The Seattle Cherry Blossom Festival returned to an in-person event for 2023 and our dojo was invited to demonstrate classical Japanese martial arts. The festival is full of demonstrations, exhibits, food, and many different groups that showcase Japanese and Japanese-American culture. Our embu (demonstration) was on April 15, with good weather and in front of a good sized crowd on the main outdoor stage at the Seattle Center.

We presented Shinto Muso Ryu Jojutsu, Uchida Ryu Tanjojutsu, and Isshin Ryu Kusarigamajutsu – both the physical techniques that have been passed down for generations and also a bit of the history and rationale of the particular weapons.