Elizabeth Mahar discusses why she loves blacksmithing.

Apprenticeship of the Blade: Blacksmithing & Martial Arts

In order for a warrior to follow the path of Heiho, it is necessary to keep in mind that the essence of Heiho is to build an indomitable spirit and an iron will; to believe that you cannot fail in doing anything. -The Book of Five Rings, Miyamoto Musashi

The Blade: An Iron Will

Forge your blade with fire, hammer and anvil. Practice the art of blacksmithing as you learn tapers, splits, twists and even how to punch holes in hot metal. Finally, craft your first knife on the long road to mastering the basics of the art.

The School

With hours over a hot forge while wielding a heavy hammer, the knife becomes your edge as you discover the depths of Niten Ichiryu, the swordsmanship school of the great samurai Miyamoto Musashi and The Curriculum of Shadows, the way of the Trackers Rangers Guild. As Musashi also said, "From one thing, know ten thousand things."

We cultivate what is referred to as the Indomitable Spirit, a survival awareness understood by few. It is often confused with the hubris of dominance. Yet an indomitable spirit has more to do with listening, learning and faith in your own capacity to act as an undefeatable warrior and a force of great care for those around you.

The Program

We not only delve into Miyamoto Musashi's school or philosophy, we also sew our work into the The Curriculum of Shadows, the trail of our Rangers Guild. Through mixing martial arts and wilderness awareness, this program guides us through an exploration of the intrinsic depth and eloquence of all things found in nature and beyond. Our focus is a deep respect for family, dojo (school) and the land we live.

Thursday-Friday Overnight

We culminate our week with an overnight stay at Camp Trackers, our outdoor wilderness site in Sandy, Oregon. This is the perfect opportunity to focus on many of the skills we are training and finally finish our blades among the wild forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Overnight Location This beautiful 40-acre woodland site includes the Trackers Homestead and epic forests.

Payment Plans

For families who need it, we can offer flexible payment plans. Contact Molly to learn more. A non-refundable deposit is always required to reserve your space.

Prepping Your Camper

This program is meant to be taken with the utmost regard and respect. We insist on focus, determination and intelligent accountability, especially while working with tools such as the forge or even safe martial arts training gear that represents blades and other weapons. Forging the knife and any other aspect of our training in our The Curriculum of Shadows is considered a privilege. We insist that students treat it as such for their benefit and to the value of their learning community. That said, our camps have and always will be infused with the most vital traits of good humor, celebration and appreciation for each participant.

Drop-off & Affordable You can drop you child off any time between 7:30am-9am, it's FREE! You can also pre-register for our affordable After-Camp from 3:30am-6pm.

About Overnight Meals and Diets

Provided meals are all omnivore. They include an array of vegetables, grains, dairy and meat; all often mixed together. As we cook most of our meals over a woodfired kitchen we are unable to make accommodations and distinctions for specialized or specific diets.

Systemic Food Allergies To the best of our ability we work to exclude items that typically result in severe systemic reactions leading to anaphylaxis. Working with your medical doctor, if have a severe food allergy (such as peanut butter) please Contact Us and we will investigate if it is possible to adjust our meal plans.

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