New Class Schedule!

Starting tomorrow (Nov. 30th), Sword Class NYC will have a brand new expanded schedule! We've added a second Intermediate class on Tuesdays from 6-7 PM and are keeping Thursdays the same- Beginners from 6-7PM and Intermediate from 7-8 PM. Now you can train twice a week! E-mail swordclassnyc@gmail.com with any questions and we'll see you in class!

SwordClassNYC.com is live!

I'm so happy to announce that swordclassNYC.com is now live! It still needs a few fixes, but it's very close to final form. It was created for me by the very talented and professional Amy Olchowski of AEO DESIGN. If you need a fabulous designer AND programmer who's very receptive to feedback, she's your girl. This is the next step in growing the business, and I hope that you'll enjoy the new layout, and possibly even share the site with your friends! Or even better, sign up for a trial class HERE.

;)

A special thank you to Emily Kelly who put my in contact with Amy.

To theDealist.com customers... Welcome!

Thank you for your almost overwhelming interest in Samurai sword classes! Because of the large number of purchasers, we've decided to make some changes to our class schedule.

Starting in October, we will be offering Intro classes on Tuesdays from 6-7 and 7-8 and on Thursdays from 6-7 and possibly 8-9. We will start scheduling people into classes once the promotion on The Dealist ends, which is this Wednesday at midnight. Once we start scheduling people, you'll be able to schedule all three of your classes at once, but we would like for you to attend three consecutive weeks (so if you choose a Tuesday at 6:00, you'll be on Tuesdays at 6:00 for the next 2 weeks). The classes will range from 8-12 people. You can schedule them up until basically the day before the class, but the further in advance you book, the better the chances of getting the dates you'd like.

I'm looking forward to meeting you!

Sab Bom Nim Raab Rashi

swordclassNYC featured on theDealist.com

swordclassNYC has been featured on theDealist.com! They are a social deal website focusing on the NYC region. For this deal, we are offering a package of 3 classes, heavily discounted at $25. One correction to what is listed on the site: I am NOT the founder of this martial art (I'm no where near bad-ass enough yet). Grandmaster Jin K. Seong is the founder of Siljun Dobup and received his training in iaido and Korean sword arts from his master, the late Grandmaster Young Dal Kim.

But welcome, visitors from theDealist! I hope that you'll have a fantastic experience and broaden your understanding of this fantastic and ancient martial art. Please contact me if you have any questions at swordclassNYC@gmail.com. I look forward to teaching you!

Sab Bom Nim Raab Rashi

Comic Con demonstration time announced!

SwordClassNYC and our parent company, the Sung Moo Kwan Kendo Academy will be demonstrating Kendo and Siljun Dobup ("Real Sword Training") at New York Comic Con on Friday, October 8th at the Variant Stage from 6:15 - 6:45 PM. That's not a lot of time, but I hope that you will be able to join us. At the panel, we'll be demoing:

- A brief history of the katana and the evolution of Kendo

- Kendo techniques presented by Kendo Academy students

- An introduction to Siljun Dobup and iaido

- Sets Jee, Su, Poong, and Hwa, or Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire, presented by Siljun Dobup practitioners

It should be a fantastic event, and I hope you can make it!

I can't wait to see all the costumes!

SwordClassNYC to perform at NY Comic Con!

SwordClassNYC (and our parent company, Sung Moo Kwan Kendo Academy) will be hosting a panel demonstration of Siljun Dobup and Kendo at NY Comic Con 2010! I've loved Comic con ever since living in San Diego, and can't wait to participate in this fantastic event. This will be our 4th (and certainly the largest) convention performance this year, and is a great opportunity to promote these martial arts and inform the NY community about Samurai Sword classes. I will post more details when I get them, including the time and location, but I wanted to share the good news!

See you at NY Comic Con! I'll be the one dressed as a samurai. :P

“Do nothing which is of no use.”

- Miyamoto Musashi

Midsummer Magick Renaissance Faire sword workshop

For those of you who don't know Jeff Mach (if that's possible), let me tell you that this guy knows how to throw a party. Let me back up a little. Jeff is an event organizer extraordinaire, and his events range from alternative bridal expos to renaissance faires to steampunk conventions. But one common thread through all his events is that it always feel like it's a huge party, and you have been specially invited. I have the good fortune of being able to call Jeff "friend" (and many other things, if I think about it), and am often asked to perform workshops at his events. Samurai sword training at a Renaissance faire? Sure! Why not? That's what makes his events different... special. At a Jeff Mach event, it will never be your typical {whatever}. It's not an event, it's an experience.

I performed a workshop this past weekend and it was fantastic! Even contending schedule-wise with the indomitable, fantasmigorical Daniel Greenwolf, the workshop was still well attended. The participants were interested, focused, and enthusiastic. What more could a teacher ask for? Oh right... 82 degree weather and busty lasses in corsets. Check out the pictures below, but more importantly, check out a Jeff Mach event!

Facebook | Michael Whitehouse's Photos - MMRF 2010 Week 3

New class in August!

I'm very pleased to announce that beginning Thursday August 5 Samurai Sword Classes will be adding an additional class from 7-8:00 PM. This will be an intermediate class, for people that are interested in attending regularly and really training intensively. The 6-7 class will continue as a beginner class, and will be open to first-timers, beginning students, and more advanced students that want to practice the basics and/or assist the first-timers.

Also, very soon we will be rolling out the new class website. Once the website launches (sometime in August), we will be referring to the class as swordclassNYC (website will be swordclassnyc.com). Good things are happening, and I'm happy that you, dear reader, are there to share it with me!

Classes are held from 6-8(!) at 260 West 36th St. 3rd Floor (Joria Studios). See you there!

Star Wars samurai art!

As you may or may not know, I am a huge Star Wars fan. I've always known about Star Wars art, and I remember when I was young it was always an incredible treat to see other artist's fresh take interpreting Star Wars. But then the future happened, and with the internet, Star Wars art became mainstream, and I'm glad it has! There are a few shining examples of how artists have reached back into the source materials of Star Wars, emphasizing its Samurai-esqu feel, but sometimes there are really fantastic creations. Here's one.

Check out Steve Bialik's blog to see more examples!

The kendo lifecycle | [ kenshi247.net ]

Check out this fantastic bog post about the lifecycle of a Kendoka (kendo practitioner). I started Kendo in my 20’s, and now that I’m in my 30’s I feel I’ve entered a new stage of my training. There wasn’t so much a conscious choice to alter how I approached practice, but my mentality has developed, matured as my skill increases. I practice Kendo less as a competitive sport, and more as an expression of my spirit.

The kendo lifecycle | [ kenshi247.net ]