Battlefield Training in Chapel Hill

Hardee Merritt, Chief Instructor of Chapel Hill Quest Center, says: “What an amazing, life transforming weekend! The evidence was in the dojo Monday night. After an entire weekend training outdoors, grappling with sticks, being thrown in the mud, the classes were packed and everyone was super motivated! Thank you An-shu for a wonderful weekend!” An-shu […]

Always a Question Ready to Go

My habit is never to meet a knowledgeable teacher without having a good question in mind, just in case I am given the opportunity to ask. Rumiko and I traveled to the city of Tajimi municipal dojo for a demonstration of Yagyu Shinkage Ryu sword by Mouri Keisuke and his small group of students on […]

Mountain Quest 2011

80 dedicated To-Shin Do practitioners gathered for our 12th annual Mountain Quest seminar with An-shu Stephen K. Hayes and hosts Richard Shuntoshi Stack and Hardee Hakutoshi Merritt, along with guest instructors Mike Dentoshi Ford, Hakim Intoshi Isler, and Dennis Fuutoshi Mahoney on Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina. Participants traveled in from To-Shin Do training halls […]

The Real You Emerges

New students may wonder why we put so much emphasis on making a commitment to long-term training goals in the dojo. Why not just go lesson to lesson, continuing on as long as each class is entertaining and provides some new trick or secret to learn? It turns out that authentic martial arts training provides […]