In Memorium: David A. Hall (1947-2025)

遍路

On 26 July 2025, the world lost one of its most knowledgeable teachers and scholars of classical Japanese martial culture.

Dr. David A. Hall (遍路; 1947-2025) was attached to the Third Marine Division as a Navy Hospital Corpsman during the Vietnam War Era. In 1978 he was ordained as a Tendai Buddhist priest and integrated his religious training in Japan with graduate research at U.C. Berkeley, earning a doctorate in Buddhist Studies with a related field in Military history in 1990. Dr. Hall practiced three vibrant classical Japanese martial traditions:

1. Shindō Muso-ryū jo at the Rembukan under Shimizu Takaji and Donn Draeger, and later with Draeger's senior student Karunakaran (opens in a new tab). He later received menkyo-kaiden in Shindō Muso-ryū from Quentin Chambers in 2014.
2. Kashima-shinden Jikishinkage-ryū kenjutsu under Namiki Yasushi and Itō Masayuki, reaching the level of jomokuroku in 1981.
3. Yagyū Shinkage-ryū heihō at the Yagyūkai under Yagyū Nobuharu, 21st generation headmaster.

After returning to the United States, Dr. Hall founded the Hōbyōkan (opens in a new tab), where he taught these arts for almost thirty years, deepening the understanding and brightening the lives of many people. His published works, including the Encyclopedia of Japanese Martial Arts (opens in a new tab) (Kodansha) and the Buddhist Warrior Goddess Marishiten (opens in a new tab) (Brill), are lasting contributions to the field of hoplology.