Our Philosophy
Scythe School is built on a kung fu foundation. Not style collecting. Not performance. Real internal principles: stillness, rooted posture, breath control, and structure before momentum. The weapon does not teach tricks — it exposes truth.
Kung Fu First
Traditional kung fu understood something modern training often forgets: before speed, before power, before expression — the body must be organized. Stillness is not rest. Stillness is training.
We train rooted stances, stacked spine, and calm breath because an external weapon magnifies every flaw. When posture collapses, the blade punishes it immediately. That honesty is why kung fu principles remain relevant.
Stillness Before Movement
In Scythe School, movement is earned. Static holds, mid-cut freezes, and quiet posture teach the body how to carry force without strain. This is not endurance for suffering’s sake — it is structural education.
- Rootedness: force travels through the ground, not the joints.
- Posture: the spine stays long while the weapon moves.
- Breath: calm breathing keeps structure intact under load.
Principles Over Techniques
Techniques change. Principles scale. Kung fu survives because it trains principles that apply whether you are empty-handed or holding steel.
- Structure before momentum: control precedes speed.
- Stillness reveals weakness: time exposes misalignment.
- Economy of motion: no wasted movement, no excess force.
Supporting Systems, Not Competing Styles
Other disciplines support our kung fu base — they do not replace it.
Yoga preserves spinal integrity, joint health, and breath awareness. Boxing sharpens timing, distance, and footwork honesty. Niten Ichi-ryu contributes strategic clarity: directness, simplicity, and decisive intent.
These systems integrate because they agree on one thing: calm structure defeats chaos.
Weapons as Truth Tools
Weapons remove illusion. A scythe is awkward, heavy, and unforgiving — which makes it the perfect teacher. It forces discipline, humility, and precision.
If posture is correct, the blade obeys. If posture fails, the blade exposes it. That feedback loop is the heart of our training.
What We Stand For
- Internal principles over external flash.
- Stillness before speed.
- Structure that survives fatigue.
- Weapons that improve the person, not the ego.
The goal is not performance. The goal is presence, control, and repeatable skill.