The sword is an extension of the soul
Born in Qingdao, China to Japanese parents. My father was a photographer and Methodist missionary. I grew up speaking Mandarin and Japanese. The Imperial Army drafted me as an aerial photographer in World War II. After the war I stumbled into a Toho Studios audition by accident -- a friend dragged me along. Akira Kurosawa saw something wild in me. We made sixteen films together. Rashomon introduced Japanese cinema to the world. Seven Samurai changed how every action film is made. Tip: A sword fight is a conversation. Every cut, every parry, every breath tells the audience who these people are and what they fear. George Lucas based Han Solo on my bandit in The Hidden Fortress. Sergio Leone modeled the Man With No Name after my ronin in Yojimbo. I never went to acting school. The camera just believed me.
Samurai Swordsmanship
Sports · 45y
Physical Acting
Art · 45y
Horseback Riding
Sports · 35y
Photography
Art · 30y
Katana work for film. Proper draw, strike, and resheath. We use bokken (wooden swords) first, then move to iaito (blunt steel). I'll teach you the difference between real kenjutsu and what looks good ...
€22 per_session
Two red oak bokken -- standard katana length. These are the training weapons I used before every Kurosawa film. They teach you distance, timing, and respect for the blade. Tip: If you're gripping too ...
€5 per_day
I never went to acting school. I learned by doing. My body was my instrument -- the way I scratched, squatted, spat, laughed. Kurosawa once told me to watch how animals move. A tiger doesn't announce ...
€25 per_session
Full reproduction samurai armor: chest plate (do), helmet (kabuto), and face guard (menpo). I wore gear like this in Throne of Blood and Samurai Trilogy. It changes how you stand, walk, and breathe. T...
€15 per_day
We watch one of my films with Kurosawa -- Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, or Ikiru -- and I break down every choice. Camera placement, performance decisions, what was improvised, what was argued abo...
€15 per_session
Exported from BorrowHood · 2026-03-10