This week, Ezra and Nate review the Akira Kurasawa classic film, Yojimbo, starring Toshiro Mifune. At the top of the show, Ezra and Nate discuss what they have been up to over the last few months, how they have been handling quarantine, both i

CT040 The Art of Japanese Architecture with Professor StanRussell

May 19th, 2020 29m 52s

This week's guest is Professor Stan Russell, expert on Japanese architecture and carpentry. Stan is an Associate Professor at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. He is also the founder of One Corner Architects, a full service A

CT084 The Kendo Podcast with Hiro Imafuji

May 18th, 2020 1h 11m

This week, Masahiro Imafuji joins the show. Imafuji Sensei is the host of the Kendo Podcast, which you can find at www.kendo-podcast.com. He is also the author of the Kendo Guide website www.kendo-guide.com, where you can find a TON of great i

CT083 Life Undercover with Don Sonney

May 11th, 2020 1h

This week, Don Sonney returns to to discuss his career in law enforcement and how it was influenced by his martial arts training. Don Sonney's martial arts training led him to join the Ohio Highway Patrol, which he discusses today. during his

CT082 Worth Every Minute with Don Sonney

May 5th, 2020 1h 19m

This week, long time karate practitioner Don Sonney joins the show.. Mr. Sonney started his karate career in 1964, training in Shotokan Karate in Gary, Pennsylvania under Artis Simmons, who was one of the top karate competitors of the era. He

CT081 Kakuriki: Okinawan Sumo with Andrew Clark

Apr 13th, 2020 57m 24s

This week, Andrew Clark joins us to discuss his experience living in Japan and training in Okinawan and Japanese Sumo. Andy moved to Japan 2004, to teach English on the tiny island of Kitadaito Jima, a few hundered miles East of Okinawa. Whil

CT080 Covid, Corona, & Karate with Dr. Andy Wells

Apr 6th, 2020 1h 8m

This week, Dr. Andy Wells, joins us to talk about COVID-19 and the Corona Virus. Dr. Wells is an Internal Medicine physician, and will be starting a Cardiology fellowship this summer, at a major academic medical center. The Doctor breaks down

CT079 Pros & Cons of Open Styles

Mar 31st, 2020 53m 57s

Nate and Ezra follow up last week's catch-up episode with a focused discussion on the pros and cons of "Open Styles" of Karate. Support Our Sponsors!Kosho Martial Arts EquipmentMedical Resort A-TacTarvin Plumbing

CT078 I've Been EV-ER-Y-WHERE!

Mar 15th, 2020 57m 48s

Chop Talk is BACK after its hiatus. But, just because we haven't been PODCASTING about martial arts, doesn't mean we haven't been DOING martial arts! Ezra Scott joins the show to catch up on all the travel, training, seminars, and everything e

CT077 Harvey King: The Way It Is

Jul 24th, 2019 1h 8m

This week's guest is one of the top Jodo practitioners in the United States (and an instructor at our upcoming seminar in Cincinnnati!), Harvey King. He started training in karate in the 60s/early 70's, before branching out to iaido, aikido, a

CT076 Ninja Nguyen: Step on the Mat

Jul 7th, 2019 1h 19m

This week's guest is Ninja Nguyen, author of Step on the Mat: Life Lessons of the Ninja. In Ninja's new book he shows how martial arts are more than just punching and kicking, and he highlights how the valuable lessons found in the routines of

CT075 - A Visceral Reaction

Mar 7th, 2019 56m 4s

Ezra Scott, from James McLain's Kosho School of Karate in Nashville, and I continue our discussion on Martial Arts in the Digital Age. Today we get into how to identify a credible source, how to bring what you learned on the internet back int

CT074 - Martial Arts in the Digital Age

Feb 25th, 2019 1h 1m

Ezra Scott from James McLain's Kosho School of Karate in Nashville joins us this week to discuss "Martial Arts in the Digitial Age". Ezra and I compare notes on the positives and negatives of social media, publications, videos, blogs, podcasts,

CT073 Noah Legel's Karate Obsession

Jan 29th, 2019 1h 20m

This week's guest is Noah Legel, author of the "Karate Obsession" blog, and creator of Youtube channel Noah Legal's Karate obsession. Noah and I originally trained together at the Academy of Okinawan Karate in Peoria Illinois. In today's sh

CT072 Running a Professional School with Joseph Walker

Sep 27th, 2018 57m 16s

Shihan Joseph Walker is back this week to continue our discussion on his 1986 Okinawa trip with Robert Trias, the incredible growth of the USKA, training with Gene LeBell, and some great advice on how to run a professional martial arts school.

CT071 - Joseph Walker: Almost Perfect!

Sep 16th, 2018 1h

This week's guest is my first martial arts teacher, Joseph Walker. Shihan Walker has been practicing karate for 50 years, and judo even longer. He was appointed Assistant Chief Instructor of Shuri Ryu Karate by Robert Trias, and named Chief I

CT070 Sharon Massey on Women's Self Defense

Sep 6th, 2018 59m 51s

Sharon Massey from Pyramid Karate in Indianapolis, Indiana joins us this week to discuss women's self defense. Sharon talks about some of the real-world situations she has been in, her transition to traditional martial arts, and how the self de

CT069 Phillip Koeppel: A Dojo Is A Family You Can Depend On

Aug 1st, 2018 51m 9s

Phillip Koeppel returns this week. Sensei Koeppel has practiced martial arts for over 60 years, training with Yoshio Kawaguchi and Richard Kim in Yokohama Japan, Adriano Emperado in Hawaii, and Robert Trias in the US, and now practices Matsumur

CT068 - Phillip Koeppel: An Interesting Life

Jul 22nd, 2018 53m 31s

This week's guest, Phillip Koeppel, is a true American Karate Pioneer. Sensei Koeppel has been practicing martial arts for over 60 years. Starting in 1956 in Yokohama Japan under Toshio Kawaguchi and Richard Kim, then moving on to Hawaii to t

CT067 - Cobra Kai Never Dies!

Jun 4th, 2018 56m 4s

This week Ezra and I discuss Cobra Kai, the new Karate Kid series on You Tube Red. There has been a lot of talk about this show on podcasts and around the internet, but we wanted to give you a karate-guy's perspective on the show. Spoilers s

CT066 - Karate Kid Trilogy Review

May 28th, 2018 1h 15m

I'm sure most of you have heard, but there is a ton of buzz about he new Karate Kid show, Cobra Kai, that was realased this week on You Tube Red. Everyone is excited about this thing, so it made me curious about why the original movies were so

CT065 - Louis Martin: Maybe Therapy Should Be Your Therapy

Mar 25th, 2018 1h 13m

Louis Martin, author of The True Believers, is back today to continue our discussion about cultism, fanatacism, financial exploitation, and a few other topics he discusses in his book. We start off the show right where we left off the last o

CT064 - Louis Martin: The True Believers

Mar 11th, 2018 1h 5m

Today's guest is Louis Martin, author of The True Believers. Louie' book explores the fanaticism and cultism that is common in the martial arts, through his own experience training in Seibukan Jujutsu.The book, and Louie's experiences, are s

CT063 - Does Karate Have a Fitness Problem?

Jan 22nd, 2018 1h 8m

Ezra Scott from James McLain's Kosho School of Karate in Nashville is back this week to discuss a big topic in martial arts, "Does Karate have a Fitness Problem?". Ezra and I share our thoughts on the subject, and also a few tips to help peop

CT062 - Victor Moore: Going WAY Back!

Dec 4th, 2017 1h 1m

This week, we wrap up our discussion with Victor Moore, "The Man who Fought 'Em All".Today, Sensei Moore starts off by discussing the state of traditional karate, the different styles, and his fighting strategy. We then get into a few stories