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View Full Version : Iaijutsu/Kenjutsu dojo in and near the Bellflower, CA area?



fadriano
19th October 2015, 08:34
Hi,

I'll be moving to Bellflower soon, and I'd like to ask if you guys know of an Iaijutsu or Kenjutsu dojo that's within or near the Bellflower area in CA.

I've already done a search on the net, and the nearest one is in the Los Angeles area, which is the same Ryo I'm currently attending here in the Philippines. The dojo in LA is a 30 to 50-minute drive from our home in Bellflower. The commute is just a bit far from our house.

So I'm just trying to see if you guys know of any other dojo that hasn't been listed on the net.

Thanks to those who will be constructively assisting me with my search.

Cheers!

Ralutin
19th October 2015, 16:39
Norwalk Kendo Dojo offers an iaido class on Monday evenings from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.:

http://www.eanet.com/norwalk/ref/iaido.htm

Norwalk Kendo Dojo is located in Norwalk, just east of Bellflower.

Also, there is a Suio Ryu dojo in Anaheim:

http://www.suioryu-usa.org/

What style are you currently practicing?

fadriano
19th October 2015, 17:41
Norwalk Kendo Dojo offers an iaido class on Monday evenings from 9 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.:

http://www.eanet.com/norwalk/ref/iaido.htm

Norwalk Kendo Dojo is located in Norwalk, just east of Bellflower.

Also, there is a Suio Ryu dojo in Anaheim:

http://www.suioryu-usa.org/

What style are you currently practicing?

Thanks, Ralutin. I'll check them out. :)

I'm currently getting into Shinkendo. They have a dojo in Los Angeles, but I'm more inclined to attend an iaido dojo that's within or near Bellflower since most classes start either late afternoon or early evening.

fadriano
22nd October 2015, 06:31
It seems I'll be staying in Long Beach rather than Bellflower.

Any suggestions for an iaido or iaijutsu dojo within the Long Beach area? The ones in Anaheim and Norwalk a bit too far. Thanks!

Ralutin
22nd October 2015, 19:44
It seems I'll be staying in Long Beach rather than Bellflower.

Any suggestions for an iaido or iaijutsu dojo within the Long Beach area? The ones in Anaheim and Norwalk a bit too far. Thanks!

I don't know of any iai dojo within Long Beach. If you're interested in kendo, there's the Long Beach Kendo Dojo.

What are your travel limitations (lack of transportation, work/school hours, etc.)?

I know that most of the iaido students who practice at the Norwalk Kendo Dojo (including myself) travel from Long Beach, Garden Grove, Irvine (where the iaido head instructor lives), and even Glendale/Pasadena.

fadriano
22nd October 2015, 23:30
I don't know of any iai dojo within Long Beach. If you're interested in kendo, there's the Long Beach Kendo Dojo.

What are your travel limitations (lack of transportation, work/school hours, etc.)?

I know that most of the iaido students who practice at the Norwalk Kendo Dojo (including myself) travel from Long Beach, Garden Grove, Irvine (where the iaido head instructor lives), and even Glendale/Pasadena.

Hi, Ralutin!

Thank you very much for being so patient in answering my queries. I sincerely appreciate it.

With regard to the travel limitations, there are several reasons for it:
- transportation (I'm not yet familiar with the area, so using public transport is not an option at the moment. My mother and brother use their cars for work.)
- hours of availability (Most of the dojos that I've seen have hours that do not coincide with mine.)

Thank you for suggesting the Long Beach Kendo Dojo. Unfortunately, I'm more into Iaido. And I already have the equipment for it. :)

If I only know some of the Long Beach students who practice at Norwalk, I'd probably travel with them to get acquainted with the streets and roads going to the dojo... maybe a carpool?

Brian Owens
24th October 2015, 20:01
Since you have been practicing Shinkendo, I'd suggest taking the time to learn about transportation options between Long Beach and the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles; that's where the honbu dojo of Shinkendo is located. Depending on where in Long Beach you will be living, it could be fewer than 20 miles.

fadriano
25th October 2015, 00:41
Since you have been practicing Shinkendo, I'd suggest taking the time to learn about transportation options between Long Beach and the Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles; that's where the honbu dojo of Shinkendo is located. Depending on where in Long Beach you will be living, it could be fewer than 20 miles.

Hi, Brian.

Thank you. That is actually one of my options at the moment. However, I was able to find one dojo that offers iaido using an android app. It's the Shidare Yanagi Ryu, which is around Pacific Ave and West 3rd Street in Long Beach. I'll be staying along Rose Ave, so the commute is definitely shorter. I've sent them an email inquiry just earlier.

Thank you very much for all of your help! :)

Brian Owens
25th October 2015, 02:44
...I was able to find one dojo that offers iaido... It's the Shidare Yanagi Ryu...

I hope you get a chance to visit that dojo. Their leader, Don Angier, passed away almost exactly a year ago, and I don't know who the current teacher(s) is/are. Yanagi Ryu is a broad-based Aiki system, with both empty-hand and various weapons arts in the curriculum.

Please let us know how things are going once you're settled in over here.

fadriano
25th October 2015, 02:14
I hope you get a chance to visit that dojo. Their leader, Don Angier, passed away almost exactly a year ago, and I don't know who the current teacher(s) is/are. Yanagi Ryu is a broad-based Aiki system, with both empty-hand and various weapons arts in the curriculum.

Please let us know how things are going once you're settled in over here.

Thank you, Brian.

Their new head is Jeremy Breazeale based on what I've read here (https://www.facebook.com/notes/jeremy-breazeale/shidare-yanagi-ryu-1312015/10153636672332178), and the one taking care of the Long Beach dojo is Aaron Raynor. Based on what I've gathered so far, they just have small clubs around the U.S.

I'll definitely provide updates after I've paid them a visit to let people here know about how they do things. There's no information about classes and requirements on their website at the moment, so I've sent an email to both Breazeale and Raynor sensei.

Thanks again, Brian!

Ralutin
26th October 2015, 18:29
Hi, Ralutin!

Thank you very much for being so patient in answering my queries. I sincerely appreciate it.

With regard to the travel limitations, there are several reasons for it:
- transportation (I'm not yet familiar with the area, so using public transport is not an option at the moment. My mother and brother use their cars for work.)
- hours of availability (Most of the dojos that I've seen have hours that do not coincide with mine.)

Thank you for suggesting the Long Beach Kendo Dojo. Unfortunately, I'm more into Iaido. And I already have the equipment for it. :)

If I only know some of the Long Beach students who practice at Norwalk, I'd probably travel with them to get acquainted with the streets and roads going to the dojo... maybe a carpool?

If you decide to join Norwalk Kendo Dojo for iaido and you still need transportation, I can introduce you to the student who lives in Long Beach and perhaps you two may be able to work something out.

It looks like you have a few options/dojo still to consider, so let us know what you decide after you have your move sorted out.

Good luck!

fadriano
26th October 2015, 22:21
If you decide to join Norwalk Kendo Dojo for iaido and you still need transportation, I can introduce you to the student who lives in Long Beach and perhaps you two may be able to work something out.

It looks like you have a few options/dojo still to consider, so let us know what you decide after you have your move sorted out.

Good luck!



Thanks, Dennis! I appreciate the offer. I'll update you as soon as I get settled in.