Pronounced Ty-ichi
Strength training with the Japanese sword.
A one-hour conditioning class built on kendo movement. Swing the bokken, shinai and suburito to build your arms, back, core and grip. It's a workout, not a martial art. No sparring, no belts, no experience needed.
Saturdays at 10:15 AM in the Funk Zone.
The swords
Three training swords, each with its own job. You move between them as the class builds, so the workout scales with you.
The bamboo practice sword. Quick and springy, for speed work, tempo drills and forearm endurance.
The wooden sword, the same length as the samurai's katana. Your foundation for balance, control and clean technique.
The weighted training sword. This is where the strength work lives, with power coming from the back and core.
Where the name comes from
In kendo, a strike only counts when spirit, sword and body land at the same instant. TYICHI takes that idea onto the gym floor. Every swing asks your whole body to fire together, which is why one hour works everything at once. Kendo roots, modern gym flair.
The class
Built for people who already train: lifters, runners, regulars on the cardio deck. You'll learn real sword handling drawn from kendo, then use it as resistance, tempo and core work for the full hour.
00–10 MIN
Mobility and kendo footwork to open the shoulders, hips and spine, and to get your body moving as one unit.
10–45 MIN
Suburi, the practice of repeated cuts, in sets of 10, 20 and 50. Swing the sword through a wide arc, then stop it on a line. That stop is what loads the arms, back and core.
45–60 MIN
Combination sequences that push the heart rate, followed by a controlled cool-down so you leave steady and switched on.
What you'll build
Everything you want from a strength session, in a format that doesn't feel like one.
Your stance supports every cut. Quads, glutes and calves hold you steady through the sword's wide arc.
Holding a sword at full extension works the upper body through leverage, and trains the hands in a way barbells rarely do.
Raising and cutting works the arms, hips and core. Stopping the swing is where the back muscles do their work.
Accelerating the sword and stopping it on a line loads the core as much as the arms. Brace well and the sword feels lighter.
A suburi session is a cardio workout. Sets of 10, 20 and 50 cuts keep your heart rate up.
Repeated cutting becomes a moving meditation. Breath, arms, legs and back work together to focus the cut and the mind.
About
Founder · Method designer
Frank created TYICHI. A black belt in Shotokan karate with training in kendo, he built the method to turn authentic Japanese sword movement into a real strength-and-conditioning workout. The principles of the art stay intact. Every drill is shaped around fitness results.
TYICHI draws on both sides of his training. Shotokan karate gave him stance, power from the hips and discipline. Kendo gave him the sword, the cut, and ki-ken-tai-ichi.
Coach · Lilley Fitness
Erika is the coach behind Lilley Fitness in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone, with more than 25 years of coaching and 28 full IRONMAN finishes. She reviewed TYICHI for suitability for her students and brought it into her curriculum.
Schedule & pricing
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Book your first class
New to TYICHI? Come try a session. Swords are provided, and no martial arts experience is needed.
Studio
Lilley Fitness
111 Santa Barbara St, Unit H
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
In the Funk Zone
Class time
Saturdays, 10:15 AM
60 minutes
Lilley Fitness · Train smarter. Move better. Perform at your best.