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FEATURED POSTS
Ichi-Go Ichi-E, Wisdom for the Holidays
We spend days – weeks even – preparing our recipes, fussing over the physical preparations, but how are we preparing to meet what is the most important part of a Holiday…our relationships with the people present? Here’s a few examples and ideas for conversation starters:
Mountain Quest 2025
Rainy Mountain Quest 2025 on North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain is now a grand memory… As promised, I will list notes from the kata taught over the August 2025 weekend. These are from the Kuki Shinden Ryu bojutsu collection Sabaki Kata GEKICHU KERI AGE TSUKE IRI GORIN KUDAKI (“Crushing the abdomen”) I did not include the description of what the adversary is doing with his sword in these descriptions. I don’t expect anyone to learn and apply this technique without having been there. It is listed as a reminder for those coached through the kata at Mountain Quest 2025.
ALL POSTS
Ichi-Go Ichi-E, Wisdom for the Holidays
We spend days – weeks even – preparing our recipes, fussing over the physical preparations, but how are we preparing to meet what is the
Mountain Quest 2025
Rainy Mountain Quest 2025 on North Carolina’s Grandfather Mountain is now a grand memory… As promised, I will list notes from the kata taught over
Best Martial Arts Advice I’ve Been Given
Best advice ever given? “Know yourself and exactly why you are training in the martial arts, then carefully select the best role model teacher who
Year End “Big Clean”
Ō-sōji (literally, “big cleaning” at year end) is a significant tradition in Japan. This ritual symbolizes purification and renewal of one’s home, workspace, dojo, and
Things Come to Pass
42 years ago I stood at this Togakure Mountain shrine. I was just beginning my work of promoting the ninja martial art, making my teacher
Dealing With Symmetrical and Asymmetrical Violence
The purpose and methodology preserved in our To-Shin Do kata were not created to address mutually consented fighting, where we agree to fight another martial
To-Shin Take Charge of Your Thoughts
We all have bad days. Here’s another truth. Our To-Shin Do training teaches us that no one is in charge of your mood but you.
Clarifying My New Position
In my mid-70s, I now call myself retired. That just means I no longer run a dojo, I drastically cut back on my traveling seminars,
The True Awakening Behind the Kuji Mudras and Mantras
There are so many variations on the ninja’s kuji-kiri and kuji-in, huh? I believe people are hoping to find the “one and only authentic kuji
The Tragedy of the “Wave Person”
There is an American interpretation of a Japanese concept that is totally backwards. Some martial artists love to brag that they are “ronin”, a lone