I have some news: I’ve stepped away from taekwondo training indefinitely.
Let me clarify–I stopped going to training classes at the end of December and have decided not to go back for an indefinite amount of time.
It’s taken several months and a few coaching sessions from my coworkers, also fellow trained coaches, to process my complicated feelings around this. The short version is, I wasn’t having fun anymore, I didn’t look forward to going to class, and I was starting to resent giving up time that I could be using to do something else.
The more complicated version is–this was part of the fallout of the extreme burnout I experienced in 2025.
Weapons training isn’t a part of every martial art, but practicing martial arts and weapon use can be closely intertwined. Guest writer Zain Ali from the site Kato Katana explains the nuances of a real katana versus what you might see in anime. I’m currently rewatching previous seasons of my favorite anime JuJutsu Kaisen, which is fighting and weapons galore, so this article came across my desk at a great time. If you would like to contribute a guest article for Little Black Belt, please review the guidelines here.
When I was ten years old, I had the notion that I wanted to do karate. My dad surprised me one night saying he’d signed up our whole family for taekwondo, the lone martial art in my rural West Texas town. My small town had a strong sense of community, and taekwondo was a family affair for many people. While we didn’t train very long, the memories were part of the reason why I returned to martial arts as an adult.
Michael Khola shares family training from the perspective of the curious parent watching their child. Enjoy the article and be sure to check out the link to Simon Coope Karate School at the bottom of this article. If you would like to contribute a guest article for Little Black Belt, please review the guidelines here.
Take a moment for yourself to read today’s post from guest writer Dana Brown on mindfulness. A moment of mindfulness can make a big difference in your martial arts training and your life in general. As the article says, “A consistent mindfulness practice doesn’t require a quieter life; it creates steadier awareness inside a loud one.”
If you would like to contribute a martial arts-related post to Little Black Belt, please review the guest writer guidelines here.
When regular contributor Emma Grace Brown sent me her article about avoiding burnout, I thought, “What perfect timing!” I’m currently on a hiatus from taekwondo because I am, in fact, burned out. There were many other life-related factors that led to my decision at the end of last year to take a few months off, which I may explore in a future blog post. For now, it’s the right thing for me, and I will return to what I love eventually. I’m going to take Emma’s words to heart and think about how I can approach my training differently when I return.
Are you a martial arts school manager looking for a way to organize, modernize, and streamline your systems? This guest article explains how, using technology, you can update your system to run more efficiently and effectively. If you would like to write a guest article for Little Black Belt, please review the guidelines here.
What is the best martial art for self-defense? While my martial art (taekwondo) is primarily a striking art, the type I’ve trained in includes grabs, joint locks, and takedowns from hapkido. One of my current school’s masters has also been training the black belts in BJJ and judo-based defense, ground fighting, and throws. This gives me a diverse arsenal to have at the ready. Krav Maga expert Jake Randall provides his insight on which martial arts can provide a solid foundation for self-defense. If you would like to write a guest post for Little Black Belt, please visit the guidelines here.
Laundry, check. Work meeting, check. Taekwondo, check.
I had a thought the other day, just a fleeting thought, that maybe I’d quit taekwondo for a while and get more into Pilates and yoga, both of which I’ve practiced since college (off and on for Pilates, consistently for yoga). Or finish my g-ddamn novel I’ve been working on since 2023. Or just enjoy the time off with whatever I wanted.
I like my taekwondo school and all the people there, and I love how I feel after every class, even on days when I’m tired or irritated or wishing I’d stayed home to watch TV. I only go two days a week, but for some reason, even those two hours out of the week feel like an imposition.
It doesn’t feel so much like a time drain as it does an energy drain.
There was a year or two where I was going to taekwondo five or six days a week, sometimes for multiple classes in a day. That fed my soul and made me so very happy. Also I’ll note at the time I was single and didn’t like my job much and was content with just coasting. I might even consider my connection to taekwondo as an unhealthy, co-dependent one; one addiction replacing another and filling a very large hole gouged in my heart by emotional turmoil, mental illnesses, and stupid choices. But, that’s what I needed at the time to find happiness.
Now, other than the home I live in, my life is very different than it was ten years ago when I got my first degree black belt. I’m much more career-minded (it helps when you have a boss and work you like) and have this author thing I keep trying to kick off the ground, published memoir notwithstanding. I’ve also been in a relationship for several years, but it helps that he’s a taekwondo person too. I’m still a black belt, and I still love taekwondo, but I’m not the same black belt I was in my mid-thirties.
Maybe I’m still learning how to find balance rather than the all or nothing extreme. I did the “all” for several years, and then “nothing” for a year and a half while I recovered from two knee surgeries, which was its own bucket of drama.
It’s not taekwondo’s fault that I feel restless and like I’m not accomplishing what I want to. It’s an easy scapegoat and something easier to drop from my life than my job or home maintenance. This is telling me that rather than follow an impulsive whim to cut out something that is positive in my life, I can examine my whole life and where I’m prioritizing my energy. A portfolio rebalance, if you will.
Taekwondo no longer fills a void in my heart. My heart is whole, thanks to taekwondo but mostly thanks to the work I’ve done on my emotional and mental health. It fills a much smaller spot, and that’s okay.
Maybe I’m just bullshitting and blowing off steam. I’m still going to class tomorrow night, and I know I’ll feel great.
Guest writer Richard Bennett doing S&C with pro heavyweight boxer Simon Ibekwe
In the last few months I’ve been adding strength and conditioning work to my martial arts training. I feel great, and my martial arts performance has improved. Guest writer Richard Bennett, coach and trainer for combat athletes and martial artists, shares his expertise on how you can create a strength and conditioning practice that enhances your martial arts performance. If you would like to contribute a guest article for Little Black Belt, please review the guidelines here.
Strength & Conditioning for Combat Sports & Martial Arts: Train Smart to Fight Easy
Combat sports demand it all: strength, speed, power, endurance, and resilience. Whether you’re a boxer, judoka, or martial artist, you need the ability to go the distance and explode on command.
However, many fighters still equate “harder” with “better.” More rounds, more circuits, more fatigue. But strength and conditioning (S&C) isn’t about doing more work — it’s about doing the right work. A smart programme builds the physical foundation that allows your skill and technique to shine.
I’ve always been a fan of forms (poomsae in Korean) and appreciate their ability to focus the practitioner on technique, execution, proper form, and breathing. Forms are practiced across many different martial arts, including Aikido. Josh MacDonald, Calgary Rakushinkan Aikidō, shares his expertise about the history and current practice of forms (kata) in Aikido. If you would like to be a guest writer for Little Black Belt please review the guest writer guidelines and contact me.
