Family Martial Arts Academy NYC

You're welcome 🤣

Many of the people who know me well will sometimes comment that I have "lived a few different lives" in my 45 years (and I feel lucky to have done so). It's always interesting when people from these different "lives" intersect. It's interesting when people who know me as an educator see me perform, etc.

While stand-up has been getting a lot of my extracurricular attention for a while, I have not given up martial arts.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the 2024 Taky Kimura Memorial / Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle Instructors Conference. It's my honor to serve as a Level 2 Affiliate under Sifu Andrew Kimura and it was great to see Russell Dulay Bill Seng Damon Evans Chad Hellmuth and my other Jun Fan Seattle Institute Fam. It was great meeting Matt Heffron in person. Congratulations to Matt Emery and Kimberly Hafey for pulling off another amazing event. It's great seeing familiar faces like Khayman Amir McDaniels in the context of the Seattle group. Sifu Andy, Sifu Chris, and G**o Rick delivered some GREAT instruction. I know I've missed tagging people, and I apologize; it's almost Spring of my 20th year in public education. I claim "diplomatic immunity", Lethal Weapon 2 style.

My martial arts practice continues. I've been a bit more public about performing, but I'm still kicking...and punching...and trapping...and reading everyone's martial arts posts that are filled with nothing but kindness and encouragement 🤣

No, seriously, I'm still here and last weekend was great fun, everyone (sorry to my table mates at the last dinner; I'm at my worst when I'm hangry)!

Dear Thaiboxing Friends,
Give the gift, just for one day, of not posting pics of yourself in obscenely shirt Thai shorts, no matter how attractive you are. Noel.

Dear FMA People,
Please stop commenting on why other systems' uncontested energy to your system's uncontested energy drills. Noel.

Dear JKD Friends,
Please give the gift of not arguing for a single day about what JKD is/is not or what Bruce Lee would be training today. Noel.

Who else loves the Filipino Martial Arts? This is coming up in two months. Join us online or in-person in Queens!

I just don't know, you know? My Academy already shut down over a year ago, and my live offerings have been stopped for over a year too. I know some things are opening up, and I want to be optimistic. For all of the cool things we're doing right now, visit http://bryanstoopsmartialarts.com/

48 years ago today, we lost Bruce Lee. Today, I wrote the following article in gratitude:

Today, 48 Years Ago… On this day, July 20th, 1973, the world lost Bruce Lee. That was just under five years before I was born. I grew up reading Bruce Lee’s…