Dojo near San Diego

[Semper-Fi]

Does anyone know of a koryu bujutsu dojo or some similiar japanese weapons art dojo near San Diego ?

[johenora]

Dear Semper Fi:
There are several in San Diego County? What in particular are you looking for?---Contact me at johndenora@yahoo.com
I will send you a list and you can go from there.

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

I have heard of a Suio Ryu Iai Kempo �i�…‰¨—¬‹��‡Œ•–@�j Dojo in San Diego.

Have a look at the the contact list on this webpage (http://www.suioryu-usa.org/)

[Dale Seago]

Originally posted by Gunyo Kogusoku
I have heard of a Suio Ryu Iai Kempo �i�…‰¨—¬‹��‡Œ•–@�j Dojo in San Diego.

From the website:

"It is a comprchensive martial art which encompasses iai, kenpo, kogusoku, wakizashi, naginata, and jo-jutsu."

Definitely looks worth investigating.

[johenora]

Dale Seago---
Suio Ryu is a fine Japanese ancient Koryu Bujutsu school for Samurai training--18 subjects etc.Honbu--main Headquarters in Japan.
The Sensei in San Diego, California is Brian Stokes,Sensei---suioryuusa@aol.com.
This Koryu system has a long lineage since time immemorial.See website.
Check the emblem--mon- on the web page of Suio Ryu---this same emblem is on my ShinKen.My Katana used to belong to a Japanese Army General.Now I have the privilege to polish myself and this live blade.
There are several fine Koryu Bujutsu schools in San Diego--three Daito Ryu,one Ono Ha Itto, two Yanagi Ryu,one Eishin Ryu(ETC)of Osaka at San Diego Shimabukuro Sensei and one Budokan-Tenshin lineage Bussan Sensei,et.al..
Happiness and Cheers,

[Jay Bell]

Official Suio ryu Page (http://www2.wbs.ne.jp/~nck/suiou/index.htm)

from Koryu.com:

Systems: iai (tandoku; kumi); kempo (odachi, kodachi, tanto, aikuchi/kaiken); naginata; jo (jo, tanjo); kogusoku (sude; wakizashi)
Date founded: early Edo period (ca. 1615)
Founded by: Mima Yoichizaemon Kagenobu
Present representative/headmaster: Katsuse Yoshimitsu (Kagehiro), 15th headmaster
Primarily located in: Shizuoka; Tokyo; Kanagawa; Chiba

[Brian Stokes]

Hi All,

Just noticed this thread after conducting a search on google. Classes in the Suio Ryu are held Tuesday and Thursday at the Fudochi Dojo in Solana Beach, starting at 7:00pm and ending around 11:00 to 11:30. (Solana Beach is about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego and is the City just north of Del Mar.) All are welcome. For directions please go to www.sandiegokoryu.com. (They are located at the bottom of the page.)

Thanks,

Brian Stokes

[Jay Bell]

Also...

James Williams at the Dojo of the Four Winds:

http://dojoofthefourwinds.com/

He's in Encinitas, just north of San Diego.

[Brian Stokes]

Hi Jay,

The individual who started this thread specifically asked for a koryu bujutsu dojo. What Mr. Williams teaches, from what I know of it, is definately NOT koryu bujutsu. (Correct me if I am wrong on this, but James does not hold menkyo license from any of the traditional Japanese koryu.)

This is no way meant to reflect on Mr. William's abilities in any way. Simply a "point of order."

Brian Stokes

[Jay Bell]

Hi Brian,

Read what he asked again:


Does anyone know of a koryu bujutsu dojo or some similiar japanese weapons art dojo near San Diego ?

[Gunyo Kogusoku]

Yeah but he asked for koryu first. :Shrugs shoulders*

[Charles Mahan]

If I was new to JSA and lived in San Diego, I'd probably be looking to sign on with Stokes-sensei. Legitimate koryu training is very difficult to come by. Qualified instruction can be even harder. In Stokes-sensei and Suio Ryu, you have both.

Williams-sensei does his own style which he calls Nami-ryu. It is principally grounded in older forms of JSA, but is a new system and as such does not qualify as koryu. To his credit, he is very open about this. During the goodwill keiko at the 2003 San Antonio Sword Show one of the students asked what style the waza Williams-sensei was teaching. He responded goodnaturedly that it was "James Ryu".

In all fairness, the original poster did ask for Koryu instruction, or "some similar Japanese weapon arts dojo". I think Nami-ryu qualifies as similar to koryu in the same general way that shinkendo qualifies as similar to koryu. Which is to say that it is Gendai, but it isn't a McDojo.

[Brian Stokes]

Hi Charles,

Thanks for the kind words! I just wanted to correct one item and that is to ask you to please not call me Sensei. That is a very honored term in the Suio Ryu and is granted only by Soke (and usually temporarily at that.) When I first met Katsuse Soke two years ago he said to me, "There is only one Sensei in the Suio Ryu"(pointing at himself) and then he said, "But remember, I am only a Sensei."

Ergo, just call me Brian. (After all, I have only been involved in JSA for 25 years - not nearly long enough to be called Sensei).

Have a great day!

Brian (don't call me Sensei) Stokes
Suio Ryu Iai Kenpo

[Charles Mahan]

Think it creeps you out??? I've made a couple of training trips to Houston to train with a branch dojo of ours down there. I ran into one of the younger students at a convention recently and she called out to get my attention, "Charles Mahan-sensei!" Made my skin crawl and my teeth grate. At least you've got a couple of decades under your belt. I'm polishing off my 6th year at MJER. Not exactly time to hear that title.