Training in Washington DC

[Gabriel L]

Hello everybody!

Short and to the point: does anyone know of valid JSA in the DC area or nearby? Hoping for koryu, though I'd appreciate info on other possibilities. In fact, not just JSA, but practice in any of the koryu bujutsu would be of interest. I'm not particularly interested in kendo, though I'm not dismissing the possibility outright.

Thank you in advance.

[will]

Try http://eishinkai.homestead.com/

Greg Huff-sensei is an exemplary teacher of MJER and has a goood group.

I believe Dave Drawdy also has a Toyama-ryu group going, but don't remember the website.

[gendzwil]

There are several kendo dojos, see www.kendo-usa.org for details. I've practiced with the DC crew several times, they're nice people.

[coach_md]

Mr. Drawdy's website is www.swordspirit.com. You can also reach him through http://www.geocities.com/nvbudokai/index.html.

There is also Great Falls Budokan in Sterling, VA that teaches Tenshin Ryu.

Mike Dumas

[Gabriel L]

Thanks. Sorry to bother you all with another boring "where can I find training" post, but I appreciate the help. THe MJER dojo looks very attractive, though of course I'm going to keep looking until I'm sure of my options.

Edit: I just saw the link to Mr. Drawdy's site and it looks very intriguing. While I trust from the feedback on this site that the style is most definitely a "legitimate" one, I'll have to do some research to see whether it would be more appealing to me, personally, than a koryu dojo... anyway, thanks again. (PS - Just out of curiosity, what in your opinion could a very below-average athlete hope to achieve in a mere four school years of JSA training? Lol)

[pgsmith]

Hi Gabriel,
Luckily for you (and me!) athleticism is not a big requirement for Japanese Sword Arts. Four years of dedicated practice can get you well on your way. I can vouch for Dave Drawdy's dedication and sword skills. He's a good guy that could teach you a lot. For some more information on Nakamura Ryu which he teaches, you can check out Guy Power's web site. Lots of great information here ... http://www.webdiva4hire.com/kenshinkan/
For what it's worth, although I have never trained with him, I have heard a lot of good things about Greg Huff also. I don't think you could go wrong with either one. My advice would be to give them both a call, go and watch a class or two, and then decide which class floats your boat the highest.

Good luck in your search!

[Charles Mahan]

If it helps, Dave Drawdy is one of Huff Sensei's students.

[Jack B]

At the risk of cross-pollination, there is also Rick Polland's very fine Rembukan where they practice Muso Shinden Ryu and Shindo Muso Ryu.

[socho]

Hi Gabriel,
I can personally recommend and vouch for the unusually high quality of the instruction at both the Eishinkai (yes, I study there, but not regularly, lately) and the Rembukan (have also attended several seminars with Rick). You would have to judge my group for yourself, but you are welcome to come visit and ask any questions you may have. You can pm me or email me through either of the sites mentioned.
I just returned from a wonderful visit to England, where a good friend (nana-dan kyoshi) hosted the first England Batto-do Tai Kai. Good participation, good spirit and lots of interest from other budo groups in the London area, many of whom provided demos and attended the tameshigiri seminar. More on this later.

Regards,
Dave

[Gabriel L]

In my case, I find "cross-pollination" very appealing. I am interested in a variety of Japanese weaponry, and though my main focus is on the sword, as far as martial arts go I would love to study a broad range of techniques and weapons. The site for the Rembukan looks VERY interesting. Unfortunately, mapquest places Severna Park, MD at about 50 minutes driving distance from Washington. Plus, I'm not sure about transportation because I'm not bringing a car... Actually, it wasn't very clear where the dojo was, though I'm assuming it's in Severna Park... anyway, there are a lot of factors that I have to consider, but I need to do the research and contact these dojo in any case, so I'm keeping my many appealing options open .

[gendzwil]

I'm not sure if there's anything actually in DC proper, other than the kendo group at GWU. Maybe the iaido guys can set me straight.

[Charles Mahan]

Huff-sensei's dojo appears to be just outside of DC proper on the southside. Mapblast shows it around 33 minutes south of down town DC.