内法
Inner Dharma is a blog concerned with traditional martial arts and culture, especially internal martial arts influenced by Taoism and Esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhism. I want to thank its readers for their feedback and encouragement. Below you can find longer form essays I have written over the years.
Comparing Patanjali's 8 Limbs with Buddha's Noble 8-fold path
05 May 2025
Last year I began additional training in the union of Yoga and Buddhism offered through Tibet House. As part of this training, an essay comparing the Astanga (8-limbs) of Patanjali with the Buddhist Noble Eightfold path.
The Shin-no-Shinkage heihō of Ogasawara Genshinsai
10 April 2025
Discussing recent scholarship on the early/proto Jikishinkage-ryu kenjutsu of Ogasawara Genshinsai, which he called Shin-no-shinkage heihō, highlighting the influence of Taoism and esoteric Buddhist practice on his swordsmanship.
Divergence and Unification in Shinkage-ryū
09 September 2024
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.
The Opening and Closing of Doors
15 June 2024
I have recognized two of my students as reaching the point where they have a firm grasp of foundational practices associated to Jikishinkage-ryū heiho.
General Qi Jiguans's Jixiao Xinshu and Reflections on Claims of Martial Virtue
16 February 2023
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.
Aiki and Internal Training
23 February 2017
Collected thoughts on the historical influence of Chinese martial arts on Japanese jujutsu and how they relate to the topic of aiki in Aikido and Daito-ryu. What interested me about internal martial arts and how I have related that experience to my practice of Japanese budō.
NAMT Night of Budo 2013 – an analysis
17 June 2013
A brief reflection on a demonstration of Araki-ryū and Tenshin Buko-ryū at the NAMT 2013 Night of Budo.
NYC Aiki-jujutsu History
01 October 2012
What I know of NYC area Aiki-jujutsu schools inspired by the teaching of Daito-ryu Kodokai, especially Yonezawa Katsumi.
Three Treasures and Six Harmonies
01 June 2008
An examination of baguazhang body mechanics compared to modern kempo. A discussion of power generation in internal martial arts. How training in internal martial arts changed my Aikido.