Welcome to the new Martial Energy Works and Swordfighters website.
These changes mark my transition into the elder phase of my life and reflect the evolution of my martial practice. I began training in 1974, and I’ve continued ever since. Over the decades, I found that practice doesn’t stay still; it shifts as life shifts. My teacher, Mr. Ohshima, and other seniors spoke about distinct eras in one’s training, and their descriptions matched exactly what I later experienced myself.

The previous website focused on advertising, informing, and supporting my swordfighting school. While I will maintain an archive of that material for former students, this new site has a different purpose. It will be a place to share reflections on martial arts and on the broader work of understanding what it means to be human.

That focus has always been present for me. Around 2011, several major changes—personal transitions, work upheavals, and disillusionment with aspects of the martial arts organization in Canada—forced me to re-evaluate my life. Out of that came the idea of Martial Energy Works: a way to deepen my study of character development through martial practice.

Swordfighters was one expression of that idea. Through it, I sought to reconnect with my ancestral roots via historical European martial arts (HEMA) and, in doing so, claim a martial heritage parallel to what Asian martial artists inherit through their own traditions. At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the influence my Shotokan background had on the way I approached HEMA. Rather than deny that connection, I embraced it as the natural next step on my path. My past experiences shaped my lens—polished it, really—and it would be dishonest not to acknowledge the power and value of the lessons I received from Mr. Ohshima and Shotokan Karate of America.

My intention is to continue as a student of the martial way until my last breath. In this current era, that means shifting from active teaching toward a practice that is more personal, inward, and contemplative.

Recognizing the eras of my life—and learning from each one—has kept my journey full of discovery and meaning. As I move into the fall and winter of both life and practice, I expect that sense of discovery to continue.