Eclipse 2024 Miller Grove, TX Totality is hauntingly beautiful. It is the synchronization of time. It is harmony and perfection of the planets in all their harmonics of physics. It is, to be concious and sentient, fully present. It is mind altering. No one who stands within totality feels like the same person prior to the experience. It is a waking dream. It is so profound it saturates your every empty thought for months, day dreaming. It is pure mental seme ..read more

“Enzan no Metsuke” I’ve grew up in the mountains. Whenever I hear people talk about Enzan no Metsuke they always reference a mountain. In my daily world, mountains are infinite. When you’ve climbed a mountain and attained enlightenment, it turns out to be only the first peak; overlooking a vast landscape of more mountains. Looking behind you you see the same peaks and valleys you climbed on the way up. Your journey will never end at the top of the mountain. To observe your opponent as if viewing a distant mountain, still, limitless focus. This is the view I imagine. The continental divide ..read more

When assessing my past, my present and future in Kendo, I often paid too much attention to my past, ignoring the present. Thinking of now. Thinking of future. I evaluated my bogu’s condition. It was in sad shape. I had failed to keep attention and it was evident I needed to give attention it deserved. We often are told to look like the Dan to emulate to be. Evaluating my outward appearance it wasn’t good. Salt stains, chips, disrepair. I wasn’t even close to emulating 5.dan So I sat down for several days and cleaned and repaired my bogu. I always disliked the loose red overpainting on the m ..read more

Last week I had a life event occur. One that threw my mental status for a loop.  All parents will understand and relate to this Kendo lesson story. Last Sunday I had to call the police.  Not something I take lightly in this world. My daughter was skateboarding in the street, and as I approached her diagonal through my garden. I heard dogs barking. My dog, by my side perked up, the sprinted immediately toward my daughter.  I look up an see a 65lb Pitbull, ears flat, tail raised, squat low sprint. Full attack mode.  I reacted, but it was my young 9month old, fearless dog ..read more

Ya…that pretty much sums up Kendo. #relax #kendo ..read more

I’ve had two years of rest. Two years of non-Kendo.  I attended a GogoKeiko and it was a breath of fresh air into my life.  At the end I realized how much I needed Kendo in my life again. I was out of practice, I was out of shape….I am beat up.  The past two years have transformed everyone’s lives around the world. We find ourselves searching for how we can adapt to today, because tomorrow is always unknown.  I had a really good time reconnecting with those Kendoka I haven’t seen in many years, the Kendo family.  But now I am facing Inertia….I’ve sat for too long, a ..read more

In December of 2019 I announced my retirement from Kendo. My spirit was broken, my body was broken, my life was full of stress. I had truly reached a breaking point physically and mentally and had come to the crux.  But I was determined, I was set, I was following through to attempt GoDan after 15 years of training twice a week without interruption….. Then of course, CoVid shut down the world. I was two weeks away from my shinsa when everything stopped. ….everything.  I made the transition out of Kendo, out of leading a Dojo, and now….Kendo stopped. There are wonderful sensei that ..read more

where are you? where were you? For many reasons I took a break from Kendo in January, I cut back my training a lot, left a dojo to other leadership, redefined my relationship with Kendo in my life. I was training and maintaining myself for my GoDan test, which was supposed to be in April.  Long since passed, cancelled.  The world I live in, doesn’t look like its going to come back to functioning anytime soon.  This have given me time to heal from my persistent injuries. I’m sure they are still lingering, joint damage doesn’t go away – ever, it just calms down a bit.  ..read more

New Path. My life has is beyond complicated. The schedule I keep is a fractured timeline. I have 5 major international projects under production. The waza to keep everything running is a feat. Kendo has taught me how to face my adversities head on, with a calm mind. It has forged in my soul a self motivation that I have not yet fully comprehended. But that’s what the path of the future sorts out…. It’s not an echo. It has yet to be focused through ..read more

Its been a while since I posted. I’ve taken some major injury to my Ki. My body and mind were exhausted. I’ve taken time away from Kendo after practicing twice a week for 14 years. I’ve needed to adjust my outlook in Kendo.  I’ve gone through a separation caused by incidental movements, and split second errors – and it has taken me a while to understand what I really need from Kendo, and what others were doing to me. One thing I don’t need, people who lack compassion in their hearts.  I don’t need a mentor. I don’t need someone to “show me the way”. Is that arrogant? No. It is being self-awa ..read more