Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho

Nami ryu Aiki Heiho is based on Japanese sword arts (kenjutsu, iaijutsu and tantojutsu), the principles of which directly apply to the unarmed martial arts (Jujutsu and Aiki-jujutsu) that were the exclusive martial arts of the samurai. Later these arts formed the basis of modern arts including Brazilian Jiujitsu and Aikido.

Nami Ryu means “wave style” and refers to the fact that energy travels in waves. This wave effect is one of the underlying physical principles of our art. As a result, practitioners of Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho seek to resolve physical and mental conflicts by using the laws of physics and natural movement, which in turn create a tactical advantage over an opponent.

Our curriculum includes practical Aiki-jujutsu applications which are subtle and extremely effective. These techniques remain true to their original purpose and principles, which are firmly rooted in a world where edged weapons were the norm. Nami ryu is well suited to law enforcement and military as well as home defense and personal self-defense.

Learn more at NamiRyu.com.

James Williams

James Williams Sensei is the Kaicho of Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho. He has been studying martial arts since 1960 and teaching since 1975. James has trained, competed in, and taught a number of different martial disciplines:  

  • • Coached wrestling – Jr. High and High School Level

    • Taekwondo

    • Tang Soo Do

    • Coached Boxing and Kick Boxing

    • Currently teaching Kenjutsu, Iaijutsu, Aikijujutsu, Systema, Military combative and knife defense Police Arrest and Control and knife defense

    • Teaching seminars and giving demonstrations throughout the United States & Canada

    • SureFire Institute Low Light and Combative Instructor Specialized Experience

    • Employed as personal bodyguard

    • State of California Concealed Weapons Course

    • Current CPR qualified

    • Designer of the Hisstasu, a CQB/Anti-Terrorist knife being produced by CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool).

    • Naval Special Warfare Combatives Instructors

    • Law Enforcement SWAT agencies nation wide

    • USAF Air Mobility Warfare Center

    • State of California Correctional Facility Emergency Response Teams

    • Singapore Police STAR Unit

    • Brazilian National Police

    • Trinidad Police

    • ALERT Academy

    • COPEX (Covert Operations Exposition)

    • US Army Special Operations

    • US Naval Special Warfare

    • US Marine Force Recon

    • US Air Force Special Operations

    • Edged weapons and combatives instructor for the Surefire Institute

    • Government Security Agencie

    • Special Operations Units from Allied countries

    • Agencies and members of State, County, and City Law Enforcement nationwide

    His love of samurai martial traditions came with his study of the Yanagi ryu of the Yoshida han under Don Angier Sensei and the martial traditions of the Kuroda han as taught by Kuroda Tetsuzan Sensei. James also studied Daito ryu Roppokai with Okamoto Seigo sensei.

    James also teaches Close Quarters Combat to police and military both foreign and domestic. The method used, “The System of Strategy,” is based on those skills developed and cultivated by ancient warriors. He is the designer of the “Hissatsu,” a close quarter battle knife that is produced by Columbia River Knife and Tool.

    James is certified as an instructor of Systema, an Ancient Russian Martial Art taught by Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev. Williams sensei teaches Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho, (kenjutsu, iaijutsu, tanto jutsu and aikijujutsu) and The System of Strategy.

  • • Wrestling at the high school and collegiate level

    • Kenjutsu-Japanese sword art

    • Iaijutsu-Samurai sword art

    • Shorin ryu Okinawa-te

    • Tanto jitsu-Samurai knife art

    • Taekwondo

    • Hojojitsu-Samurai restraining art

    • Judo

    • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

    • Aikido

    • Temple Tai Chi

    • Arnis de Mano

    • Hung Gar Kung Fu

    • Boxing

    • Kick-Boxing

    • Tang Soo Do

    • Aiki-jujutsu - Samurai unarmed art

    • Systema - Russian military art (Certified in Russia)

The History of Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho

  • Yoshida Kotaro

    Yoshida Kotaro was thus a gifted martial artist who was well known in pre- and postwar Japan. He was an associate of many of the most important people in Japanese martial traditions of the 20th century, both old and new.

    Yoshida Kotaro was involved with Takeda Sokaku, who brought classical Samurai martial traditions into the 20th century. He was also directly instrumental in Ueshibia Morihei, the founder of Aikido, meeting and training with Takeda Sensei. This knowledge that Ueshiba gained from Takeda Sokaku was the foundation of his development of Aikido as a major modern martial art.

  • Yoshida Kenji

    We have no known record of Yoshida Kenji Sensei passing on his family art to anyone in Japan. The only person that we know of who had knowledge of these family traditions, however, was his son Yoshida Kenji, who came to the United States prior to the Second World War.

  • Don Angier

    Yoshida Kenji Sensei, having no relatives in the United States and no contact with Japan, taught and passed his art on to Don Angier. Don Angier Sensei has dedicated his life to the study of Yanagi ryu, which was the family art of the Yoshida clan. Angier Sensei passed away in October, 2014.

    James Williams Sensei was a student of Angier Sensei for many years.

  • Kuroda Tetsuzan

    Kuroda Tetsuzan Sensei of the Shinbukan Kuroda Dojo, is the Soke (familial inheritor) of several ancient Samurai military disciplines. Kuroda sensei inherited this knowledge through his family line and is the headmaster of the Kuroda family martial legacy.

    The arts that he has inherited include:

    Komagawa Kaishin ryu kenjitsu

    Shishin Takuma ryu jujitsu

    Tamiya ryu iaijitsu

    Tsubaki Kotengu ryu bojitsu

    Seigyoku Oguri-ryū Sakkatsujitsu

Nami Ryu Affiliate Schools