“What was done instead was to de-emphasize the martial pedigree of aikido’s techniques, and eschew practice conditions that led to the cultivation of a strong martial spirit.” Revival of aikido after World...
Archive - 2016
Is Aikido a traditional martial art? by Francis Takahashi
Per Wikipedia, the following definition is one of many interpretations and beliefs, but arguably the most identifiable and accepted version by most cultures of what the notion of “martial arts” has meant over the ages...
Historical photo: “Takuma Hisa, the bridge between Daito-ryu and Aiki Budo,” by Stanley Pranin
Back in April 1979, I met a slight old man who had suffered a stroke and spoke in a halting, somewhat slurred voice. I am embarrassed to say that I have only a vague recollection of the circumstances of my introduction...
“Irimi,” by Ellis Amdur
I recently read a post which includes an oft-used phrase—“get off the line and enter.” Not only does this phrase not do full justice to the concept of irimi (I confess I’ve used it myself), it leads to a mistaken...
“My Experience with Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei,” by William Gleason
Let me begin with the events that led up to my discovery of aikido and eventually to the meeting with my first teacher, Yamaguchi Seigo Sensei. By late 1960, after a competitive career as a champion gymnast, I had...
Etiquette and the Preservation of Well-being by Stanley Pranin
Aikido Journal #113 (1998) Last month I attended a Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu seminar conducted by Katsuyuki Kondo Sensei in Baltimore, Maryland. In the course of his instruction, Kondo Sensei made a statement that struck me...
When Koichi Tohei and Morihiro Saito Met For the Last Time: October 29, 2001 by Stanley Pranin
During my many years in Japan, one of the highlights I especially remember took place on October 29, 2001 when Morihiro Saito Sensei visited the home of Koichi Tohei Sensei after a hiatus of nearly 30 years. This...
“Go no Sen” — The Path to Defeat by Stanley Pranin
The term “Go no Sen” is frequently used in Japanese martial arts as part of a theoretical framework to describe a particular circumstance where an attacker initiates a martial encounter. One definition of...
The Iwama Aikido Conundrum by Stanley Pranin
I have always felt that the origin of “Iwama Aikido” presents a conundrum for students of the history of modern aikido. For those unfamiliar with the subject, Iwama is a small town in Ibaragi Prefecture...
An Overview of Koichi Tohei’s Early Aikido Career by Stanley Pranin
In May, 1974, an event occurred that shook the roots of the aikido world to its very foundations. It was then that Koichi Tohei, the chief instructor of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo, resigned from his post and left the...