Price: $150.
Reservations required - Space is limited. Please see the attached form for details.
For further information and to make a reservation, please contact Valiant Yeung at 516-746-3380 or info@newyorkbudokai.net
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.
For further information, please call Valiant at 516-746-3380. Our e-mail address is: info@newyorkbudokai.net
Design by Stan Chin and Dan Mayorga
Welcome to New York Budokai's website.
New York Budokai Dojo is pleased to announce that Yahagi Kunikazu has been named Headmaster of Ryushin Jigen Ryu as of January 2008.
Mr. Yahagi will be teaching a one-day seminar on Saturday, June 21, 2008, 10:00am - 5:00pm at
Ripley-Grier Studios, 520 Eighth Avenue, 16th Floor (please bring photo ID to enter building)
(photo copyright 2006 by Haruko, www.harukopix.com)
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. Instructor Deborah Klens-Bigman studied with Mr. Otani for 19 years, and also acts as Dojo Manager. 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.
This site was constructed by members of New York Budokai:
Site Architecture by Dan Mayorga
Writing by Deborah Klens-Bigman and Thomas Dreitlein
Transcription by Suzanne Langenwalter