The System of Strategy

Ancient wisdom for the modern world

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System of Strategy

System of Strategy is the official site of James Williams, one of the world's leading instructors of samurai swordsmanship and martial arts and 2015 Black Belt Weapons Instructor of the Year. 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: Japanese, Okinawan, Chinese, Filippino, as well as the western traditions of wrestling, boxing, and kickboxing.  He is also certified as an instructor of Systema, an Ancient Russian Martial Art, under Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev.

His love of samurai martial tradition developed 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 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.

James has been designing knives for the past twenty years.  His "Hissatsu" design helped to bring traditional Japanese tanto shapes into the mainstream knife collecting community.  He currently has several designs available through CRKT.  

James teaches Nami Ryu Aiki Heiho, (kenjutsu, iaijutsu, tanto jutsu and aikijujutsu) in Encinitas, California.

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