Victory over the Self By MLS It is axiomatic among budoka that budo is not a sport, and there are good reasons for it; instead of chasing a higher score or a faster time by any means necessary, budo practitioners are looking to develop their minds and bodies, beyond questions Read More
By: Dr. Anil Sahal After training in the dojo and over a glass of beer, there are often discussions between martial artists about the relationship between budo and sport. Those who see themselves as ‘traditionalists’ express a disdain for martial arts being used in the sporting context feeling that the Read More
The Sword as a Tool for Mental Health -Ron Campbell, www.soarfeat.org You stand in front of your computer, in the center of your living room, sword at your side. You see each of your fellow iaidoka in their separate squares of the Zoom meeting. Some live in your own neighborhood, Read More
We have another of our essay contest winning entries to kick off this week. In this article Arash explores how his connection to Japanese budo developed and also shows how it now manifests in his sons. We all have our own experiences with discovering budo, but many of us did it alone.
This article by Mihai Dutescu(Tozando 2019 Essay contest Winner) takes a look at the objectives of kendo and why we should embrace the difficulty that lies ahead on our chosen path. Kendo as a way of life is hard Choosing to practice kendo as a way of life as opposed Read More
This article by Tyler Duffield explores the interesting relationship between Japanese budo and the Olympics. The Olympics and Budo: a Questionable Mix With the coming inclusion of Karate in the 2020 Tokyo Games, it is timely to pause and think about the effect of Olympic inclusion on Judo, possible ramifications Read More
by Nicholas Wilson “From youth my heart has been inclined towards (swordsmanship).” –Miyamoto Musashi For as long as I can remember, swords have fascinated me. If there was a movie to watch, a book to read, or a game to play where swords were involved, you had my attention. Martial Read More
I asked my friend Chelsea to measure my height. She asked me why. I didn’t want to tell her. I didn’t want to say, “I want you to measure me in inches, so that I can convert that number to shaku, and figure out how long my first iaito should Read More
Death comes to us all at the end of our life’s journey, regardless of the path we walk. Inescapably, it pursues us; hiding in the shadows, it waits patiently for our time when our road runs out. Across human societies, culture and class mark subtle differences between groups’ appreciations of Read More
A winning article for 2017 Tozando Essay Contest Photos and text by Rachelle D. Lawrence In his 17th century treatise on the Japanese sword, Zen, and politics, Yagyu Munemori wrote about the “killing” sword and the “life-giving” sword. The sword that protects a life also takes a life, whether in Read More
