Good things are coming!

Hello blog. I know we haven't spoken in a while, and I guess that's my fault, but you know, you don't make it easy. Twitter, Facebook, Buzz... all these services and how can I continue to.... ok, I know, I know, I'm just making excuses. But maybe we can try this again? Maybe this time it will be different? Iknow I've said that before, but can't you find deep down in your code to give me one last chance? Probationary period? OK, I'm willing to try anything if it means we'll be able to spend more time together. Good, let's give it a try then!

So there's a lot going on in the wide world of Samurai swords. Alright, so maybe it's not that wide, but it's certainly hopping! First of all, we have a Kendo and sword demonstration coming up this Saturday, June 19 at the ANIMENEXT convention in Somerset NJ. We're going to talk about how real sword training has influenced anime, and if we have enough time, might to a hands-on workshop. Hope you can make it to this!

On July 11, I am going to be taking a blackbelt examination for the martial art Joson Sebup. This is an extremely old sword form from Korea predating iaido. It is from a military codex that compiled different fighting styles from the proto-Korean kingdom's allies and enemies, including China and Japan. One of the challenges of this form is that there is no living record on how the techniques were practiced, so all we can do is interpret from illustrations. Here is a video of the form demonstrated by the Korean National Kendo team. These guys (especially the girl in front) are GOOD!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GUbjJav7Ew&feature=player_embedded

We're also going to have a master's workshop about Josun Sebup and Kendo (Kumdo) on Friday July 9 at 6:30 at the SMK Kendo Academy in Dumont NJ.

Also... I purchased a new sword. The one I currently use is great for general use and repetative swinging but I wanted a new one that:

- Was made of steel instead of zinc-aluminum alloy

- Was a little heavier to feel more like a "real" cutting sword and to bridge the gap between practice cutting (on soft targets) to real cutting (hard targets like bamboo mats)

- I could use for demonstration purposes.

Here she is. Ain't she a beaut?

Swords and Dating - Time Out NY writeup

Time out has done another write up on the class. I may try that restaurant after the next class! My date will be Vivian, my sword ;)

Samurai sword class and venison-chili nachos
Sword virgins get in free to the weekly samurai sword class at the Workmen’s Circle (NYR Studios, 45 E 33rd St at Park Ave, sixth floor; 201-317-9517; Thu 6–7pm). Equipped with a wooden sword, you’ll learn basic etiquette, like “how to respect each other,” according to instructor Raab Rashi. Postbattle, bury the hatchet over venison-chili nachos ($12.95) and a refreshing Doc’s Hard Apple Cider ($7) at Waterfront Ale House (540 Second Ave at 30th St; 212-696-4104, waterfrontalehouse.com). Just watch out for a final lunge if you try to snag the last chip.

Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/sex-dating/81062/best-mostly-free-dates#ixzz0ZDXFbJUR

Samurai Exhibit at the Met Museum

Check this out! There's going to be a fantastic exhibit at the met all about Samurai! I'm definitely attending this on November 8 for the panel discussions and especially Okisato Fujishiro, "Japan's leading sword polisher and connoisseur."

Let me know if you're interested in going with me!

Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868
October 21, 2009–January 10, 2010
The Tisch Galleries, 2nd floor

	View images from this exhibition.
	Learn more about a special one-day lecture and panel event.
	Search the calendar for related programs.

Buying you first iaito - Part 1 - Size Matters

The Student Mind.
Buying you first iaito

I've asked my students to purchase their first iaito. I know that when I purchased my first sword for training, I wish that I had a guide or reference to help me navigate the many aspects of what can be a quite sizable and significant purchase. I hope that these posts will help you to make an informed decision when choosing your own sword!

There are many things to consider when buying a sword for training. Weight, size, blade curvature, aesthetics, and "feel" - the most intangible but arguably the most important aspect of choosing your sword. Of course, there's one more very important factor: price. In my following posts I will discuss each of these qualities and how to make a decision to find the sword that's right for you.

PART 1 - SIZE

Size matters. It's the truth. But this doesn't mean that bigger is better!

Generally, iaito blades vary in length from 27-29 inches. The handles, or "tsuka" usually range from 10-13 inches. Of course, as there is no "standard" sizing in sword creation, it is not unusual to find much longer or shorter swords often custom made to the purchaser's preferences and proclivities. It is important to note that the blade and handle lengths must be considered separately, as these lengths will vary from person to person based not only on the practitioner's height, but also on their training style and preferences.

Blade Length - The length of your sword's blade should not be determined by your height alone. You height will of course play a factor, but arguably more important then your height is your arm length. When drawing the sword, the right hand not only draws the sword forward, but simultaneously the left hand draws the scabbard (sword case) or "saya" back until only the tip of the blade remains in the mouth of the saya. When in this position, the body may turn a little bit, maybe 10-15 degrees, but should not turn more then that. Ideally, the body should remain almost completely square and faced-front and all but the tip of the blade should be out of the saya. Those with shorter arms will find that they have to compensate with turning their body more if they have a long blade, which should be discouraged. Likewise, a person with long arms and a short blade will find that the sword has exited the mouth of the saya before they've fully extended their right (drawing) arm.

Generally, a longer blade will be heavier and a shorter blade lighter. There are merits and deficiencies to both, but I will address this in a following post.

Handle (tsuka) length - Determining the proper sized tsuka depends mostly on hand size, and usually will vary in length proportionally to the size of the blade. The longer the blade, the longer the handle. Again, this is not a hard-and-fast rule, and will vary according to preference, but less so than the blade length. The reason for this is that longer blades have a different center of gravity than shorter blades, so the fulcrum point of the sword must be lowered in order to optimize the cutting potential.

To find the proper length of the handle, you must maintain the proper grip. This is similar to the relaxed "golf" or "tennis" grip where the last two fingers on each hand are doing most of the work, and the blade "rests" in the rest of the fingers. An incorrect grip is one in which all the fingers are grasping tightly. The left hand should be on the bottom, with the little finger about 1 - 1 1/2 inches from the end cap of the sword. The right hand grips in a similar fashion, with the right hand little finger at a space of two finger widths above the left. Ideally, this should position the right hand index finger just below, or even just grazing the blade guard (tsuba). If there is more then a finger's width between the right hand and the tsuba, your tsuka is too short.

I'm happy to announce a new sword class that I will be teaching in New York City. Much like the Hoboken class, it will be offered on Thurdays from 6-7:00 PM. I will be offering these classes in conjunction with KINESIS PROJECT, a dance/theatre company. The classes will actually be held at the historic Workman's Circle center, a place with direct ties to my family. I'm excited about these new classes. Melissa Riker, the Artistic Director at Kinesis has been wonderful to work with so far. The best part is that I can offer the classes for less then I've been charging, now only $15/class. This can even go down if you'd like to commit to a longer study period (3 months, 6 months, etc...)

The first class will be on SEPTEMBER 17 at 6:00. Remember that the first class is always FREE!!! Bring a friend!

Elemental Balance

IMG_0235
Originally uploaded by amylitt

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to be invited for a getaway to a beautiful estate in Red Hook, NY. The house itself was gorgeous, and our hosts were fantastic (not to mention the jacuzzi!), but what left the greatest impression on me was the beautiful landscape surrounding the house and the breathtaking view. You see, their house faces the Catskills National Park, so their view will never be tarnished by ungainly development, sprawl, or logging.

I took the chance to exercise and practice my forms surrounded by lush fields and mountain views. Additionally, my good friend Amy Litt - social networking guru, amateur photographer, and all-around powerhouse - was kind enough to take pictures of the occasion . While training in this incredible setting, it felt... right. I suspect that the progenitors of the Asian sword arts similar to Sil Jun Do Bup studied in this manner. In most Asian cultures, and especially in the Japanese culture, there is a close kinship between man and nature that has never fully developed in Western cultures. There is a bond between our actions and natures' and we affect each other in everything we do.

In Sil Jun Do Bup, after learning the basics, you progress to the four forms that comprise the art: Earth, Water, Fire, and Air. This is no coincidence. In each elemantal form, you are performing similar movements, ie. in Set Earth, the first cut is an overhead diagonal cut. After you make the initial cut, you stop. Solid. Powerful. In Set Water, the first cut you make is still an overhead diagonal cut, but your body and the sword continue to "flow" into a more natural finishing position. Fluid. Adaptable.

For the warrior, the sword is an extension of the self, and the self is a balance of the elements. By focusing on one element, we can incorporate its characterists into our training and become more powerful in that element. By training in a natural setting, we are closer to the elements and can more freely associate ourselves with them and let their energies flow through us without the blockages imposed on us by the 'modern world.' We can free ourselves, and feel the elemental forces of nature both around us and within us.

You can look at the rest of pictures HERE.

Greetings to visitors from the Midsummer Magick Faire! I'm very excited to be leading a workshop at the Faire where I will give an introduction to Iaido - the Way of the Sword. Using wooden practice swords, we'll learn the 8 basic cuts and forms that have been practiced for centuries. We'll discuss the mythos surrounding the curved asian sword known as the "katana," and explore other questions: How and why were eastern and western sword styles similar? How were they different?

Availability for these workshops is extremely limited, due to the space requirements and the supply of wooden swords available. Please show up early!!!

For more information about the Faire, go to their page: http://www.midsummermagickfaire.com/index.html

This weekend: Sakura Matsuri

This weekend I will be attending Sakura Matsuri - the Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botinical Gardens.  Throughout the day, I will offer free introductory Sil Jun Do Bup classes to anyone who might be interested in picking up a wooden sword!  I attend this event every year that I can, and according to the forcast the weather is going to be very agreable this Saturday. 

Let me know if you're going to be able to make it!  I'll update again once I know where I'll be setting up shop for the day.

For more information about the festival, check it out here: http://www.bbg.org/exp/cherries/sakura.html

New Sword Class in Hoboken, NJ!

Hello everyone, I will be teaching a new sword class in Hoboken NJ on THURSDAYS at 7:00PM. The style is SIL JUN DO BUP, similar to Iaido, but focuses more directly on actual cutting. More details are below. If anyone is interested, you can email me at raabrashi@gmail.com or call me at 201.317.9517

The following is a repost from the Waterfront Weekly Journal, where it was featured as the cover story:

http://www.nj.com/living/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/living-1/1238999118299070.xml&coll=3

Get moving ... with swords

Monday, April 06, 2009

By JAMIE SCHUH

JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

A new kind of martial arts will soon be coming to Hoboken.

Sil Jun Do Bup is a Korean form of sword practice, which literally translates to mean "real sword training." It is similar to Iaido, a Japanese form of sword practice that focuses on the drawing of the blade from the kneeling or sitting position. Sil Jun Do Bup, by contrast, focuses on cutting and strikes.

But don't worry, the classes being offered by teacher Raab Rashi at Monroe Movement Space are completely safe.

"You begin training with a wooden or plastic sword," says Rashi, 29. But even before the sword is picked up, "we focus on respect."

Rashi began training unofficially seven years ago, later being taken under the wing of Grandmaster Jin K. Seong, a seventh degree black belt from Korea.

"I was always into swords and martial arts, but I never had the opportunity (growing up) to formally train," says Rashi.

He soon took up teaching at Grandmaster Seong's school, The Kendo Academy in Dumont. The school has two other locations in Closter and East Brunswick. Seong was interested in expanding the school, and Rashi thought Hoboken would be a good fit for this unique style of practice.

"It's a community where people are very open to international ideas. There's a real global awareness and consciousness in Hoboken."

During the first class, Rashi will explain the form of Sil Jun Do Bup, the etiquette involved and then begin to introduce basic movements such as bowing, drawing the sword, stance, basic cutting and sheathing.

"(The basics) are things you work on throughout your journey," says Rashi. "Even masters will be working on these things."

And even though the art involves a lot of physical discipline, what is most important is the mental discipline that practitioners of Sil Jun Do Bup will develop.

"You can go into it with some expectations," Rashi says, "but you will find other things in the art that you weren't expecting to find. You can want to improve your stamina and physical well-being, which you will, but you will also improve your mental focus and reaction time. It will make you a more aware person."

For Rashi, who says that studying sword movement has made him more "grounded," he hopes his students will develop "a sense of calm and focus."

Classes in Sil Jun Do Bup are wholly unique to the Hudson County area, which makes it an even bigger draw to anyone interested in martial arts or sword training.

"We're the only program around like this. There's a few wonderful Kendo schools in the area," he says, but none in the county that specialize in Sil Jun Do Bup.

Classes in Sil Jun Do Bup will run Thursdays at Monroe Movement Space, 720 Monroe St. in Hoboken. Prospective students may show up for a free first class, and then sign up for six months, 24 months or a full year. For more information or to register, call 201-317-9517.