Shinbukan Budo

10/10/2026

As autumn deepens and the last warmth of the season begins to fade, nature enters a quieter phase. The colours become richer, the mornings colder, and the trees gradually release what they can no longer carry. There is something deeply instructive in this transition. Autumn does not resist what is coming. It does not cling to summer. It changes with dignity, moving toward stillness without losing its essence.
Budō teaches us much the same. We train to move, to respond, to endure, and to remain balanced under pressure, but just as important is learning when not to force. Strength is not always expressed through action. Sometimes it is seen in restraint, patience, and the ability to remain composed when circumstances shift around us.

As the year grows older, it is natural to reflect on what we have gained, what we have lost, and what still remains unfinished. Some goals were reached. Others were delayed. Some relationships grew stronger, while others changed or faded. There may have been disappointment, frustration, or uncertainty along the way. Yet every experience, whether pleasant or difficult, can become part of our training if we are willing to learn from it.

In training, we are constantly reminded that tension interferes with movement. The more desperately we try to control a technique, the less natural it becomes. The same is true in life. We often carry things long after they have ceased to serve us: anger, regret, pride, expectations, old injuries to the heart, or ideas about ourselves that belong to an earlier stage of life. Autumn reminds us that release is not defeat. It can be preparation.

A tree sheds its leaves not because it has failed, but because letting go is necessary for survival and renewal. There is wisdom in that. We too must sometimes release what has become heavy so that we can continue forward with clarity.

This is one of the deeper lessons of keiko. Training gradually reveals where we are rigid, impatient, fearful, or attached to being right. Technique becomes a mirror. The partner in front of us may expose weaknesses in our posture, timing, balance, or understanding, but beneath that there is often something more personal being revealed. We learn where our ego interferes. We learn where we hesitate. We learn where we try to force instead of feel.

The longer one practices Budō, the more it becomes clear that growth is not always dramatic. Often it appears in subtle changes: a calmer response, better judgment, greater patience, less need to prove oneself, and a deeper ability to remain centred when things do not go as expected.

I believe one of the most important responsibilities is to remind ourselves that Budō is not only about becoming more capable in conflict. It is also about becoming more capable in life. Technique is important, but so is character. Skill matters, but so does humility. Strength matters, but so does compassion. Without these things, martial ability remains incomplete.

Autumn teaches us to prepare. Winter will come whether we are ready or not. In the same way, life will bring moments that test us. We cannot predict every challenge, but we can continue to refine ourselves so that when difficulty comes, we meet it with greater balance, awareness, and courage.

So as the leaves fall and the year moves quietly toward winter, take some time to reflect. What have you learned this year? What have you outgrown? What are you still carrying unnecessarily? What deserves more attention, and what is it time to release?

Train sincerely. Keep your centre. Let go of unnecessary tension. Remain open to correction. Be strong when strength is required, gentle when gentleness is appropriate, and humble enough to continue learning. Autumn reminds us that change is not the end of the path. It is part of the path. The leaves fall, the branches become bare, and the world appears to grow still. Yet beneath the surface, preparation has already begun for what comes next.

Seiryu
青龍

10/02/2026

Here is Hiden Magazine’s recap of the event we attended in Japan in May 2026. At the 9:55 mark, watch Hanshi Divantman representing Canada and demonstrating Hayate Mutō Dori.

We hope you enjoy the remarkable diversity of skill and talent featured in this footage. Our heartfelt thanks to Takase Sensei for his kindness and visionary efforts in bringing so many masters together.

2026年5月に私たちが日本で参加した演武会の模様が、月刊『秘伝』のダイジェスト映像で紹介されています。9分55秒からは、カナダ代表として参加したディヴァントマン範士による「疾風無刀取り」の演武をご覧いただけます。

さまざまな流派の先生方による、多彩で見応えのある演武をお楽しみいただければ幸いです。多くの先生方が一堂に会する貴重な機会を実現してくださった高瀬先生の温かいお心遣いと先見の明、そしてご尽力に、心より感謝申し上げます。

第2弾もお楽しみに！

#月刊秘伝 #大東流 #合気柔術 #練心館 #疾風無刀取り #武道 #日本武術 #古武術

https://youtu.be/qIiFBWYx64o?si=PGoFVVhmOHTOPXem

Part 2 to follow!

★月刊秘伝2026年10月号掲載記事「心の武縁が紡がれる場 第二回 和の武術研究祭典』★記事はこちらの号で！→　https:/...

10/01/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14orT7MUaLb/?mibextid=wwXIfr

好評発売中の月刊秘伝2026年10月号に「第二回 和の武術研究祭典」の記事が掲載されています！
https://webhiden.jp/mag/202610/

大東流合気柔術練心館・高瀬道雄師範の主催による本大会の模様を、天庸流柔術・垣本雅史師範による特別寄稿でお伝えします！ 記事関連動画も合わせ、ぜひご覧ください！

【前編】
https://youtu.be/qIiFBWYx64o

【後編】
https://youtu.be/i3PwgLOI59Y

#月刊秘伝 #大東流 #合気道

09/25/2026

The forefathers of Ninjutsu taught us the principles of Shizen no Hō (自然の法): living alongside nature and learning from it.

Uneven ground teaches balance. Wind and rain teach us to adapt. By training outdoors, we learn to observe, respond, and move in harmony with the world around us.

09/22/2026

Dear friends and followers,

This page has reached 1,000 followers. Thank you for being here, for reading, and for taking an interest in the martial arts we share.

My goal has always been to offer thoughtful, accurate content grounded in careful study. Finding reliable sources, comparing accounts, and turning that research into something useful takes time, effort, and often money. I believe it is worth doing, both for my students and for everyone who follows this page.

I do not teach martial arts full-time or earn my living from it. Like many of you, I balance this work with a career and family. I have more writing and publication projects in mind than I can complete as quickly as I would like. Progress can feel slow, but my commitment to the work remains strong.

As I plan what to publish next, I want to focus my limited time where it can be most useful: sharing the history, teachings, and principles that deserve careful attention. I hope to publish more regularly while giving each subject the care it deserves.

We live in a time when information is everywhere, yet understanding can be hard to find. In my own small way, I hope this page contributes something worthwhile: knowledge shared with honesty, respect for those who came before us, and a reminder of the better qualities we can cultivate in ourselves and one another.

Thank you for helping this community reach 1,000 followers. I look forward to continuing the journey with you.

“Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.”

皆さまへ

このページのフォロワーが1,000人を超えました。いつも投稿を読み、私たちが伝える武道に関心を寄せてくださり、ありがとうございます。

私が大切にしてきたのは、丁寧な研究に基づいた、正確で考えるきっかけとなる内容をお届けすることです。信頼できる資料を探し、異なる記録を照らし合わせ、それを役立つ形で伝えるには、時間も労力も、時には費用もかかります。それでも、門下生やこのページを読んでくださる皆さまのために、続ける価値があると信じています。

私は武道の指導を本業としているわけではなく、武道で生計を立てているわけでもありません。皆さまと同じように、仕事や家族との時間を大切にしながら、この活動を続けています。書きたいこと、形にしたい出版物はたくさんありますが、思うような速さで進められないこともあります。歩みが遅く感じられる時もありますが、この仕事に向き合う気持ちは変わりません。

これからも限られた時間を、特に大切だと感じることに注ぎたいと思います。武道の歴史、教え、そして原理を丁寧に伝えていくことです。一つひとつの題材を大切にしながら、より定期的に発信していきたいと考えています。

私たちは、情報があふれる一方で、深い理解を得ることが難しい時代に生きています。このページを通じて、少しでも価値のあるものを届けられたら幸いです。誠実に知識を分かち合い、先人への敬意を忘れず、私たち一人ひとりが育むことのできる人間の良さにも目を向けていきたいと思います。

1,000人という節目を、皆さまと迎えられたことに感謝しています。これからも、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。

09/20/2026

SHINBUKAN KEIKO-OSAME
Year-End Training

This year’s Keiko-osame will focus on the traditional forms of Kukishin Ryū Bikenjutsu, as transmitted from Takamatsu Sensei to Hatsumi Sensei.

We will examine the foundational kata, their practical applications both within and beyond the formal movements, and—most importantly—the underlying essence and principles of the tradition.

Participation is open to practitioners who have developed proficiency in the fundamentals of this style and whom I know personally, or who are recommended by someone I know and trust.

The final date has yet to be determined but will likely be in late November or early December. Further details will follow.

「九鬼神伝流秘剣に霞之法と言う事が伝えられているが、これは剣を学ぶ者の心構えである」

“Within the secret sword teachings of Kukishinden Ryū, there is a method known as Kasumi no Hō—the Method of Mist. It represents the proper mindset of those who study the sword.”

青龍

09/19/2026

Harmony, Connection, and Aiki

During my trip to Japan in late May, I had the privilege of attending Wa no Bujutsu—“Harmony in the Martial Arts”—an event hosted by my Sensei, Michio Takase.

The gathering brought together teachers and practitioners from Japan and around the world, representing traditions including Daitō-ryū, Hakkō-ryū, Shinkage-ryū, Aikidō, Karate, and Jūdō. More than an exchange of techniques, it created a genuine spirit of friendship, harmony, and mutual respect.

Following the event, I was honoured to be featured in Hiden Budō, Japan’s prestigious martial arts magazine. After 46 years of practising Budō, I increasingly reflect upon what should be preserved and what we will leave for future generations. Techniques and historical knowledge are important, but so are the relationships we build with sincere, like-minded people.

This spirit of connection is also central to Renshinkan Aiki.

The human body functions as an integrated system in which the skin, fascia, muscles, and nervous system continuously interact. In training, we learn not to rely upon isolated muscular strength, but to coordinate the entire body as one unified structure.

Renshinkan Aiki practice begins from a seated position, with a partner grasping both hands. Through this simple connection, we study touch, posture, breathing, balance, awareness, and the seichūsen—the body’s centreline. Subtle changes within our own structure can influence the partner’s balance without force or pain.

It has long been said:

“If you cause your opponent pain, it is no longer Aiki.”

Aiki is not about forcing a reaction through discomfort. It is the study of musubi—connection—and how the smallest changes in posture, structure, breathing, and intent can affect another person.

Over time, we come to understand that Aiki is not merely the study of technique, but of relationships: between oneself and one’s partner, tension and relaxation, stability and instability.

At Renshinkan, Aiki and Jūjutsu are not separate. They are two sides of the same coin. Jūjutsu gives technique its visible form, while Aiki provides the principles that bring it to life.

When structure, connection, and technique become one, the deeper meaning of Budō begins to reveal itself.

調和、結び、そして合気

5月下旬に日本を訪れた際、私の師である高瀬道雄先生が主催された「和の武術研究祭典」に参加する貴重な機会をいただきました。

この催しには、日本国内外から、大東流、八光流、新陰流、合気道、空手、柔道など、さまざまな流派の先生方や修行者が集まりました。それは単なる技術交流にとどまらず、友情、調和、そして相互尊重の精神に満ちた素晴らしい場となりました。

その後、日本を代表する武道専門誌『月刊秘伝』にて、この催しとともに私をご紹介いただく光栄にあずかりました。

武道を修行して46年。近年は、何を守り、何を次世代へ伝えていくべきなのかを、より深く考えるようになりました。技術や歴史的な知識はもちろん重要ですが、同じ志を持つ誠実な人々とのご縁も、同じように大切なものです。

この「結び」の精神は、練心館の合気においても中心となるものです。

人間の身体は、皮膚、筋膜、筋肉、そして神経系が絶えず相互に作用する、一つの統合されたシステムとして機能しています。稽古では、局所的な筋力に頼るのではなく、身体全体を一つの構造体として連動させることを学びます。

練心館の合気修行は、坐した状態で相手に両手を握らせる稽古から始まります。この単純な接触を通じて、触覚、姿勢、呼吸、均衡、意識、そして身体の中心軸である「正中線」を探求します。自らの身体構造に生じるわずかな変化によって、力や痛みに頼ることなく、相手の均衡に影響を与えることを学ぶのです。

古来より、次のように伝えられています。

「相手に痛みを与えたならば、それはもはや合気ではない」

合気とは、苦痛によって反応を引き起こすものではありません。それは「結び」の研究であり、姿勢、身体構造、呼吸、そして意識のごくわずかな変化が、どのように相手へ影響を及ぼすかを学ぶものです。

稽古を重ねるにつれ、合気とは単なる技術の研究ではなく、「関係性」の研究であることに気づきます。自己と相手、緊張と弛緩、安定と不安定――その相互関係を理解することが重要なのです。

練心館において、合気と柔術は別々のものではありません。それらは一枚の紙の表と裏、すなわち一つのコインの両面です。

柔術が技に形を与えるならば、合気はその技に生命を吹き込む原理です。

身体構造、結び、そして技法が一体となったとき、武道のより深い意味が姿を現し始めるのです。

#練心館 #大東流 #合気柔術 #合気 #柔術 #武道 #和の武術研究祭典 #結び #月刊秘伝 #高瀬道雄先生 #伝統武術

09/13/2026

Renshinkan Hayate Jujutsu

Within Renshinkan there is a group of techniques known as Hayate Jūjutsu, which forms an important foundation for the standing methods of jūjutsu.
Hayate conveys the idea of swiftness, while jūjutsu may be understood as supple or adaptable skill. Together, the expression can be understood as “swift, supple skill.”
Today, Hayate Jūjutsu is generally taught through eighteen techniques, although older teachings are said to have included thirty omote and thirty ura. These should not be viewed simply as forms to memorize. Their greater purpose is to reveal principles that can be applied across the wider body of jūjutsu.
Through these techniques, the practitioner learns to develop rei, correct conduct and discipline; metsuke, the use of the eyes and awareness; ma-ai, proper distance and timing; kokyū, the relationship between breath and movement; kuzushi, the breaking of balance and structure; and zanshin, continued awareness and complete commitment to the technique.
Atemi is also an important part of this training. In Daitō-ryū, strikes are not separate from grappling, but are used to disrupt posture, create openings, break intention, and support locks, throws, and pins.
The techniques provide the visible structure of the curriculum, but the principles are what give them life. A technique may be memorized quickly, but understanding why it works takes much longer.
This is where training begins to move beyond imitation. The student is no longer simply learning what technique to perform, but gradually learning why the technique works.

練心館には、柔術の立技における重要な基礎となる一群の技法があり、これを**「疾風柔術（Hayate Jūjutsu）」**と呼んでいます。
「疾風（Hayate）」は素早さを表し、「柔術（Jūjutsu）」は柔軟で適応力のある技を意味します。合わせると、**「素早く、柔軟に応じる技」**という意味合いになります。
現在、疾風柔術は一般的に18本の技で構成されていますが、古くは表30本・裏30本が存在したとも伝えられています。大切なのは、これらを単なる「暗記すべき技の型」として捉えるのではなく、柔術全体に通じる普遍的な原理を学ぶための入口として考えることです。
これらの技を通じて、修行者は**礼（Rei）**による正しい態度と規律、**目付（Metsuke）**による視線と意識の使い方、**間合（Ma-ai）**による距離とタイミング、**呼吸（Kokyū）**による身体と動きの調和、**崩し（Kuzushi）による相手のバランスと構造の破壊、そして残心（Zanshin）**による継続した意識と技への完全な集中を学んでいきます。
また、**当身（Atemi）**も重要な要素です。大東流における当身は、組技とは別のものではなく、相手の姿勢を崩し、隙を作り、意図を断ち、関節技・投げ・抑えへとつなげるために用いられます。
技そのものがカリキュラムの「形」であるとすれば、そこに命を与えるのは原理です。技を覚えることは比較的早くできても、なぜその技が効くのかを理解するには、はるかに長い時間が必要です。
そこから、稽古は単なる模倣を超えていきます。
修行者は「どの技を使うか」だけを学ぶのではなく、少しずつ**「なぜその技が成立するのか」**を学んでいくのです。

#武道 #大東流 #大東流合気柔術 #柔術 #練心館

07/04/2026

In Budō, Kihon 基本 — the fundamentals — are not simply beginner movements. They are the foundation through which body, mind, and spirit are shaped over time. Beneath Kihon is Kiso 基礎 — the base or groundwork [the underlying foundation that supports correct movement, structure, and future development]. Without strong Kiso, technique may appear correct on the surface, but lacks true stability and depth.

Through repeated practice, we learn Shisei 姿勢 — correct attitude — not only as physical alignment, but as a reflection of inner composure. We cultivate Kamae 構え — the expression of correct attitude — so that the body, intention, and awareness become unified in every breath.

Kihon also teaches Ma 間 — the living interval that exists between oneself and the opponent, constantly shifting and responsive to intention and movement. Within Ma, we come to understand Ma-ai 間合い — proper combative distance and timing — helping us know when to move, when to wait, and how to maintain control without forcing technique.

Through Kuzushi 崩し — manipulation of the center of gravity — we learn that true power does not come from strength alone, but from structure, timing, and sensitivity. Most importantly, Kihon develops Shin-Gi-Tai 心技体 — the unity of mind, technique, and body.
Without Kihon, technique becomes empty imitation. With Kihon, every movement becomes a path toward deeper understanding. In this way, Kihon is not something we pass through. It is something we continually return to. Kiso is the ground, Kihon is the root, and Budō is the lifelong cultivation of both. Safety first, start slow understand the principles and progressively increase intensity, speed and power.

Beyond words, It needs to be felt to be truly understood

Seiryu

07/02/2026

Beyond Kata: Transmitted Knowledge as Methods of Thinking and Expression

In the classical traditions of Japanese martial arts, transmitted knowledge is often misunderstood as a collection of techniques or a curriculum to be memorized. While it certainly preserves the forms of a tradition, its true purpose lies far deeper. It is not merely a record of what to do, but a guide for how to think and how to express the principles that give life to the art.

Kata serves as the visible language of a tradition, but language alone is not understanding. Just as words cannot fully convey wisdom without experience, a kata cannot transmit its essence through movement alone. Transmitted knowledge reminds us that the forms are only the outward expression of an inner way of perceiving the world.

To inherit a tradition is not simply to reproduce the movements of one’s teacher. It is to inherit the mindset that gave birth to those movements. Every technique is the result of observation, experimentation, adaptation, and insight accumulated over generations. This transmitted knowledge preserves that process of thinking, encouraging practitioners to ask not only, “How is this technique performed?” but also, “Why does it exist?” and “What principle does it reveal?”

This is why classical martial arts cannot be mastered through imitation alone. Two practitioners may execute the same kata with identical outward form, yet only one may understand the timing, intent, distance, psychological pressure, and natural principles that animate it. The difference is not found in the movement itself, but in the quality of thought behind it.

Transmitted knowledge also teaches us how to express understanding. Throughout history, the great masters did not merely preserve techniques; they preserved ways of communicating ideas to future generations. They understood that principles cannot always be stated directly. Instead, they are woven into kata, metaphors, strategic concepts, and concise teachings that invite continual reflection. Each generation must rediscover these truths through sincere practice rather than passive memorization.

This perspective transforms training. Kata ceases to be an exercise in perfect replication and becomes a method of inquiry. Every repetition becomes an opportunity to deepen one’s understanding, refine one’s perception, and cultivate better judgment. Technique is no longer the destination—it is the vehicle through which understanding is revealed.

Ultimately, the true inheritance of a martial tradition is not found in the ability to perform hundreds of techniques, but in the development of a mind capable of creating the appropriate response in any situation. Kata preserves the form, but transmitted knowledge preserves the way of thinking that gives the form meaning.

When kata becomes the language, transmitted knowledge becomes the grammar of the tradition. It teaches us not merely how to move, but how to perceive, how to reason, and ultimately, how to express the art as living budō rather than a collection of memorized techniques.