Japanese Mountain Religion
Shugendō (修験道), mountain asceticism and Japanese esoteric Buddhism (mikkyō), and their influence on both classical and modern martial traditions.
Essays and Articles
【Goshinhō shidai: self-protection methods】
May 2026
Last in a series. We examine a seal of transmission of self-protective methods dated 1675 and compare it against a different line of transmission from 1812.
【Tengu, Gongen and their Sacred Mountains】
May 2026
Tracing the threads from the legendary Kyō Hachi Ryū and Kiichi Hōgen at Kurama, through the tengu pantheon of Mt. Atago, Kōyasan and Kotohira, to the eight cipher-names Sekishūsai used to hide the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū Tengushō kata in his picture catalog.
【Comparing Patanjali's 8 Limbs with Buddha's Noble 8-fold path】
April 2025
Last year I began additional training in the union of Yoga and Buddhism offered through Tibet House. As part of this training, an essay comparing the Astanga (8-limbs) of Patanjali with the Buddhist Noble Eightfold path.
【Haguro Shugendō】
July 2017
Some notes on Japanese mountain religion from the Tōhoku region of Japan and its importance to pracititioners of arts derived from the teachings of Takeda Sokaku.
【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 Aikidō and Daitō-ryū. What interested me about internal martial arts and how I have related that experience to my practice of Japanese budō.