“The early Morihiro Saito demonstrates in the fields of Iwama!”This rare film captures Morihiro Saito Sensei performing taijutsu, and basic Aiki Ken and Jo movements outdoors in the fields of Iwama. Saito...
Archive - October 2011
Josh Gold“A Hiliarious Episode Involving Koichi Tohei Sensei I Will Never Forget,” by Stanley Pranin
“This was the trigger for the release of thunderous laughter on the part of all present in the room, except for Tohei Sensei.” I had a certain amount of contact with Koichi Tohei Sensei in the mid-to-late...
A Hilarious 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...
Free PDF: 90-page sample of Stanley Pranin’s “Aikido Pioneers – Prewar Era”
Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) drew on his extensive martial arts experience as a young man, fusing this knowledge with his deeply-held religious beliefs, to create the modern self-defense art of Aikido. During his long...
“The Parable of Indra’s Net,” by Nev Sagiba
Indra’s Net or Indra’s Web is a metaphor taken from the Avatamsaka or Flower Garland Sutra. The sutra describes a vast net that reaches infinitely in all directions (probably so called “dark matter”), and linking the...
“Memo to Japanese Aikidoka and All Readers from Editor,” by Stanley Pranin
発刊の言葉 道主 植芝 盛平 世の創めより天地は生成発展を重ね、天運循環、照徹弥益々に栄光を放つ昭和三十四年目出度く初春を迎え、茲に国土挙ってことほぎの声一同勇み立つの時とはなりました。この時にあたり宇内創成の精神にのっとり、世の為め国の為めに万有の上を憂いつつ武産合気紙即ち合気道新聞の発刊に至りましたのは宇宙真理完成への誠の現れであります。...
The word Aikido by Francis Takahashi
The word “Aikido” is simply a word. Like the word “Love”, or “Hate” or even “Peace” are each but mere words. Like when looking at our atmosphere, we may see “blue” skies, or fiery “red” sunsets, or even the “grey” cloak...
Video: Rare clip of Aikido Pioneer Isao Takahashi in 1964
Here is a long-forgotten video clip of Aikido Pioneer Isao Takahashi Sensei from a demonstration he gave at the University of Southern California (USC) way back in 1964. Takahashi Sensei was one of the early Hawaiian...
“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...
Video: Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba at the 1993 All-Japan Aikido Demonstration
This is a video clip of the present Doshu, Moriteru Ueshiba, from the time when he was still known as “Wakasensei,” or “Young Master.” This was prior to his becoming the Third Doshu following the...