"There is a natural order to all things. The shape of the mind will lead to its obvious conclusion. East, West, North or South. Climbing Mt. Fuji will result in passing the summit. Walking further will result in meeting more peaks and valleys. There is much to enjoy and discover.”
~S.F Radzikowski
Learning Koryū Kenjutsu & Iaijutsu Traditionally
Practice
The car at the bottom of the hill needs a sustained gas pedal to move...
What is true budo?
Studying the arts of fighting leads to peace. The pursuit of martial arts has one...
The Samurai and unwavering loyalty
The Samurai have been portrayed in popular culture as noble and faithful warriors who strictly...
The Mind According to Saito Yakuro of Shintō Munen Ryū 斎藤弥九郎神道無念流
「武は戈を止むるの義なれば少しも争心あるべからず」斎藤弥九郎神道無念流練兵館 斎藤弥九郎 Saito Yakuro, Shindō Munen Ryu instructor of the famous Renpeikan in Edo once...
Impermanence, The Mind, and the Truth
After every meditation session my teacher, with his eyes still closed, would softly speak in...
Greed And Martial Arts
We must endeavor to cultivate generosity while looking at the roots of our greed. Removing...
Learning Iaido Online: The Japanese Art of the Sword
Learning Iaido online is a wonderful challenge. Iaido or Iaijutsu can be deceptively simple in its...
Basic Head Strike Iaijutsu Kenjutsu
Good Posture = Efficient Movement A graphic I made for a student talking about the...
What does Budō mean?
I’d like to discuss briefly discuss what Budo or Bujutsu means. I’m not a scholar...
Budo Don’t
Don’t be in love with your weapon. Don’t be in love with your uniform. Don’t...
Ken Zen Ichi Nyo Sword & Zen Are One
剣禅一如 The sword and zen are one. The mind of zen is an important consideration...
Honesty and the Martial Arts Hermit. Being a good budō teacher and student.
When people want to find a martial arts teacher, do they often think of mister...
Rei – 礼 – Gratitude In Budo Training Life
Gratitude for our swords and training equipment, and those that made them. To our teachers...
Sword Grip Tenouchi Iaido Video
This video describes basic hand grips (tenouchi) for using a katana (Japanese sword).
Shu-ha-ri Budo Learning
What does Bugei mean?
Bugei translates as Martial art, Military arts, or Arts of war. Bu 武 means warrior...
Secrets of Swordsmanship: In-yō. Ying & Yang
I wanted to talk about IN-YŌ 陰陽, or more commonly known as yin & yang....
Be Thankful.Be Earnest In Bujutsu & Life
Be thankful for your mistakes, failures, and blunders. They are your own teacher reminding you...
Jealous Martial Artists
Martial artists should be aware of what can live in the shadow of righteousness; jealousy...
Keishi ryu Iaijutsu
In 1888 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police department decided to cull various ryu-ha together to form...
What is Koryū?
Japanese martial arts are usually defined in two groups. Pre-modern and modern. There are no...