Ever wondered what inspires a person to become a black belt? What it takes to open a karate school? The origins of the sparring nickname “Mad Dog Macy?” This is just the tip of the iceberg of our talk with Mr and Mrs Master Macy, the founders of Ripple Effect Martial Arts’s schools in Colorado and Florida. Listen in to find out the personal history of the black belt culture and mission of Ripple Effect!
Master Jan Lappin has studied martial arts for more than 40 years, beginning with Judo in college and since earning a 5th-degree black belt in the Korean art of Tang Soo Do. She has trained hundreds of black belts through Middleburg Martial Arts (now Ripple Effect Martial Arts), including her own daughters who continue to teach and train. On the latest podcast, Master Lappin discusses her philosophies of teaching, learning, leadership and setting goals at all stages of life. Listen in for her insights on what martial arts has brought to her life and her community.
Whether it’s public speaking or any performance in front of a large audience, many of us wonder how well we’d do. Both kids and adults are subject to attacks of the nerves when it comes to public performances, but we all can gain the confidence to step up to the stage and give it our best. This edition of the podcast features a short story about a karate student ready to head to her first tournament, as well as a talk with a teenage black belt whose first tournament experience came at the young age of six. Goal-setting is featured throughout. Enjoy and continue to set your sights on earning top place at the next martial arts tournament!
Grab some candy corn and gather up somewhere warm for the last podcast of 2023, a little tale from the north pole that involves a little-known secret about Santa's top elves... Hope everyone is looking forward to the new year! Best from all of us at Ripple Effect Martial Arts!
Mr Chris Green has spent his professional life in hospitality. He's run hotels, resorts, hotel companies and management firms, and the teams he's led have helped guests experience landmark events as well as seen families through natural disasters. Here Chris talks about learning how to lead from difficulty and challenge, and how a mindset of curiosity breeds strong leadership, in business, the martial arts, and life.
Joseph Wade was barely six (or seven?) when he asked his mom (Jennifer) to join karate. This request happened to coincide with the opening of the first Ripple Effect Martial Arts school in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 2013. Now we're ten years on, and the entire family--Mom, Dad, Joseph and sisters Grace and Marilyn have risen to 2nd degree black belt, helping each other and hundreds of other black belt students along the way. Listen to their memories of hardship and leadership in this special ten-year anniversary podcast.
Anyone familiar with the podcast knows Ms Allie Hayes, who recently coached a team of Ripple Effect Martial Arts black belts at the annual Battle of Atlanta, one of the longest-running and most acclaimed martial arts competitions on the planet. Hear Ms Hayes talk about her experience as a coach of top-ranking competitors from Ripple Effect, including meeting one of her heroes, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee's protege John Chung.
Parents often ask "if my kid joins karate, what will they learn? What will they gain? Where will they end up?" Now a 3rd-degree black belt, Mr Tristan Matthew started training in elementary school and moved through the ranks as a student, junior instructor, tournament champion, demo team competitor, and leader of the Little Ripples program. Listen to his insights on growing up surrounded by martial arts and martial artists, and the impact that teaching and learning has had on his life.
5th-degree black belt Master Alex Jarvis has spent more than three decades training and teaching martial arts styles that include Shotokan and Karakido karate, American Freestyle Tae Kwon Do, and the Filipino art of Pekiti Tirsia Kali. He’s become a phenomenally talented martial artist and instructor in the process, and it all started with a glow-in-the-dark pair of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle underpants. Get the full story from Master Jarvis on the 32nd edition of the Ripple Effect podcast!
Awarded his 10th-degree black belt in 2014, Grandmaster John Worley began his martial arts career in Fort Worth, Texas in the late 1960s, alongside his brother Pat Worley, one of the top karate competitors in the nation. Grandmaster Worley earned his 1st-degree black belt under legendary instructors J. Pat Burleson and Allen Steen, both students of Jhoon Rhee, the “Father of American Tae Kwon Do.” He followed his brother to Washington, D.C. in 1970 to run a Jhoon Rhee Institute school in Annandale, Virginia, training directly under Grandmaster Rhee as an instructor and going on to found National Karate in Minnesota.
