WEST FARGO — Agassiz Dojo, a Japanese swordsmanship and martial arts school, has opened at 1613 Main Ave. E. in West Fargo. This business was founded by Bradley Anderson, who has been active in the FM field since 2008 and provides services to individuals interested in Japanese martial arts.
“Now we have our own space, which is kind of unique and cool for us. We've always shared space before,” said the former Japanese fencing expert. said Anderson, who shared the space with other martial arts groups to teach kendo (kendo), kenjutsu (iaido) and sword and cane style (jodo).
David Samson / The Forum
Anderson said the school's instructors aim not only to teach but also to inspire, suggesting Agassiz Dojo is the only school in the area with this capacity. did.
“You might find other Japanese-style things in the Fargo and Moorhead area,” Anderson said. “Nobody specializes in weapons like we do.”
At Agassiz Dojo, you can take three different classes when you sign up with the school.
The first and second techniques, Iaido and Jodo, are practiced using both wooden and blunt swords. According to the Agassiz Dojo website, Iaido is a Japanese sword art that incorporates a series of movements against opponents (real or imagined) using a sword. Jodo is a technique performed by placing a sword on a stick, and there are over 12 different patterns of attack, parry, and defense.
These Japanese Kenjutsu techniques are intended for youth and adults ages 13 and older.
David Samson / The Forum
The third class is Kendo. This is basically Japanese swordsmanship and is open to anyone over the age of 10. Freestyle sparring using bamboo swords, where you compete for points while attacking and defending. Kendo adds a sporting aspect to Japanese swordsmanship while allowing students to focus on the basics of sword handling.
“They're all complementary,” Anderson said. “They are all part of the Japan Kendo Federation…but they all originated in Japan.”
Anderson, who grew up in Hawley, Minn., said he has had a passion for martial arts since participating in taekwondo and karate in high school. After he graduated from university in 1996, he moved to Japan and lived there for 11 years.
Bradley Anderson / Contribution
Immersed in Japan's rich culture and tradition, he devoted himself to the study of Japanese swordsmanship.
“I wanted to try something a little different, and swords really appealed to me,” Anderson said.
While living and working in Toyama, Japan, Anderson trained diligently at a Budokan (indoor martial arts hall) to earn a dan in Kendo, despite language barriers and physical disabilities. The instructor he trained with, Sensei Mitsuru Nakasuji, did not speak English, and Anderson's Japanese was rudimentary at best.
In 1999, he moved to Numazu in south-central Japan to study under Fujio Takeda.
Bradley Anderson / Contribution
“After I moved to Numazu, I met Takeda Sensei, and there I began studying Iaido and achieved the Iaido Dan rank,” Anderson said. “He didn't speak any English either, so I had to watch and revise and learn again.”
Anderson met his wife, Yuki, while living there, and the couple married in 2003 while in Japan.
Anderson returned to the United States with Yuki in 2007 and began teaching. He opened his 2008 dojo-focused school in Moorhead. Mike Schult joined us in 2013. In 2022, John Berry, the dojo's kendo instructor and instructor of kendo groups in Minnesota and Puerto Rico, joined the school. That year, a Kendo program was also added.
In the future, Anderson has a desire to make Agassi Dojo self-sustaining and travel more to visit seminars from around the country.
David Samson / The Forum
“I don’t have a mentor, so I would like to get more guidance myself,” he said. “After leaving Japan, I was basically like an orphan and didn't have any dedicated teachers. So you really need to earn it, especially if you want to challenge for the next rank.”
For more information or questions about Agassiz Dojo, visit fargosword.com.
Kathryn Wilkowski is a student at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. She is studying multimedia her journalism and she worked at the Frazee Forum in Minnesota. She was also a student reporter for MSUM publications Campus News and The Advocate. She is currently an intern in the Forum's Business and Functional department.
