Welcome to New York Budokai's website.

PLEASE JOIN NEW YORK BUDOKAI FOR A INTRODUCTION TO:
JIGEN RYU & FIRST CUT WORKSHOP

Ryushin Jigen Ryu is a Japanese sword system that is unique and rarely seen outside Japan. Students will learn to handle an iaito (pratice sword) properly, to draw and cut in various forms. In the First Cut workshop students will get expert instructions on how to test cut a rolled straw mat with an actual "Live" blade.

Click here for more info... 		November 18th, 2008
Tuesday 7 pm - 10 pm

Ripley Grier Studios
520 Eighth Ave (37th & 38th St.)
16th Fl. (please bring photo ID to enter building).
Popularly known as "the art of drawing the sword," iaido is the contemporary legacy of the samurai of feudal Japan. A professional warrior class, both samurai men and women practiced warrior skills. Hayashizake Jinsuke Shigenobu is considered the legendary founder of iaido as a concept and practice distinct from sword fighting in the 16th century, paralleling the development of a unified country. After Japan was finally unified under Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu early in the 17th century, the samurai combined their war skills with their interest in personal and spiritual refinement, including the study of spiritual and traditional arts. The combination gave samurai a venue for practicing their skills with a sense of meditative mindfulness.

Otani Sensei In keeping with the philosophy of our Founder, Sensei Yoshiteru Otani, we teach a variety of sword arts at New York Budokai. Muso Shinden Ryu iaido is offered as taught by our Founder, Mr. Otani. We also teach Ryushin Jigen Ryu, a smaller and more unusual style of swordsmanship under the guidance of Headmaster Terutaka Kawabata and Master Kunikazu Yahagi, both located in Tokyo. We also offer some practice in jodo, which features a 4-1/2 foot stick pitted against a sword. (Please see the Curriculum page for details.)

Instructors

The Chief Instructor for the Budokai is Phil Ortiz, who studied iaido with Otani Sensei for more than 30 years. Stanley Chin is Associate Instructor. We also host senior instructors from Japan and elsewhere in the various styles offered from time to time. These are master classes for NYB members not generally available to the public.

Class Schedule

Classes are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at NY Spaces Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 Eighth Avenue (between 36th and 37th Streets), sixteenth floor. Generally speaking, Tuesday night classes consist of Ryushin Jigen ryu iaido and Shindo Muso ryu jodo, while Thursday night classes follow the Muso Shinden Ryu iaido curriculum. While the days remain the same, the content of the evening's practice may be changed at the discretion of the instructor on any given night. Visitors to the dojo are welcome to come on the first Thursday of any month to observe a class.

Dues, Fees and Equipment

New York Budokai is a membership organization. Members pay a monthly dues of $100 per month. We do not charge by the class. Paying a monthly dues allows New York Budokai to offer instruction at a relatively low rate for all members. Dues are used to pay rent on the studio spaces, which must be paid regardless of how many members attend class on a given day. Instructors are not paid. In addition, new members are assessed a one-time fee of $100 when they join New York Budokai. The fee covers the cost of reproducing a copy of the Dojo manual, use of borrowed equipment (if any), and is a courtesy to the Dojo for individual instruction offered to beginning students. The fee may be paid in installments if it is more convenient for the new member. New members can purchase keikogi, hakama, obi, iaito and bokuto through New York Budokai at a reasonable price. Knee pads are strongly recommended, which new members should purchase on their own.

For further information, please call Valiant at 516-746-3380. Or e-mail us: click here

This site was constructed by members of New York Budokai:

Design by Stan Chin and Dan Mayorga
Site Architecture by Dan Mayorga
Text by Thomas Dreitlein
Transcription by Suzanne Langenwalter