Posts from April 30, 2026

Yushikan Blog

Resilience and Rebirth: Reflections on 2019–2020

Wednesday, September 9, 2020 by C. Michial Jones If the last two years have taught me anything,[…]

What’s in a Name? The 25-Year Evolution of a Dojo

Wednesday, February 13, 2019 by C. Michial Jones Every long-term dojo owner has a “founding story,” but[…]

In Memoriam: Nantambu Camara Bomani Hanshi

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 by C. Michial Jones A Global Pioneer of Jundokan Goju-Ryu Nantambu Camara Bomani[…]

2018 Year in Review: A Journey of Budo, Lineage, and Legacy

Monday, December 10, 2018 by C. Michial JOnes The past year has been a whirlwind of growth,[…]

On the Road: Spring 2026 Seminar Tour

Monday, May 7, 2018 by C. Michial Jones Life has been a whirlwind lately between the dojo,[…]

The Myth of the “Correct” Goju-Ryu: A 40-Year Perspective

Wednesday, February 14, 2018 by C. Michial Jones In the world of traditional karate, a debate has[…]

Between the Eyes of the Storm: A Pilgrimage to Okinawa

Wednesday, November 1, 2017 by C. Michial Jones On October 21, 2017, I began a journey that[…]

Seidokan Karate-Kobudo: A Historical Revision and Lineage Update

Friday, September 15, 2017 by C. Michial Jones In 2002, Col. Hobbs and I published an article[…]

Defining the Line: When Does Goju-Ryu Cease to Be Goju-Ryu?

Friday, June 2, 2017 by C. Michial Jones The landscape of modern Goju-Ryu is a vast delta[…]

The Architecture of Change: On Outgrowing Your Roots

Tuesday, May 30, 2017 by C. Michial Jones “You aren’t the same person anymore.” I’ve heard it[…]

The Teacher’s Harvest: A Legacy of Variation

Tuesday, May 9, 2017 by C. Michial Jones Glyn Jones Sensei once posed a poignant question in[…]

The Grading Conundrum: Skill vs. Math

Thursday, April 27, 2017 By C. Michial Jones The grading system in Karate is a relatively new[…]

Kiichi Nakamoto: The Living Link to the Garden Dojo

Thursday, April 20, 2017 by C. Michial Jones To understand the standards of the Yushikan, one must[…]

Budo vs. Ball: Why Martial Arts Surpass Team Sports

Wednesday, August 31, 2016 by C. Michial Jones As I reach my thirty-ninth year of training in[…]

Change Your Words, Change Your Mindset

Monday, February 15, 2016 by C. Michial Jones Being a Sensei is not as easy as earning[…]

Goju-Ryu Futari Geiko

I thought I would announce that my long awaited book on Goju-Ryu two person exercises “Goju-Ryu Futari[…]

The Great Synthesis: Building a New Legacy

Wednesday, April 29, 2015 by C. Michial Jones In 2014, my life took a major turn. I[…]

Hiki-Te: The Science of the Pulling Hand

Monday, August 18, 2014 by C. Michial Jones In a beginner’s first Karate class, they are taught[…]

The Evolution of Goju-Ryu Kata: Beyond the Twelve

Thursday, January 23, 2014 by C. Michial Jones It is a well-known historical fact that Chojun Miyagi[…]

The Birth of the Black Belt: Part II

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 by C. Michial Jones To understand the ranks of the masters, we must[…]

The Masters and Their Ranks: A Historical Audit

Tuesday, January 14, 2014 by C. Michial Jones In the modern martial arts landscape, we are often[…]

Twenty Years of the Yushikan: A Legacy of Choice

Monday, January 13, 2014 by C. Michial Jones On January 2, 2014, I celebrated the 20th Anniversary[…]

The Friendship Seminar: Beyond the Kai-ha

Monday, November 25, 2013 by C. Michial Jones In the world of traditional Karate, organizations (Kai-ha) can[…]

October in Review: The Student’s Mind

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 by C. Michial Jones In October, I decided to shift the rhythm of[…]

Weekend Kobudo: The Weapons Connection

Tuesday, October 29, 2013 by C. Michial Jones On October 26th, Jason and I continued our commitment[…]

A Small Rant: The Lost Reality of Self-Defense

Thursday, October 3, 2013 by C. Michial Jones A long time ago, “knowing martial arts” meant one[…]

The Annual Gasshuku: Three Perspectives, One Lineage

Friday, September 20, 2013 by C. Michial Jones Over the weekend of August 16–18, I hosted our[…]

Go Train: Politics, Sovereignty, and the Mat

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 by C. Michial Jones Recently, I received an email chastising me for the[…]

What Happened? The Erosion of the Dojo Spirit

Tuesday, July 2, 2013 by C. Michial Jones When I first stepped onto the mat in the[…]

Looking Back: The Komakai Inheritance

Monday, December 31, 2012 by C. Michial Jones I recently sat down with a few former dojo[…]

Taking Stock: The Dilemma of the Scholar-Warrior

Saturday, December 29, 2012 by C. Michial Jones Every so often, I pause to take stock. I[…]

Recognition in Michigan: Training with Nakamoto Kiichi Sensei

Monday, December 10, 2012 by C. Michial Jones In the spring of 2012, I received word that[…]

The Arrival: Goju-Ryu in the Americas

Friday, September 14, 2012 by C. Michial Jones The story of Goju-Ryu in the West begins with[…]

2012: The Passing of a Generation

Sunday, September 9, 2012 by C. Michial Jones The year 2012 has been a grueling season for[…]

Observations: Polishing the Soul in a Commercial World

Wednesday, September 5, 2012 by C. Michial Jones Recently, I attended the 23rd PKC International Karate Tournament.[…]

The Dojo Remodel: Banishing the Ego

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 by C. Michial Jones In the spring of 2012, over the Mother’s Day[…]

Gasshuku: Uniting the Branches of Goju-Ryu

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 by C. Michial Jones In the traditional martial arts, a Gasshuku (合宿) is[…]

The Great Equalizer: Standards, Gender, and the Mat

Tuesday, July 10, 2012 by C. Michial Jones Recently, I was met with the accusation that I[…]

Playing Amongst the Pine Forest: A Life Beyond Style

Sunday, May 27, 2012 by C. Michial Jones To the outside world, I am a Goju-Ryu man.[…]

What is in a Name? The Birth of the Yushikan

Friday, April 13, 2012 by C. Michial Jones Recently, a student of my father asked me a[…]

Budo Road Trip: The Dentokan Connection

Sunday, April 1, 2012 by C. Michial Jones After several months of professional transition in my law[…]

The Fork in the Road: Duty, Legacy, and the Solo Path

Sunday, February 12, 2012 by C. Michial Jones Life is a series of intersections. We often find[…]

The Bridge to the Source: Remembering Koshin Iha Sensei

Sunday, January 29, 2012 by C. Michial Jones It is with profound respect and a heavy heart[…]

Hajime Keiko: The Solitude of Commitment

Monday, January 2, 2012 by C. Michial Jones In the traditional Okinawan dojo, Hajime Keiko marks the[…]

Tough Love: The Art of the Fall

Sunday, December 25, 2011 by C. Michial Jones Recently, I spent some time with my Uncle Pat.[…]

Bunkai: Decoding the Lethal Intent

Saturday, December 17, 2011 by C. Michial Jones For years, I have been puzzled by how instructors[…]

Shodan: The First Step, Not the Final Goal

Monday, December 12, 2011 by C. Michial Jones The term Shodan (初段) is commonly translated in the[…]

The Methodology of the Warm-Up: Junbi Undo Part 2

Wednesday, November 30, 2011 by C. Michial Jones The evolution of Junbi Undo did not stop with[…]

Junbi Undo: The Gateway to Foundation

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 by C. Michial Jones Junbi Undo (準備 運動), or “preliminary exercises,” constitutes the[…]

Keep on Keeping On: The Perpetual Student

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 by C. Michial Jones I must offer a small apology to those who[…]

The Perfection of Character: A Code for the Modern World

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 by C. Michial Jones We often hear the phrase “The ultimate aim of[…]

The Genesis of the Komakai System

Friday, September 23, 2011 by C. Michial Jones To understand “Komakai Karate,” one must look back to[…]

The Tensho Divergence: Analyzing the Soft Form

Monday, September 12, 2011 by C. Michial Jones Following a recent discussion with Garry Leaver of the[…]

The Private Gate: Integrity vs. Elitism

Wednesday, August 10, 2011 by C. Michial Jones Recently, I received a message from a visitor to[…]

Budo Road Trip: The Hanshi’s Correction

Friday, August 5, 2011 by C. Michial Jones The second day in Michigan began with a phone[…]

Budo Road Trip: A Lesson in the Parking Lot

Thursday, August 4, 2011 by C. Michial Jones In July, a unique opportunity arose to bridge the[…]

The Shadow and the Circle: The Real Meaning of a Black Belt

Sunday, July 24, 2011 by C. Michial Jones There is a Zen parable often discussed in the[…]

Quality Over Quantity: The Yushikan Philosophy of Growth

Wednesday, July 13, 2011 I am often asked about the growth of the Yushikan, both as a[…]

The Spirit Cry: The True Purpose of Kiai

Tuesday, June 21, 2011 by C. Michial Jones In the modern landscape of “sport” karate, the kiai[…]

Forging a Karate Mind: The Power of Wholeness

Friday, May 27, 2011 by C. Michial Jones Karate is not a game of points, weight classes,[…]

The Marathon, Not the Sprint: Training to Your Ability

Monday, May 16, 2011 by C. Michial Jones In the Jundokan lineage of Eiichi Miyazato Sensei, the[…]

The Internal Student: Life as an Uchi-Deshi

Friday, May 6, 2011 by C. Michial Jones In the West, we often use the term “student”[…]