You’ve heard of people who have achieved what can be called a “legendary” status. Aikido has its share of legends to be sure. But it’s seldom that documents attain such a status. But the visual...
Archive - October 2011
Historical photo: Who was really the first person to introduce Aikido to America?
A number of years ago, Joseph Svinth wrote an article with this eye-catching title: “Aikido Comes to America: September 1935.” As a student of aikido history, I was immediately hooked by the title! I found...
A Hiliarious Episode Involving Koichi Tohei Sensei I Will Never Forget, by Stanley Pranin
I had a certain amount of contact with Koichi Tohei Sensei in the mid-to-late 1960s in California. In fact, I took my shodan and nidan tests in front of him in 1965 and 1967, respectively. I know a lot about him from...
“Modern Learning: A Decline in Stealing?,” by Peter Goldsbury
The Founder of aikido has been quoted as good-humouredly telling his deshi, “Don’t expect me to teach you. You must steal the techniques for yourselves.” The stealing of techniques, coupled with the relationship known...
“Interview with Kenji Tomiki, Part 2” by Stanley Pranin
The following is the second and concluding part of an interview conducted with Professor Kenji Tomiki in January of 1974 at Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Read the first part of the interview here. Aiki News:...