Author Archives: iaidotsj

I have kept my opinion and perspective out of Furuya Sensei’s posts purposefully.  I have edited some of the misspelled words due to his frantic typing as opposed to his lack of skill, and I have edited out some unrelated responses to people who wrote to him and to whom he addressed specifically. There areContinue reading “Reflection on Furuya Sensei’s Posts”

In order to be good at anything, one must do that thing. Malcolm Gladwell has supported and promoted the idea that it takes 10,000 hours to master something. The concept has come under fire and the research has been questioned, but we can only become good at something by doing it. As a rule, theContinue reading “A Piece of Rice Paper”

The inspiration for Iaido is said to have come to Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu during the Nara or Heian period.  Shigenobu is also said to have been born in 1549 in Sagami, an area controlled by the Odawara Hojo but Sagami was adjacent to Kai, the home of Lord Takeda Shingen(1521-1573), a powerful daimyo set onContinue reading “The Old and The New”

From a Western perspective, a teacher and an instructor are synonymous. These words are used interchangeably when referencing someone from whom we are learning. From a Japanese perspective these words are very different in their connotation. It is common in modern, standards-based education to think and plan lessons around the facilitation of learners acquiring skills,Continue reading “Infinite Lessons”

I remember one day asking sensei why he trained in Aikido and Iaido. His response was, “How dare you ask me this question!” My intent was to discover if the same reasons for his devotion to the art were the same as mine, but what I have come to understand is that there is onlyContinue reading “Futile System”

None of us lives in a vacuum.  I am reminded of this daily.  Relying upon others sometimes goes unnoticed and it’s easy to forget how intricately woven together all of our lives are.  The social hierarchy of feudal Japan reflected this by placing farmers above craftsmen and merchants.  If we don’t eat, we don’t live.Continue reading “Simplicity in Connections”