By Sensei Serge Sognonvi and Carmen Sognonvi
Originally published at http://www.urbandojo.com/blog

Here’s a round-up of our favorite martial arts-related news stories and blog posts that we came across this week.

Martial Arts 2.0: How to Download a Black Belt
Can you really learn martial arts just by watching videos online? Himanshu Ojha, a student at the Columbia Journalism School, sets out to answer this question.

The Plight of the Armchair Trainee
Martial arts blogger Matthew Apsokardu gives us the outtakes from his interview with Ojha (see story above). In this blog post, he argues that video can be a great tool in martial arts training, as long as you’re able to distinguish good advice from bad advice.

Gi Washing Tips for Double Weaves
Here’s something we don’t often talk about on the Urban Martial Arts blog: doing laundry! If you’ve got one of those heavy Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gis, what’s the best way to wash it? In this blog post, Jiu-Jitsu instructor Lori O’Connell shares her tips on getting your uniform clean without destroying your washer and dryer.

Bear Crawls in the Snow
Do you live in a cold area? If so, put that snow to use in your martial arts training! MMA strength and conditioning coach Rob DeCillis shows us an innovative spin on bear crawls by doing them in the snow.

Karate Tournament Rules; How Many Points for a Kick?!
The rules of point sparring in karate tournaments have evolved over the years. In this blog post, martial arts blogger John Zimmer wonders if awarding more points to high kicks, jumping kicks, and spinning kicks has been done simply to promote a flashier style of fighting.