Month: February 2025

Interview with Historical Fencing Mentor Peter Haas: Involvement in the HEMA Community

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Peter Haas began training historical fencing in 2015 at Sword Class NYC in the middle of some life changes. Additionally, he studies Toyama-ryu, which has expanded his understanding of swordsmanship. In the year that followed 2015, Haas created Kollektiv des Messerfechtens and Squinting Rabbit Productions, and teaches at Gotham Swords, striving to be a mentor … Continue reading Interview with Historical Fencing Mentor Peter Haas: Involvement in the HEMA Community

Interview with Bothell Aikido Founder Amanda Ambrosio: Jiyushinkai’s Uniqueness

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Amanda Ambrosio first studied Taekwondo. When she relocated for an internship in Oklahoma, she could not find any Taekwondo schools that she liked and found an aikido dojo that welcomed her. Over the years she learned from Jiyushinkai founder Chuck Clark and his son and current head, Aaron. Ambrosio has since moved to Washington State … Continue reading Interview with Bothell Aikido Founder Amanda Ambrosio: Jiyushinkai’s Uniqueness

Interview with Sala Della Spada Founder Patrick Bratton: Blending the Historical and Modern in Fencing

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First starting in Tang Soo Do and enjoying the weapon forms, Patrick Bratton gravitated towards more weapons work, joining Olympic foil and Society for Creative Anachronism heavy fencing, and later HEMA in 2013. From there, Bratton established Sala Della Spada, teaching both Olympic and historical fencing, where he implements modern training methods to keep students … Continue reading Interview with Sala Della Spada Founder Patrick Bratton: Blending the Historical and Modern in Fencing

Kendo During Japanese American Internment

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Introduction With over 100,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans spread across the ten relocation centers, many communities were fractured, forcing many to either isolate or function in a new environment with new people. According to martial arts historian Joseph Svinth in 2003, “The ties stayed broken” while in the relocation centers, much like their destroyed kendo … Continue reading Kendo During Japanese American Internment

Interview with Granite State Aikido Club Instructor Linda Hovan: Meeting Donovan Waite

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Linda Hovan found herself in aikido with her husband, Michel, as he took her to many a seminar, both in New York and Pennsylvania. It was during one of these seminars that she met Donovan Waite and his teaching intrigued her and Michel, so much so that the couple traveled to Philadelphia regularly to train … Continue reading Interview with Granite State Aikido Club Instructor Linda Hovan: Meeting Donovan Waite

Reflecting on How to be a Modern Samurai

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Cummins, Antony. How to be a Modern Samurai: 10 Steps of Finding Your Power & Achieving Success. Watkins; London. 2020 I am always interested in what Antony Cummins produces, whether it pertains to the ninja, to Natori-ryu, or anything in between. His perspective on these topics is different, refreshing, and, at times, enlightening to consider … Continue reading Reflecting on How to be a Modern Samurai

Interview with Capital Kunst des Fechtens Instructor William Buschur: Changes in Training Approaches in Historical Fencing

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After seeing a more martial version of stage combat on YouTube, William Buschur was hooked on trying to find a place to do that. Unfortunately, there was nothing around him until he relocated to Northern Virginia and stumbled across Capital Kunst des Fechtens, studying under the tutelage of Jake Norwood. Once Norwood relocated for his … Continue reading Interview with Capital Kunst des Fechtens Instructor William Buschur: Changes in Training Approaches in Historical Fencing