Does the idea of the Warrior-Scholar or Warrior-Philosopher appeal to you? If so, you've come to the right place. We humbly assert that we are on this path!

Below is a list of our major course offerings and a summary of each with Martial Courses on the left and Cultural Classes on the right.

Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu is the core of our training. Far from being a set of techniques. The foundation of Budo Taijutsu is the Kihon Happo (Eight Fundamental Principles) and the San Shin (Three Spirits). Theses two sets are considered the foundation of all martial arts. This is a bold claim and after decades of study, we have found this to be true. The Kihon Happo are the way they are because the human body is the way it is.

Torite Gata -
• Omote Gyaku (Outer Wrist Twist)
• Omote Gyaku Tsuki (Outer Wrist Twist with a Punch)
• Ura Gyaku (Inner Wrist Twist)
• Musha Dori (Warrior Capture)
• Muso Dori (Twin Warrior Capture)

Koshi Sanpo -
• Ichimonji no Waza
• Jumonji no Waza
• Hicho no Waza

The San Shin is:

• Chi no Waza (Earth Pattern)
• Mizu no Waza (Water Pattern)
• Ka/Hi no Waza (Fire Pattern)
• Fu no Waza (Wind Pattern)
• Ku no Waza (Void Pattern)

Shinken Taijustu is essentially the Nine Schools of the Bujinkan evolved to be relevant in the 21st century. Shihan Legare, the creator of the school was appointed by the Grandmaster via Menkyo Kaiden ("License of Total Transmission") to continue what was started by Hatsumi-Sensei and his teacher Takamatsu-Sensei.

Shinken can be thought of as Bujustu ("Martial Science") or Bugei ("Martial Art") vice a Budo ("Martial Way") in that it is focused on the practical application of martial tactics and techniques in actual combat and has been refined to facilitate systematic instruction and dissemination within a formal learning environment.

The Shinken course of instruction is broken down into Levels and each Level into Modules. The Levels and Modules are designed to take someone who has never trained in martial arts through a systematic process to embody a set of skills and tactics that have been proven effective in lethal-force encounters.

Ken, Tachi, Katana - All three are taught or studied at BTSDsd.

Ken is a straight-bladed weapon that was used in the early periods of Japanese history.

Tachi is the long, curved battle sword worn cutting-edge down. It was used throughout the Warring-States period of Japanese history. Interesting to note is that there are no set techniques for Tachi but a set of concepts or fundamentals that are rooted in a warrior's Taijutsu.

Katana is the iconic Japanese curved sword worn by the Samurai after the land was pacified by the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Study of the sword at BTSDsd extensive and includes basics of drawing (iai), cutting (tameshigiri), and philosophy of use for factors such as armor. Training with the sword is conducted as both focused classes and integrated into the weekly classes. Within the nine schools of the Bujinkan were various sword methods taught by each school. The methods taught at BTSDsd are focused on the use of the sword as a weapon.

From the classic long-bladed Tanto to modern tactical folders. The practicality and relevance of knives cannot be denied. The study of knife at BTSDsd ranges from its use against armored opponents to how to draw and carry modern utility knives while wearing a pair of blue-jeans.

This classic weapon is most likely one of the first devised by man. The staff techniques of the Kukishinden Ryu are the foundation of the staff taught at BTSDsd. Easily crafted and kept ready at hand, the staff is an ideal weapon for self defense due to its reach and use.

Firearms are with us today and affect our lives regardless of how we feel about them. At BTSDsd we respect and organize around this powerful tool. Our courses are taught by highly qualified individuals with backgrounds in the US Military that have deployed into combat zones and have many years of experience teaching the armed-citizen philosophy of use regarding firearms.

The BTSDsd course of instruction begins with the Fundamentals of Firearms which teaches students how to think in this domain, continues to gun selection, and continues up to tactical employment of guns as part of a self-defense strategy.

• Yari - Japanese Spear
• Kusari Fundo - Weighted Chain
• Hanbo - Half-Staff
• Jo - 4-foot Staff
• Kyoketsu-Shoge - Blade, Weight, and Cord

Qigong - As taught by Drs Craig and Silvia Reid - Translated as the working of air, Qigong (chi kung) can be one or a series of standing, sitting, moving or lying down breathing techniques used to strengthen and circulate the body's already existing Qi as well as regenerate lost Qi.

"The Moment" - Operational Mindset Course - A paradigm shift in thinking for preparation, surviving, and recovering from high-stress situations. Pre-registration is required. Mature audience only. Here is a synopsis of the Operational Mindset course.

Shabu Shabu! - A wonderful Japanese dish that means "Hot Pot" Learn what it is and how to do it properly!

Martial Arts in the Movies - In the United States, the primary method through which most people first discover Chinese and Japanese Martial Arts is through the movies. Decades ago, Americans had only Bruce Lee movies, then they gained access to Hong Kong kungfu movies, and now we have movies like Crouching Tiger, The Matrix, The Last Samurai and we can even see Chinese Martial Arts in everyday television shows. Our instructor Craig Reid, who was also introduced to Kungfu through popular cinema, will tell us of his experiences as a voice actor, kungfu actor, stunt double, kungfu choreographer, and martial arts cinema researcher and author while he shows us an extravaganza of Chinese and Japanese Martial Arts in the Movies!

Calligraphy - As Yin is the pair to Yang, so Calligraphy is the pair to the Martial Arts. In Asia, it is said that much a person s character can be seen through their handwriting; as such, it has always been an integral part of a cultivated person s education that he or she learn calligraphy well. Even today, Calligraphy is used as a form of meditation, artistic outlet, emotional release, and personal cultivation. In this class, we learn the history and philosophy of Chinese and Japanese Calligraphy, and most importantly, we practice doing Calligraphy.

Chinese Medicine and Herbs - Modern medicine is just starting to accept Acupuncture as a valid form of medicine, but Traditional Chinese Medicine has been used and developed for millennia. This class covers the principles of Chinese Medicine and its approach to maintaining good health and sickness prevention, and introduces various modalities used in Chinese Medicine, including Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, Gua Sha, Cupping, food therapy, various forms of Chinese Massage Therapy including An Mo, Tui Na, Dit Da, Acupressure, and Dup Kwut , etc.