Razor Wind:
Finding the right martial arts school can take a lifetime. After trying several different kinds of martial arts and self-defense programs ranging from the estoreric (Ying Jow Pai Kung-Fu, Iaido, Bartitsu), to the classical (Judo, Taekwondo, Aikido, Wushu, Boxing, Muay Thai, Classical Fencing), I have been struggling to find a system that offers comprehensiveness, structure, and practical application. Usually the schools that I have discovered only have two of these virtues.
Many schools offer a comprehensive and well-structured martial tradition, but fail when it comes to real-life street application. Other schools have structure and practical applications but are not as comprehensive so it fails when an opponent is using a different style, a superior weapon, or the students don’t have the weapon that they are trained in. There are also schools that are very comprehensive and practical but lack structure so the students struggle to learn and master the art.
I count myself very fortunate to have been introduced to the Western Circle of Swordfighters by one of its senior students, Luma. I am fortunate because the Western Circle has all three virtues! Their curriculum is very comprehensive. In many ways it is like a modern MMA school that includes sword-fighting. The Western Circle teaches practical hand-to-hand combat: striking, kicking, joint locks, takedowns, pressure points, and grappling. The Western Circle curriculum does focus on the sword arts but it also includes other armaments: dual weapons, staff, spear, shield, dagger, knife, flail, mace, and axe just to name a few. The learning opportunities are boundless.
The Western Circle is also very structured. My first day at class was unlike many martial arts schools that I have recently attended. Many modern schools have a less disciplined approach in an effort to be more friendly and attract more people. Western Circle classes are incredibly disciplined. Seniority is respected, etiquette is firmly adhered to and corrections are swift. No one is ever goofing off, or playing around. The Western Circle is uncompromising because so is life. Violence is real and we have to be prepared for its inevitability. Either I master violence or violence will master me. The Western Circle take their martial arts and sciences very seriously and it is reflected in their classes.
In the long-term, the Western Circle offers a very well-thought-out path to martial mastery that spans many years and include incredible challenges that most martial arts schools wouldn’t dare attempt. It is clear that each rank and degree builds on-top of the prior and prepares the student for the next. A student is given a solid foundation that is free of the weaknesses stemming from disorganized learning. The structure has been methodically planned out but is not dogmatically adhered to either. It is also open to revisioning if the Council of the Western Circle feels that it is lacking. With that adaptivity, the Western Circle continues to grow and thrive.
The practical nature of what I learn cannot be understated. The school doesn’t shy away from live-steel sparring to prepare students psychologically for real self-defense situations and teach them to respect their weapons and armor. In just a few classes I have learned techniques that can save my life. There are grappling techniques that even jiu-jitsu schools don’t readily teach because of their efficiency in rendering opponents unconscious. I have also learned weapon techniques that helped me win fencing tournaments and gain world championship titles.
Above all, the most important aspect of the Western Circle is the dedication to it and relationships found within it. That is what struck me the most and why I ultimately joined. The members of the Western Circle are more than just associates; they are true comrades-in-arms. Some members have known each other for over three decades and have been in the Western Circle since its inception. My friend, Luma has been a student and friend of Kaiden Gad for more than half her life. Not many schools without lineages or deep-rooted traditions can boast that kind of longevity in it’s membership. These connections form the incredible strength within the Western Circle. I have found not just a circle of sword-fighters that will make me into a better martial artist; I have also found a circle of friends that can last a lifetime.
I am truly honored and proud to have been invited by Kaiden Gad in April of 2018 to become a member of the Western Circle. It is a precious gift to learn from the Western Circle of Swordfighters. I hope to one day be able to reciprocate.
“Elemental by nature, my sword is wrought from the earth,
tempers through flame, quenches in water, sings with the wind,
hides in the darkness, shines in the light, divides the body,
moves with my will, reflects my spirit and unites my soul.”
Many schools offer a comprehensive and well-structured martial tradition, but fail when it comes to real-life street application. Other schools have structure and practical applications but are not as comprehensive so it fails when an opponent is using a different style, a superior weapon, or the students don’t have the weapon that they are trained in. There are also schools that are very comprehensive and practical but lack structure so the students struggle to learn and master the art.
I count myself very fortunate to have been introduced to the Western Circle of Swordfighters by one of its senior students, Luma. I am fortunate because the Western Circle has all three virtues! Their curriculum is very comprehensive. In many ways it is like a modern MMA school that includes sword-fighting. The Western Circle teaches practical hand-to-hand combat: striking, kicking, joint locks, takedowns, pressure points, and grappling. The Western Circle curriculum does focus on the sword arts but it also includes other armaments: dual weapons, staff, spear, shield, dagger, knife, flail, mace, and axe just to name a few. The learning opportunities are boundless.
The Western Circle is also very structured. My first day at class was unlike many martial arts schools that I have recently attended. Many modern schools have a less disciplined approach in an effort to be more friendly and attract more people. Western Circle classes are incredibly disciplined. Seniority is respected, etiquette is firmly adhered to and corrections are swift. No one is ever goofing off, or playing around. The Western Circle is uncompromising because so is life. Violence is real and we have to be prepared for its inevitability. Either I master violence or violence will master me. The Western Circle take their martial arts and sciences very seriously and it is reflected in their classes.
In the long-term, the Western Circle offers a very well-thought-out path to martial mastery that spans many years and include incredible challenges that most martial arts schools wouldn’t dare attempt. It is clear that each rank and degree builds on-top of the prior and prepares the student for the next. A student is given a solid foundation that is free of the weaknesses stemming from disorganized learning. The structure has been methodically planned out but is not dogmatically adhered to either. It is also open to revisioning if the Council of the Western Circle feels that it is lacking. With that adaptivity, the Western Circle continues to grow and thrive.
The practical nature of what I learn cannot be understated. The school doesn’t shy away from live-steel sparring to prepare students psychologically for real self-defense situations and teach them to respect their weapons and armor. In just a few classes I have learned techniques that can save my life. There are grappling techniques that even jiu-jitsu schools don’t readily teach because of their efficiency in rendering opponents unconscious. I have also learned weapon techniques that helped me win fencing tournaments and gain world championship titles.
Above all, the most important aspect of the Western Circle is the dedication to it and relationships found within it. That is what struck me the most and why I ultimately joined. The members of the Western Circle are more than just associates; they are true comrades-in-arms. Some members have known each other for over three decades and have been in the Western Circle since its inception. My friend, Luma has been a student and friend of Kaiden Gad for more than half her life. Not many schools without lineages or deep-rooted traditions can boast that kind of longevity in it’s membership. These connections form the incredible strength within the Western Circle. I have found not just a circle of sword-fighters that will make me into a better martial artist; I have also found a circle of friends that can last a lifetime.
I am truly honored and proud to have been invited by Kaiden Gad in April of 2018 to become a member of the Western Circle. It is a precious gift to learn from the Western Circle of Swordfighters. I hope to one day be able to reciprocate.
“Elemental by nature, my sword is wrought from the earth, tempers through flame, quenches in water, sings with the wind, hides in the darkness, shines in the light, divides the body, moves with my will, reflects my spirit and unites my soul.”