Inner Dharma was a writing project of Mark Raugas concerned with traditional internal martial arts and Japanese swordsmanship, maintained between 2005 and 2025. I want to thank all of its readers who provided feedback and encouragement over a period of almost twenty years. Older updates have been removed, but some links to publications and activities that can be found elsewhere online are still below. Much of the Inner Dharma content concerning classical kenjutsu has been revised and expanded into a small book — more information can be found below.
New Book on Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu
I have collected my notes on Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu into a single volume and expanded them with research into Japanese language historical documents and publications on that art. The result is now available as a small book.
In Memorium: David A. Hall (1947-2025)
On 26 July 2025, the world lost one of its most knowledgeable teachers and scholars of classical Japanese martial culture.
Divergence and Unification in Shinkage-ryū
Link to an essay on kata, heiho and shugyo, where I compare and contrast different surviving lines of Shinkage-ryū and reflect on my own practice.
Tōsha Dōjō
Tōsha Dōjō is a small training activity that meets weekly as part of Lonin League in Seattle and is focused on traditional kata practice and free sparring with armor and shinai.
General Qi Jiguans's Jixiao Xinshu and Reflections on Claims of Martial Virtue
An essay published at Kogen Budo, where I look at some older writings from Japanese koryu that reference classical Chinese military treatises, and then examine how practices described in those works may be represented in arts surviving today.