What can traditional Japanese martial arts teach us today?
Traditional Japanese martial arts still captivate people today – it is the fascination of training body and mind. The motto of Yoshin Ryu is: “The body is soft, the mind is hard.” In combat you need a supple body: relaxed, it automatically finds the right moment to react and to counter-attack.
The mind, on the other hand, remains sharp and present and cannot be distracted. In the moment of combat, the instant meets the highest concentration – a moment in which you feel your strength directly.
“In no other martial art have I found such power and depth as in Yoshin Ryu.”Raoul Haldimann
Balance is decisive
How do you take your opponent's balance? If you succeed, victory is almost won. Training balance, movement and an attentive mind also helps in everyday life: someone bumps into you in a crowd – and you decide whether to use the force of the push or let it come to nothing.
The weapon as a tool
In traditional jujutsu, to which Yoshin Ryu belongs, you also learn to handle traditional weapons: wooden staff, short sword or knife. In training, body and weapon become one.
Speed is crucial, because in a fight it is not immediately clear which weapon the opponent carries. The fight should be decided before he can use it. For the samurai this was a matter of survival – today speed is what makes this martial art so efficient.
The Soke – guardian of the tradition
The traditional school teaches the martial art authentically and in the spirit of its founder. The grandmaster, the Soke, preserves the tradition and passes it on to a successor. The black belt examination with the Soke in Japan is regarded as admission to the school and to the large Motoha Yoshin Ryu family. As a ritual, the Soke presents a scroll listing the techniques learned, written by hand by the grandmaster himself.
Start at any age
Anyone can learn the martial art of Yoshin Ryu – women and men, teenagers and adults. Become part of this tradition and grow beyond yourself.