Mountain Winds Budo, a name blended of both Eastern and Western cultures to help us remember that the traditional paths of budo are adapted to become modern practices in the 21st century.
It is accepted practice to write such information in the third person, however, for most of my life I have walked outside convention. So please excuse me, as I continue to do the same in giving some information about myself.
I have been a native Brook Trout fishing fanatic since I was very young. A true gift of understanding life from my grandfather. While chasing the magic found in landing and releasing a Brookie, I also discovered the "mountain winds" long before my martial studies began. If you find a spot along a small, hidden native trout stream anywhere and listen, you'll hear the wind moving through the trees. If you let go and listen from within, you'll find time alters. It slows and we can live each minute as it is, no more, no less. This is the essence of what we strive for in our training at Mountain Winds Budo. To aspire to the practice budo with this same feeling.
Many have likely seen one or more of Akira Kurosawa's films. I would have never thought it possible to capture the feeling of the mountain winds except by living it. Kurosawa's films come very close to capturing this feeling as I understand it on film.
I am a former Marine, an Experimental Archaeologist, and a History Professor. Like many, I have studied various martial disciplines until I became involved in the Bujinkan arts in the fall of 1992. As my training progressed, I recognized that I wanted formal, focused training in kenjutsu which lead me to Itten Dojo and my studies of Itto Ryu kenjutsu.
If you would like to know more about Mountain Winds Dojo, email, call, or come and train with us.