Links to some of the writing that resulted from Inner Dharma, including a number of articles and books, can be found below:
- Mountain, Sword, and Mind: Volume I (Shugendō and Heihō, 399 pages) examines Muromachi-era martial traditions that drew on religious culture in their founding narratives and contains summary analyses of the Shugendō canon. Volume II (Mikkyō, Zen, and Daoist Sources in Shinkage-ryū, 493 pages) takes a closer look at the core texts of Yagyū Shinkage-ryū and related traditions from this philosophical perspective. Inner Dharma, 892 pages (vol 1-2), 2026.
- From the Kōbusho to the Butokukai: The late Edo period Kōbusho that many famous Jikishinkage-ryū swordsmen were attached to, its teachers, the arts they practiced, and subsequent institutions. Inner Dharma, 366 pages, 2026.
- An Overview of Wú Tàijíquán Practice: Tàijíquán, along with Xíngyìquán and Bāguàzhǎng, forms the core of the internal martial arts, distinguished by their grounding in Daoist philosophy and Nèigōng practices. April 2026
- The Truth of the Calm Spirit: Research on Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu, including its early history, curriculum, and its philosophical content drawn from available Japanese language scholarship and library holdings. Inner Dharma, 368 pages, 2025.
- Layers of Training: Stages of training and how that relates to internal martial arts principles and the organization of older martial traditions. May 2025
- Comparing Patanjali’s 8 Limbs with Buddha’s Noble 8-fold path: Last year I began additional training in the union of Yoga and Buddhism offered through Tibet House. A short essay comparing the Astanga of Patanjali with the Buddhist Noble Eightfold path. April 2025
- Divergence and Unification in Shinkage-ryū (opens in a new tab): An essay on kata, heihō and shugyō, comparing and contrasting different surviving lines of Shinkage-ryū, with reflections on my own practice. Kogen Budo, September 2024.
- General Qi Jiguang’s Jixiao Xinshu and Reflections on Claims of Martial Virtue (opens in a new tab): A look at some older writings from Japanese koryū that reference classical Chinese military treatises, and how the practices described in those works may be represented in arts surviving today. Kogen Budo, February 2023.
- YCGF Weapons Practices: The Tàijí, Bāguà and Xíngyì taught as part of Yin Cheng Gong Fa includes an extensive curriculum of jian (sword), dao (saber), and qiang (spear). October 2020
- Pressure Testing in Classical Budō: On solo practice, free sparring, entering HEMA competition, and the waning intensity of classical martial arts. Reflections on what it means to keep kenjutsu practice alive. September 2020
- Tàijí Classics: An important translation of the Tàijí Classics has been published. Highly recommended. June 2017
- Aiki and Internal Training: Collected thoughts on the historical influence of Chinese martial arts on Japanese jujutsu and how they relate to the topic of aiki in Aikidō and Daitō-ryū. February 2017
- NAMT Night of Budō 2013: Reflections on a demonstration of Araki-ryū and Tenshin Bukō-ryū at the NAMT 2013 Night of Budo by Ellis Amdur. June 2013
- NYC Aiki-jūjutsu: History & Aftermath: Collecting what I know of NYC area aiki-jūjutsu schools inspired by the teaching of Daitō-ryū Kodokai, especially Yonezawa Katsumi. October 2012
- On the cultivation of skill: A brief discussion of power generation in internal martial arts. May 2011
Please visit jikishinkageryu.org (opens in a new tab) for additional content on Kashima-shinden Jiki Shinkage-ryū kenjutsu.
