Spiritual Tactics In This Time of Great Uncertainty

You are not alone. Given our world’s events, your inner ground is very likely shaking. And your ability to maintain balance, like so many of us, is being challenged. You need a firm foothold and sure grasp to maintain your stability in this time of great uncertainty....
Of Swordsmen & Rat Catchers

Of Swordsmen & Rat Catchers

This story was originally entitled The Wonderful Art of a Cat. It was written to describe the importance of spiritual elements within the Martial Arts. The original author was Ito‑Tenzen‑Tadanari, the eldest son of Ono-Jiroemon‑Tadaaki, the originator of the Ono...

THE GUTTER RONIN: How Darkness Overtakes Light

By Shifu Hayashi Tomio This story recounts a series of events that took place over a ten-year span from early 1970 to early 1980. It is not my intent to disparage anyone in this tale but rather to candidly portray the interplay of light and shadow in the soul. The...
NAGABOSHI TOMIO: The Buddhist Who Refused To Fight

NAGABOSHI TOMIO: The Buddhist Who Refused To Fight

Martial politics, personal rivalries and hate agendas, aimed to discredit a noted UK martial expert decades ago, reveal the dark side of human nature and obscure the teachings of a vital martial art. This piece is a collaboration of several martial artists who seek to...
NEIHANCHI: A Half Century Musing on the Kata of Okinawa

NEIHANCHI: A Half Century Musing on the Kata of Okinawa

I do not speak Okinawan, Japanese or Chinese but I am very fluent in a certain kind of foreign language—KATA, specifically the dialect of the physical movement patterns of Okinawan Karate. I have been speaking this language for fifty years and teaching others how to...