Everyday Martial Artist

The name Fred Ettish may not be instantly recognizable to some, but die hard MMA and UFC fans should know the name. From getting involved in traditional martial arts at a young age to deciding to take his skills to the Octagon of UFC 2 in 1994 and up to his comeback in the cage over a decade later and beyond. Listen to my interview with Fred Ettish.

Dylan Spicer is the owner of the Academy of Combat Arts in Fargo, ND. He was an accomplished MMA fighter himself with a career record of 7-0 and has sent numerous students to major events like the UFC & Bellator. Listen to my interview with Dylan. Fargo Mixed Martial Arts Gym – Academy of Combat Arts (fmaca.com)

My guest this week is an technology executive, an author, in 2013 she was on the Forbes list of “40 women to watch over 40” and if all of that isn’t enough she was also the first American to win gold at the World Judo Championships. Please enjoy my conversation with AnnMaria De Mars. Dr. AnnMaria De Mars – 7 Generation Games Amazon.com: Winning on the Ground: Training and Techniques for Judo and MMA Fighters eBook: Pedro Sr., James, De Mars, AnnMaria: Books

Grandmaster Jim Grimestad has over 42 years of experience in traditional Tae Kwon Do. He is currently the head instructor and owner of Red River Traditional Tae Kwon Do in Fargo, ND. Jim holds the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt. Jim is the founder of Ko-Online.com and also founded the Fargo Open Championships which is a yearly open martial arts tournament that uses modified WTF rules and also hosts a grappling division. Listen to Jim tell his story. Red River Traditional TaeKwonDo (rrtkd.com) KO-Online.com Fargo Open Championships 2021

James DeMile is an American martial artist and author, he was among the first group of students of Bruce Lee, whom he met in 1959. In 1963, DeMile appeared in Lee’s only book, The Philosophical Art of Self Defense. He is an inductee in the AMAA Who’s Who in the Martial Arts Hall of Fame and Black Belt Magazine Hall of Fame. Listen to James tell his story about meeting Bruce, boxing in the military, naming his style of Wing Chun Do and more… ***UPDATE*** I was saddened to hear of the passing of Mr. DeMile on August 15, 2021. He was an AMAZING and gracious guest. This could be one of his last interviews and I am so glad of the time I got to spend chatting with him. R.I.P. Sir. Some of the books he has written: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AJames+W.+DeMILE&s=relevancerank&text=James+W.+DeMILE&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1

Barry Carl was known around the world as the Bass singer for the a cappella group Rockapella. He was featured on the long running PBS series Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego and the Spike Lee special Do It A Cappella. He is also a professional voiceover artist whose voice has been heard representing such companies as Taco Bell, Doritos, Nickelodeon and more. What many of his fans don’t know is that Barry has been involved in martial arts for most of his life. Take a listen as Barry tells his martial arts story. Here is a link to the book that Barry recommended. Tai Chi Chuan: Cheng Man-ch’ing: 9780913028858: Amazon.com: Books Just for fun here is the original version of the Carmen Sandiego theme song featuring that amazing low voice of Barry Carl. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego (1991 FULL VERSION) – YouTube

On this weeks episode I chat with my first martial arts instructor Bill Nelson. Bill is the owner of St. Cloud MN Soo Bahk Do and currently holds the rank of 8th Dan. Mr Nelson is also the author of “Your Weapon Within”. Listen to him tell his story. St Cloud Soo Bahk Do – Superior Martial Art InstructionSt Cloud Soo Bahk Do | Superior Martial Art Instruction Your Weapon Within – by Bill Nelson

In 1987 Taekwondo competitor Herb Perez changed the modern Taekwondo landscape by becoming the 1st American to defeat a Korean athlete and become World Taekwondo Champion. In 1992 he earned the distinction of becoming a US Olympic Gold medalist. Listen to Herb Perez tell his story. PIbfHSkyyZRM1pE9bbLC

Andrea Harkins is a martial artist, author of 2 books, magazine columnist, blogger, podcaster and The Martial Arts Woman! Listen to Andrea tell her story. I hope you will enjoy this one as much as I did. https://themartialartswoman.com/

On our official first episode we have an AMAZING guest. Tom Bleecker started training in American Kenpo Karate in 1962 and currently holds the rank of 8th degree black belt. Tom started his writing career in 1970 under the mentorship of Oscar winning screenwriter and director Blake Edwards. The list of books he has written is extensive with some of my favorite titles being The Journey, The Jet, Conquest Over Hatred and of course his brand new autobiography Journey Beyond The Mountaintop. Tom is also considered one of the foremost authorities on the death of Bruce Lee and wrote the book Unsettled Matters. Check out the links for more info about Tom and I hope you will enjoy the interview. Thanks for listening. https://www.tombleecker.com Some of his books available on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=digital-text&rh=p_27%3ATom+Bleecker&s=relevancerank&text=Tom+Bleecker&ref=dp_byline_sr_ebooks_1