"A person's errors are their portals of discovery." In thinking about this quote it helps me to let go of the inevitable frustrations that can arise when I can't quite seem to get a technique I am working on. Rather than looking at it as consistently failing, I can more easily recognize it as a part of the learning process. Maybe I am not displacing my opponent with my cut but I am gaining a better understanding of balance. At the very least I am learning what doesn't work. 🙂Seeing our mistakes as portals of discovery gives us permission to make mistakes as long as we are willing to learn from those mistakes. I would love to hear the thoughts of others.

Recently I’ve been rethinking how I approach weapons training in kenjutsu and Nami Ryu. For a good while, I thought of practice mainly as what happens in the dojo: techniques, kata, corrections, and trying to keep up with class material. I understand not every practitioner has military experience, but bear with me—this analogy comes from my time in the Marines. Strategy is a core tenet of war and, as Williams Sensei teaches, part of the craft of the warrior. It seems natural that the same principles I learned there could apply here in the dojo. Not all of my time with a rifle was spent on the range practicing marksmanship. Virtually all of my familiarity came from everything outside of shooting: carrying rifles and pistols, moving with them, maintaining them, inspecting, disassembly, reassembly and simply handling them constantly. That constant and consistent daily contact removed a lot of the awkwardness that comes from marksmanship. By the time I needed to shoot all that I needed to concern myself with was shooting itself. I realized that weapons training in the dojo can run into the same awkwardness if our only meaningful contact with the sword/spear happens during class. Much the same as if one were to only handle the firearm the day they arrive at the range. Then we’re trying to learn familiarity, handling, awareness, and technique all at once. Williams Sensei has taught that timing, distance, relationship, and energy are crucial to martial application. When I train, I typically ask myself how these principles apply to simple movements: walking with the weapon, transitioning from kamae, bowing in, carrying it, and handling it confidently. Once I’ve developed that baseline, kata and cutting practice feel more natural and easier to correct over time. Before a weapon can be a weapon it must first feel familiar in the hands, at least, that’s been my experience. I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts and experiences as well!

Another quote that can describe our training. Through training we can develop a quiet confidence. No ego needed. This quiet confidence helps us to both avoid conflict when we can, and deal with it when we need to. It can also apply to physical practice. For example yesterday we were practicing displacing our partner with the jo. If I tried using force my partner could easily resist and would not be moved. If however, I use a soft touch with proper structure I displaced my partner with very little effort. I didn't give them anything to resist or oush back on. The softer i was, the better it worked. Curious to hear your thoughts and comments.

Welcome to Nami ryu Kenjutsu online. I'm excited to have you here, and to share your passion for learning Japanese swordsmanship. ⚔️ Please take a minute to introduce yourself and share what motivates you to learn kenjutsu. Maybe you're into Kurosawa movies, the samurai, or Japanese swords, or maybe you've wanted to learn Japanese swordsmanship but don't have a place to train or a community to support you. We'd like to know what brought you here!