Ikigai Ryu and the Ikigai System

Ikigai Ryu is the overall organisation for training in the Ikigai System of self-protection and life mastery skills, which includes both internal and external arts.
Ikigai Ryu
Ikigai Ryu ("Ryu" means school in Japanese) is the name of the overall organisation for all of the elements of the modern Ikigai System, including Meditation, Qi Gong, "Being|Life skills" and the Self-Protection and Weapons training groups.  It is an independent entity and not a derivative of, or associated with, any other school.  

History and Development

Ikigai Ryu originally began as the UK’s first Hoshinjutsu  (Hoshin Roshi Ryu) Training Group in 2004.  The group’s focus on the internal aspects of the arts meant that it attracted combat martial artists from various disciplines who found that their interests in the esoteric elements of martial arts were not being met in their other training. 


Craig Dickson  was the first Hoshin instructor in the UK and  a personal student of the founder of the Hoshinjutsu system,  Dr Glenn J. Morris ("Doc"), until his death in 2006.   After Dr Morris’s death, Craig continued to explore various internal and external arts which, ultimately, led to the creation of Ikigai Ryu adopted as the name for the local dojo.                 


Hoshin continues under the leadership of Doc’s successor, Rob Williams , whose Hoshin Budu Ryu is the umbrella organisation for all aspects of modern Hoshin and includes Hoshinjutsu, Hoshin Tao Chi Kung and Hoshin Healing.   All Ikigai Ryu students are encouraged to seek out Hoshin at the source and to train with Rob, or any of his instructors, if they can. 


Ikigai Ryu was specifically developed as a way to make Meditation and Therapeutic Qi Gong teaching available to a wider audience, including those that do not have a particular interest in the martial arts.  Accordingly, the  Self-protection  and  Weapons  elements of the system are now only taught to a limited number of students. 


Ikigai Ryu is a contemporary art and does not claim to be a traditional (“Koryu”) system, i.e. with a generational lineage dating back centuries.  Similarly, Ikigai Ryu is not a sport-derivative martial art, like taekwondo, judo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.    Ikigai Ryu members respect all arts but practitioners who are attracted to systems designed primarily to preserve their ancient forms/kata or those who wish to train for sport or competition will probably not be suited to Ikigai Ryu (or, indeed, Hoshin). 


Ikigai students who wish to develop their skills beyond the system and learn authentic combat and “jutsu” arts are actively encouraged to do so as part of their continuing personal development. 


Acknowledgments

Ikigai Ryu only exists because of the teachers who have been generous with their time, patience and humour along the Way.  In addition to those whose teachings form the basis of the Ikigai System, detailed below, there are numerous other brilliant teachers who have been instrumental and formative over the years like Kypros Charalambous (Bujinkan), Arthur Hart (Aikido) and Steve Maycock (Krav Maga).  The number of "Buyu" (martial friends) who have shared and contributed to the journey are too many to mention.  

Dr Glenn J. Morris (1944-2006)

Dr. Glenn J. Morris was an author, educator, researcher, industrial consultant and martial arts instructor.  He developed the art of Hoshin Roshi Ryu,  which is a combination of the wide range of meditations, martial arts experience and healing arts he studied for over 40 years. 

Dr. Morris was a master instructor of Tien Tao Wei Shen Chi Kung, Nihon Karate Jutsu and Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu (posthumous Judan). He also studied Jujutsu, Judo, Boxing, Wrestling, Okinawan Karate, Savate and various forms of Kung Fu. 

Dr. Morris also pursued in depth study of various subjects pertaining to health and healing including Humanistic Psychology, bodywork, Gestalt Therapy, Rubenfeld Synergy, Chinese Medicine, meditation and hypnosis.  Dr. Morris' academic achievements include PhD in Communication with specialization in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Wayne State University, Detroit, MI and D.Sci in Transpersonal Psychology from Eurotech Research University.   He was the author of the following books:

“Martial Arts Madness”
“Shadow Strategies of an American Ninja Master”
“Path Notes of an American Ninja Master"

Dr. Morris passed away on April 1, 2006. 
(from Hoshin.com)

More than anything, Doc was a great friend and mentor.

Dr Aihan Khun

Dr. Aihan Kuhn, C.M.D., is a Chinese medical doctor trained in both Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She is one of the foremost educators and practitioners of holistic medicine in the world and a Qi Gong and Tai Chi Master Teacher.

Dr. Kuhn was a practicing physician in China before moving to America. A 1982 graduate of Hunan Medical University, she has been practicing Natural Healing in the US since 1992 and is the author of several books including Natural Healing With Qi Gong, True Brain Fitness, and Simple Chinese Medicine.  

Dr Kuhn's mentor was the well known Grandmaster of Chen style Taijiquan, Master Feng Zhi Qiang and she also studie under Duan Zhi Liang, a highly regarded Qi Gong master in China.  

Dr Kuhn is the founder and president of the Tai Chi & Qi Gong Healing Institute, a non-profit institute established in 1998, committed to promoting health and improving quality of life by helping people identify and strengthen their own internal energy or Qi.

 (from taichihealing.org and Dr Kuhn's book "Natural Healing with Qi Gong")

“What matters most is how well you walk through the fire”
Charles Bukowski
“It may seem difficult at first, but everything is difficult at first”
Miyamoto Musashi