Recommended Groups

Below are links to recommended schools and other resources associated to classical and traditional martial arts.

☰ Yin Cheng Gong Fa North America (YCGF) is the Chinese internal martial arts organization led by Zhang Yun laoshi, lineal disciple of the late Grandmaster Wang Peisheng. I am a formal student of internal martial arts in this lineage of practice. Several training groups are listed on the YCGF Group List. In addition, there are activities in Pittsburgh, PA and Bellingham, WA I recommend.

☲ Ellis Amdur leads Araki-ryū torite-kogusoku and is a shihan of Tenshin Bukō-ryū; some of his writing can be found at Kogen Budō.

☵ Takamura-ha Shindō Yoshin-ryū is a koryu jujutsu ryuha led by Toby Threadgill. I am directly familiar with Doug Walker in Portland, OR and Michael Heiler in Washington, DC.

☷ The Hōbyōkan of Dr. David Hall in Rockville, MD maintains a practice of Shindo Muso-ryū jo, Yagyu Shinkage-ryū heiho, and Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu. This is where I studied Jikishinkage-ryū. Jikishinkage-ryū at Lonin is an introductory Jikishinkage-ryū study group in Seattle led by two gentlemen I mentor.

☱ There is ample video online of orthodox Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū lineages practicing and demonstrating in Japan. I collect some examples here for reference, including:

Many of these groups can be found via Hiden Magazine's English language edition, Budo Japan dojo directory.

☱ Capital Aikikai is a traditional Aikido dojo in Silver Spring, Maryland, led by Clyde Takeguchi. I trained with the Katori Shintō-ryū group Capital hosted before I moved to Seattle, which is now called the Myobukai.

☴ The Yushinkan is a Daito-ryū Kobukan and Takumakai shibu (branch) in NYC which teaches a traditional form of aiki-jujutsu as passed down by students of Takuma Hisa. The Seattle Aiki Club is a related training group.

☶ The Ryūzukan (龍頭館) is a Daito-ryū dojo led by Chris Covington and Brian Wagner in Baltimore under the permission of Kondo Katsuyuki. They also train in Jikishinkage-ryū. Brian Wagner is the highest-ranked mainline Daito-ryū practitioner in the United States.

☳ Naido-Bujutsu Aunkai led by Akuzawa Minoru focuses on internal power development and the cultivation of a body and mind optimized for bujutsu without a focus on the execution of kata. Some of my sempai from the Hobyokan cross-train in Aunkai. Japanese Fighting Arts Northwest maintains a practice of iai, aiki-budo and also budo tanren influenced by Aunkai and other sources.

☳ Lonin League is a HEMA cooperative in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle that hosts a number of martial arts groups.