🐯 Welcome to the Jungle: The Official Den of Johnny (Tiger) Tai

Every now and then, a friend comes along with that look in their eyes. You know the one. Like they've just uncovered some ancient secret hidden away by Shaolin monks, pharmaceutical companies, and Yoga masters. "Duuuuude... I have chronic pain too. I swear by this sage essential oil. It's amazing. It's expensive, but it's worth every penny." You know what? Fair enough. I have chronic pain. I'm a martial artist who's been getting punched, kicked, thrown, twisted into pretzels, and voluntarily folded in half for most of my life. If somebody tells me they've found something that actually helps, I'm willing to give it a fair shot; especially now, in my 40's, cz I get out of bed every morning feeling like roadkill. So I bought some, and at the first chance of a sore muscle day, I eagerly lubed me up. And 1 hour later... "Hmmmm... smells nice... Ouch... still hurts." No problem, I'm open minded, I realize things don't work on th...

I’ve understood the power of impact tools for a long time. I train. I hit things. I know what hard objects do to soft human bodies. But a few years back, life handed me a story that proved the point in the most brutally ironic way. My dad had beef with a neighbor. Instead of cooling off, he let it stew. One morning he gets up early, plants himself in the parking lot, and waits. He’s mad. He’s committed. He’s ready to fuck this guy up. Neighbor pulls in on his motorcycle, kills the engine, starts getting off. My dad jumps him. Full aggression. Surprise. All gas, no brakes. Now, I didn’t see any of this — because I was in Canada. I heard about this later on a phone call with my parents in Taiwan. My mom’s telling me the story, building it up, and she goes: “Your dad attacked him when he got off the motorcycle and you know what happened?” Without missing a beat I said, “Well if it was me, I’d take my helmet off and beat him to death with it.” She LOST it ...

One of the questions I’ve been asked my whole life—seriously, like every other week—is: "Hey Johnny, what martial art should I learn?" And the truth is... I can’t really tell you. Not without training with you for a few months. I need to know: Are you quick on your feet? Aggressive or more defensive? Do you prefer to stay grounded or take flight? How’s your timing? Balance? Are you scrappy or strategic? There’s no one-size-fits-all. Sure, I could say something generalized like: “You’re a girl? Try Taekwondo.” “You’re a big guy? Go with boxing.” But that’s lazy stereotyping, and I like to work harder than that—for myself and my students. So instead, let’s do something fun. Let’s match you up based on your Chinese Zodiac sign . Each sign has its own personality quirks, habits, and let’s be honest, vices. Why not use that to inspire your fighting style? Let’s dive in… 🐀 Rat – Jeet Kune Do Image: Mickey Mouse, dressed in a white karate uniform with a black belt, crouches in ...