I’m sure many of you would sit silently and meditate with your eyes closed both before and after practice. Some groups call it mokuso (silent thinking), some Meiso (closed-eye thinking), or Seiza (silent sitting). When you join the dojo, the instructor would tell you the meaning and how to do Read More
The core muscle is very important not only in Budo but in many sports, and training your core muscle has many benefits. In this edition I will introduce some ways of training your core muscle, including ways that are effective for Budo. The core muscle (Japanese taikan) broadly refers to Read More
Kendo of course requires physical strength but also mental strength. There are many ways to train up your mentality, but the most basic level is mannerisms. This relates to other martial arts too, but it all “begins and ends with manners”. If you are aiming to be a strong kenshi, Read More
In Japanese Budo such as kendo, judo, kyudo, there are levels named “kyu” and “dan”. Each has its own characteristic, but many people wonder what the difference is between the two. Kyu is a word that describes the quality or the condition of objects as in “ikkyuhin”, “nikyuhin” and “sankyuhin” Read More
In today’s article we are looking at how we can work on our training outside of our regular dojo. If you are struggling to make it to regular training and want some ideas on how to make it up outside of the dojo then this is the article for you. Read More
In sports, many believe that breathing is important, and that is the same in Japanese Budo. Moving in the rhythm of your breathing gives your greater strength and speed, and brings out the best of your abilities. Moving with your breathing is necessary for a high level of performance. There Read More
Look at your opponent’s face, as taught by young Miyamoto Musashi Let us also break down Miyamoto Musashi’s teaching on the eye too. Musashi is known for his teaching on “Kanken no me” but long before his famous “Gorinsho”, he wrote the following at the age of 24, after defeating Read More
There are “teachings” of martial arts passed down from ancient times, and as we try to dig deeper into how our ancestors taught their skill, today we would like to talk about the theme of the “eye”. There are many teachings on the “eye” that have been passed down through Read More
At first glance Aikido can seem like one unified martial art, but this is far from the case. Aikido is in fact comprised of many styles – each one emphasizing different parts of the founder Ueshiba Morihei’s Aikido. For someone looking to begin Aikido or even someone well-versed in a Read More
The way of the samurai values mannerisms (rei) above all else as reflected in the saying “It begins and ends with rei (mannerism/bowing)”. Rei refers to the actions and behaviors expected at various events, and signifies the moral standards for developing human relationships and maintaining social order. Rei is now Read More
