Sword Articles and Related Material.  



If you need the PDF Viewer, please download it here.

Adobe Acrobat Button

PDF Icon  PDF Documents


New Items


Soke's Welcome Letter, 2010

Kaicho's Letter, 2010

Japanese Monsters and Ghosts

Tamahagane Production

Tatara Steel

Sword Microstructures

Masayuki Shimabukuro Interview

Principles from Ono Ha Itto Ryu


Resources for Kenshi


Japanese Words for Iaidoka

Cutting Patterns 2009, Most recent patterns for Tameshigiri training.

Cutting Patterns 2008, Old patterns for Tameshigiri training.

Japanese Manners, an introduction to basic cultural expectations in Japan.

Origins of Japanese History

Sword Care, Recommendations of the NBTHK

Fudoshin,  By Stephen M. Fabian Ph.D.

The Japanese Sword, Historical Changes in Shape,  By Paul Martin

The Omori Ryu, By Kim Taylor

Virtues of the Sword, By James Williams

Jo Ji Juku Go, Snappy  four Kanji sayings popular in Japan and China

The Swordsman and the Cat
, Japanese folk tale regarding strategy

The Death of Nakamura Sensei, Collected comments and insight after his death in 2003

Kiai Key for Various Styles of Swordsmanship

Suitable Swords for Iai and Test Cutting, Advice from Nakamura Sensei and Nakayama Sensei regarding sword length, weight and configuration.

Essential Principals of Nakamura Ryu
, Translated by Takako Funaya

Japanese Traditional and Ceremonial Colors
, Excerpted from G. Thompson at Temarikai.com

Fundamentals of Japanese Archery, By William R. B. Acker, Handwritten 1937

Ranking Systems in Modern Japanese Martial Arts, By Donn Draeger, Lecture 1976



Recommended Reading


Draeger Book




Japanese Swordsmanship: Technique And Practice
Gordan Warner and Donn F. Draeger


Lives of the Master Swordsmen Book




Lives of the Master Swordsman
Makoto Sugawara


In the Dojo




In the Dojo
Dave Lowrey


The Samurai Sword, Book




The Samurai Sword
John Yumoto





Yamakawa Dojo Home