Aikido Journal #102, 1995 “I seriously doubt that the would-be “samurai” of the twentieth century will find a satisfactory solution to their quest for ultimate combative effectiveness through martial arts...
Archive - 2012
Aikido: A Legacy from the Past, a Vision for the Future by Stanley Pranin
“What is special about aikido is that its spiritual core is manifest in its physical movements and integral to its techniques” From Aikido Journal #100, 1994 The publication of Aikido Journal 100 is a...
“Towards A Reform of Aikido Technique: Background” by Stanley Pranin
Revival of aikido after World War II The typical aikido practitioner — this also includes many instructors — has only the vaguest of notions of how the art took roots in Japan and abroad following World War...
Towards A Reform of Aikido Technique: Background by Stanley Pranin
Revival of aikido after World War II The typical aikido practitioner — this also includes many instructors — has only the vaguest of notions of how the art planted roots in Japan and abroad following World...
Kuzushi: An Aiki Perspective by Francis Takahashi
The Japanese verb “kuzusu” may mean to “pull down (a building), break down, destroy or level (as in a hill). It can signal a “break” or a “change” in the status or condition of an object or a concept. In Jiu Jitsu, Judo...
“A Consideration of Aikido Practice within the Context of Internal Training,” by Ellis Amdur
“This loneliness is, frankly, part of the dues you’ve got to pay if you choose to remain within the aikido community and do so tactfully as well.” Then he said, “Before you go, is there anything you...
Dan Inflation in the Early Years of Aikido, by Stanley Pranin
“Morihiro Saito told me on more than one occasion that he skipped two ranks in his advancement to 9th dan.” The other day I found an interesting article in the 33rd issue of the “Aikido Shimbun”...
How War and Religion Shaped Modern Aikido, Part I by Stanley Pranin
Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) is known to most practitioners of Aikido as the art’s Founder. Who he was, and specifically what he did to create aikido, are little studied. Thus, aikidoka may have some vague notions...
“The Elusive Chinese Influence on Aikido,” by Stanley Pranin
I received an email this morning asking my opinion of the remarks of a gentleman who states that he trained with Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba in the late 1960s. He makes the claim that Morihei’s aikido was...
Interview with Shigenobu Okumura (1983), Part I
The following is the first of two-part interview with Shigenobu Okumura Sensei, a Hombu Dojo instructor which took place on May 14, 1983. Read the second part here. Although I was born in Hokkaido, I went to Dairen...