PODCAST · society
Walking With The Tengu
by Matthew
A podcast exploring classic writings as they relate to the modern martial artist. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy for Martial Artists" PDF go to: walkingtengu.wix.com/tengu and scroll to the bottom to enter your email.
Episodes
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Not So Narrow After All: The Japanese Martial Arts Are Not As Specific As You Think
Japanese martial arts, traditions, and etiquette is often portrayed as monolithic and homogeneous. The reality is quite different. Just as there are regional variations in other countries so to is it in these traditions. Learn how this applies to our martial arts today in this episode. ---- Take...
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Is It True That This Statement Is False?
Lies we tell ourselves in the Martial Arts. Today we look at the Liar Paradox and see how many common statements in the modern martial arts are actually self-contradictory. We also look at how you can use the Liar Paradox against any opponent physically. ---- Take the training offline with a…
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Mantis Boxing Articles - Wisdom For Any Martial Artist
While looking at a collection of essays called the "Mantis Boxing Articles" might not be your first choice of texts to consider for your martial arts training, unless you do Mantis Boxing of course. Listen to this latest episode as I relate how a number of the essays infact are deeply useful and...
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The Parable of the Daimyo and his Bodyguard
When a lord sought to test his bodyguard for consideration to a promotion he put the man to the test. At first the lord thought his bodyguard but after discovered the truth. Unbeknowst to him, his bodyguard had displayed consummate fudoshin (immoveable mind) while also protecting his lord's…
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The Trickster's Path - Hermes, Apollo's Cattle, and Shu-Ha-Ri
What does ancient Greek myth have to do with classical Japanese martial arts training concepts? Listen to the story of Hermes stealing Apollo's cattle to find out. Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short quotes and meditations. You…
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The Twelve Labors of Heracles
The twelve labors or tasks of Heracles is a mythic story loaded with a lot of practical symbolism to unpack. In what may be my longest episode to date, I try to pull some meaning from these stories. Want to dig more into classical Greek myth and symbolism in the context of the martial arts? Check...
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Hemingway: The Old Man And The Sea
Join me as we look at Ernest Hemingway's novella "The Old Man and The Sea" and read it through the lens of martial arts training. There are several directly practical lessons we can get from this classic work of literature. Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic...
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Frege's Puzzle: What's In A Name?
What's in a name? What do you do when your art has four different names for the same move? We look at Frege's Puzzle in this episode and apply it to Boxing, Judo, Karate, Muay Thai, Savate, and BJJ. Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with...
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Zhuangzi: Wuwei and Ziran For Our Times
In this episode we look at two parables from the work known as the Zhuangzi that relate to things martial artists care about. Specifically the ideas of Wuwei (無為) non-action and Ziran (自然 - "Self-so") spontaneity. However, these aren't just high-minded philosophical jibber-jab. These have direct,...
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Gödel's Theorem
For any sufficiently strong mathematical theory, there are truths that cannot be proven by that theory. If martial arts systems are formal systems in the same sense that Gödel referred to them. How can we apply Gödel's incompleteness theorems to our training? I use examples from BJJ and Wing Chun...
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Starting The Year Off Right
Welcome to 2026. Let's look at a couple short quotes, one from "The Unfettered Mind" by Takuan Soho and another from "The Life-Giving Sword" by Yagyu Munenori to set the tone for this year. Take the training offline with a small book I put together pairing basic physical exercises with short…
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End Of The Year Meditation 2025
Closing out 2025 with a short meditation on the end of the year. Check out the pocket sized book of short quotes and meditations I wrote, paired with simple exercises valuable to any martial artist. Take your practice anywhere. Buy Here From Lulu.
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Budoushoshinshu: How To Face Death
Today, I meditate on how we should face death. Inspired by a chapter from the Budoushoshinshu by Daidouji Yuuzan that I had previously passed over. Drawing further quotes from Seneca's essay "On Old Age", Marcus Aurelius, the Old Testament, and the Hávamál.
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Martial Arts Politics Explained
It can be dangerous to discuss politics in general, let alone in the martial arts world. Yet, Jonathan Bluestein wrote a book about it. I highlight some interesting discussion to be had from the topics in his book though I only scratch the surface. You can find the book here:...
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Tension
Ever been told to use less strength and focus on technique?This is both true and not entirely accurate. What we need to actually do is learn to regulate our tension.Let's take a look at what the classics have to say about regulating our strength.The Book of Five...
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Zhuangzi: Giving Monkeys Acorns
What happens when you give monkeys 3 measures of acorns in the morning and 4 at night? They get angry. But what happens when you give them 4 in the morning and 3 at night? They are content. This is true with martial artists as well. Our perceptions of the same thing presented two different ways…
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What Do You Do When You Can't Train?
Have you ever been traveling, stuck somewhere, or whatever reason not been able to get in some training? Today I share for exercises for squeezing some extra training into your day that I've included in a little pocket volume that you can find here:...
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Ono-ha Itto-ryu Video: Volume 1 - Kiriotoshi
What can one learn from a video instructional from a classical Japanese martial art? I think quite a bit, though it may not immediately be obvious. There are two ideas from the latest OHIR instructional that I think can be applied to any martial art. A lesson on initiative and a lesson on…
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The Martial Arts Teacher
Today we look at just a small set of the lessons to be found in Jonathan Bluestein's book "The Martial Arts Teacher" These include assuming the best in different situations and the methods and ways of structuring a curriculum. You can find the book here:...
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Secrets of Itto-ryu
Today we look at the first book from the "Secrets of Itto-ryu" by Sasamori Junzo and translated by Mark Hague. Ono-ha Itto-ryu is closely linked with Kendo and was one of the two styles of swordsmanship personally patronized by the Tokugawa Shogunate. In this text we learn some lessons from the...
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Revenge
When an atrocity is committed against someone, are they justified in committing an atrocity in return? We look at what is a justifiable response in today's episode. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy for Martial Artists" PDF as well…
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Zhuangzi: What Is Useful?
Today we have two short parables that contain big lessons for martial artists and we look at how this applies to determining if a martial art is useful. Find out how a bottle gourd, a hand cream, a twisted tree and a yak relate to determining how useful a martial art is. References:...
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Vatnsdal Saga 7 - Headlock Defenses In A Swamp
Did you know the Vikings had their own version of the crazy cat lady? Except his nickname was "the Sledgehammer" and his twenty magical cats were his bodyguards? Find out how Thorstein and his brothers handle their next challenge and why unnamed Norwegians in the sagas are Star Trek "red shirts."...
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Real Life Incident: The Value Of Confidence
I've talked about a few of my confrontations over the years and how they all amounted to nothing happening. Today, I relate the story of the same thing happening to a training partner of mine and how he lived his martial art in his daily life and was able to face physical violence and achieve an...
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Vatnsdal Saga 6 - Hrolleif Loses His Head
The bad neighbor Hrolleif finally gets justice served after killing Ingimund. Though Thorstein uses quite a bit of strategy to bring it about. Find out how Jokul hiding in a wood-pile brings about the wretched Hrolleif's demise. Maps of locations mentioned in the Sagas: sagamap.hi.is To sign up…
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Etiquette and the Decline of American Culture
I again tackle the topic of etiquette in the martial arts, why American culture is dying, why etiquette is a reflection of the health of a society, and how this relates a the stability of human society. Can the martial arts help? To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very...
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Zhuangzi: A Frog In A Well
We have another story from the Zhuangzi today. About a little frog in a well and a turtle who tells him of something impossible called "the ocean." I also give you a bonus Chinese idiom known as a cheng yu that I think works well in English too. 坐井觀天 - zuò jǐng guān tiān - Which I might translate...
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Zhuangzi: The Show Off Monkey
We return to the Zhuangzi today where we hear the tale of a monkey who showed off to a king and got some unintended consequences despite his very real skill. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy for Martial Artists" PDF as well as a…
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Blurred Boundaries
In this episode we look at a new book coming out in November in the US and December 2023 globally. It is being published by YMAA. I have several of their books on my shelves. This new book is called "Blurred Boundaries: A Martial Arts Legacy and the Shaping of Taiwan” by Hong, Tse-han and...
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Vatnsdal Saga 5 - A Nasty Piece of Driftwood
We meet Hrolleif and his mother Ljot who are the worst neighbors ever in this section. Find out how salmon fishing brings about the end of dear old Ingimund and how seppuku, ritual suicide, relates to this section of the saga. Maps of locations mentioned in the Sagas: sagamap.hi.is To sign up for...
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Vatnsdal Saga 4 - Temples and Swords
Ingimund finally gives in to "fate" and moves to Iceland. We find out he's pretty boring at naming things and that he's not above manipulating people on legal technicalities to get what he wants. Find out what happens when you bring a weapon into a Norse temple. Maps of locations mentioned in the...
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Vatnsdal Saga 3 - An Out Of Body Experience
Our saga takes us through the battle of Havsfjord, a kind of Norwegian battle of Sekigahara, and into the fate and destiny that eventually drives the reluctant Ingimund to move to Iceland. Plus there are some shamans. Some who predict Ingimund's future and in a moment of petulance transports an...
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Vatnsdal Saga 2 - Throwing Rocks At Ships
We continue the saga of the people of Vatnsdal today. Thorstein gets married, has a son and we learn a bit about naval combat between Viking groups. As well as what characteristics can be inferred from the text about the qualities of a good warrior and the basics of good strategy. Maps of…
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Vatnsdal Saga 1 - Really Large Men
We begin the saga of the people of Vatnsdal today. As we see how standards about great deeds, some backhanded comments, and a very large bandit results in a marriage suggestion. We look at some of the tactics used and talk a little about the morals and ethics we can infer and interpret from this...
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Introduction to the Icelandic Sagas
We lay the groundwork for looking at the Icelandic Sagas today. What philosophical ideas did they hold about ethics, violence, and the intersection of the two. What makes the Sagas different from other literature of the time and what biases do we need to be aware of? Why were serious duels called...
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The Art Of Fighting Without Fighting
What is the "art of fighting without fighting?" Where did Bruce Lee get the idea for this story and what classical Japanese work did it originate in? We explore these ideas in today's episode. For more information check out:...
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MSD - Pessimism Bias
When we suspect things are going to go bad more than is realistic then we are susceptible to the pessimism bias. Find out how car tires and martial arts training relates in this micro-episode. MSD - Mental Self-Defense To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief...
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Why Kata? An Iaido Seminar Retrospective
How could iaido, a solo form based method of sword-drawing, have any practical impact on my jiu-jitsu training? Having freshly returned from an iaido seminar in the Pacific Northwest of the United States I make an attempt in this episode to articulate better the answer to that question and…
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MSD - The Gambler's Fallacy
When we judge the likelihood of future events based on how often they have occurred in the past we engage in something that can be called The Gambler's Fallacy. This incorrect thinking can impact our ability to make good choices be it in training, sparring, self-defense, or life. MSD - Mental...
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What Is The Difference Between The Ancient And Modern Warrior?
Inspired by Randel Davis from the Kung Fu Conversations podcast (@kfconversations) Dean Suter of the Musha Shugyo podcast (@mushashugyopodcast) and I discuss the question: "What is the difference between the ancient and modern warrior?" Other participating in this collaborative effort with their...
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Inaka Soshi: The Toad's Way of Prayer
Today we return to our origins with a short story or parable from Issai Chozanshi's Daoist work the Inaka Soshi, sometimes translated as "The Hayseed Daoist." The story today is about a rat who prayers fervently to the gods that all the cats in the world be kicked to death at once. He's got some...
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Mental Self-Defense: Bias - Fundamental Attribution Error
This first bias we look at is known as "fundamental attribution error." This is when we judge others differently than how we judge ourselves when we do the same thing. It's pretty common and I relate examples both from general life and the martial arts. Plus with some bonus Stoic quotes for good...
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Mental Self-Defense: Fallacy - Anecdotal
This first fallacy we look at is known as anecdotal. Often referred to as "anecdotal evidence" we find this fallacy all through the martial arts world and is often at the heart of our martial arts delusions. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to...
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Mental Self-Defense: Introduction
We spend a lot of time talking about physical self-defense. However, what can we do to protect our minds from being led astray or manipulated? Today we lay the ground for a new series on how to recognize and protect yourself from bad thinking. Bad thinking leads to bad conclusions, which leads to...
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Budoushoshinshu: The Greatest Loyalty
What does one do when the warrior ethos calls someone to do something to express loyalty and gratitude... but the laws of the nation prohibit it? Daidouji has some thoughts in the final chapter of the Budoushoshinshu. In many ways this is the capstone to Daidouji's thoughts on what a warrior…
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Budoushoshinshu: Do Not Give Advice Lightly
What happens when we give strategic advice and it goes bad? What does this have to do with Victorian era sea-captains? Why did Daidouji think Yamamoto Kansuke was a good example and why do I disagree? Daidouji has some thoughts for his young charges and I interpret through the lens of a modern...
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Budoushoshinshu: Unlikely Events And Stabbing Coworkers
How do we handle unlikely events that can have negative outcomes we are unwilling to accept? What should we think about when we want to keep those important to us safe in one of these events? What will you do when you lord decides to kill one of your coworkers and you need to chase him down so he...
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Budoushoshinshu: Disciplined Martial Arts Training
Daidouji speaks directly to the idea of training in the martial arts in this episode. What kind of person looks like a martial artist? Who should train the martial arts? When does miso stink too much of miso? As well as some thoughts on people who only train partially and lead others astray in...
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Budoushoshinshu: How Much Did That Armor Cost?
We get some discussion on budgeting for samurai armor, how to equip your servants, and considerations to prepare for when your head is cut off by the enemy. It may not sound like it, but we then relate these topics to how they can apply to you today, in our modern times. To sign up for new…
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Budoushoshinshu: Situational Awareness
Daidouji Yuuzan gives us some thoughts on situational awareness when traveling. There are a lot of reasons why a samurai might be traveling with his lord. Sankin-koutai 参勤交代 "alternate attendance" might be one, though there certainly were other reasons. Likewise, we discuss a few ways this can be...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast exploring classic writings as they relate to the modern martial artist. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy for Martial Artists" PDF go to: walkingtengu.wix.com/tengu and scroll to the bottom to enter your email.
HOSTED BY
Matthew
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Walking With The Tengu have?
Walking With The Tengu currently has 122 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Walking With The Tengu about?
A podcast exploring classic writings as they relate to the modern martial artist. To sign up for new episode notifications and to receive the "Very Brief Introduction to Philosophy for Martial Artists" PDF go to: walkingtengu.wix.com/tengu and scroll to the bottom to enter your email.
How often does Walking With The Tengu release new episodes?
Walking With The Tengu publishes regularly with 122 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Walking With The Tengu?
You can listen to Walking With The Tengu on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Walking With The Tengu?
Walking With The Tengu is created and hosted by Matthew.
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