Shinkendo Japanese Swordsmanship - Mashuu Dojo Homepage

Animated Kanji images by Jack Halpern (www.kanji.org), and used with his kind permission.

Welcome to the Mashuu Dojo homepage! Located in Van Nuys, California, Mashuu Dojo is the only authorized branch dojo of the International Shinkendo Federation in the San Fernando Valley. Shinkendo, founded by world-renowned Master Toshishiro Obata, is dedicated to the study of authentic Samurai Swordsmanship. Aikibujutsu, or Aikido, is the complementary hand-to-hand and small weapons art of the Samurai, as taught by Master Obata. Our students learn the history and traditions of the Samurai, and learn practical, real combat techniques passed down from centuries of battle-tested methods.

Shinkendo is as much a philosophy as it is a form of combat. The very name, Shin (sincere or serious) – Ken (sword) – Do (a way of self-improvement) represents to us the opportunity to learn and do a thing with full sincerity and deep commitment, to improve ourselves spiritually and physically. This should be one’s constant goal in life. Obata Kaiso teaches us, “Jin-Sei Shinkendo,” or “Life is Shinkendo.” For more on Shinkendo, please visit this site on Japanese Swordsmanship

Mashuu Dojo's head instructor is Matthew Lynch, a Senior Student and Instructor at the Shinkendo World Headquarters in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. He has been studying Japanese Swordsmanship under Headmaster Obata for many years and holds high ranks in Shinkendo and Toyama Ryu styles of swordsmanship. Obata Kaiso often refers to Matthew’s technique as being very honest and pure, because Matthew practices only Shinkendo, and no other martial art. Thus, he has no bad habits to ‘unlearn’ and no other influences to taint his training. It is this pure and uncompromised training that he presents to his students at Mashuu Dojo.

Sensei Ben Maloney teaches the Aikido classes, with the assistance of Sensei James Sarrett. Long time students of Matthew Sensei, they agreed to study Aikibujutsu at the source in Little Tokyo. They were granted teaching license by Master Obata Toshishiro directly, and now Mashuu Dojo is proud to offer this practical and historically accurate version of Aikido.

Mashuu Dojo gets its name from the famous Lake Mashuu in Japan, reputed to have the clearest, purest water in the world. This lake reflects the pure spirit and honest approach to Shinkendo that we pass on to our students.

Classes are one hour each -

Shinkendo - 7:00pm and 8:15pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays,
Saturday afternoons at 2:00pm and 3:15pm

Aikido - 8:30pm on Tuesdays, Saturday afternoons at 4:30pm

For additional information and prices, go to the Class Fees & Schedule Page.

Our address is 14535 Arminta Street, Unit L, Van Nuys, CA 91402.
Private lessons are also available.
Please call (323) 376-6657 to make an appointment before visiting.


International Shinkendo Federation		Aikido Aikibujutsu

Mashuu Dojo - Van Nuys, CA