Explore articles and insights on Japanese Martial Arts, Self Defense and more in these articles.
Martial Arts is a wonderful and fulfilling activity. But we tend to think its only for two types of people: kids that need discipline, or macho 20-something year old guys who want to fight in a ring. But what if you're not 7 years old, or a cage fighter in your 20's?...
I can speak from personal experience how Martial Arts can be a powerful tool in the fight against anxiety and depression. Before I began training in Martial Arts, I was struggling with anxiety induced depression. A combination of huge stress, existential crisis and feeling of inadequacy was leading to unhealthy places mentally and physically. It wasn’t until I started training in Martial Arts that I started to see light at the end of the tunnel.
Studying Koryu (lit. "Old School") arts are more about gaining trust of the teacher rather than developing skill per se. Most of what is in a Koryu art is kept secret from the majority of practitioners, with the most sensitive or secretive information reserved the...
For many of us interested in Martial Arts, part of the allure is belonging to an exclusive group. Martial Artists hone their body and mind through physical challenge and dedication. It builds confidence in ourselves. It sets us apart. It makes us unique. However,...
While there are countless ways to catagorize martial arts in general, Japanese martial arts typically fall within two distinct catagories based on age: Koryu Bujutsu and Gendai Budo. Koryu vs Gendai Literally translating to "Old School", a Koryu is any martial arts...
The other day we had a guest in class who happened to be Japanese. He spends lots of time with his family in Japan and so is fluent. I always like to talk with native speakers since it helps me improve my Japanese which is...well...less than perfect. But I try to...
Many consider MMA as a revolution in Martial Arts - the concept of studying different things simultaneously. And while MMA as a Sport is a recent development, the mixing of Arts is much older. UFC and MMA The UFC has reinvigorated sporting martial arts. In the...
The Potential Dangers of Martial Arts Contracts The other day, my neighbor was asking about my Martial Arts School, and during that conversation came up the subject of contracts. Turns out, she used to sell gym contracts, and said she never liked to sell them. "I...
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 the opportunity to take a lesson from my uncle, Dick Wagner, who is a former Tennis pro. Pretty soon into the lesson, I started noticing similarities between things my uncle Dick said, and things that Soke talks about when we train in Japan, as well as aspects of learning tennis itself. And by taking a Tennis lesson, I was able to gain some insight into our martial arts training. So here are some thoughts on the connection between two seemingly unrelated activities.
Japanese Martial Arts are just one of the many types of martial arts available. Teaching a Japanese Martial Art entails exposing students to Japan’s culture as well, since it heavily influences the method of training.
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 technique when it has fulfilled it’s usefulness, or when the situation changes. He said that it was important to remain free to let go in order to succeed. But like so many of his lessons, it applies to much more than martial arts.
Training, Rank Promotion and…Mr. Miyagi?
Shuhari – “Preserve, Break, Transcend”
There are considered 3 phases of training in Bujinkan Ninjutsu (and most Japanese Martial Arts) – “Shu, Ha & Ri”. These phases focus on what the intention and the approach of the student should be towards their training at a particular level.