The Long Way Home

Ryan Hurst went to Japan at 18 for a short exchange. He stayed 28 years. An influential kendo instructor encouraged him to remain, and what followed was a life steeped in traditional martial arts — training connected to police and self-defense groups, and eight years working at a martial arts complex inside a shrine. Through all of it, three things stayed central: posture, breath, and mindset — the core principles he sees running through both fighting and living well.

Moving back to the U.S. four years ago wasn’t simple. Injuries and cultural differences in how people trained nearly made him quit — which led him to build the free, non-competitive “Jiú Kai” group focused on longevity and mutual benefit. In this conversation with host Pete Deeley, Hurst unpacks the judo maxims of maximum efficiency and mutual welfare, the training modes that keep you on the mat for decades, and how being an outsider quietly made him a sharper coach.