Class Calendar

Please check the schedule below for class and scheduling information.

Photo Gallery Updated

The photo gallery of iaido and dojo-related events has been updated. Clicking the link will open a new page.

Member's BLOG added

Take a look at our member's blog if you have a chance.

Upcoming Events

Septermber 18 & 19: The 2nd annual Fargo Open Martial Arts Charity seminar

More details to come, but this will be a demonstration/seminar here in Fargo by several of the area schools and sensei. Highly recommended. Looking forward to that!

November - Culture Festival Demonstration in Moorhead

More details to follow, but members from the Moorhead Dojo will be attending this annual culture event to answer questions about Japaense culture, budo, and perform demonstrations of iaido.

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Archived News Items

Recent News & Events

July - Demo at the RRV Fair

Members of our dojo performed iaido demos at the Red River Valley Fair this summer.

Head Instructor Bradley, and students Bert, Paul, and Joey all presented seitei and Musoshindenryu kata at the Scheels stage at the Fair. Despite the hot weather and overall poor fair attendance, a good number of people stopped by to view this traditional Japanese sword style.

Several children and adults came up on stage to try their hand at as newspaper cutting with a wooden sword (bokuto). Though it sounds easy, it's not, but it was a lot of fun for everyone.

May 21-24: Kim Taylor's Iaido seminar in Guelph, CA

Several high ranking Sensei will attend the seminar. Including a MusoShinden hanshi as well as Hatakenaka sensei and Tsubaki sensei. There will also be 4-5 senior jodo sensei. It WAS AWESOME!

April 28th: Rank Testing

Congratulations goes to Paul Dyer and Kelly Maier for passing their 3kyu rank test in US Kendo Federation Seitei Iaido. Paul and Kelly are members of the Musoshindenryu Iaido - Moorhead Dojo studying the Japanese sword art of Iaido. In the Moorhead Dojo, grading is held starting with the 4th (lowest) kyu. During grading, the candidates had to perform 5 specific kata (patterns) and complete a written test with questions covering aspects of iaido terminology, philosophy and theory. Having been awarded a kyu rank one can challenge the next one and after the first (highest) kyu — the first dan and so on, but candidates must observe the time in rank requirement between gradings. The waiting period increases for higher grades.

April 2010 Core Con demo - a big success!

I'd like to personally thank Paul, Kelly, and Bert for all their help setting up and participating in the Core Con demo last Saturday.
We had a pretty good turnout for both the open discussion on Bushido, and especially the demonstration of iaido kata. Each member did excellent demonstrations of kata, and I think the audience enjoyed it very much. There were lots of good questions about the history of iaido/budo, the katana (Japanese sword), and iaido in general.

We demonstrated seven of the twelve All Japan Kendo Federation (Zen Nihon Kendo Renmei) seitei kata. Using bokuto (wooden swords) we broke down several of these, showing the functions of the kata and positions of the enemy. I think this helped the audience better understand the movements we were making and the underlying meanings of the patterns.

I performed several of the Musoshindenkoryu kata (dating back over 400 years) and answered questions about that.

Paul Dyer (4kyu) wrote up a brief article:
"A day to remember, a moment for the learning and sharing with others, the Moorhead iaido dojo presented a demonstration at the Core Con 2010. There are many reasons for people to attend this grand event, but one we do know is to understand the art of Bushido from the art form of iaido.  Sensei Bradley Anderson developed an open forum of communication with the audience. Many asked questions, but very few understood the importance of patience and the meaning of Bushido. In the art of iaido, there is a quiet enemy within. The enemy becomes larger through our lifetime, and in the practice of iaido there is a battle of peace and unrest happening within our self. In iaido we study and learn how to defeat the unrest within ourselves. This was explained in the demonstration, both verbally and visually."

"A warrior must cultivate the feeling that he has everything needed for the extravagant journey that is his life. What counts for a warrior is being alive. Life in itself is sufficient, self-explanatory and complete. Therefore, one may say without being presumptuous that the experience of experiences is being alive."
~ Carlos Castaneda quotes 

There was video footage taken of the demo. I'll provide links once we've got something available for viewing.

We debuted our new kanji "Mu-shin" t-shirts. Mushin means essentially, "mental clarity/ enhanced perception by the absence of conscious thought / no-mindedness.” Very cool shirts, and we still have several available (blue or tan) in all sizes for $15 each.

Rank testing will be the 28th. Testing consists of members performing specified kata, and a short oral and written examination. Good luck to members testing for their rank!

Open Admission for members wishing to join the dojo begins May 5th. Practice starts at 6:30.

That's about it for now.
Brad

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