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The Iaido Newsletter | |
| A publication of shared distribution dedicated to the Japanese sword arts, Iaido, Kendo and the Koryu A Sei Do Kai Publication (Incorporating the OKF News) | Vol 10/9 #94 Sept 1998
$5.00 per issue PHOTOCOPY AND SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER! |
AUSTRALIA David Kolb, 30 Neville St. Kangaroo Point, Qld. 4169 Australia.
BALTICS Tonis Kunnus, Kalatsova kula, Meremae EE2751, Voru maakond, Estonia.
BELGIUM: Erik Pooters Wittestraat 9 Kiel, Antwerpen 2020 Belgie.
CANADA CENTRAL Sandra Jorgenson, 77 Harbour Sq. #3310 Toronto Ont. M5J 2S2.
CANADA EAST Robert Miller, 45 Cedar Cr. Beaconsfield, Quebec H9W 4S9.
CANADA WEST Barry Wiseman, 11038 Greenwood Dr. Mission B.C. V4S 1A9.
CENTRAL EUROPE Zsolt Balassy, H-1046 Budapest, Toth A. u. 19. Hungary.
DENMARK Bjarne Blichfeldt Katholm 210 3670 Vekso Denmark.
ENGLAND Douglas Evans 10 Daglish Close, New Romney, Kent TN28 8XF.
FINLAND Pasi Hellsten, Luuvaniementie 4 D 126, SF-00350 Helsinki, Finland.
GERMANY Klaus Wissmath, Rathenaustrasse 9A, D-91052 Erlangen.
HOLLAND Johan Smits, Dunant Straat 866 Zoetermeer Netherlands 2713 XJ.
JAPAN Colin Hyakutake, Matsubara 4 Chome 6-19, Saga City, Saga Ken, Japan 840.
NEW ZEALAND Hamish Robison 15 Logan Tce. Parnell, Auckland.
SWEDEN Arne Oster, Akerogatan 2, S-417 28 Goteborg.
SWITZERLAND Nicolae G. Bialokur, 18 ch. Champ-Soleil, 1012 Lausanne, Suisse.
USA EAST J.S.S. PO Box 1116 Rockefeller Stn. New York, NY USA 10185.
USA HAWAII Hunter Armstrong, 315 Foothills Dr., Sedona, AZ 86336.
USA S-CENTRAL John Ray, 1909 Archer Trail, Denton TX, 76201.
USA WEST COAST Bill Howell, 2525 NE 23rd St. Portland Oregon, 97212.
SEMINAR/EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
October Kendo Soritsu Sha
Open Shiai and Seminar
Newcastle University
Saturday 3rd Sunday 4th October 1998
Held to honour the founders of Australian Kendo,
Sensei Okura, Yoshida, Takeuchi and Lawley, as well
as Tajima, Geuriot and Bennet who assisted.
PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE
Saturday 3rd October
8.30 am Kyu grade teams
10.30 am Dan grade teams
12.30 pm lunch
1.30 pm Kyu grade individuals
2:30 pm Dan grade individuals
4:00 pm Womens individuals
Sunday 4th October
6.00 am Waza
7:30 am Breakfast
8:30 am Special training in waza for gradings
11:30 am Lunch
1:00 pm Explanation of waza, uchi komi, free keiko
Aden Steinke
aden_steinke@uow.edu.au
ECNF Naginata Seminar In MA in October.
The ECNF (East Coast Naginata Federation) is pleased to announce its 3rd Annual Columbus
Day Weekend Seminar hosted by the Northeast Naginata Dokokai.
Dates: 10-12 October 1998
Place: Northeast Aikikai, Chelmsford, MA. See <http://www.northeastaikikai.com> for details on location.
Instructor: Ms. Miyako Tanaka, Kyoshi, USNF President.
Assistants: Ms. Fran Vall, Yondan, ECNF President. Mr. Kurt Schmucker, Yondan, USNF Vice-President, USNF Rep to INF.
Schedule: Sat, 10 October: 2 -5, 7-10 PM
Sun, 11 October: 9 AM -noon, 2 - 5 PM
Mon, 12 October: 9-11:30am, 1:30-5pm
Tanaka-s. will teach the Sun PM, and Mon AM & PM sessions. The assistant instructors will teach the Sat AM & PM and Sun AM sessions.
Shinsa for Dangai ranks will probably be held Mon PM if there are eligible practitioners present
to test (separate Shinsa & Menjo fees).
Cost: $30 (1 day); $55 (2 days); $75 (3 days). BYOB (Bring Your Own Bogu), if you have it.
As always, beginners are always welcome; competition Naginata will be available for those who
don't own their own.
Note on Accomodations: This is *fall foliage weekend* in New England (that's why we picked this time of year to have a seminar in the first place); hotel/motel rooms *will* be scarce in southern NH, and possibly in northern MA as well. It will be difficult for us to put people up this year. We plan to make the Aikido Dojo available for people to sleep at during the night; there are showers and bathrooms, and a big mat area (which never seems soft enough for Ukemi). Bring your own pillows, blankets, sleeping bags and teddy bears. Also, there is a supermarket, several fast food places and a few restaurants within walking distance of the Dojo.
Ray Sosnowski
Acting Secretary, ECNF
Chief Administrator, Northeast Naginata Dokokai
JODO SEMINAR IN NYC WITH MATSUMURA SENSEI
Shigehiro Matsumura, hachidan Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo from the Kobukan Dojo in Tokyo will
be giving a seminar under the sponsorship of the Japanese Swordsmanship Society in Brooklyn
New York.
Matsumura Sensei studied jodo with Shimazu Sensei in Tokyo. After Shimazu Sensei died, he
studied in Kyushu with the last soke of Shindo Muso Ryu. He will also be teaching the koryu in
the Kyushu style for those with experience.
Subject: Seitei Jodo from the All Japan Kendo Renmei
This will cover both the kihon and the 12 Jodo kata. Beginners are welcome as well as more
advanced.
Place: PS200, 3rd Floor Gym, 1940 Benson Ave, Brooklyn New York (this is between 19th &
20th Ave -- 20th Ave stop on N train)
Time:
Saturday, October 17, 1998 10 am-5 pm
Sunday, October 18, 1998 10 am-5 pm
Cost: $50 per day.
Bring your own Jo and Bokken as none will be available at seminar. For further information
contact: Harvey King, (718) 788-7836
10th Southeastern US Kendo Tournament
10th Annual Southeastern US Kendo Championship
Sat. Oct. 17, 1998 9:00am-6:00pm
Metro School Gym
700 E. Second St.
Charlotte, N.C. 28202
Entry fee: $15.00 per person
Bento fee: $5.00 per person
Make checks payable to Charlotte Kendo Club
Promotional exam for ranks up to 3dan and open practice will be held Sun. Oct. 18 (9am-1pm).
Application fee: $15.00 per person. Participants will need approval from their federation
president.
A block of hotel rooms have been reserved at Best Western Airport Conference Center, 2707
Little Rock Road Charlotte, N.C. Cost is $59.00 per night. Reservations must be made by OCT.
12. Call 1-800-647-7829 and ask for the Kendo Federation break. The hotel has a
complimentary shuttle bus from the airport. Transportation from the hotel to the gym will be
provided on both Sat. and Sun.
There will be a post-tournament banquet at the Best Western on Sat. night at 7:30pm. Cost is $25.00 per person and a cash bar will be provided.
Entries are due no later than OCTOBER 4.
For a copy of the entry form, map or other information contact Jeff Marsten (206) 246-2239 or
Jeffkendo@aol.com
Seminar with Sabatier sensei
Renshi 6th dan in Berkeley
The Nishi Kaigan Iaido Dojo Berkeley is offering an open Seminar with P.Sabatier Sensei, Renshi 6th Dan ZNIR, Renshi 6th dan Muso Jikiden Eishin ryu. Mr. Sabatier Sensei is a direct Student of Hanshi 10th Dan Saigan Esaka Sensei, founder of the French Iaido Organisation DEFI. The seminar will take place in Berkeley from October 30 to November 4th,
For more information call:
Nishi Kaigan Iaido Dojo 510/528-8409,
or, visit our web Site at:
Http://www.iaido.org
Sincerely
A.H.Diamantstein
4th Dan Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu
SEMINAR REPORTS
Shingetsukai Tendo-Ryu Naginata-jutsu Gasshuku at Asilomar.
by Raymond Sosnowski, NH
Introduction. I have previously written about my initial experiences in Tendo Ryu
Naginata-jutsu in "The First NH Atarashii Naginata Seminar" [JOURNAL OF JAPANESE
SWORD ARTS #81, 9(5), 8-10, May 1997] and in "The Second Annual ECNF Atarashii
Naginata Seminar in NH" [JOURNAL OF JAPANESE SWORD ARTS #87, 9(12), 5-10,
December 1997.] By way of review, let me quote from the first article:
"... Tendo Ryu is a Koryu [classical style]; it emphasizes Naginata vs. Tachi [actually the
Bokuto/Bokken or wooden saber] in Kata practice. The weapons are wooden and of a design
that is particular to this Ryu. There are 160 Naginata Kata arranged in hierarchical groups;
Tendo Ryu also includes Kata with Goshaku-Bo (5-foot staff, which is the Jo of this Ryu
representing a Naginata with its blade missing as if it were broken off), Nito (two sabers [one
long and one short representing the Daito/Tachi and Shoto/Kodachi, respectively]), Kusarigama
(sickle with a weighted chain attached), and Kodachi/Shoto (short saber)."
"The first things we learned were the Kamae (stances) and the Reiho (etiquette). Most Kamae
were familiar, having similar or identical analogues in Atarashii Naginata. One with no
analogue is Udemake no Kamae in which the Naginata is craddled in the right arm, so that the
Kissaki (tip of the blade) is foreward and down, about 4 inches from the ground and the edge
faces the right; the left hand is under the right elbow to provide support. One aspect of Kata
in many Koryu is the formal way in which the practice proceeds; it is all done by Gorei
(command). ... Commands such as "Yo-i" (ready position), "Hajime" (begin), and "Motoe"
(return to original position) punctuate the practice of each Kata. Mr. Kim Taylor of the
University of Guelph, Ontario, attributes his to being able to practice safely in a group setting."
"The first 20 Kata make up the Ko-naginata Omote grouping, which has three sections, Shodan
with eight Kata, Chudan with seven Kata, and Gedan with five Kata. ... The first Kata [of the
Shodan set], Ichimonji no Midari, is one of the most important in Tendo Ryu [see "The Role of
Arms-Bearing Women in Japanese History" by Mr. Ellis Amdur in the Journal of Asian Martial
Arts, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 11 - 35, 1996; the essential elements of this Kata are seen in figures on
page 17]. It derives its name from Ichimonji no Kamae, a stance analogous to Chudan no
Kamae in Atarashii Naginata except that here the Naginata is parallel to the ground. This Kata
is the prototype for the other Kata in the Shodan section. Other features of these Kata include
stereotypic initial stepping pattern of two steps back [with the left foot forward, do a cross step
behind, followed by a slide step to T-stance (almost a cat stance)] followed by two steps
foreward [cross step in front, followed by a regular step] (retreat and advance), and a retiring
(ending), stepping pattern of three steps back [just like in many Iaido Kata, left-right-left] in
Ude-maki no Kamae...."
Tendo Ryu was developed in the latter half of the 1500's at the end of the Sengoku period, a
time of civil war. The founder was Saito Hangan Dekibo Katsuhide from Ibaragi. [One source,
Ms. Diane Skoss, referenced below, gives a founding date of 21 November 1582.] Some
sources assert that he had studied with Tsukahara Bokuden, the founder of Kashima Shinto-Ryu.
The Waza of the first Kata, Ichimonji no Midari, is said to have been derived from the
arrow-deflecting technique used by the founder during an ambush in which he was ultimately
killed with great effort.
The present expression of Tendo Ryu is derived from the efforts of Mr. Kengyo Mitamura,
headmaster during the Meiji era. The emphasis shifted to
Naginata-jutsu, and the training of women. After WWII,
Atarashii or "New" Naginata was formulated based on
several Koryu, including Tendo Ryu and Jikishinkage Ryu.
The influence of Tendo Ryu on Atarashii Naginata can be
seen in the Zen Nihon (Naginata Renmei) Kata, which are
practiced by Yudansha, Sandan and up [my original
assertion above that Udemaki no Kamae has no analogue
in Atarashii Naginata is not right because it does show up
in these Kata for advanced ranks].
Mr. Ellis Amdur writes about several aspects of Tendo Ryu
in his article "The Role of Arms-Bearing Women in
Japanese History" [Journal of Asian Martial Arts, Vol. 5,
No. 2, pp. 11 - 35, 1996]. A thumb nail sketch of Tendo Ryu appears in Ms. Diane Skoss'
chapter in KORYU BUJUTSU: CLASSICAL WARRIOR TRADITIONS OF JAPAN [Diane
Skoss (ed.), Koryu Books, Berkeley Heights, NJ, 1997] entitled "Field Guide to the Classical
Japanese Martial Arts" [the woman in the accompanying photograph is in the basic stance
Seishin no Kamae, which is equivalent to Gedan no Kamae in Atarashii Naginata].
Instructors. Three very senior instructors from the Shingetsukai, Mss. Chiyo Tokunaga, Shizue Funahara, and Hanae Sawada, all Hanshi, lead the seminar; each one has over 60 years experience. They were classmates together at the prewar Budo instructors college, Dai Nippon Butokukai Bujutsu Senmom Gakko (Greater Japan Martial Virtues Society Martial Arts Training School), commonly referred to simply as the Busen, and were in the first graduating class of Naginata instructors. Entrance into the Busen for them required a minimum height, letters of recommendation, and an academic standing in the top 15 of their class. Training took two years with only three days off per year; Martial Arts classes took place during the day and academic classes in education in the evening so that they would also be fully accredited high school teachers upon graduation. It was unfortunate that the present and 16th Soke, Ms. Takeko Mitamura, was not able to attend. [Ms. Takeko Mitamura is the granddaughter of the former headmistress, Ms. Chiyo Mitamura, who was the Naginata instructor at the Busen, and Mr. Kengyo Mitamura, headmaster during the Meiji era.]
A biographical sketch by Ms. Stephanie T. Hoppe entitled "Chiyoko Tokunaga Sensei: Sixty
Years in Naginata" appeared in PAWMA (Pacific Association of Women Martial Artists)
NEWS [Vol. 14, No. 1, 2-4, Spring 1997]. An interview by Mr. Meik Skoss with his teacher
entitled "The Meaning of Martial Arts Training: A Conversation with Sawada Hanae" was
published in KORYU BUJUTSU.
They were assisted by 8 or 9 other senior instructors from Shingetsukai along with 3 or 4 other
junior instructors. They were also assisted by Ms. Miyako Tanaka (Kyoshi Naginata) of El
Cerrito CA, the President of the USNF and an instructor of Tendo Ryu with the permission of
Mitamura-sensei, and Ms. Sachiko Yamauchi (Kyoshi Naginata), a long-time practitioner from
Japan. Tanaka-sensei studied Tendo Ryu for thirty-two years under Mitamura-sensei and also
Tokunaga-sensei; she is the only person teaching Tendo Ryu outside of Japan with the
expressed permission of the headmistress, and has been teaching for nineteen years.
They were all great, even though they tried to instruct all of us in Japanese -- somehow they got
their points across (we had a few ringers who could translate in a group setting).
Location. The seminar took place on 9 - 11 March 1998 at the Asilomar Conference Center (a
unit of the California State Park System) in Pacific Grove ["The (Monarch) Butterfly City"],
CA, located at the point where the south end of Monterey Bay meets the Pacific Ocean. Set up
in 1913, Asilomar, whose name is derived from the Spanish for "refuge by the sea," is located
on 109 protected acres of mostly woods with some marsh lands and sand dunes. Because of the
popularity of Asilomar, it was impossible to book a weekend seminar (weekends are booked
over a year in advance); however, it was relatively easy to book one during the week, which is
why this one ran from Monday through Wednesday. The seminar was sponsored by the
Shingetsukai, Kyoto, Japan, and the Northern California Naginata Federation (NCNF), a
regional federation of the USNF.
Our Dojo during our stay at Asilomar was Merrill Hall, a large structure of natural wood.
Merrill Hall is the auditorium at Asilomar, and is the last of fourteen buildings (completed in
1928) on the grounds designed by the not very well known California architect, Ms. Julia
Morgan (1872 - 1957), who is probably best known for her works on the Hearst Family estates
from 1920 through 1936. As a theater, complete with stage, or as a church, complete with
choir loft, Merrill Hall will hold 850 people. It has four large windows in the back, facing the
dunes overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and flanking a large fire place in a large alcove under the
choir loft; most of our equipment stayed here. On each side were four double glass doors,
which meant a lot of ambient light inside (there were also windows on both sides at the level of
the choir loft), and a lot of natural ventilation. Best of all, it has an all hardwood floor, smooth
and unfinished, which was a bit slick at times.
Practioners. There were about two dozen from the US and 5 intermediate beginner level students from Shingetsukai. Because of limitations in the amount of living space and practice space, participation had to be limited to known and affiliated practitioners; the practice facility at Asilomar just barely held us all. Aside from those from California, we had people from Colorado, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, and Utah.
The Seminar. The seminar unofficially began on Sunday (8 March) evening in Merrill Hall
after dinner. Although these evening practices after dinner were listed as "open practice"
sessions of two hours, this one was commandeered by our instructors, who seemed eager to
ascertain what they had to work with.
The seminar officially began on Monday (9 March) morning in Merrill Hall after breakfast. We
were divided into three groups, A-group of 8 beginners, B-group of 15 intermediate students,
those who knew all of the Shodan Kata [the names of the Kata have been included in the
Appendix] and possibly some of the Chudan Kata, and C-group of half a dozen advanced
students, who knew all of the Shodan and Chudan Kata, and possibly some of Gedan. [Since I
was not an A, but also not quite a B, knowing half of the Shodan Kata, Tanaka-sensei directed
me to the B-group.] The A-group was split off, and the B- and C-groups spent the morning on
the Shodan Kata. In the afternoon, the B- and C- groups split up; the B-group continued with
Shodan, and the C-group went through the Chudan Kata. In the meantime, the A-group learned
the Reiho, Gorei, Kamae, and the first half of the Shodan Kata.
By Tuesday (10 March) evening, the A-group had learned the Shodan Kata, the B1 (the junior
half of the B-group) group had learned Shodan and the first two Chudan Kata, the B2 (the senior
half of the B-group) group had learned the Shodan and Chudan Kata (except Sambonme,
Tanto-dome, which is considered to be a more "advanced" form in spite of the fact that it is
included in this series of Kata, and is taught at some time later), and the C-group had learned
the Shodan, Chudan (except Sambonme, Tanto-dome) and Gedan Kata, as well as the role of
Uchi-tachi for the Shodan and Chudan Kata. All the groups had senior instructors for
Uchi-tachi, and the A- and B-groups also had those from the C-group as Uchi-tachi.
On Wednesday (11 March) morning, everyone went through their paces, drilling in all that we
had learned over the previous two days. In the afternoon, we prepared for an informal Embu
(demonstration); each of the four groups would do five Kata from their respective curriculum.
The Embu was videotaped; each group performed twice -- once on stage doing Tandoku (solo)
Kata, and then on the floor doing Sotai (paired) Kata with Uchi-tachi. The high point of the
Embu was watching the senior instructors demonstrate. They did several advanced Naginata
Kata, including one with Naginata and Shoto. They also did Kata with Jo, Shoto and Nito.
Welcome Dinner. About 30 of us packed into a function room of the Harbor Village Restaurant
(a non-ethnic name for a Chinese restaurant) at the Embarcadero Center in downtown San
Francisco on Saturday evening, 8 March, prior to the start of the seminar. Several local people
as well as a few of us "early arrivals" (I had actually arrived on Friday, 7 March, just after noon;
unfortunately that evening's practice that several of the visiting Sensei were to attend was
canceled due to a schedule conflict). The dinner was a five course Chinese banquet. The food
was great and plentiful.
We had a local guest-of-honor, Dr. Benjamin H. Hazard (Shichidan/Kyoshi Kendo; Sandan
Kyudo; Sandan Naginata), Professor of History Emeritus at San Jose State University (SJSU), of
San Jose, CA. Dr. Hazard was in the US Occupation forces in Japan at the end of WWII, having
learned Japanese at the US Army language school, and he was instrumental in bring high level
Budo instruction to the US, including Kendo, Kyudo and Naginata; he has also been a long-time
practitioner of these Arts. When Tanaka-sensei came to the US in 1979 [for the third time,
having been here for short time in 1973, and for a few months in 1974], she stayed with the
Hazards for the first six months before finding a place of her own. All of Dr. Hazard's children
learned these Budo, but only one daughter, Ms. Malyne Chiu (Godan Kendo, Renshi Naginata),
Executive Secretary of the USNF, still actively practices (and Dr. Hazard's grandson, Colin
Chiu, has begun practicing Atarashii Naginata). It is no surprise that Dr. Hazard was honored
with a seat at the head table.
Special Thanks. This was truly a historic event -- an official delegation of Tendo Ryu
instructors dispatched by the Shingetsukai to a gathering of practitioners in the US -- therefore,
special thanks are due to Mitamura- sensei for allowing this to happen; all the participants
received Shingetsukai Tenugui with calligraphy brushed by Mitamura-sensei. Special thanks
go to Tanaka-sensei for initiating this event. Thanks also to Mr. Kurt and Ms. Karen
Schmucker for the brochure design and production as well as to Kurt for the administration of
the seminar at Asilomar. Thank you to all the other members of the NCNF who helped out in
this event. Finally, special thanks to the "boys and girls in the guest house" for the party on the
last evening.
On a personal note, thanks to Ms. Malyne Chiu for her hospitality before the seminar, and
thanks to the Henningtons (the brother-in-law and sister of Ms. Malyne Chiu) in Salinas for
their hospitality during the seminar. Thanks to Ms. Fran Vall for providing videotapes of
Yabusame (Japanese archery on horseback), which were provided by the husband of a friend of
hers in Japan -- he was the principal archer highlighted in the videos, the best one of the
Ogasawara Ryu. [Fran-sama had recently returned from Japan where she had worked as a
volunteer at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.] And thanks to Tanaka-sensei for meeting
me at the airport, and to Ms. Kore Grate for providing transportation back to the airport. Your
efforts are greatly appreciated.
Appendix - The Kata. The Konaginata Omote
Kata of Tendo Ryu Naginata-jutsu are divided
into three sections, Shodan, Chudan and Gedan,
containing eight, seven and five Kata,
respectively. They are:
Shodan: 1. Ichimonji no Midare,
2. Seishin no Midare,
3. Ishizuki Koishigaeshi no Midare,
4. Onajiku Hidari (aka Hidari Ishizuki Koishigaeshi no Midare),
5. Seishi Wakidome,
6. Onajiku Hidari (aka Hidari Seishi Wakidome),
7. Seishi Iwakuzushi,
8. Onajiku Hidari (aka Hidari Seishi Iwakuzushi).
Chudan: 1. Marikomi,
2. Surikomi Oridome,
3. Tanto-dome,
4. Ooguruma no Midare,
5. Onajiku Hidari (aka Hidari Ooguruma no Midare),
6. Koguruma no Midare,
7. Kazaguruma Koishigaeshi no Midare.
Gedan: 1. Ryomuna Dome,
2. Seishin Sodegaeshi,
3. Onajiku Hidari (aka Hidari Seishin Sodegaeshi),
4. Oogasane no Midare,
5. Yaechigai.
Onajiku Hidari means "same [with the open side facing] left," and is used quite a bit in the
names of the Tendo Ryu Kata. Therefore, in the Omote group of Kata, five of the twenty Kata
are "mirror-image" forms, performed from the opposite side. In other words, ten Kata are
unique, and there are five pairs of "handed" Kata.
Knowing the names of the various Kamae helps to decode some of the names of the Kata. The Kamae are:
1. Ipponsugi no Kamae (same as Shizentai, Natural Standing Posture)
2. Udemaki no Kamae (carrying posture described in the Introduction)
3. Ichimonji no Kamae (analogous to Chudan no Kamae)
4. Seishin no Kamae (same as Gedan no Kamae)
5. Ishizuki no Kamae (analogous to Waki Gamae)
6. Hasso no Kamae
7. Muhen no Kamae (same as Jodan no Kamae).
For example, Seishin no Kamae is used to begin Nihonme of the Shodan group, Seishin no
Midare, and Nihonme of the Gedan group, Seishin Sodegaeshi.
MEDIA REVIEWS
Oh lord, now I know why I can't get the books reviewed or any new articles written. I don't
believe the stack of magazines I've got here. None of them particularly mainstream, all kind of
quirky due to a very heavy influence by the editors (who are, in most cases, the sole staff as
well), and all having a specific focus. I actually love reading a lot of these together and seeing
how an Aikido based magazine, a Chinese arts based magazine and a Karate based magazine can
view the same subject. In most cases I've given a phone number or address so you can subscribe,
if you can't get connected, call me and I'll hook you up.
ACTION MARTIAL ARTS Issue #18, May-June 1998 Canada: tel 403-254-5713. Bimonthly?
This is the only issue I've received of this Canadian ITF Taekwon-do publication. It is produced
out of Calgary which may explain why I've never seen it around, the West being, of course, one
of the two areas of the country that don't believe Ontario should be in Canada. (The other is the
East).
This is an 8x11 inch colour newsprint journal of 24 pages, I assume it's bimonthly. Despite the
statement about TKD on the front cover, there was only one item on that art in the issue, the rest
were short, pointed items on a wide variety of arts, announcements and seminar reports focused
mainly on Canada. I'd say it was worth a look at least, call and see if you can get a sample issue.
A year's subscription is $12 in Canada.
AIKIDO JOURNAL Issue #114 (25/2 1998) ISSN 1340-5624. USA: tel 310-265-0351
Quarterly
Slick, definitely a mature magazine, and it should be since it's been around a quarter of a
century. There are some letters in this issue praising the returned focus on Aikido, a dangerous
thing from my viewpoint, but the issue contains an article by Yoshinori Kono on one of the most
famous unknown (in the West at least) swordsmen, Sekiun Harigaya, a contemporary of
Miyamoto Musashi and another of the greats who were deeply influenced by Zen thought. That
article alone is worth the price of the issue, but I also enjoyed part three of Ellis Amdur's
"Knights of the Mouldy Rope" wherein he chronicles his experiences with Terry Dobson. A
third article is by Joseph Svinth about the visit of Yoshitsugu Yamashita, an instructor of Judo,
to the United States in 1903. Yamashita taught President Teddy Roosevelt. Fascinating history,
especially for those who think the martial arts in the West started in 1947.
BKA NEWS: The official newsletter of the British Kendo Association. Issue 17, Summer 1998.
Quarterly. UK: tel 01209-612347
Mostly letters (those Brits can sure get worked up) and financial items for the BKA this issue,
but the main article is a big 4-pager on sword handling etiquette by Clive Sinclaire. Some good
points there, especially for an iaido or kendo student who might end up talking to a collector one
day. DON'T handle a sword like you normally do around these guys, you'll give them a heart
attack!
BUGEI TRADING COMPANY Catalog #4 1998 1-800-437-0125.
Really should see about getting these guys to advertise in JJSA. This is a lovely catalog, 100 full
colour glossy pages long. Every time I look at it, I get the urge to buy something so they must be
doing OK. Shinken to fittings to videos to woodblock prints, it's all here in one spot.
BUGEISHA: Traditional Martial Artist. Issue 6, Summer 1998. ISSN 1091-3033, Quarterly.
USA: tel 610-286-7771.
Well I think this magazine is destined to be around for a while. It has been getting better and
better, dense articles well laid out, appealing graphics and, with this issue, a real breadth of
content. Three of 9 articles are weapons related (OK so that's how I judge a magazine, I never
said I was unbiased!). I'm sure future issues will continue the trend. As usual, the main focus of
this magazine is Karate, but don't let that stop you if you aren't a Karate student. There's plenty
for everyone. Well worth a trial subscription if you can't get it on a newsstand near you. I'm
downright satisfied to be a regular column contributor. (And if that isn't an unbiased
viewpoint...).
FURYU: The Budo Journal #9 V3.1 PO Box 61637 Honolulu HI 96839 USA.
It's always an event when Wayne gets another issue of Furyu out. If half the people who read this
would subscribe he'd likely not need two day jobs and might actually be able to put out as many
issues per year as he'd like.
Anyway, enough griping. The issue has just arrived so I haven't read through it yet, but it seems
to continue in the same direction it's been heading for a while. Lots of articles, lots of
information and many Japanese arts. As always a good mix of history and technical article, with
the technical articles being a bit (a lot) more useful than the mass market 12 photos/ 12 caption
three paragraph wonders. I suspect everyone knows by now how I feel about this journal so I
won't repeat it. OK I will, go subscribe.
HAMMERTERZ FORUM: The International Newsletter for the Fencing Collector. Vol 4/3&4
Quarterly.
Ah, one of my special favourites, and not only for Chris' sometimes habit of combining issues to
catch up when he falls behind. (Although it's a noble practice I assure you). This is a very
focused publication, the target being an unvarnished look at the European sword traditions. The
scholarship in this field is becoming quite impressive with Richard Alverez doing hands-on
experiments with horse and lance, Stephen Hand recreating 16th Century sword "kata" and John
Clements working on the Medieval long-sword. Christoph Amberger (the editor) continues his
fascination with (and fascinating accounts of) bloodletting from the edge of the sword. He
reports on the injury analysis of the excavations at Wisby, some information which was formerly
rather hard to dig out unless you were willing to spend hours in the archeology stacks (a dustier
place than my shop I assure you). Hey Chris, compare these findings with those at the site in
Japan investigated by... ah damn, a woman whose name I can't recall due to my having children
around. Anyway it would make a fine comparison for the next issue, if you don't already have it
typeset.
Hey, put this journal on your "gotta get it" list folks, it's a whole new viewpoint and maybe some
people can get beyond the old Lionheart-Saladin bash-em or slice-em West-East thing.
JOURNAL OF ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS Vol 7:2 1998. ISSN 1057-8385, 1-814-455-9517
I've read people claiming this journal is too scholarly. Well tough, if you want to know who the
latest UFC champion is, go pick up something at the corner store. I've also heard folks say this
journal costs too much. Well, 1. You get what you pay for, and 2. Have you priced Nature lately?
Look, this IS a scholarly magazine but it isn't hard to read. You just have to have an interest in
martial arts r esearch.
This latest issue has the usual mix of general and academic articles along with media reviews
and short notes. The academic articles deal with the concept of immortality in Chinese martial
arts, Aikido as symbolic communication, and lower leg loading impact injury risk in Wushu.
Sounds dry? Perhaps, but I read them. When I read the Aikido article I kept thinking "this sounds
awfully familiar" until I came to the end where I learned that I had reviewed and commented on
the article! Boy do I need a vacation.
The general articles deal with the spirit of budo and martial arts in the movies. Now that sounds
a bit more mainstream doesn't it? The best part of this issue? The cover of course, with Frank
Sinatra in a fight scene from The Manchurian Candidate, 1962. And you thought martial arts
movie heros began with Bruce.
Pop quiz, "when was the first time iaido was shown in a movie?" OK never mind that one, how
about "can you name one movie that featured iaido?"
KARATE TIMES Issue3/4 1997 Monthly, India: tel 0497-502470.
You don't think it's a small world? I received this issue with
a letter requesting an article on "my style". Seems the editor
(in India) got my address from a friend in Malaysia. (Oops,
never sent him the article either, onto the "to do" pile. The
magazine is 8 x 11 inch newsprint with a colour glossy
cover. It's that strange, high clay, semi-transparent newsprint
they use in SE asia, definitely not made in Canada. As you
might expect from the title, the articles focus on Karate,
with most being in English. Quite an international outlook
in the articles.
MARTIAL ARTS FEATURES AND PROFILES
MAGAZINE. Issue 3/6 Sept 1998. 3648 Cawthra Rd.
Mississauga Ont. Canada L5A 2Y6.
This is the second 8.5 x 11 inch format issue and Doug has
completed the changeover from newspaper to more mass-market friendly publication. There are
four profiles, of Kubota and Okayama (karate), Renzo Gracie (ju jutsu), J-Y Theriault
(kickboxing) and Pan Qing Fu (wushu). There are also letters, event reports, columns, book
reviews, announcements, and just about anything else you'd expect in a mass market mag. This
is the first issue that has been shipped to the USA so it will be interesting to see what happens in
the next few months. Will Doug actually be able to use his bedroom for sleeping again? Will he
be able to afford groceries? Stay tuned.
I have every issue of MAFP so far and intend to keep collecting them, other folks might want to
start their own collections.
RYUBI -The Dragon's Tail 6:2 Aug 1998 Lorraine Fuller, Poultry Sci. U. Georgia, Athens GA
30602 USA.
This is the house organ of the Kashima-Shinryu organization in North America. It's 8.5 x 11
inches and 18 pages long, heavy on the club and seminar reports of course, but this issue also has
an excellent article on the history of ju jutsu by William Bodiford. It would be worth picking up
this issue for the article.
Yearly subscriptions (12 issues) to the Journal of Japanese Sword Arts are $36 cdn in Canada, $36 US in USA, and $48 overseas. Subscriptions, stories, news, views, and anything else should be sent to Kim Taylor Editor JJSA, 44 Inkerman St. Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1H 3C5.
519-836-4357
FROM THE SEI DO KAI PRESS
IAIDO MANUALS
BBI-1 KIM'S BIG BOOK OF IAIDO (I):The Manual
8X11" 108 pgs. Kim Taylor:
BBI-2 KIM'S BBI (II): Seitei Gata
8x11" 100 pgs. Kim Taylor
BBI-3 KIM'S BBI (III): Omori Ryu
8x11" 94 pgs. Kim Taylor
BBI-4 KIM'S BBI (IV): Eishin Ryu
8x11" 127 pgs. Kim Taylor
BBI-5 KIM'S BBI (V): Oku Iai
8x11" 100 pgs. Kim Taylor
OTHER BOOKS
PH-1 SONGS OF THE SWORD
5X8" 100 pgs. by Kim Taylor
SD-1 RESISTING SEXUAL ASSAULT
8x11" 130 pgs. by Kim Taylor
SD-2 STUDENT GUIDE TO SELF DEFENCE
8x11" 150 pgs. by Kim Taylor
VIDEO TAPES
VHS/NTSC format only.
VID-1 SEITEI GATA IAI 1993
VID-2 SPRING SEMINAR/TACHI UCHI NO KURAI
VID-3 THE 1994 SENIOR CLASS, SEITEI GATA
VID-4 THE 1994 SENIOR CLASS, KORYU
VID-5 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1991, 1992
VID-6 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1993
VID-7 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1994
VID-8 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1995
VID-9 THE 1993 UG SUMMER IAIDO SEMINAR
VID-10 THE 1995 JOHN RAY SEMINAR AT UG - 1
VID-11 THE 1995 JOHN RAY SEMINAR AT UG - 2
VID-12 1994 SEMINAR WITH HARUNA SENSEI
VID-13 OMORI RYU AND SENIOR CLASS 1995
VID-14 1996 SEMINAR WITH HARUNA SENSEI
VID-15 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1996
VID-16 TACHI UCHI NO KURAI (includes material from VID-2)
VID-17 CKF YUDANSHA GRADINGS 1997
COMPANION VIDEO TAPES TO THE BBI MANUALS
VIDBBI-1 BEGINNING IAIDO I
VIDBBI-2 BEGINNING IAIDO II
VIDBBI-3 SEITEI GATA IAIDO
VIDBBI-4 MUSO JIKIDEN EISHIN RYU SEIZA NO BU
VIDBBI-5 MJER TATE HIZA NO BU
VIDBBI-6 MJER OKU IAI IWAZA
JJSA Journal of Japanese Sword Arts $36 Cdn in Canada,
$36 US in USA, $48 overseas.
JINX-1 IAI JINX WRITING CARDS
SEI DO KAI ORDER FORM
Please send me:
BBI-1. $30 __
BBI-2. $30 __
BBI-3. $30 __
BBI-4. $30 __
BBI-5. $30 __
BBI-SET. $120 __
JINX-1 $7 __
PH-1. $17 __
SD-1. $25 __
SD-2. $25 __
SD-SET. (1&2)$45 __
JJSA $36 __ Can/USA
$48 __ Overseas
VID-1. $25 __
VID-2. $25 __
VID-3. $25 __
VID-4. $25 __
VID-5. $25 __
VID-6. $25 __
VID-7. $25 __
VID-8. $25 __
VID-9. $25 __
VID-10. $25 __
VID-11. $25 __
VID-12. $25 __
VID-13. $25 __
VID-14. $25 __
VID-15. $25 __
VID-16. $25 __
VID-17. $25 __
Any 5 Vid tapes $100 __
VIDBBI-1. $25 __
VIDBBI-2. $25 __
VIDBBI-3. $25 __
VIDBBI-4. $25 __
VIDBBI-5. $25 __
VIDBBI-6. $25 __
VIDBBI-7. $25 __
7 Vidbbi tapes $175 __
TOTAL $_____
Address:
Prices include postage, Send order form to: Kim Taylor 44 Inkerman St. Guelph Ontario N1H
3C5. Payment in Canadian or US funds. Make checks or money orders payable to Kim Taylor
or to Sei Do Kai Iaido.
For a catalogue, or price quotes on weapons contact Kim Taylor at the above address,
tel 519-836-4357, or email kataylor@uoguelph.ca