Knowledge • Perspective • Capability
Sifu Journal & Field Notes
Articles and reflections by Alan Baker on training, travel, and the experiences that shape his work. Explore self protection, self defense, and the ongoing development of capability through study, practice, and everyday life.
267 articles
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The Limitation of Perspective and the Search for Real Educators
As human beings, we have enormous potential, but one of the greatest limitations placed on that potential is our perspective. Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly drawing conclusions…
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The Superpower of Selective Attention
In today’s world, your attention is under constant attack. At any given moment, there are countless forces competing for your focus. Notifications, messages, news, social media, conversations, and problems are…
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Pedro Sauer’s Mount Details That Make Submissions Inevitable
In this segment, Professor Sauer breaks down subtle but powerful mount adjustments that make submissions from the top position far more effective. From elbow placement and weight distribution to proper…
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Unboxing a Filipino Ganuting Sword
In this video I finally get my hands on a new Ganuting sword from Traditional Filipino Weaponry.
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Half Guard Sweeps: The Reaction-First Method
In this seminar session in Cleveland, Tennessee, we’re working through half guard sweep concepts and how to create the reaction needed to make those sweeps work. Instead of forcing techniques,…
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Guro Joe Wakey Training Visit
In this video, Sifu Alan Baker trains in Tampa, Florida with Guru Joe Wakey, breaking down timing concepts behind a Filipino Martial Arts knife jab drill.
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Course Updates: White To Blue – Throwing Cycle
This latest update expands the curriculum with several additional takedown and off-balancing methods designed to improve control, timing, and positional dominance. The material now includes instruction on the Low Line…
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The Bittersweet Truth About Sugar
This lecture hits because it challenges the story most people were taught: “eat less, move more,” and “calories in, calories out.” The core message is that the real battlefield is…
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Questions On Fasting
In my 55th year, I’ve found myself doing something that I think a lot of disciplined people eventually do. I’ve started digging up the old habits that worked. Not the…
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What Should You Look For When Choosing a Rash Guard?
Most people treat rash guards like they’re just “No Gi shirts.” They’re not. A good rash guard is part of your training equipment. It affects how you move, how your…
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The Longevity Blueprint
There comes a point in every warrior’s life when the pursuit of power, precision, and performance gives way to a deeper question. How do I preserve it? After decades of…
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Timeless Tools
I talk about developing timeless tools all the time, because I’ve watched the same story play out for decades. A student starts training, gets excited, gets strong, gets fast, learns…
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Warrior’s Path to Conquering Challenges II
Inside every man or woman who trains, there’s a quiet understanding that most people will never touch. You can’t grow without pressure. You can’t sharpen without friction. And you can’t…
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Intermittent Fasting And Triggering Autophagy
I have been doing various forms of fasting for the majority of my life. I was introduced to the concept by one of my Kung Fu teachers when I was…
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Flipping The ‘State’ Switch
When people watch high-level performers, they often ask some version of the same question: “How do you just flip that switch?” One moment, you are relaxed, laughing, talking with friends.…
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Why Traditional Martial Artists Struggle In Real Violence And How To Close The Gap
You can spend years training in a traditional martial art, earn rank, move beautifully in forms, flow through drills, and even do well in sparring, yet still be completely unprepared…
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Gear Creates An Illusion Of Safety And False Outcomes
If you spend any time in the defensive tactics, martial arts, or combatives world, you have seen the same scene play out. People suit up in large, padded outfits, full-face…
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Never Arrive Empty-Handed: A Proper Gentleman’s Guide to Host Gifts
A host gift is a quiet gesture of thanks. It says “I appreciate the invitation” without creating work for the host.
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Self-Protection, Self-Defense, and Self-Offense: What’s the difference and why it matters
Put simply: self-protection aims to avoid the fight, self-defense manages the fight that finds you, and self-offense ends the fight when no lesser option will do. Train all three. Build the plan that keeps you out of trouble,…
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Building Tools for Every Level of Force In The Encounter
You should have answers and tools for every part of a combative encounter. If the only option you trust is your firearm, stress will pull you toward that single solution.…
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Less Talk, More Do!
Opera, non verba, is starting to feel like a superpower, because the ability to act separates the serious from the spectators.
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The C-Tac Hierarchy Of Weaponry Principle
In my approach, I teach this hierarchy not to diminish the value of grappling, but to frame it correctly. Grappling is not the preferred starting point; it’s the final layer…
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Weaponized Grappling: The Realities of Ground Fighting in Armed Environments
Done right, standard grappling makes you harder to kill. It builds alignment. It teaches joint control. It gives you deep insight into leverage, weight distribution, and how to stay calm…
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Controlling Your Internal Timing
One of the earliest and most profound lessons I ever learned came from my first Kung Fu instructor when I was just a teenager: You are in charge of the…
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