Fudoshin - Hagakure Iaido Dojo

Fudoshin - Hagakure Iaido Dojo Small friendly club based in Somerset who teach and train in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido. Every Wednesday 7pm to 9pm and Sunday 9.30am to 11.30am.

10/12/2024

Due to the continued success of our club, starting in the New Year we will be adding an additional training session every Wednesday night from 7pm to 9pm. Our first Wednesday session will be held on 1st January at Cossington Village Hall.

Congratulations to Geoff who passed his Shodan grading at the BKA Iaido West Midlands Seminar.Well done Geoff!
22/05/2024

Congratulations to Geoff who passed his Shodan grading at the BKA Iaido West Midlands Seminar.
Well done Geoff!

We were indeed lucky to get another visit from Jack James sensei today, who lives in Fukuoka, Japan, and is a 5th Dan. H...
10/09/2023

We were indeed lucky to get another visit from Jack James sensei today, who lives in Fukuoka, Japan, and is a 5th Dan. His sword skills are outstanding and we all learned lots. Jack sensei is the grandson of one our students, Doug (far left), so it's great to see martial arts traditions being passed on in families. Jack sensei is back next week too, so lots to practice in the meantime!

What does our club name mean? Fudoshin is an important term in Japanese martial arts and means immovable mind or heart. ...
06/07/2023

What does our club name mean? Fudoshin is an important term in Japanese martial arts and means immovable mind or heart. In other words, you stay calm in challenging circumstances and respond appropriately. Hagakure is the name of a famous 18th century treatise on samurai ethics by Yamamoto Tsunemoto. It may sound obscure but some useful quotes - "there is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment." Echoes modern mindfulness techniques!

Today we had a very early class, but it was wonderful to train that early. An important concept in Japanese martial arts...
18/12/2022

Today we had a very early class, but it was wonderful to train that early. An important concept in Japanese martial arts is Shugyo - hard training. While getting up for a 7am class is not like sitting meditating under a waterfall, it's a reminder that Iaido needs commitment. Shugyo, or physical/spiritual discipline, is a kind of tempering - just as the Japanese sword is carefully tempered and refined, so we work on ourselves, following a time-honoured tradition that's a source of inner strength and inspiration.

"The way is in training," wrote Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's legendary swordsman. He had an abusive childhood, went on to b...
05/12/2022

"The way is in training," wrote Miyamoto Musashi, Japan's legendary swordsman. He had an abusive childhood, went on to be an unbeaten duellist, got sick of killing other young men and turned to garden design, painting and writing, while still following his martial path. What does that mean? It means whatever your grade, there is no final destination. We find meaning in the week in, week out Iaido training - with all its benefits and challenges. Good class? Tough class? No such things. Just training.

What's budo spirit? I heard of a senior karate teacher who was pulled up over his basics by a Japanese sensei in front o...
24/11/2022

What's budo spirit? I heard of a senior karate teacher who was pulled up over his basics by a Japanese sensei in front of seminar. Aren't you embarrassed, said his partner? "Not at all. I've just had an intensive one to one with a top teacher." That's budo spirit and true shoshin - beginners mind

Looking for Iaido near you? Our friendly and inclusive club is ideally placed for Somerset, being within striking distan...
15/11/2022

Looking for Iaido near you? Our friendly and inclusive club is ideally placed for Somerset, being within striking distance of Taunton, Bridgwater, Street, Glastonbury, even Exeter or Bristol - we are just 10 minutes from the M5. Come along and learn the art of Iaido via set forms or 'kata' - it has a lot of benefits, mental and physical, and you are never too old to start!

A big benefit of studying traditional martial arts is that you learn to move from your hara, or 'centre' - put simply, t...
09/11/2022

A big benefit of studying traditional martial arts is that you learn to move from your hara, or 'centre' - put simply, the area an inch or so below the navel. It's not just about using your hips properly, as with, say, golf, and whole books have been written about 'hara'. Via Iaido practice, developing an awareness of your centre, and how to move from it, improves your posture and physical and mental stability. You probably know the term already - remember hara kiri?

The ethical side of Japanese sword arts is hard for westerners to understand, but has deep roots in Japanese culture, in...
31/10/2022

The ethical side of Japanese sword arts is hard for westerners to understand, but has deep roots in Japanese culture, in turn influenced by Zen and Neo-Confucian philosophy. Master swordsman Yagyu Munenori (1571-1646) wrote of the "life giving sword," only using it to deal with evil doers who would cause further death and suffering. In Iai-do, the sword is safely kept in the scabbard (saya) until needed for the defence of self or others. The kata reflect this. It's only drawn when there is no other option.

A key concept in Iaido is Zanshin (remaining heart, or spirit), a hard expression to translate, but it can be understood...
16/10/2022

A key concept in Iaido is Zanshin (remaining heart, or spirit), a hard expression to translate, but it can be understood as 'wider awareness.' "Zanshin is awareness of the whole process of defeating opponents," wrote martial arts scholar, Trevor Leggett, who reveals it's a very, very old term. In practice this means being very aware of the 'opponent' and the wider environment after finishing the kata, not just casually walking away as you check your phone. You can apply Zanshin in all areas of your life, I find it makes me a much more careful driver!

Iaido seems to have a lot in common with Japanese archery, Kyudo, in terms of solo practice and strict etiquette. Zen in...
06/10/2022

Iaido seems to have a lot in common with Japanese archery, Kyudo, in terms of solo practice and strict etiquette. Zen in the Art of Archery is one of the most inspiring books about martial arts, still a classic after 80 years, and here's a quote from the author's sensei:
“I must only warn you of one thing. You have become a different person in the course of these years. For this is what the art of archery means: a profound and far−reaching contest of the archer with himself. Perhaps you have hardly noticed it yet, but you will feel it very strongly when you meet your friends and acquaintances again in your own country..."

Address

Cossington Village Hall, Trivetts Way, Cossington
Bridgwater
TA78JN

Opening Hours

9:30am - 11:30am

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