“There is no enemy on the Way of true budo. True budo is the work of Love. It is the action of giving birth to and nurturing everything in nature, and not of killing or fighting.” – Morihei Ueshiba Aikido...
Archive - September 2012
Josh Gold“Why a Lifetime Study of Kuzushi?” by Nev Sagiba
From time to time I am beset with the realization at what a wonder of nature it is that a handful of dust, only a few litres of water and mostly air has been able to evolve and combine into an instrument of...
“Performing the usual under unusual circumstances,” by Matt Hill and Miriam Zacarelli
Does Aikido work outside the dojo? What do we mean by this? Are we talking purely about combat effectiveness or are we also talking about the development of a character which enables us to blend with and stay focused...
Video: Morihiro Saito demonstrates outdoors in Iwama in 1964
This rare film captures Morihiro Saito Sensei performing taijutsu, and basic Aiki Ken and Jo movements outdoors in the fields of Iwama. Saito Sensei is a young 36 years old, and this film represents some of the earliest...
Zen and Aikido: Penn State Students… and You Too! — Week 2 Assignments
“Zen training was part of the Samurai’s daily training and is sewn into the fabric of Japanese culture and daily life” Hello Aikido students. This week your assignment is to: 1. Download the book “Zen and Aikido”...
The Fat Man Always Slaps Twice: Adventures in Arthroplasty, Physical Therapy, Fear, and Ukemi,” by Mark Hauer
“I ‘awoke’ with 72 staples in my right butt cheek!” If you visit the Shin Do Kan dojo in Madison, Alabama you might notice a chubby, middle-aged gentleman wearing a green belt, rolling up and down the...
“The High Cost of Externalizing “Internal” Energy,” by Nev Sagiba
“As with money, ki is easiest to direct when it has been earned and when it resides in your own account.. You can waste years searching for the ki that does not exist, or you can daily make your acquaintance with...
“Ethics, an Aiki perspective,” by Francis Takahashi
“The Founder’s admonition is that Aikido is True Budo, with the obligation to protect all of life, and to be in harmonious co-existence with our environment and all its elements.” Per Wikipedia, Ethics, also known...
The Dynamic Christian Tissier of France in action
“Tissier brought back a new kind of Aikido that soon captured the imagination of the European aikido scene” This is a particularly nice action shot of famous French instructor Christian Tissier Sensei, 7th dan...
“What Is Aikido, Really?” by Nev Sagiba
“The essence that endures is more real than mere paint, but intangible..” For me, Aikido is not a watered down, collusional pretence of a dance. Not at all. It must never be forgotten that Aikido has its origins...