A master of calligraphy, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, martial arts, among other arts, is held in the Japanese tradition to be “acting from tanden“. Following is a segment from an email correspondence ...

While training Gyokko Ryū with Sensei and my colleagues, he stopped our lesson briefly to explain that your movement “should be like many pieces of paper having the same thickness as one.” Without see...

By Brian Vaughan, 3rd Dan (photo above, teaching jojutsu)

Both words, with a minimum of verbiage, epitomize how I have led my life and my approach to martial arts. The first, Shoshin, a beginners hea...

真剣型体術
Sensei began by explaining that the Shinken Gata followed the same kata sequence as the Kukishinden Ryu with the exception of added kata at each level. The distinguishing differences between the ...

“At the very least I want to see you relaxing, but also the correct tachi-suji, not like bo-furi.”

Keiko isn’t about using strength or unnecessary power, especially within your arms. Keiko is about rel...

“This is why I study what I study.”

My hakama was ripped to shreds on Friday and my dogi was torn today. As we approached the final hour of training under the senior European student of Unsui Sensei’...