Non-aikidoka are often confused when I talk about kata in aikido—“You mean like what they do in karate?” Even most aikidoka are aware of kata only as a term referring to form as opposed to application...
Archive - August 2002
Josh GoldEverything in Black and White
Our dojo scored a world-first the other day when two high-ranking Japanese senseis conducted a class wearing ordinary street clothes, while all the students wore dogi and hakama!
Virtue of the Sword
Training in various, seemingly antiquated, military arts is becoming increasing common in our 21st century society. Why pursue these arts that require so much effort, discipline, and often pain? Why do we seek to test...
Among My Souvenirs
Exhausted, I wandered out of the dojo for some fresh air, and was suddenly arrested by the beauty of the blossoms on the cherry tree outside. I experienced a moment of euphoria, and involuntary tears began to flow. It...
The Japan Pilgrimage: Better be Prepared by David Lynch
Confused and somewhat bruised— and not just from yonkyo— another aikido friend returned recently from a Japan pilgrimage, somewhat ahead of schedule. He was not the first to drastically cut short a planned...
Fewer Words–More Understanding
This was the scene I witnessed at an aikido grading examination. It all seemed fairly normal, except for one thing—the commands were all in Japanese, even though there were no Japanese people present, the...
Has Aikido Journal Lost its Focus?
We recently received a letter from a gentleman in Argentina. The writer expresses the view that Aikido Journal has abandoned aikido as its main focus while making a number of other rather strong assertions. Since I have...
Ends and Means: Why are we training?
The telephone just rang and a young man launched into a detailed inquiry about aikido. How did it stack up against other martial arts? How long did it take to learn? What if I was challenged by a black belt in another...
Character Counts!
All of the hoopla in the U.S.A. surrounding the infamous O.J. Simpson trial and the recent handing down of a verdict has caused me to reflect once again on the issue of character. Most agree that the pivotal event...
A Revisionist View of Aikido History
The other day one of our readers was kind enough to send along a page from an issue of the International Aikido Newsletter published in December 1994. I believe this newsletter is a publication of the European Aikido...