Yamada Yoshimitsu Shihan died in January 2023. It has taken me quite a while to write about him. I have had to wait until the powerful impact of his passing diminished enough for me to express myself. Yamada…
Aikidoists who practice Aikiken often become interested in the Japanese metal sword in addition to the wooden sword (“Bokken” or “Bokutoh”). There are various types of swords. The two most recognized are the “Tachi” and the “Katana”. The…
In Aikido, bokken practice is for the art of living, not the science of killing. Aikiken differs from Kenjutsu in that it is not intended for battlefield application. Bokken practice is a method of experiencing and refining key…
To learn Aikido it is necessary to have good instructors, of course. But it is also very important to have fine training partners. I have been fortunate to have many of both. One partner who stands out for…
One of the many aspects of Aikido that I appreciate is how it combines individual effort with group support. In order to achieve any convincing level of skill in technique, the Aikidoist must make time to be in…
Recently I wrote about “The Way of the Bow” or “Kyudo” as one of the Japanese martial disciplines that developed out of previous fighting techniques into a path for life. As in all of the “Ways”, there is…
Earlier I have written about Iaido as modern form of training that derives from ancient traditions. Another Japanese Budo is “Kyudo”, the “Way of the Bow”. On the surface, it is a merely a formal method of shooting…
Keiko and Renshuu are two terms that usually come out in English as “practice”. However, they are not interchangeable. In fact, they should be constantly combined. As one instructor explained, etymologically, renshuu looks like this:練習 (れんしゅう) – the…
Previously I have written about books that attempted to uncover the background of Japanese martial arts. Another important book of this type is “Legacies of the Sword: The Kashima-Shinryuu and Samurai Martial Culture” by Karl Friday, Ph.D. (1997)…
In a discussion of Japanese swords I like to think of “lookers” and “swingers”. The “lookers” are those who collect swords to appreciate their beauty as works of art. They are guardians of swords that they intend to…