I went ice skating Tuesday night with some friends of mine from work. It was the first time I’ve gone in more than 10 years, and I was never really any good to begin with. I had tons of fun, but aside from that it was amazing training. Skating is all about knowing your center of balance, stability, and how momentum changes both… which comprise the central concepts of all forms of body movement, including martial arts. You can learn this on stable ground, but on the slippery ice and wobbly skates you’re forced to pay attention which makes it incredibly good training! I’m not exaggerating when I say I learned more that night about my balance than in all my training since Japan combined.

To bad my friends do this on Tuesdays. As fun as it may have been, I wouldn’t miss my ninjutsu class for it