by Kiai Echo | Mar 24, 2026 | Kiai Echo 2026 Articles, Kiai Echo Articles
My name is John Rodriguez. I started Danzan Ryu as an adult due to an enormous amount of stress I was dealing with. I had met and known Sensei Filiberto Gutierrez before I started Danzan Ryu. While I was going through this tough time, I approached my Sensei and asked...
by Kiai Echo | Mar 24, 2026 | Kiai Echo 2026 Articles, Kiai Echo Articles
One sunny June afternoon, our family went to a trial Danzan Ryu Jujitsu class. At that time, we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into. That day, our daughter jumped, fell, ran, and did moves we had never seen before. After the session, she said she...
by Kiai Echo | Mar 24, 2026 | Kiai Echo 2026 Articles, Kiai Echo Articles
When I first started Danzan Ryu Jujitsu, I absolutely hated it. I was an unhealthy kid, just about nine years old. After a few weeks, I began to actually enjoy the martial art. When I got my gi, I really started to like it. I loved learning new techniques and...
by Kiai Echo | Mar 24, 2026 | Kiai Echo 2026 Articles
Kaizen is often translated as continuous improvement, but I’ve come to believe that definition is incomplete. Kaizen is not just what we practice on the mat, in the dojo, or during moments of focused discipline. Kaizen is the constant, never-ending test of who we are...
by Kiai Echo | Mar 24, 2026 | Kiai Echo 2026 Articles, Kiai Echo Articles
When I first think of martial arts, I think of the Karate Kid doing “Wax on, wax off.” One day, I was taking the Metro train when, all of a sudden, the door opened and someone got kicked right into my pathway. I “opened the door” and moved out of the way to keep from...
