2 - The Folded Paper

Jan 24, 2026

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Kosho Chronicles Issue #2

To the Reader

Have you ever tried to explain something you understood perfectly, only to realize you had no words for it? That the moment you opened your mouth, the truth of it slipped away?

This is the challenge I faced every time I walked out of Folsom Prison and back into my dojo. Mitose would show me something profound, something that worked instantly when he demonstrated it, and I would have absolutely no way to explain it to my students.

What I am about to share with you is the lesson that taught me how to teach without techniques. It involved nothing more than a piece of paper.

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17 - Principled Adaptation

Kosho Chronicles Issue #17 To the Reader I had a student once who was a top tournament fighter. One of the best. Then he started losing. He came to me and asked why. I told him the truth. Because everybody knows what you are going to do. He asked what he should do about it. I said, change everything. Change your base. Change your stance. Change your favorite side. He told me it felt awkward. I ...

16 - The Politician's Art

Kosho Chronicles Issue #16 To the Reader Most martial artists train to be soldiers. They drill techniques. They condition their bodies. They prepare for the moment of contact. There is nothing wrong with that. But in Kosho Ryu, the soldier is the last resort. Not the first. And if you find yourself acting as the soldier, something has already gone wrong. The Teaching Superiority in dealing with...

15 - Natural Law

Kosho Chronicles Issue #15 To the Reader Every time I sat down with Mitose's manuscript, I hit the same wall. He was writing about God, about Christ, about Buddha, about religion. I am a martial artist. I wanted combat strategy. I wanted the keys to the art. Instead, I got philosophy wrapped in theology wrapped in a riddle. Then he explained what he meant by God, and the entire book opened up. ...

2 - The Folded Paper

Kosho Chronicles Issue #2

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The Kosho Chronicles

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