Martial Arts Training Service, Inc.

Prof. Pat Browne died 30 years ago today.
Raise a glass in his memory!

Donate for the 3rd Annual Mrs. Chiba Support Fundraiser, organized by Liese Klein Please support this third annual fundraiser organized by Miguel Mo… Liese Klein needs your support for Donate for the 3rd Annual Mrs. Chiba Support Fundraiser

Congratulations to the Fox Valley Judo Club members who placed at the Cohen Brothers Tournament.

DAY ONE | 2026 Pan American Championships 🇵🇦

🎥 Follow & Watch Live 👉 JudoTV.com

⏰ 9:30AM (local time)

Congratulations to our new Fox Valley Aikikai yellow belts! Great tests everyone!

Congratulations to the members of Fox Valley Judo who took their belt test this week. Also, several members competed in Indiana and brought home silver medals! Great job everyone!

Congratulations to Grigory Eremeev on his Kodokan Judo Ikkyu promotion.

It was great to have Nico Takano teaching Judo class last night!

Shu–Ha–Ri (守破離) is a traditional Japanese learning framework that describes the natural evolution of mastery in martial arts, arts, and even life practice. It is not a rigid ladder but a living process, guiding the student from imitation to innovation.

Shu (守) — To Protect / Obey
Shu is the stage of faithful learning. The student follows the teacher’s forms, techniques, etiquette, and rhythms exactly as taught. There is no attempt to alter or personalize the art. This is not blind obedience, but deep respect: by repeating correct forms, the body absorbs structure, timing, posture, and spirit. In martial arts, Shu builds safety, discipline, and humility. The ego is quiet, and trust in the lineage is essential. Foundations are laid here, and skipping Shu weakens everything that follows.

Ha (破) — To Break / Detach
Ha begins when the student starts to understand why things work. The forms are no longer copied mechanically; they are tested, compared, and adapted. The practitioner may study other schools, feel variations, and adjust techniques according to context, body type, or situation. This “breaking” does not mean rejecting tradition, but freeing oneself from rigid dependence on it. Mistakes increase, but insight deepens. Ha is a phase of questioning, refinement, and conscious choice.

Ri (離) — To Separate / Transcend
Ri is the stage of natural expression. Technique flows without conscious effort, and form arises spontaneously from principle. The practitioner is no longer bound by styles, yet fully embodies them. Teaching becomes transmission rather than instruction. In Ri, the art is no longer something you do—it is something you are.

Shu–Ha–Ri reminds us that true mastery is a journey from form, through understanding, into freedom.