Sir Richard Francis Burton

Sir Richard Francis Burton – polyglot, explorer, writer, swordsman – perhaps the quintessential warrior-scholar. His life and works are impressive and deserve study. While written in Victorian prose, his work remains accessible and is deeply informed with the experience of a man who has been there, seen it, and done it all. A link to digitized versions of hisContinue reading “Sir Richard Francis Burton”

BOWIE KNIFE

The Bowie knife has a rich history and its lessons can be applied widely. True West Magazine has a good article illustrating the importance of the Bowie. (Master Keating makes his own observations on its history.) I encourage you to watch and learn; better still, seek instruction from its source. Some of Master Keating’s thoughts onContinue reading “BOWIE KNIFE”

RANGES OF COMBAT

For all its elegance, Aikido is not a Ryū -流, – a complete art. Its formal curriculum lacks a full set of techniques at every range – maai “interval.” This is a simple observation, a discussion of fact, not a normative evaluation of its merits. Like most traditional martial arts we are discussing contact range – closeContinue reading “RANGES OF COMBAT”