Aikido, often translated as “the way of harmony,” is a Japanese martial art that emphasizes blending with an opponent’s...
I’m always obsessed with understanding the name of a gata. I believe the name can often provide insight into the intention of the form,...
I have to confess: I haven’t been the best teacher. I rarely do the Sanshin in class. I figured it was super simple, and takes away the...
The other night I was at a get together for a friend’s birthday. While there, one of my long time friends brought up that he was thinking...
In Japan, giving rank is more encouragement then reward. You’re given a rank with the expectation that you’ll work hard to earn that...
Now normally, when we think of sports as being related to martial arts, Tennis is not the first to leap to mind. Yet the other day, I had...
In my last trip to Japan, Soke Hatsumi talked about the concept of “letting go”. He was specifically referencing when to let go of a...
While there are countless ways to catagorize martial arts in general, Japanese martial arts typically fall within two distinct catagories...
If you visit a touristy area of Japan, you may see a straight sword marketed as a “Ninjato” or Ninja sword. These have little in...
The other day, my neighbor was asking about my Martial Arts School, and during that conversation came up the subject of contracts. Turns...
