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

Internal 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. Related study groups include:

  • YCGF Group List contains pointers to many of Zhang Yun's senior disciples.
  • YCGF Pittsburgh is an activity continuing internal martial arts practce in Pittsburgh.
  • Impact Martial arts in Bellingham, WA is led by my senior colleague Rives Thornton.

Koryū

☷ 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 before moving to Seattle.

Related study groups include:

  • The Ryūzukan is led by two of my Hōbyōkan sempai: Brian Wagner and Chris Covington.
  • David Sims, another of my Hōbyōkan sempai, is now a formal member of Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū Naganuma-ha holding the rank of reikenden. He lives in North Carolina.
  • Tōsha Dōjō is an introductory practice led by Jake Harlin and Nicky Sayah Sina focusing on Hōjō, To-no-kata and jigeiko.

☲ 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.

There are many koryū that are well known and are not listed here simply for succinctness. I am only listing groups I am currently aware of and know personally.

Aikido & Daito-ryu

☴ 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 led by Kenneth Freeman (5th dan).

☶ The Ryūzukan is a Daito-ryū dojo led by Brian Wagner (4th dan) and Chris Covington (2nd dan) in Baltimore under the permission of Kondo Katsuyuki. They also train in Jikishinkage-ryū.

☱ 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. Because this line of Shintō-ryū is strongly associated with Aikido, and its advanced practices have evolved over time, I have listed it under the Aikido section alongside Capital.

☳ 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. They have branches in the US, UK, France and Japan.