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At the Intersection of Faith and Culture

Martial Arts as War (MAW) and Martial Arts as Sport (MAS)—these are the two paradigms that, by and large, define the contemporary universe of the martial arts. Or so I have argued in previous essays. Now, it’s true, of course, that—as my own Master-Instructor observed to me in one of our countless conversations over this…

As I was at pains to show in a previous essay, far too many self-defense instructors within the world of the martial arts ignore the contextual considerations that inform every training modality. There is, however, one system that recognizes that—to paraphrase Pindar, the lyric poet quoted by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus—context is king. The…

In a previous essay, I noted that the vast majority of human beings, irrespectively of their circumstances of place and time, uncritically embrace whatever the prevailing paradigm happens to be. As long as “the Experts” inform (or misinform) them of X, they, without thinking twice, accept that X is indeed true. Matters are no different…

The idea of systemic racism is one that has been critiqued in this column in the past. That being said, it is worth noting that if ever the case for systemic racism could be made, it is now, in the era of COVID as Social Distancing protocols, mask mandates, and vaccine mandates have been imposed…

Most people, failing to recognize it for the temporal and cultural-specific conceptual construct that it is, confuse the prevailing paradigm of reality, the conventional wisdom, for self-evident reality itself.  This is just the way it is and has always been. And this is because most people do not invest the time and energy, the proverbial…

Christians and other conservatives who criticize Hollywood for its hostility to theism (and, especially, Christian theism), should pay closer attention, for the entertainment industry not infrequently, even if inadvertently, subverts the very atheistic worldview that it affirms. As Michel de Montaigne remarked back in the 16th century: “Whatever hits you affects you and wakes you…

Warrior Flow Combatives, as has been shown in a variety of columns (and most recently here and here), is a genuine martial system.  Its combative principles constitute a seamless whole that at once develops the mental and physical dimensions of the human-person. Ontology: The human-person is a spiritual oneness—most certainly not some kind of disembodied…

In a previous essay, I delineated and explained some of the fundamental principles that constitute the training modality of Warrior Flow Combatives.  Here, we will delve further into this most unique of combat systems. In keeping with the identity of the human person as an indissoluble unity of body and mind, the combative principles of…

Warrior Flow Combatives is a martial system founded by retired USMC Lieutenant-Colonel Al Ridenhour.  It is unique among all such systems in two respects: First, it unapologetically underscores the martial character of the martial arts.  “Martial,” it is all too easy to forget nowadays, means “of or pertaining to war.” Historically speaking, it went without…

Last year, 2020, is a year that deserves to remain forever nameless. That being said, from its hardships—which, being, as they were, the spawn of human vice, were really outrages—we learned, up close, interpersonally, in real time, more about the machinations of fear than we would have been able to learn otherwise. The lengths to…
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