Shugyo in Japanese Swordsmanship

Shugyo in Japanese Swordsmanship: A Path to Mastery My dear student, it is my privilege to share with you the art and discipline of shugyo in Japanese swordsmanship. As you know, the pursuit of mastery in any field is a lifelong journey, and this is especially true in the study of the sword. Shugyo is [...]

How to achieve Kihaku in your practice

Kihaku Energized Intent refers to a state of mind that is fully focused and dedicated to the task at hand. In martial arts, this state of mind is crucial for achieving success and reaching one's full potential. The concept of Kihaku Energized Intent involves channeling mental and physical energy towards a specific goal, which can [...]

Benefits of Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu

Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu is a traditional Japanese martial art that focuses on the techniques of swordsmanship and the use of the Japanese sword. Originating from the Imperial Japanese Army, Toyama Ryu Batto Jutsu was developed in the early 20th century as a way to teach military personnel the skills needed to wield a sword [...]

Haragei

  Haragei (腹芸), loosely translates to “stomach magic”. In Kenjutsu, we say that swordsmanship starts and ends at the hara. If we think about the very well-known philosophy, that the sword is the soul of the Samurai, it can be said the soul of us, starts and ends in the hara. The hara is believed [...]

Fudōshin – The Immovable Mind

In this article I'm going to explore the intricate mysteries of Fudōshin, the mysteries of the very elusive, immovable mind. Fudo in Fudōshin correlates to Fudo Myo-o, which is one of the often referred to deities in Japanese Buddhism. "He converts anger into compassion and cuts the ties of negative feelings and demons to liberate [...]

Ken – The Sword

刀 The sword - The story goes that when a sword by the great swordsmith Maramusa was thrust into a stream, it would attract floating leaves to its keen edge and cut through them effortlessly. When a similar sword, made by Masamune, Maramusa's teacher, was thrust into the stream, it would somehow, magically deflect leaves around [...]

Rinkiohen

Adaptibility - As we face the  beginning of 2019, we need to deeply consider what it means to have sticking power and true perception. What do we need to do, to maintain motivation, to maintain training and our enthusiasm for training week in and week out and to be effective in how we progress the way during 2019 ? [...]

The Sword and the Brush

As a practitioner of Toyama and Nakamura Ryu swordsmanship, I identify very much with the similarities drawn between Shodo (Japanese Brush Calligraphy) and Japanese Swordsmanship. It is no secret that Nakamura Ryu had its origination as a result of late Nakamura-sensei’s revelation, whilst residing in Northern China, that the eight brush principles (eiji happo) may [...]

The Way of Bonsai and the Bugeisha

As bugeisha, we follow a martial way, with the ultimate goal of refining our spirit, to become balanced, well-adjusted human beings that contribute positively to our communities and family. The way is a very abstract concept, with words never really able to capture the essence of what it is really about. We attend practice, day [...]

Keiko Gi

There is a lot to be said about the bugeisha’s keikogi, practice attire. Uniforms have been used in martial arts for many years and it has progressed to the point where the type of martial arts a person is practicing is easily identifiable through the uniform its’ practitioners wear. Practical innovation has also been influenced [...]