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Following our October 2025 trip to Japan that included training at the birthplace of iaido with the members of the Shinbukan dojo and a ceremony at the Hayashizaki Jinja (known as the Iai Shrine), we decided to restore a kamidana  (a small, elevated Shinto shrine) to the shomen (front wall) of our dojo in honor of the connections that we had made. In the same way that an embassy is considered sovereign territory of the nation it represents, we wanted to bring a tangible representation of the “spirit” of Japan into our dojo. The presence of a kamidana in a traditional Japanese martial arts dojo can cause hesitation among Christian practitioners, as well as members of the Judaic or Islamic faiths. The concern is understandable: the First Commandment strictly forbids placing other gods before God, and a  kamidana  represents  Shinto —a religion involving  kami , or spirits. However, a closer examination of the role of  kamidana  within the context ...
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  The February edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In “When an Exclamation Replaces Thought,” guest contributor Edward Castillo (Salahuddin Muhammed) Sensei presents for this 100th posting of Sword and Spirit a special essay on “Why Class, Culture, and Precision Matter in the Dojo.” Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://www.ittendojo.org/dbfiles/download/swordandspirit/pdf/100. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://www.ittendojo.org/articles/swordandspirit. #ittendojo #japanesemartialartscenter #iaido #jujutsu #judo #shodo
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  The January edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In “Want for Nothing,” guest contributor and Itten Dojo alumnus Peter Hobart takes on the daunting topic of the Void, viewed through the lens of Musashi’s writings in the Book of Five Rings. Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://www.ittendojo.org/dbfiles/download/swordandspirit/pdf/99. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://www.ittendojo.org/articles/swordandspirit. #ittendojo #japanesemartialartscenter #iaido #jujutsu #judo #shodo
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  The December edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In “2025 Year in Review,” Itten Dojo chief instructor Robert Wolfe looks back on all that members of our dojo did in the past year — and this is one of our largest issues ever. Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://www.ittendojo.org/dbfiles/download/swordandspirit/pdf/98. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://www.ittendojo.org/articles/swordandspirit. #ittendojo #japanesemartialartscenter #iaido #jujutsu #judo #shodo
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  The November edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In October, members of Itten Dojo and some family members made a ten-day trip to Japan. One of the highlights of the trip was a visit to the Hayashizaki Jinja, the Iai Shrine where the art of iaijutsu/iaido was created 400+ years ago by Hayashizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu, where we trained with the members of the Shinbukan Dojo and participated in a prayer and blessing ceremony conducted by the chief priest of the Shinto shrine. In “Iaido Pilgrimage,” Itten Dojo chief instructor Robert Wolfe reports on what was a truly amazing experience. Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://www.ittendojo.org/dbfiles/download/swordandspirit/pdf/97. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://www.ittendojo.org/articles/swordandspirit. #ittendojo #japanesemartialartscenter #iaido #jujutsu #judo #shodo
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  It’s been two weeks since our October 25th visit to the Hayashizaki Jinja, the birthplace of iaido, and our opportunity to train in Japan at the Iai Shinbukan, the associated dojo on the grounds of the shrine in Murayama City. My head is still spinning. Ito Sensei and Higuchi Sensei recognized very quickly that we intended to make the most of every moment in that dojo, and they responded by packing the three hours with as much technique and insights as they could convey. Every member of the Shinbukan went above and beyond to help and made us feel very welcome. It was an amazing experience! #ittendojo #iaido
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  The October edition of Sword and Spirit has been posted. In this issue, guest contributor Edward Castillo (Salahuddin Muhammed) Sensei presents an exceptional essay on Bushido, The Way of the Warrior, in “The Invention of Bushido: Nitobe Inazo and the Politics of an Idea.” Download the newsletter by joining the Sword and Spirit group on Facebook, or directly from our website, at https://www.ittendojo.org/dbfiles/download/swordandspirit/pdf/96. All back issues of Sword and Spirit are available at https://www.ittendojo.org/articles/swordandspirit. #ittendojo #japanesemartialartscenter #iaido #jujutsu #judo #shodo
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