Tora No Tsume Dojo

Welcome to Tora no Tsume Dojo.

This channel is dedicated to practical karate, Aikijujutsu, and Ryu no Tate Jitsu—traditional martial arts taught through the lens of real-world self-defense.

We go beyond memorizing techniques to uncover the original purpose of kata, explore practical applications (bunkai), and explain not only how techniques work, but why they work and when to use them.

Topics include practical karate, kata applications, Aikijujutsu, Ryu no Tate Jitsu, joint locks, throws, takedowns, reality-based self-defense, karate myths, martial arts history, training principles, and instructional tutorials.

Our mission is to preserve the principles of traditional martial arts while presenting them in a logical, practical, and effective way for modern self-defense.

Train with purpose. Build real skill. Preserve the tradition.

View channel on YouTube

Switch Invidious Instance

Videos

Shorts

Livestreams

Playlists

Posts

Tora No Tsume Dojo

I’m looking for martial artists who know their kata but feel like they’re still borrowing other people’s answers about what those kata mean.

On September 29, I’m starting the first 30-Day Kata Lab.

Bring ONE kata.

For 30 days, we’re going to investigate it.

We’ll break down the movement.
Build multiple applications.
Turn those ideas into drills.
Add resistance.
Let them fail.
Figure out why.
Find the principles underneath them.
And start building a process you can use without needing someone else to hand you the answer.

This is the Founding Cohort, so I’m keeping it small:

15 Standard spots.
5 Mentorship spots.

If this sounds like the way you’ve been wanting to study kata, take a look here:

form.jotform.com/262490352352050

Bring one kata.

Let’s take it apart.

1 week ago | [YT] | 3

View 0 replies

Tora No Tsume Dojo

Most kata books give you answers.

I wanted to build something that made you ask better questions.

What problem are you actually trying to solve?
What do the feet really do?
Where is the other person?
What has to be true for your application to work?
And what happens when your partner stops cooperating?

Those questions are part of the reason I built The Kata Lab Field Journal.

This isn't a collection of my favorite bunkai for you to memorize.

The journal gives you a process for investigating the kata you already practice:
Context → Read the Body → Build Hypotheses → Build the Drill → Find the Limits → Make It Yours

You develop possibilities. You test them. You change the conditions. You find the assumptions. You see what survives.

Because coming up with an application isn't the end of the investigation.
The opponent gets a vote.

The Kata Lab Field Journal is available now in two formats:
📕 Paperback — $24.99 on Amazon
A physical 8.5 × 11 workbook you can take into training and write in.
Get the paperback on Amazon⁠: a.co/d/0afZfVAD

📄 Digital PDF — $29
Download it immediately, print the pages you need, and print fresh working pages for future investigations.
Get the digital edition⁠:
payhip.com/b/qPNiy

Bring one kata. Take it apart. Test what you find. Make it yours.

1 week ago | [YT] | 2

View 0 replies

Tora No Tsume Dojo

A kata application failing isn't necessarily bad news.

Maybe it only works from a particular range.

Good. Now you know its range.

Maybe it requires contact before the attack develops.

Good. Now you know something about its timing.

Maybe it falls apart when your partner reacts differently.

Good.

Now you learned something.

Stop trying to prove your bunkai works.

Test it until you understand WHEN it works.

That's what we're doing inside The Kata Lab.

Founding Cohort begins September 29.

form.jotform.com/262490352352050

1 week ago | [YT] | 0

View 0 replies

Tora No Tsume Dojo

I need your help choosing the cover for my new book.

I've been working on The Kata Lab Field Journal—a training journal designed to help martial artists dig deeper into their kata, test applications, and document what they discover.

The book is almost ready, but I have two very different cover designs.

Which one would make you more likely to pick up the book?

A, B, C, or D

Don't overthink it. Tell me which one grabs you first—and if you want, tell me why.

The Kata Lab Field Journal Bring one kata. Take it apart. Test what you find. Make it yours.