Hugh Cassidy first found the martial arts in 1973 with Minna Jujutsu, a combination of judo, karate, and savate. By 1995, he transitioned to Shotokan Karate and Aiki-Budo in 2009. Today, Cassidy took some time to talk about his exciting journey through many different martial arts. All images provided by Hugh Cassidy. Martial Arts of … Continue reading Interview with Lifelong Martial Artist Hugh Cassidy: From Jujutsu to Karate to Daito-ryu
Tag: Karate
Interview with Longtime Ninjutsu Practitioner Jeffery Prather: From Special Forces to Everyday Life
Jeffery Prather first began karate before finding ninjutsu from the Bujinkan. After earning a shodan in karate and an epic fight later, Prather found ninjutsu and started to study under Stephen Hayes, traveling long distances to learn this new art. When Hayes brought over Masaaki Hatsumi from Japan, Prather’s interest soared. Staying under the tutelage … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Ninjutsu Practitioner Jeffery Prather: From Special Forces to Everyday Life
Interview with The Saber Legion President Charley Cummings: Playing Star Wars
Charley Cummings joined The Saber Legion’s founders Josh Linden and Terry Birnbaum in the first six months of the organization’s existence. From there, it was nowhere but up, becoming the owner and president in 2021. Today, Cummings talks about how The Saber Legion approaches it curriculum, scoring, martial ethos, and its community. Martial Arts of … Continue reading Interview with The Saber Legion President Charley Cummings: Playing Star Wars
Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part I
Bruce Costa began training in Shotokan Karate under Teruyuki Okazaki in 1980 while at Temple University. What made him stay was the depth of content as represented by Okazaki himself, as opposed to what Costa had seen in popular culture. Since then, he opened Granite Forest Dojo in 2002 and has been a consistent and … Continue reading Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part I
Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part II
Bruce Costa began training in Shotokan Karate under Teruyuki Okazaki in 1980 while at Temple University. What made him stay was the depth of content as represented by Okazaki himself, as opposed to what Costa had seen in popular culture. Since then, he opened Granite Forest Dojo in 2002 and has been a consistent and … Continue reading Interview with Granite Forest Dojo Founder Bruce Costa: The Impact of Karate Training, Part II
Interview with Chushinkan Dojo Founder James Nakayama: Fumio Toyoda and His Legacy
James Nakayama first started training judo at the age of seven. Years later, an uncle told him about aikido. He soon enrolled into Orange County Aiki Kai, and has not stopped practicing since. In the 1970s, he met Fumio Toyoda and was captivated by his style and approach. It was not until the 1990s, after … Continue reading Interview with Chushinkan Dojo Founder James Nakayama: Fumio Toyoda and His Legacy
Interview with Ram’s Head Fencing Founder Josias Arcadia: Lineages and Competitions, Part II
He had to train in secret at first, but after a move to Minnesota, Josias Arcadia found a school to practice historical fencing. In an effort to learn more of the German tradition of longsword, Arcadia began his Ram’s Head Fencing and began training with James Riley in the Kunst des Fechtens tradition. Recently, he … Continue reading Interview with Ram’s Head Fencing Founder Josias Arcadia: Lineages and Competitions, Part II
Interview with Bushikan Aikido Kai Founder Greg Sinclair: Searching for Functionality in Aikido
After starting out in the striking arts and getting into his fair share of fights, Greg Sinclair was trying to find something that would help him in situations where he was physically outmatched. He found aikido in 1992. After training for a number of years and by a lucky chance, Sinclair found himself learning directly … Continue reading Interview with Bushikan Aikido Kai Founder Greg Sinclair: Searching for Functionality in Aikido
Interview with Sakurakan Dojo Chief Instructor David O’Callaghan: Expanding Judo in Washington, Part I
What follows are the transcripts of an interview with Sakurakan Dojo president David O’Callaghan from the summer of 2019 for one of my graduate projects. In this interview, O’Callaghan talks about how he runs his school and how it interacts with the larger community in Sumner, Washington. This is the first part of a two … Continue reading Interview with Sakurakan Dojo Chief Instructor David O’Callaghan: Expanding Judo in Washington, Part I
Interview with HDKI Founder Scott Langley: Getting on with Karate, Part II
Scott Langley first started jujutsu at the age of five. After a move to North Yorkshire, he started karate. During that time, he found an interview with Frank Brennan relating his decision to become a full-time karate instructor. In reading that interview, Langley knew that was what he wanted to do and set himself on … Continue reading Interview with HDKI Founder Scott Langley: Getting on with Karate, Part II









