Harkins. Andrea Harkins is the powerful voice behind The Martial Arts Woman—a blog that offers a ...

Welcome to Episode #87 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Kris Wilder. Where do I begin…? First off, Sensei Kris is the owner and chief instructor of the We...

Welcome to Episode #86 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Seth Adams. Sensei Seth is a lifelong martial artist-—his first Karate teachers were his own Mom and Dad! By the...

Welcome to Episode #85 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Ramsey Dewey. Fighters aren’t always the best teachers… or best communicators! So, it was a special pleasur...

Welcome to Episode #84 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Jesse Enkamp, founder of KarateByJesse.com. You already know Jesse… and you probably LOVE him! Jesse Enkam...

Welcome to Episode #83 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Sensei Jaredd Wilson. Who is Jaredd Wilson? Jaredd is the host of the long-running Martial Thoughts Podcast. For martia...

Forms and kata… a functional, practical training tool in the martial arts or a big waste of time? Join me and special guest, Sifu Randy Brown, for a lively discussion on the pros and cons of for...

Welcome to Episode #81 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “The Law of the Jungle and Self-Defense.” Can a smaller, weaker animal survive an attack by a larger, stronger animal? ...

Welcome to Episode #80 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Menamy Mitanes. You can find a lot of show-offs in the martial arts… Menamy Mitanes is not one of them. But he co...

Welcome to Episode #79 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “Two Teacher Types.” There are two major teacher types in the martial arts. Each has pros and cons, depending on what type...

Welcome to Episode #78 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast, “My First Fight.” When I was seven years old, my babysitter set me up to fight another kid in the neighborhood. Surprise! Even...

Welcome to Episode #77 of the Fight for a Happy Life podcast with special guest, Paul Read. If you don’t follow Paul’s work as a Tai Chi instructor, you should! Many people talk about expr...