Welcome to Inner Dharma, the martial arts site of Mark Raugas. I practice traditional internal martial arts in the Pacific Northwest.
Internal Martial Arts
I am a
lineal practitioner of
Chinese internal martial arts, training as part of
Yin Cheng Gong Fa North America under Zhang Yun laoshi.
My practice is known as Yueshan-guan (
Kenjutsu
Gassankan is the Japanese reading of Yueshan-guan. My kenjutsu training centers on maintaining the Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū I learned at the Hōbyōkan dōjō of Dr. David Hall, in a manner that is compatible with internal martial arts principles.
I began teaching Jikishinkage-ryū after moving to Seattle in order to maintain my practice. Weekly training is now held in the SODO neighborhood, led by my two senior students as part of the Lonin League. For more information, please visit Tōsha Dōjō.
Essays
Much of the writing previously featured here has been collated into a small book:
The Truth of the Calm Spirit: The Practice of Shinkage-ryū Heihō as Taoist Internal Alchemy, 2025
I want to thank the readers of Inner Dharma who provided feedback and encouragement over the last twenty years.
