Why am I doing this?

I'm a 45 year old iai student, studying Enshin Ryu Suemono Giri Kenpo at Seishin Dojo in Gloucester. I was a karate and aikido student for many years, but a back injury has left some nerve compression and I no longer practice full-on contact martial arts. Much of this initial post is taken from my Bio entry.

My iai Sensei trained for many years in Japan, often under the tutelage of Fumon Tanaka Sensei and Masamoto Soke - the current headmaster of the school - and was also lucky to have studied for a short period under the previous headmaster Kobashi Nichiki (all easily found using Google).

The history of this school is very complex but here is a basic background: in more recent times the emphasis of the school has been Iai Suemono giri (iai and cutting) however the school is a complete Ryuha containing Jujutsu, Hobaku, Yari etc. It was founded by Inugami Sakon Shogen Nagakatsu who had learned martial arts from his family and had been studying with Hayami Nagamonmori Enshin (both were serving as bodyguards to Emperor ogimichi (1557 ~ 1586). Later in 1827 Kobashi Shobei took the original techniques of Enshin Ryu and added techniques of Shinden Munen Ryu and renamed the school Enshin Ryu Iai Suemonogiri Kenpo.

I am currently completing Shoden level. I will post daily and weekly updates in an attempt to provide myself with sufficient focus in this hectic modern world, to complete at least some form of daily training regimen. It's difficult to find space indoors, away from the dojo, to swing a sword or bokken.

It's too easy to leave it all until tomorrow...