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On the 16th of August 2019 we hosted a cross training seminar with Sabeomnim Rob Howarth and the guys from Outlaw Martial Arts – Hybrid Hapkido looking at Japanese Kenjutsu and Korean Kumdo (Swordsmanship). This was a great seminar that gave us the opportunity to compare two completely differing sword styles but it raised some interesting points. We focused primarily on teaching the Kuden (basics) of Kukishin (Kukishinden) Ryu Hikejutsu and a few of my favourite techniques as obviously we have limited time to compare techniques at a 3 hour seminar. Sabeomnim Rob Howarth explained about the application of Korean...

I have always had this obsession with Japanese swords (Nihonto), I never knew what it was about them exactly but no other sword ever had the same aesthetic appeal. Maybe it was growing up during the Ninja boom of the 80’s and 90’s where invincible warriors weilding these mystical weapons wrought shadowy vengence on their enemies or maybe i just watched too much TMNT when i was a kid and wanted to be Leonardo ? Naturally when i started studying martial arts one of the major things i wanted to learn was how to use a Katana (Samurai Sword) and...

One of the more confusing subjects you are likely to encounter as a Japanese martial arts practitioner is the topic of Nihontō (Japanese Swords) and Iaito (Blunt Samurai Sword). With such a vast array of different blade types, forging processes, fittings, Tsukamaki types, Koshirae, Sageo types and then the terms for each individual part of the Katana it can quickly seem like a nightmare to understand. In this article i am going to endeavour to make understanding the world of Katana a little easier by breaking everything down into easy to understand sections. So where do you start? The first...

Practising no spin knife throwing or no spin Shurikenjutsu is one of the more infuriating throwing techniques to master but is the most effective technique if you put in the hours of practice necessary. Throwing using the no spin technique forces the throwing knife or bo Shuriken to stabilise during flight so the point is always facing the target and does not rotate. This is done by controlling the trajectory of the knife utilising a variety of factors such as: Type of throwing knife or Bo Shuriken being thrown. (9″- 12″ length) Distance to the target (3M, 6M, 9M /...

Principles of Shurikenjutsu and Distancing Shurikenjutsu is one of the disciplines practiced in the Bujinkan that can sometimes seem almost impossible to obtain proficiency in. It is important to understand that the throw is generated from the ground up and that their are several key factors that contribute to developing proficiency in Shurikenjutsu but none of these can be controlled without the proper foundations. I often explain Shurikenjutsu as a primary example of Ken Tai Ichi Jo (using the body and weapon as one) and utilizing unified motion to generate power through correct technique and not simply through force mechanically...