Essays & Articles
The Inner Dharma [
In 2022, I began collating its material into a smaller number of longer articles, removing older entries such as training updates and event reports. Some of my work was published around this time.
In 2025, I began providing some of my notes on heihō and kenjutsu kata and history — there are now a number of essays that may be of potential interest to practitioners of Shinkage-ryū and related arts.
Inner Dharma: Martial Arts and Culture
☰ Inner Dharma at Twenty
October 2025
Reflecting on twenty years of writing on martial arts and culture.
☰ Contrasting Modern and Classical Mindsets
October 2025
We examine some features of armed and unarmed grappling and small weapon styles from the medieval period to modernity and draw some parallels and distinctions between them, especially as related to combat sport and contemporary military practices.
☰ Modern Masters of Jiki Shinkage-ryū
September 2025
Survey of contemporary research on the modern transmission of Jiki Shinkage-ryū kenjutsu.
☰ In Memorium: David A. Hall (1947-2025)
July 2025
On 26 July 2025, the world lost one of its most knowledgeable teachers and scholars of classical Japanese martial culture.
☰ From Kodachi to Kogusoku
June 2025
Examining the role of kodachi kata in the progression of skill in Jiki Shinkage-ryū kenjutsu, with a description of application to close quarter armed grappling.
☰ Raito and Sente
June 2025
Examining the relationship between combative posture and initiative in a portion of Jiki Shinkage-ryū. What is first observed may be quite different from hidden layers of meaning and practice.
☰ Koryu-wa Koryu-nari
May 2025
The title is a pun on a famous saying associated to Shinto-ryu, the art of war is the art of peace. Old traditions are small traditions — it is the content that matters.
☰ The Shin-no-shinkage heihō of Ogasawara Genshinsai
March 2025
Review of contemporary research on the formation & transmission of Jiki Shinkage-ryū.
☰ Enren: Circling Continuously
February 2025
An example of the deconstruction of kata. Kuzushi is the name for the activity of pulling apart and analyzing kata in Shinkage-ryū, making connections between different parts of its curriculum. It also at times can refer to sudden, spontaneous, change.
☰ Divergence and Unification in Shinkage-ryū
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.
☰ Tōsha Dōjō
June 2024
How to practice Jiki Shinkage-ryū kata in Seattle.
☰ Pressure Testing in Classical Budō
February 2020
A description of some of my efforts to keep my practice of kenjutsu intact after moving to the Pacific Northwest. After moving, I decided to focus solely on Shinkage-ryū and pause my study of Shintō-ryū. I trained initially alone and over time tested my skills in unscripted environments. This is some of what transpired.
☰ YCGF Weapons Practices
January 2020
The Taiji, Bagua and Xingyi taught as part of Yin Cheng Gong Fa includes an extensive curriculum of jian (sword), dao (saber), and qiang (spear).
☰ Gogyō Exegesis
October 2019
An essay describing my experience, thinking and choices regarding attempting to practice multiple koryū and then deciding not to.
☰ Classical Taijiquan
June 2017
Yin Cheng Gong Fa North America has published an important book on the on Taijiquan Classics, authored by Zhang Yun laoshi and some of his senior disciples.
☰ Aiki and Internal Training
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.
☰ Princeton Bagua and Taiji Seminar
August 2015
At the end of summer, I traveled to Princeton for a seminar in Bagua and Taiji and was accepted as a formal lineal student by my teacher, Zhang Yun.