Great Falls Budokan

Great Falls Budōkan holds zazen classes every Saturday morning at 0900. Our zazen classes are open to the public.

Zazen is an indispensable exercise within our traditions. It affords the practitioner an opportunity for direct realization.

The martial traditions of Japan have long recognized the value of leaving familiar surroundings and entering periods of disciplined training in solitude. The mountains were not simply places of seclusion. They provided conditions in which familiar patterns could fall away, allowing the practitioner to encounter existence more directly.

This practice is not unique to the samurai. Periods of seclusion amid the rawness of nature appear in religious and spiritual traditions throughout the world.

This September, I will enter a monastery in the mountains to undertake forty days of intensive meditative exercise, solitude, silence, and martial training.

Recently, someone asked me, “What is the purpose of your retreat?”

“I am retreating from nothing,” I responded. “I am going to engage fully with life!”

Joseph T Simms
Ittō Tenshin-ryū® Kenjutsu
Yamate-ryū® Aikijutsu
Goseki-ryū® Aiki Heihō
United States Marine Corps

A Mind Like A Stone — Taseki Publications Mr. Schutz, believing that he must not ask his student to do what he has not already done, did Sanchin, ran the length of the pier in jodan, and hurled himself off the end and into the 6' deep water. No hesitation. No concern. No life preserver. No safety rope. Sensei had chosen to go to war with na

Today's keiko was truly memorable.

This morning at the Great Falls Budōkan, Rajguru Sensei led keiko.

In his way, he took a simple waza and drew from it the very best that those of us on the tatami had to offer. There is an intensity within Ittō Tenshin-ryū that is palpable and truly extraordinary to experience.

People often conflate the combative with the martial. They speak as though the two are interchangeable because they have no direct experience of what is martial.

Ittō Tenshin-ryū is a martial tradition, and its teachings are steeped in the reality of conflict.

The spirit of today’s keiko remains.

Looking forward to the fall Taikai hosted by Sandia Budokan!

This group photograph shows participants at the inaugural Gekken seminar, held in the early 1980s.

The Gekken of Ittō Tenshin-ryū employs a distinctively shaped, heavy wooden stick intended for dueling. This set of kumitachi is introduced during the chūden, or intermediate-level teachings, and emphasizes power, resolve, and decisive intent.

In our tradition of swordsmanship, the fundamental downward cut is called kiri-oroshi. Gekken, however, uses a specialized technique known as kiri-otoshi, which has its own distinct theory, mechanics, and methodology.

In kiri-oroshi, the stroke typically incorporates pronounced hip rotation, with the triceps and pectoral muscles aiding in the transmission of power while balance is maintained throughout the movement.

Kiri-otoshi, by contrast, relies on the abdominal muscles as the primary source of power. Instead of depending on arm strength or hip rotation, it generates force along the body’s vertical axis through compression, central alignment, and direct downward application.

The intent is not to cut, but to smash specific points on the human body. This gives Gekken its distinct flavor and character.

One can see something of that severity reflected in the faces of the participants. After several days immersed in the Gekken of Ittō Tenshin-ryū, there is a primal intensity of spirit visible here—the look of men who have been brought into direct contact with a demanding and uncompromising method of training.

This intensity of spirit is fundamental to Ittō Tenshin-ryū and will be explored in depth during our next Taikai, focusing on Kokoro (心)—the deciding factor on the field of battle.

The Taikai will be held at the Sandia Budokan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, October 17–18, 2026.

No matter your martial background or affiliation, this Taikai will add value to your training by exploring both the sword and the human being who wields it.

We say, “First there is a sword and a man. Then a swordsman. And finally, a sword.”

The melding of sword and man requires the deep study of both. For anyone serious about budō, strategy, and the cultivation of martial spirit, this is an event not to be missed.

To register for the Taikai or for more information, visit: https://heiho.org/taikaiitr

Great Falls Budōkan will be closed on Saturday, July 4th. There will be no scheduled classes Saturday morning. We will resume regularly scheduled classes on Monday, July 6th.

Mr. Andrew Stevenson, Dōjō-chō of the Great Falls Budōkan in Sterling, Virginia, and Mr. Randy Mamiaro, Dōjō-chō of the Yūgen Dōjō in Annapolis, Maryland, prepare to engage in the Tachi-dori of the Ittō Tenshin-ryū kyōka.

Note the calm determination.

As with many deshi within our traditions’ lineage, Mr. Mamiaro brings hard-earned military experience as a naval flight officer to his study and transmission of these teachings. Such experience does not replace the teachings of the ryūha; rather, it helps make them vivid, practical, and real. It demonstrates that the principles preserved within our traditions remain viable, powerful, and deeply relevant wherever conflict, strategy, and human performance meet.

To learn about the Yūgen Dōjō, visit: https://www.yugendojo.com

To learn about the Great Falls Budōkan, visit: https://www.greatfallsbudokan.com

To learn about our Marital Traditions, visit: www.heiho.org