内法

Inner Dharma is a blog concerned with traditional martial arts and culture, especially internal martial arts. I want to thank its readers for their feedback and encouragement over the last twenty years.

The Shin-no-Shinkage heihō of Ogasawara Genshinsai

10 April 2025

Discussing recent scholarship on the early/proto Jikishinkage-ryu kenjutsu of Ogasawara Genshinsai, which he called Shin-no-shinkage heihō, highlighting the influence of Taoism and esoteric Buddhist practice on his swordsmanship.

Divergence and Unification in Shinkage-ryū

09 September 2024

Link to an essay on kata, heiho and shugyo, where I compare and contrast different surviving lines of Shinkage-ryū and reflect on my own practice.

General Qi Jiguans's Jixiao Xinshu and Reflections on Claims of Martial Virtue

16 February 2023

An essay published at Kogen Budo, where I look at some older writings from Japanese koryu that reference classical Chinese military treatises, and then examine how practices described in those works may be represented in arts surviving today.

Gogyō Exegesis

14 May 2020

An essay describing my experience, thinking, and choices regarding attempting to practice multiple koryū and then deciding not to.

Pressure Testing in Classical Budō

15 October 2019

Description of some of my efforts to keep my practice of kenjutsu intact after moving to the Pacific Northwest. After moving, I decided to focus solely on Shinkage-ryū and pause my study of Shintō-ryū. This is some of what transpired.

Training intensity in Classical Budō

23 March 2019

A discussion of what consititutes proper training intensity in traditional martial arts. An examination of some of the important questions raised by a practice of traditional historical martial arts.

Aiki and Internal Training

23 February 2017

Collected thoughts on the historical influence of Chinese martial arts on Japanese jujutsu and how they relate to the topic of aiki in Aikido and Daito-ryu. What interested me about internal martial arts and how I have related that experience to my practice of Japanese budō.

NAMT Night of Budo 2013 – an analysis

17 June 2013

A brief reflection on a demonstration of Araki-ryū and Tenshin Buko-ryū at the NAMT 2013 Night of Budo.

Three Treasures and Six Harmonies

01 March 2008

An examination of baguazhang body mechanics compared to modern kempo. A discussion of power generation in internal martial arts. How training in internal martial arts changed my Aikido.