Miyamoto Musashi – His Life And Legacy
If you’ve had anything to do with the world of Japanese sword arts, for any length of time, then it is very likely you have heard the name Miyamoto Musashi or the sword named after him , the Miyamoto Musashi Katana.
Although some may argue this fact, it is very likely that he the most famous swordsmen that ever lived. He is famed for his battles, his distinct styles of swordsmanship, and he created a legacy that has out lived him by close to 400 years!
THE LIFE OF MIYAMOTO MUSASHI
Miyamoto Musashi was born Shinmen Takezo in Harima Province around 1584. There is some that argue the date and place where he was born. There are some discrepancies between the facts that we know, but for the purposes of our article that place and date works fine. We do know that he lived for around 60 years, and authored his book near the end of his life.
Here are some of the more notable events throughout the life of Musashi: Read more
Shotokai karate - Kyle Karate Club
Hi,
My name is Andy Brown, I’m a 53 year old male who lives on the west coast of Scotland. I’ve been practicing Shotokai karate with Kyle Karate Club and have reached the level of 1st Dan Black belt. Shotokai was developed by Sensei Mitsuzuke Harada and brought to the UK in the 60’s when he moved here.
Over the years since then there have been some splits within the original group which has left us independent. We still recognise Sensei as the developer of our style even if we no longer have the opportunity to practice with him.
I, like so many others, got interested in martial arts during the time of the Bruce Lee movies. I tried Kung Fu from books (nearly permanently damaged my knee – ALWAYS go to a club with a good instructor!), Aikido, Judo, Sport karate and finally Shotokai. Read more
Need Your Input On The New Sword Design i
It’s Saturday morning here and looks like we don’t need to expect a lot of sun today…Ideal weather to finish some things here 
It seems like most of you guys (and girls ) liked the cheap battle ready katana from the Konron Forge ? The forge had some problems lately..one of the problems was the fact that they did need to re-locate their forge..but that was not the only problem, there were 2 more things going on there. First, the smith (yeah, they only one they have) was in the hospital for 1 ½ month for an operation and one of the polishers was sick. So that sucked big time and caused a big delay !
But good news, they’re fully operational since this week and it seems like all of the troubles are gone and we can continue with our work. Actually the new batch of 9260 steel blades are almost forged so they only need to finish the blades and mount the swords now… and this is the point were I would like to ask you for some advice. Read more
Kendo, Kenjutsu and Iaido : The Main Japanese Sword Arts
If you’ve been considering getting started in the Japanese sword arts you are in for a very rewarding hobby. These types of martial arts allow for something different when compared to the more traditional hand-to-hand combat styles. Whether you are a new budo practioner, or have already started on your path to learning the way of the warrior - your first step to get started in the path of the samurai is to learn a little about the arts themselves.
The Japanese sword arts that are commonly taught today are divided into three main areas. We could further differentiate these by talking about different families and styles, but an overview of kenjutsu, kendo, and iaido should be enough to get you started.
KENJUTSU – THE ART OF THE SWORD
Kenjutsu translates to “the art of the sword”, and it is the more traditional of the arts taught today. Kenjutsu is primarily combative in nature. It is the main way that koryu (traditional schools) train their students to use their swords against a variety of classic weapons.
When you study this form of Japanese martial arts you can expect partnered practice with a variety of kata. If you study Kenjutsu you will also likely study sword drawing and sheathing techniques. Read more
New cheap handmade samurai sword - Ideal entry level sword
A few days ago, our members already got a notification about the new things that were going to happen here at our store (not a member yet ? Go here, subscribe and you will be part of our elite club ).
Today I can announce a first new toy…I’m not sure if you remember the 9260 steel samurai swords we got in from the Konron forge. They were a huge success and the first and second delivery did sold out within a few weeks. At this moment, the forge need to re-locate and it will still take a few weeks before they can start producing. So patience is the message here
On the other hand, we have a second forge we’re working with who will supply us the more higher end stuff….but…the last months we were also working with that forge on an very affordable yet high quality katana and well here it is :
The KIKU Katana !
Caring For your Katana: A brief guide to cleaning your blade
Whether you’re a collector of swords, or a budo practitioner, proper maintenance of your swords is paramount to keeping them in good shape. It would be a shame to have that new katana, which cost you $1000, to become useless because of rust or a cracking handle. Fortunately proper sword care is not difficult, and it needn’t take hours of your time.
If you use your sword, you should clean the blade after every use. Every time you touch the blade of your samurai sword, your fingers leave behind salts and oils that can promote rust. If you are a collector, you should clean your katana ever 3 weeks, or anytime you handle the blade of the sword. Cleaning your blade will only take you a few minutes, but the time spent will add years to the life of your blade.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Before we talk about how to clean your blade, let’s talk about some things you shouldn’t do. Read more
