Martial Arts Demonstrations / Workshops

Look for complete martial arts schedules for 2010 in August.

Iaido

Iaido is a Japanese sword-drawing art and is one of the traditional Japanese Martial Arts, or budo, that is concerned with drawing the blade and cutting in the same motion. A typical form consists of the draw and cut, a finishing cut, cleaning the blade and returning it to the scabbard, all without looking away from an imaginary opponent. Most practice is done solo, with live steel. Students must strive to achieve power, precision and perfection in their form. Along the way they learn balance, grace and control, both of the body and the mind. The techniques themselves deal with many situations, such as a sudden attack by several opponents, a surprise attack while bowing to someone, an enemy lying in wait behind a sliding door or an attack in a darkened room. The scenarios are countless and thus the samurai that developed this art strove to be prepared in any situation.

Kendo

The art of Kendo derives from sword skills developed by samurai of the 12th century. During the 14th to 16th centuries in Japan, accomplished swordsmen opened schools to teach the "art of the sword." The more peaceful Edo period (1600 to 1868) saw the moral and spiritual elements of the practice come to the forefront, and the art continued. Kendo practitioners train using a bamboo sword called a shinai. They wear a face mask and body armor called bogu that allows for full contact sparring with a low risk of injury.

Interested parties may use the following link to contact the Kansas City Kendo Group.

Katori Shinto Ryu

Katori Shinto Ryu is the oldest still existing martial art in Japan. Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu was founded in 1447 by Izasa Ienao. It is considered to be the most distinguished of all Japanese martial traditions, and as such was designated an intangible cultural treasure by the Japanese government in April of 1960. Katori Shinto Ryu came to influence many of the major styles which were developed later. Originally, Katori Shinto Ryu was created from the standpoint of fighting on the battlefield. The weapons used, the techniques and the philosophy of the style reflect this orientation. It is a true battlefield art, created at a time when Japan was embroiled in civil war. Weapons studied included the sword, the staff, the halberd and the shuriken among other weapons.

There is an unarmed aspect to the art as well as a Ninjutsu (espionage) section. There are also even more pure military studies such as encampment and field fortification strategies. The overall philosophy seems to revolve around the concept of producing well rounded and balanced soldiers who are proficient in a variety of battlefield weapons and strategies. Thus, Katori Shinto Ryu is a military art.

Judo

Judo (the "gentle way") is a martial art, sport and philosophy that originated in Japan. Judo is the successor to Jujitsu ("to conquer by yielding or compliance") which stressed unarmed combat against armed opponents and was studied by samurai to complement their sword and spear techniques. Judo uses the principal of using an opponent’s strength against him or her and adapting well to changing circumstances. For example, if the attacker was to push against their opponent, they would find their opponent stepping to the side and allowing (usually with the aid of a foot to trip them up) their momentum to throw them forward (the reverse being true for pulling). Judo assumes that there are two main phases of combat: the standing (tachi-waza) and the ground (ne-waza) phases. Each phase requires its own separate techniques strategies and conditioning. Some training is devoted to "transitional" techniques to bridge the gap between the standing and ground phases

Ki-Aikido

Ki-Aikido (Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido - Aikido with Mind and Body Unified) is a particular school of Aikido. Aikido is a modern Martial Art developed from traditional Juiitsu, Ken (sword) and Yari (spear) arts. Entirely defensive, Aikido is not a sport (there are no competitions) nor is it a technique for fighting. Rather it is a dynamic self-defense form, utilizing throws and joint locks. Ki-Aikido puts particular emphasis on “Ki (Life Force) Development" as a way to promote relaxation and overall body awareness. By developing "Ki" and a greater understanding of it through meditation and breathing techniques, Ki-Aikido practitioners are better able to utilize and manipulate their own -- and their attackers -- Ki when executing Aikido techniques.

Jinmukan

The Jinmukan Japanese Sword Fighting School teaches various forms of Japanese Sword arts including Iaijutsu, Iaido, Kenjutsu and in Bojutsu (long staff) and Naginatajutsu (halberd, a long bladed weapon). "Jin-mu-kai" means "Devine Martial Arts Association."