About US
About “Becoming Shindo Muso Ryu”
Shindo Muso Ryu is my koryu art. I began training with Kaminoda Tsunemori Sensei on Labor Day Weekend of 1995. In the first ten minutes of watching him do a weapons art (it happened to be Ikkaku ryu juttejutsu), I knew I was seeing the kind of focused, integrated movement I wanted, but didn’t have. That experience lit a fire in me that still burns.
After 2 decades of working together, I carry Kaminoda Sensei’s koryu art in me, however imperfectly. He carried Shimizu Sensei’s, who carried Shiraishi’s, all the way back to the founder, Musō Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi. Each a unique vessel embodying what their teacher gave them, adding their own understandings, and pouring that into their deshi keeping the art alive across generations. In this sense, we don’t practice an art, we become the art, and it lives through us.
Kaminoda’s writing output on Shindo Muso Ryu and the associated weapons arts was unmatched. These books record the kata, history, and philosophy of the ryu. This written record was designed as an aid to help maintain our arts. This blog will be a place to carry on some of Sensei’s explorations of the history and practices associated with Shindo Muso ryu. What I have done with his inspiration is entirely my own doing.
My Menkyo is from Kaminoda Sensei, but my Kaiden was awarded by Steve Bellamy Sensei, deshi of Kuroda Ichitaro Sensei. My jojutsu is unquestionably from Kaminoda, but much of how I think and teach is due to the influence of Bellamy, who generously finished my training after Kaminoda passed. My gratitude to both of these teachers is endless.
Dan Pearson
OUR MISSION AND VALUES
The mission of the Shindokai/神道会 is to carry the Shindo Muso ryu of Kaminoda Sensei to the next generation of practitioners. We strive to:
- maintain the old
- explore the lost
- embrace the new
We emphasize Kaminoda Sensei’s teachings about how to do kata, but at the same time we are constantly looking at the kata for their lessons and exploring alternative applications. Our teaching emphasizes what we inherited, but how we sometimes perform kata represents how the art is evolving through practice and reflection.
In Chinese martial traditions, the spear is typically the “king of weapons.” In Japanese martial traditions (since the Kamakura jidai) the sword is viewed as supreme. However, the versatility and power of the staff makes it a powerful tool in any one-on-one exchange against the katana. If the sword is king, the jo is a wild card that can be used as a sword, a spear or a naginata. We respect all who pursue the staff whether in the modern art of jodo, the older jojutsu, or any other staff tradition.
Our groups are committed to maintaining a welcoming environment and respecting diversity.