Woot! Found a Koryu style Kenjutsu "near" me! : D
- Thread starter lhall13
- Start date
Chris Parker
Grandmaster
MJER, along with it's sister art of Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido/jutsu, is the most common and popular Koryu system found in the world today. There are a few different lines, but I haven't come across anything bad about any of them. Both Sukerkin and Ken Morgan here are MJER guys (I, and one of my guys, have some recent experience in Muso Shinden Ryu), so they'll be able to answer any system-specific questions.
The only thing really is that it isn't Kenjutsu. It's Iai. That might honestly not really bother you, though. The essential difference is that Iai is done primarily solo (some lines and teachers include Kumitachi forms, paired versions where you explore the "application" of the kata), focused on techniques involving four primary aspects (Nuki, drawing the blade, Kiri, cutting, Chiburi, "flicking the blood off"... although that isn't really what it is.... and Noto, resheathing the blade). Kenjutsu, on the other hand, deals with combative techniques with a sword already unsheathed, and is done paired.
All sounds good, though!
PS, Got your PM, just haven't had a chance to reply.... I'll try to, including this new information, a little latter today or tonight, depending on my available time!
The only thing really is that it isn't Kenjutsu. It's Iai. That might honestly not really bother you, though. The essential difference is that Iai is done primarily solo (some lines and teachers include Kumitachi forms, paired versions where you explore the "application" of the kata), focused on techniques involving four primary aspects (Nuki, drawing the blade, Kiri, cutting, Chiburi, "flicking the blood off"... although that isn't really what it is.... and Noto, resheathing the blade). Kenjutsu, on the other hand, deals with combative techniques with a sword already unsheathed, and is done paired.
All sounds good, though!
PS, Got your PM, just haven't had a chance to reply.... I'll try to, including this new information, a little latter today or tonight, depending on my available time!
- Thread Starter
- #3
Well- It's the best to what I have been able to find so I'm happy considering. Thanks for the heads up on what i'm really walkin into but I think I'll stick with this for now until I can find a kenjutsu at sometime in my life!
Is there a website?
- Thread Starter
- #5
http://www.blackbeltsforchrist.com/classes.htm
That is the only Koryu dojo I have found at all in the entire state of Florida. Hopefully their not full of it.
That is the only Koryu dojo I have found at all in the entire state of Florida. Hopefully their not full of it.
Interesting website
:mst:
First why does it have to be a koryu?
Please read this http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_taylor_0802.htm
5 minutes on Google and I found a ton of iai in Florida ..Did you look at any of these? http://www.auskf.org/dojo/fl.htm
Onto the website. I will not touch on the religious aspect of it, or the tacky way they present themselves. They teach two arts that I practice, iaido and jodo. I have no idea who their teachers were/are, I have no idea if they are any good at their own practice, I have never heard of them, all of that doesnt mean anything other than I cant give an opinion on them or their club until I know more about them .
Go try them, see how it feels, worst case scenario is you lose a few bucks and a couple of hours.
First why does it have to be a koryu?
Please read this http://ejmas.com/pt/ptart_taylor_0802.htm
5 minutes on Google and I found a ton of iai in Florida ..Did you look at any of these? http://www.auskf.org/dojo/fl.htm
Onto the website. I will not touch on the religious aspect of it, or the tacky way they present themselves. They teach two arts that I practice, iaido and jodo. I have no idea who their teachers were/are, I have no idea if they are any good at their own practice, I have never heard of them, all of that doesnt mean anything other than I cant give an opinion on them or their club until I know more about them .
Go try them, see how it feels, worst case scenario is you lose a few bucks and a couple of hours.
As Ken says, the overtly religious aspects of the school are a bit of a 'red flag' insomuch as the aims of the instructors clearly extend beyond the accurate and effective teaching of the art. If that is not of concern to the OP then, speaking solely from the biased viewpoint of an MJER practitioner, by all means have a 'taste' of the school and see if both the art and the instructors suit you.
One thing is for certain, Iai is one of the more disciplined arts to involve yourself in; after all, you cannot be anything less than fully focussed and fully 'serious' when you are wielding a blade. What that discipline brings is an extremely calm frame of mind and this is deliberate. For altho' the kata learned might at first seem very 'dry' and unexciting until you perceive their intention, the techniques from which they are built are not fanciful or fictitious and that uncluttered inner serenity is an essential part of them.
That foundational mushin (what was described in the Last Samurai film as "no mind") is probably the most day-to-day applicable beneficial outcome from training in the sword arts. You might never ever use what you learn in self defence with regard to the blade but the stillness of spirit in the face of stress or danger will always stand you in good stead.
One thing is for certain, Iai is one of the more disciplined arts to involve yourself in; after all, you cannot be anything less than fully focussed and fully 'serious' when you are wielding a blade. What that discipline brings is an extremely calm frame of mind and this is deliberate. For altho' the kata learned might at first seem very 'dry' and unexciting until you perceive their intention, the techniques from which they are built are not fanciful or fictitious and that uncluttered inner serenity is an essential part of them.
That foundational mushin (what was described in the Last Samurai film as "no mind") is probably the most day-to-day applicable beneficial outcome from training in the sword arts. You might never ever use what you learn in self defence with regard to the blade but the stillness of spirit in the face of stress or danger will always stand you in good stead.
- Thread Starter
- #8
Its not that it has to be a Koryu style I just need a Kenjutsu style training. I was pointed to them being told that they are Kenjutsu and due to my limited understand of what Kenjutus is - outside of being a umbrella term- I am looking for a combat style of sword training. Not to mis-represent myself, I have no ambition of being a modern Samurai. I am just hoping that with my combined Karate, Judo, and hopefully Kenjutsu oneday I can apply it to my future Police work.
There's not a whole lot of call for sword skills in modern policing, at least in the USA. The jodo -- might be, though I'd actually have to see how it is trained. The karate & judo will have some application, but the reality is that the skills needed for police defensive tactics are not what most martial arts -- even the most realistic of them -- are set up to provide.
I vaguely recall you and Chris having a discussion on another thread about kenjitsu and iaido, so I don’t need to provide anything more.
The most important thing? Get out and train. Find a place and get your *** out. If it’s not a fit, and that happens all the time, then leave, move on, find another place to train. Iaido and Kenjitsu are great arts to practice, they can do a lot for you, issue is 98% of the people who show up to their first class are gone by years end. It’s either something you understand and need to do, or it’s not, but you will never know if you’re one of the 2% until you have a few practices under your belt.
If you are looking for something that can in some way help a future career as a cop, try jodo. Police in Japan still carry jo’s around with them.
The most important thing? Get out and train. Find a place and get your *** out. If it’s not a fit, and that happens all the time, then leave, move on, find another place to train. Iaido and Kenjitsu are great arts to practice, they can do a lot for you, issue is 98% of the people who show up to their first class are gone by years end. It’s either something you understand and need to do, or it’s not, but you will never know if you’re one of the 2% until you have a few practices under your belt.
If you are looking for something that can in some way help a future career as a cop, try jodo. Police in Japan still carry jo’s around with them.
jodo kata from last year....
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Chris Parker
Grandmaster
Logan, I'm going to be blunt. These guys are ones that I would steer clear of completely. Everything on their site basically screams a lack of understanding and/or respect for Japanese martial traditions, which are integral to Koryu training.... you really can't have Koryu where they take out the "mystical Eastern philosophies" in order to put in their own skewed, shoe-horned conservative perversion of Christianity due to their small mindedness and, frankly, arrogance. If they're interested in Koryu, they're interested in the entire school. No Ryu that I have come across forces or requires any member to denounce any personal beliefs, religious or otherwise, other than in regards to the technical aspects as taught (you don't go in telling the teacher how to hold a sword, type of thing).
Second, I haven't come across any group using the term "Muso Jikiden Hasegawa Eishin Ryu", that is another big red flag to me (if I was even partially considering it after the disrespectful and "shove it down your throat" feel I got from the main site), as Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu came from a branch of the Hasegawa Eishin Ryu, the Tanimura-ha, and does not retain the "Hasegawa" part of the name. Add to that the odd stance for the students with bokken on the welcome page, the listing of nunchaku as "Japanese weapons", the very odd concepts threaded through the "Warrior" and "Samurai" "programs", and I'd give them a wide berth.
Honestly, I'd look more to the links that Ken gave you... and second that Jo is still used (and taught) as a police weapon in Japan, but nowhere uses a sword. It's not really going to help much in terms of future police work. Look for sword and train sword if you're interested in it... not because you think it'll look good on a resume. It doesn't.
Advice for koryu kenjutsu ... Concentrate on school. After you graduate, go to college and get a degree. After you graduate, get a job somewhere that has a legitimate teacher of a koryu art that is willing to accept you as a student. Until that time, read everything available about the koryu, Japanese history, and the Japanese martial arts. This way you will be prepared for your life and future rather than hopping around like a panicked chicken.
That's my advice.
That's my advice.
Graduate?? How old are you? If you are in HS, wait for iaido/kenjitsu, go do Kendo for a few years, then come back to it.
I don’t disagree with anything Chris says, he is quite correct in it all actually, but figure we can’t stop you from going and odds are good you will find out very quickly that, that school is not for you.
I don’t disagree with anything Chris says, he is quite correct in it all actually, but figure we can’t stop you from going and odds are good you will find out very quickly that, that school is not for you.
And learn to both read and write Japanese. That alone will keep you pretty busy!
Hello, I remember sending you a link to the Yagyu/Niten club in Florida. Any luck with them?
