内法
Inner Dharma is a blog concerned with traditional martial arts and culture.
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.
Kagami Biraki at Lonin 2025
03 February 2025
I attended Kagami Biraki at Lonin League in Seattle, Feb 2025. It was a privilege to see the demonstrations of budo from members of Tenshin Buko-ryu, Takamura-ha Shindo Yoshin Ryu, and Japanese Fighting Arts Northwest.
Visiting Kyoto and Nara
10 October 2024
Visiting sacred places has been an important component of my martial arts training over the years. I recently spent time visiting Kyoto and Nara.
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
20 June 2024
I trained in the art of Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū at the Hōbyōkan before moving to Seattle in 2016. I then worked with a small number of people in order to maintain my practice. This activity centered around the performance of traditional kata as informed by my understanding of internal martial arts principles, the analysis of kata in a process called kuzushi and pressure testing called tameshi-ai.
Kagami Biraki 2024
15 February 2024
Kagami Biraki held at Lonin League in Seattle, Feb 2024. Our group performed selected from the curriculum of Jikishinkage-ryū; we were honored to be able to watch the demonstrations by Tenshin Buko-ryu and our guests Japanese Fighting Arts Northwest.
Tsubaki Grand Shrine America
30 June 2023
Visiting Tsubaki Grand Shrine America in June of 2023, before it is closed.
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.
Kagami Biraki 2023
15 February 2023
Our group participated in a Kagami Biraki ceremony to observe the Lunar New Year in Seattle in January 2023. We performed kata selected from the curriculum of Jikishinkage-ryū and were honored to watch presentation from the Tenshin Buko-ryu class at Lonin.
Keiko at Seattle Budokan
30 August 2021
In August we conducted group practice at the Seattle Budokan in August 2021 during a lull in the pandemic. We have been training outdoors in the Seattle area for the last year after Lonin League lost its space and it was nice to be back for an afternoon in a traditional dojo.
Gogyō Exegesis
14 May 2020
An essay describing my experience, thinking, and choices regarding attempting to practice multiple koryū and then deciding not to.
2019 Pittsburgh Taiji Seminar with Zhao Zeren and Zhang Yun
12 May 2019
Pittsburgh seminar in Northern Wu Style Taijiquan with Zhao Zeren and Zhang Yun.
Perspectives and Priorities – proper training perspective and intensity in classical martial arts
23 March 2019
A discussion of what consititutes proper training intensity in traditional martial arts. An examination of some of the important questions raised by a practice of traditional historical martial arts.
Swordsquatch 2018
16 September 2018
Some photos from final matches at Swordsquatch 2018 in Seattle, WA can be found below.
Swordsquatch 2017
16 September 2017
Photos from final matches at Swordsquatch 2017 in Seattle, WA:
2017 Taiji Classics Seminar
18 June 2017
Attending a seminar detailing excerpts from the Taiji classics.
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.
Enbu for Karunakaran
15 September 2016
Memorial demonstration in honor of the late Karunakaran-sensei, senior student of Donn Draeger in Shinto Muso-ryu Jo.
Longpoint 2016
15 August 2016
This Saturday afternoon I visited Turf Valley Resort in Ellicot City, MD, to watch the tournament finals at Longpoint, one of the premier Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) gatherings in the United States. Enthusiasts attended the multi-day even from as far away as Gothenburg, Helsinki, The Netherlands, and Italy.
Wu Taiji Quan Seminar with Zhao Zeren and Zhang Yun
23 May 2016
Zhao Zeren and Zhang Yun taught a series of three seminars on the Wu Style Taiji Quan of Wang Peisheng during May 2016 in Princeton, Pittsburgh, and Silver Spring.
Kagami Biraki 2016
01 March 2016
This winter, the Hobyokai and Masakikai and guests gathered for their annual kagami biraki gathering.
Princeton Bagua and Taiji Seminar 2015
15 September 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. I also traveled to the Pacific Northwest, where I was able to visit with budo colleagues in Oregon.
Kagami Biraki 2015
01 March 2015
This winter, the Hobyokai and Masakikai and guests gathered for their annual kagami biraki gathering.
Photos from Capital Katori
15 December 2014
From 2005 to 2015, I actively trained in a line of Katori Shintō-ryū maintained at Capital Aikikai. I was introduced to what at the time was a small study group there by Bob Galeone, my teacher in Gao Lineage Bagua. Over the years, I learned a large portion of the curriculum they taught and received their first rank, called mokuroku. Afterwards, our group lead was deployed in the Army and I continued to train, but missed having regular instruction – this is when I began training at the Hobyokan.
Kagami Biraki 2014
01 March 2014
This winter, the Hobyokai and Masakikai and guests gathered for their annual kagami biraki gathering.
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.
Kagami Biraki 2013
01 March 2013
This winter, the Hobyokai and Masakikai and guests gathered for their annual kagami biraki gathering.
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.
Dewa Sanzan
30 November 2005
Visiting sacred places has been an important component of my
martial arts training over the years.
It was in 2004, while visiting
the Dewa Sanzan area, including Gassan Dai Jinja (