Rembukan Dojo

Classical Martial Arts for Stick & Sword Fighting

Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo & Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido

Welcome to the Rembukan Dojo.We are a private (non-commercial) dojo dedicated to the study and preservation of traditional Japanese martial disciplines with a primary focus on Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo (Jo, Kenjutsu, Tanjo, Jutte, Rope Tying) and Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido.Our approach to training reflects a 6-decade journey and a deep connection with the Japanese traditions and teachers that we are associated with.Practicing these wonderful traditions is an enriching experience. There is always something new to learn, a new mystery revealed, and something new to develop.

Rembukan Dojo

Our Machi DojoWe have been fortunate to have had many Japanese teachers visit our neighborhood dojo. Almost universally, they have been surprised to observe that the Rembukan reminds them of the way dojo used to be in Japan.
Our dojo setting is set within a natural setting and in keeping with the Japanese belief that in training, we take energy from that which is around us.
The Rembukan is more than a physical space. It was built and maintained by the students that train here. Sticking to It.

Mastering classical weapons requires commitment. Training with weapons is dangerous for the practitioner and everyone else in the dojo. It shouldn’t be taken lightly.Acquisition of skills will develop with patient and sincere effort. The fact is that training in a martial tradition is brutally honest. We get out of it, exactly what we invest in it, no more, no less. There are no shortcuts. Ah, but the training can be incredibly rewarding.These arts are not intended as a short-term undertaking. As we bow onto the mat, there is no place for ego. We accept corrections with humility. This truth applies to beginners, senior students, and instructors alike. Training is the process as well as the goal.The Journey is forever..

What We Study

Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo

Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo (SMRJ) emerged at the turn of the 17th century and had remained a secret martial tradition of the Kuroda domain until the 20th century.At the center of this tradition is the “Jo”, a wooden staff developed for use against the Japanese sword as the sword would become a primary weapon of the bushi or warrior class going forward.

The originator, Muso Gonnosuke Katsuyoshi had mastered 3 different styles of swordsmanship and a sickle and chain weapon called a kusarigama. To know the jo requires an understanding of the sword as well. SMRJ includes training with the jo, sword (Kasumi Shinto Ryu Kenjutsu), kusarigama (Isshin-Ryu), jutte (Ikkaku Ryu), tanjo (Uchida Ryu) , and rope tying (Ittatsu Ryu Hojojutsu).

Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido

Muso Shinden Ryu (SMR) is the art of drawing the sword, a discipline introduced by Nakayama Hakudo Sensei.The discipline develops the ability to draw and use the sword in situations in which the practitioner is placed at a tactical disadvantage. Iai requires precision, awareness, control and continual efforts towards refinement. The nature of the art invites the development of “soft” skills of great value in training in martial ways as well as lessons for life. We therefore require that all Rembukan students’ study both jo and iai. Together, Jodo and Iaido provide complementary approaches to the study of classical Japanese weapons and budo

About Dojo name -Rembukan JapanShimizu Takaji Sensei (Rick's Jodo Teacher)
I'm very proud of the students that have continued to train at the Rembukan Dojo. You have not only demonstrated that you are terrific human beings but also great exponents of these ancient martial traditions. Their efforts make the dojo a breathing living place and you have enriched my life and touched the lives of my family. I appreciate sharing the mat with you. Perhaps you will have stories to add - I hope so.As to who we are? Well we're an interesting mix of adults. There is an incredible array of talent within the group and a wealth of impressive accomplishments both personal and professional that could be boasted about within the membership, but none do.Ranks, competitions and trophies are not a big part of our traditions. Everyone simply strives to improve their individual skill sets, and by so doing, the overall understanding of the group. Everyone realizes that we'll never truly complete the task. It's about making the effort.I had been studying karate for almost 10 years when I met a policeman while at college that was a judoka. Thru a special police course, Officer Bruce Brown traveled to Japan to train and began formal instruction in Shindo Muso Ryu as well as other budo. Upon my graduating University Bruce invited me to Japan and sponsored my entrance. It was there that I first met many of my teachers including Shimizu, Draeger, and Kaminoda Sensei.I could not imagine then what a profound effect it would have on my life or that one day I would be in some very small way trying to promote Shimizu Sensei's vision for Jodo to have a global stance. He thought that practicing Jodo was good for both mental and physical health, and envisioned Jodo and it's associated arts, as a gift to be offered to people everywhere. At the Rembukan, we study each of these traditions as well as the Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido.

2026 Seminar Schedule

  • September 18th - 20th: Fall Seminar

  • November 6th - 8th: Winter Seminar

  • December 20th: Bonnenkai

  • January 8th -10th 2027 Shinnenkai

Welcome Dr. Jerry O'Brien, Menkyo and Rembukan Shibu for Delaware with the successful launch of his Shindo Muso Ryu Jodo website

We are interested in what you think about our site and welcome your comments. If you are interested in practicing at the Rembukan please contact us to discuss setting up an appointment for a visit.If you're interested in instruction, there are some things you should consider...
We are a private dojo and we have a selection process in interviewing and selecting prospective members.
By appointment only.We request that anyone that is at a point in life where they can't reasonably believe that they'll be able to participate in training, for at least three years find another more suitable dojo to meet their needs. We're not trying to be snooty. It's just that it takes time to learn and instruction of the merely curious, takes time away from instruction of the other students.We don't instruct minors. This is in part due to the fact that we teach weapons arts and also young adults may not be able to have a stable environment for three years as they prepare for school, work, and life.

1. Fudo Kanashibari
Have you ever awakened from a dream unable to move? Modern medicine calls it sleep paralysis—but traditional martial arts describes an experience with some striking similarities -Fudo Kanashibari with an account from a highly skilled martial artist. Let's explore the mysterious territory where martial tradition, personal experience, and mythology meet.