Classical arts
Koryu and classical weapons lineages that grew out of warrior practice.
Samurai roots
Classical weapons and lineage guides live in the samurai knowledge base—linked here because they sit under this pillar historically.
Kenjutsu: samurai swordsmanship schools, training, and history
Kenjutsu explained for beginners—what the word means, bokken vs live blade, kata vs sparring, major ryu, and how it became modern kendo.
Kendo: modern samurai sword sport, gear, rules, and history
Kendo for beginners—bogu armor parts, shinai bamboo sword, valid strikes, grading system, and how Meiji-era kenjutsu became a global martial sport.
Kyūdō: Japanese archery way, form, etiquette, and samurai roots
Kyūdō explained—eight-step shooting form (hassetsu), asymmetric yumi bow, sharei ritual, difference from battlefield yumi and yabusame.
Martial arts ryu: samurai schools, licenses, and koryu vs modern dō
Ryū (流) martial schools explained—koryū old traditions, menkyo licenses, soke lineage, famous sword and spear lines, and how ryu differ from sport federations.
Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu: Japan’s classical multi-weapon school
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū explained for beginners: Iizasa Chōisai founding legends, Katori shrine link, sword/staff/spear/naginata curriculum, licenses, and how koryū differs from sport kendo.
Martial arts lineage trees: densho charts, soke, and authenticity claims
How samurai martial lineages are recorded and disputed—founder generations, densho scrolls, menkyo and inka, soke vs shihan, legitimate branches vs breakaways, and how lineage trees differ from sport federations.
Philosophy differences between ryu: practicality, Zen, heiho, and Edo ethics
How samurai martial schools differed in philosophy—battlefield heiho vs spiritual cultivation, Shinto shrine lines vs Zen-influenced kenjutsu, one-cut focus vs multi-weapon curricula, hard vs soft methods, and peacetime ethics.
Weapons specialization per school: kenjutsu, spear, naginata, bow, and sōgō bujutsu
How classical ryū specialized by weapon—sword-heavy kenjutsu lines, sōjutsu yari, naginatajutsu, kyūjutsu, bō/jō, and multi-weapon schools like Katori—and what beginners gain or miss from each curriculum.
Surviving modern schools: how koryū lived through Meiji to today
Which classical Japanese martial traditions still teach after Meiji—koryū vs kendo/judo federations, legitimate lineage checks, Nihon Kobudo associations, and red flags for fake “ancient” schools.
Naginata: curved samurai glaive, onna-bugeisha, and battlefield role
Japanese naginata polearm—curved blade, naginatajutsu schools, vs yari spear, castle defense, women warriors, and Sengoku vs Edo use explained for beginners.