Category: Interviews

Interview with Brooklyn Aikikai Founder Ryūgan Savoca: Kazuo Chiba, Aikido, and Inclusivity

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Ryūgan Robert D. Savoca began training judo at 12 years old and took up aikido after his judo instructor suggested it to him. After that he learned from many teachers in California until he met Juba Nour, who taught him the “essence of Chiba Sensei.” Shortly afterwards, Savoca became Chiba’s uchi deshi, learning the intensity … Continue reading Interview with Brooklyn Aikikai Founder Ryūgan Savoca: Kazuo Chiba, Aikido, and Inclusivity

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part IV

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Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part IV

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part III

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part III

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part II

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part II

Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Josh Parise has always been into the martial arts, ranging from Mixed Martial Arts to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and taekwondo, from kendo to Western Martial Arts. After leaving the Marine Corps and learning Army Combatives, he found some videos and manuals on historical fencing and never looked back. In his pursuit of historical fencing, Josh established … Continue reading Interview with Broken Plow Founder Josh Parise: Creating Your Own Culture in Western Martial Arts, Part I

Interview with Naginata Practitioner Ellery Engala: Sachiko Yamauchi Prough and Naginata in the United States

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Ellery Engala first started wielding the sword, both in kendo and in iaido, before finding and enrolling himself into his first naginata class. When he did in 2001, Engala began to learn from Sachiko Yamauchi Prough, who was instrumental in establishing both the Canadian Naginata Federation and the East Coast Naginata Federation. When she passed … Continue reading Interview with Naginata Practitioner Ellery Engala: Sachiko Yamauchi Prough and Naginata in the United States

Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part II

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Josh Little began sword fighting when his high school physics teacher introduced LARP to him, which led Little to try out the Society for Creative Anachronism and Olympic Fencing. Later, in the late 1990s, he found historical fight manuscripts and never looked back. Around the same time, Little established his Ars Gladii, teaching a myriad … Continue reading Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part II

Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part I

~ Antonio Aloia ~ Leave a comment

Josh Little began sword fighting when his high school physics teacher introduced LARP to him, which led Little to try out the Society for Creative Anachronism and Olympic Fencing. Later, in the late 1990s, he found historical fight manuscripts and never looked back. Around the same time, Little established his Ars Gladii, teaching a myriad … Continue reading Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part I

Interview with Baer Swords School Baer Kenneys: Between Martial and Sport

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Baer Kenney began his fencing career in high school with Olympic Fencing. That changed to LARPing with his children, then Society for Creative Anachronism, Association of Renaissance Martial Arts, and then Historical European Martial Arts. In that time, he has trained karate, taekwondo, and hapkido, and established his school, Baer Swords School of Western Martial … Continue reading Interview with Baer Swords School Baer Kenneys: Between Martial and Sport

Interview with Aikido of Hilo Cofounder Robert Klein: Starting From Scratch and Friendship

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Robert Klein began aikido while at Stonybrook University, after some of his friends brought him to one of the classes. Immediately, he was hooked, even meeting his wife, Barbara, during training. He soon started travelling to Long Island Aikikai, studying under Eddie Hagihara. In 1980, he and Barbara moved to Hilo, Hawaii. There, the couple … Continue reading Interview with Aikido of Hilo Cofounder Robert Klein: Starting From Scratch and Friendship