Interview with Shin Sou Fu Kan Founder Michael Lindsay: Koki Abe and Oklahoma Kendo, Part I

Kendo interested Michael Lindsay, even after training in karate and Olympic Fencing in his younger years. When he arrived at college in 2004, he found Senshikan Dojo under the direction of Koki Abe and Lindsay quickly took to Japanese swordsmanship and fostering a friendship with Abe. When Abe left to return to Japan in 2006, … Continue reading Interview with Shin Sou Fu Kan Founder Michael Lindsay: Koki Abe and Oklahoma Kendo, Part I

Interview with Order of Selohaar Cofounder Christian Tobler: Bringing the Medieval Era to the Present, Part II

Christian Tolber was introduced to swordplay in the late 1970s. It was not until the 1990s that he discovered historical fencing manuscripts, taking to the study. Since 2001, Tobler has been publishing, translating, and interpreting various historical sources, becoming one of the first to publish academic works and a prolific practitioner within the historical fencing … Continue reading Interview with Order of Selohaar Cofounder Christian Tobler: Bringing the Medieval Era to the Present, Part II

Interview with Star Temple Lead Instructor Dakota Eggert: Culture in a Fast Fencing League

Lightspeed Saber appealed to Dakota Eggert differently than other sports like boxing and karate. He cites that the culture of Lightspeed Saber keeps him coming back to continue training and teaching. In 2019, Eggert founded his Star Temple school and has seen the Lightspeed Saber League grow since he joined. Today, Eggert discusses the culture … Continue reading Interview with Star Temple Lead Instructor Dakota Eggert: Culture in a Fast Fencing League

Interview with Tomiki Aikido of the Americas’ Tournament Director Tiffany Doan: Teaching and Competing in Tomiki Aikido

Tiffany Doan first started in the striking arts and never thought about aikido until a colleague introduced her to the art. After taking a few classes, she was hooked, showing up three times a week for three hours a day. From there, she competed in many events and headed three different schools in three different … Continue reading Interview with Tomiki Aikido of the Americas’ Tournament Director Tiffany Doan: Teaching and Competing in Tomiki Aikido

Interview with 417 HEMA Founder José Ortiz-Inchausty: Fencing From Puerto Rico to Missouri

Like many historical fencers before the explosion of the internet, YouTube, and other platforms, José Ortiz-Inchausty early training was composed of pieces of information coupled with his background in previous martial arts. His interest in historical fencing became more apparent while he was in college and a few of his friends helped him and each … Continue reading Interview with 417 HEMA Founder José Ortiz-Inchausty: Fencing From Puerto Rico to Missouri

Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Christopher Hein: Looking at Aikido From the Outside In, Part II

After being told that people who train aikido could use their spiritual ability to stop people from hitting them with sticks, Christopher Hein was intrigued, but could not find a dojo until 1998. He threw himself into the training, becoming uchi deshi at Aikido of Fresno and a black belt. With a history of fighting, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime Aikidoka Christopher Hein: Looking at Aikido From the Outside In, Part II

Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Founder Jacob McDonald: Jeremy Pace’s Influence in the Northeast

Jacob McDonald first began training in empty-hand martial arts like karate and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but then the “martial realities” of weapons-based arts took hold of him, finding an instructor with Jeremy Pace of Cymbrogi School of Western Martial Arts in Oklahoma. After returning to Maryland in 2017, McDonald established his Round Table Historical Fencing, then … Continue reading Interview with Round Table Historical Fencing Founder Jacob McDonald: Jeremy Pace’s Influence in the Northeast

Interview with Houston Heights Kendo Club Founder Masayuki Koyama: Accepting the Future Flow of Kendo

Masayuki Koyama began training in kendo during high school while growing up in Japan. Afterwards, he found himself in the United States and began teaching kendo to his son in 1999. Because he was teaching at a community center, other people started coming in, looking for kendo lessons. From then on, he established his Houston … Continue reading Interview with Houston Heights Kendo Club Founder Masayuki Koyama: Accepting the Future Flow of Kendo

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

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