Interview with Seattle Kendo Kai Head Instructor Doug Imanishi: Responding to Covid and Celebrating 100 Years

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Beginning his training at a young age, Doug Imanishi took up kendo when his older cousin and he played with some rolled up newspapers. From there, his desire to train kendo grew, as did his family membership in the art. In 2004, he took over Seattle Kendo Kai, the one his grandfather helped establish in … Continue reading Interview with Seattle Kendo Kai Head Instructor Doug Imanishi: Responding to Covid and Celebrating 100 Years

Interview with Austin Historical Weapons Guild Founder Anthony Buonomo: Historical Fencing in Texas, Part II

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Anthony Buonomo explored the Eastern martial arts before finding historical fencing, though he was always interested in swords and the like. When he moved to Austin, Texas in 2012, he finally found a group and began teaching historical fencing after nine months of training, drawing on his previous martial arts training. This experience soon led … Continue reading Interview with Austin Historical Weapons Guild Founder Anthony Buonomo: Historical Fencing in Texas, Part II

Interview with Austin Historical Weapons Guild Founder Anthony Buonomo: Historical Fencing in Texas, Part I

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Anthony Buonomo explored the Eastern martial arts before finding historical fencing, though he was always interested in swords and the like. When he moved to Austin, Texas in 2012, he finally found a group and began teaching historical fencing after nine months of training, drawing on his previous martial arts training. This experience soon led … Continue reading Interview with Austin Historical Weapons Guild Founder Anthony Buonomo: Historical Fencing in Texas, Part I

Interview with Heartland HEMA Founder Mike Roth: HEMA, Tournaments, and Sportsification

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Mike Roth always enjoyed playing with swords, even as a child. He quickly joined a fencing class while in college and wanted more. Roth soon found Mark Wickersham at Five Rings Fencing in 2013 and has not stopped fencing single sword since then. About five years later, Roth established his Heartland HEMA and has placed … Continue reading Interview with Heartland HEMA Founder Mike Roth: HEMA, Tournaments, and Sportsification

Interview with Byakkokan Dojo Founder Sang Kim: Toyama-ryu in the United States, Part II

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Sang Kim began studying battodo at the age of eighteen, after being inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at a young age. What also helped him join was the fact that he used to hang out consistently at Bob Elder’s East Coast Martial Arts Supplies. From there, he joined the Toyama-ryu battodo dojo at Shindai … Continue reading Interview with Byakkokan Dojo Founder Sang Kim: Toyama-ryu in the United States, Part II

Interview with Byakkokan Dojo Founder Sang Kim: Toyama-ryu in the United States, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Sang Kim began studying battodo at the age of eighteen, after being inspired by Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at a young age. What also helped him join was the fact that he used to hang out consistently at Bob Elder’s East Coast Martial Arts Supplies. From there, he joined the Toyama-ryu battodo dojo at Shindai … Continue reading Interview with Byakkokan Dojo Founder Sang Kim: Toyama-ryu in the United States, Part I

Interview with Shinju Dojo Cofounder Heather Gawlick: Exploring Aikido and Karl Geis’ Legacy

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Between volleyball and aikido – something she had never heard of before – Heather Gawlick chose aikido and has not looked back since. Over the years, she has learned from Nick Lowry of Kaze Uta Budo Kai and Karl Geis of Fugakukai. At Geis’ suggestion, she opened her first school in 1999 in Albuquerque, New … Continue reading Interview with Shinju Dojo Cofounder Heather Gawlick: Exploring Aikido and Karl Geis’ Legacy

Interview with Shinju Dojo Cofounder Aikidoka Roy Gawlick: Karl Geis, Nick Lowry, and a Lifelong Study

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After a friend described to him what aikido is, Roy Gawlick quickly searched for a dojo to find out more. He came across Karl Geis’ school in Houston, Texas and never left the art. In 2001, Gawlick opened his first school in Vancouver, British Columbia then, in 2018, helped his wife Heather establish Shinju Dojo. … Continue reading Interview with Shinju Dojo Cofounder Aikidoka Roy Gawlick: Karl Geis, Nick Lowry, and a Lifelong Study