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On Kikusui, our new logo and eternal youth articles blog culture Aug 23, 2022

Taken from the cover of a book, Adam Mitchell purchased at an antique book store in Japan, the "Kikusui" logo literally translates to “Chrysanthemum water”. It's original reference...

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Reflections on Giri, our obligational duty as written by Inazo Nitobe articles culture Apr 14, 2019

I want to continue the discussion about the fundamental difference between right and wrong. If you read the previous article, we talked about Bushido The Soul of Japan, written by Inazō...

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On Nure Ochiba 濡れ落ち葉 culture Aug 10, 2016

I got off the train from Kashiwa and rode one of the clunker bicycles back to the Dojo. Actually, they’re not really clunkers, in fact they’re respected machines that provide...

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'Sundome' Stopping The Moment Before culture Dec 12, 2015

"The best budōka can do sundome (寸止め) at any time. So, I have never injured a training partner so far. We say "Oteyawaraka ni onegaishimasu" before we begin keiko."

Unsui

Quote from a discussion...

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A Gift From Vancouver articles culture Oct 03, 2015

A wonderful gift in the mail that arrived from fellow budoka who travelled from Vancouver, BC to train with us in New York during Unsui Sensei's 2015 Seminar. Peter Haddad arrived on Tuesday to...

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On Momentum, Reflections from Hatsu Keiko 2015 articles culture events Oct 01, 2015

I’m not a football fan, but my oldest son is. For that reason, I’ll sit with him and endure what I find to be a quite over-rated sport. Last February, I took the night to sit with Adam...

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Masa Yume, A Dream Come True culture May 04, 2015

Kyoei no Kamae 虚影の構え. The feeling is of one showing 突きor opening to the opponent with either the left or right shoulder.

We began this training this spring at Sensei’s request.

 

 ...

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On The Difference articles culture Mar 17, 2014

This weekend, I overheard a local martial arts guru discuss with a kind man the difference between the martial art he studied and the one I study. I usually don't dabble in this type of talk,...

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Tape Whatever Is Broken culture Jul 06, 2013

The Dōjō is a place you can come to when your life is over crowded. But it's no get away. There is no cold drink cooler, no candy machine, nobody to pat your bottom and tell you how hard you work....

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An Embodiment of Teaching Martial Arts culture May 23, 2013

“Kata is an embodiment of teaching, therefore it should be learned correctly without preconception. Kata is also like a “container,” with which we pass its “contents called...

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On Tanden culture Feb 28, 2012

A master of calligraphy, swordsmanship, tea ceremony, martial arts, among other arts, is held in the Japanese tradition to be “acting from tanden“. Following is a segment from an email...

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Is This a Grey Hair? culture Feb 08, 2012

By Brian Vaughan, 3rd Dan (photo above, teaching jojutsu)

Both words, with a minimum of verbiage, epitomize how I have led my life and my approach to martial arts. The first, Shoshin, a...

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