Seven Secrets to Nanba Walking

Nanba is the Art of Physical Finesse, and Nanba Walking is a fundamental way to practice it. Nanba is found throughout the Japanese traditional arts, and has applications which range from martial arts, to music, to physical exercise, and daily movement. The benefits of Nanba Walking are increased energy, increased efficiency in performance, greater awareness and enjoyment of body movement. We conduct training each month in Nanba Movement, where you can meet and learn directly from the founders and chief instructors in this method. Check the Events Page for information on Training. Although...

Nanba Chaplin Step

This shows a warmup exercise we do to lighten our step before a Nanba Run. If upper and lower body are not coordinated you cannot move this fast. It also keeps you floating like a butterfly, and makes you a faster...

Nanba Walking in Step

Nanba Walking in Step shows a student learning how to walk side by side with me in the same rhythm and pace. It is difficult to get this by thinking or guessing when the other person will move. As you see here, by using Nanba Walk and by feeling the rhythm rather than thinking about it, the sense of harmony gets better with each try. Nanba gives you the ability to sense and blend with movement around you. It improves communication and helps you move in safely in new situations. This video on Nanba Walking is one of 6 in a series I produced during our Edo Nanba Walk event on June 21, 2009, Our...

Taiko Tap at Toho Gakuen

The Taiko is a Japanese drum, and in this video Koya Sensei plays the Taiko while I improvise tap rhythms to it. Although Tap evolved with Jazz, it also fits well with other kinds of world music rhythms. I teach Nanba Tap Dance at Toho Gakuen, and we’re having fun mixing the...

New content on the Nanba Video site!

I have posted a number of new videos, photos, and audio interviews on the Nanba Video site. There are a number of categories including Nanba Movies, Budo, Music, Interviews, Training, and Photos. Some of them are in high definition video, and may take a few minutes to upload, but are worth the wait. Enjoy! Will...

What does Nanba Movement look like?

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a million. I have added new categories to the menu, and a number of new videos that help you see what Nanba Movement looks like. These include videos of Nanba Walking, Nanba Tap, Nanba Budo, Nanba Music, as well as Interviews and information on training. We conduct regular training in Japan, and can also do training on site. Please contact us if you are interested in the benefits of Nanba Movement to enhance your personal or professional...

The Way You Walk: Extra Energy from Nanba Walking

If you saw Tom Cruise in the movie The Last Samurai, then perhaps you have a sense for what Japan lost in its transition to modernization, or Westernization. Although this movie focused on the Samurai culture, there were many elements of Japanese life that were shared by people in all walks of life, farmers, craftsmen, merchants. One of these elements is Nanba Walking. Visit the Video Page to get an idea of what Nanba Walking looks...

Nanba Steps Up and Down

Nanba Walking up and down steps, fast, efficient, and effortless. The knack is in having the hands and feet rise and fall together, palm up when you step up, and palm down when you step down, much like a cat walks. Try it and see what a difference it makes. This is much easier than the twisting and forcing most people use to hoist themselves up a flight of stairs, and could explain the preference for elevators! Visit the Video page for a...

Nanba Tap

As a Nanba Instructor, in April I began teaching a class in Nanba Tap for 30 students at the Toho Gakuen College of Music. These students are around the same age I was when I came to Japan in 1972 and began studying Aikido and Japanese language. I tell them that at the time I couldn’t possibly imagine that I would be there in front of them teaching Tap Dance and Nanba Movement in 2008, and yet that was only made possible by the actions and decisions that I made back in 1972. We create our future by what we do in the present, which in turn gives meaning to what we did in the past. See...

Welcome to Nanbanote!

Welcome to the world of Nanba, physical finesse to help you be creative in crisis. Here you can learn how your posture and body movements affect your mood, performance, and the impression you create on others. We introduce the ideas and techniques of Nanba movement through the media of text, sound, and video, and provide ways in which you can learn more. We provide regular postings with tips, quotes, interviews, reporting on people applying Nanba in their daily and professional lives. We welcome your comments and questions! All the best in Nanba! William...