“The pusher was bending down to pull out a pistol from a boot holster he would have used before any of the unconscious crowd could even begin to know what happened.” Appropriate preemption is a rare thing...
Archive - December 2012
Josh GoldCan Competition Enhance O-Sensei’s Aikido? by Stanley Pranin
Aikido Journal #102, 1995 “I seriously doubt that the would-be “samurai” of the twentieth century will find a satisfactory solution to their quest for ultimate combative effectiveness through martial arts...
“Boundaries,” by Nev Sagiba
Maai is the functional study of relationship boundaries and of the nuances of the natural forces that go into making them. Boundaries exist to protect a centre. There are infinite centres reflecting the one universal...
Aikido: A Legacy from the Past, a Vision for the Future by Stanley Pranin
“What is special about aikido is that its spiritual core is manifest in its physical movements and integral to its techniques” From Aikido Journal #100, 1994 The publication of Aikido Journal 100 is a...
Historical photo: “Morihei at Death’s Door,” by Stanley Pranin
“Had this transpired, Morihei would likely have been imprisoned and tortured along with other leading church figures, and aikido would never have seen the light of day.” This is a famous photo taken in 1924 in Tongliao...
“How Can You Tell If You Have The Warrior Gene?,” by Nev Sagiba
Some indicators are: If you feel intense dislike of bullies and cowards. When you feel like stepping in to stop injustice. When you feel like “taking out” those who lie, con, cheat, and predate on the weak...
Teaching and Shu-Ha-Ri by Yukiyoshi Takamura
“The *kata* or form is the educational core of all traditional Japanese knowledge schools. It is the most visible representation of a school’s knowledge packaged into one seemingly simple set of movements or...
000: The Admiral Isamu Takeshita Training Notes — Introduction
Throughout Morihei Ueshiba’s long life he had close relationships with many extraordinary individuals not only from the world of budo, but also from political, military and financial circles. One person in particular...
“Ukemi, an Aiki perspective,” by Francis Takahashi
The word “ukeru” in Japanese, interprets “to receive, be given, to inherit, or to receive a favor or an order”. In martial arts usage, this concept becomes more specific and narrowly defined, and does mean different...
“Aiki Juji — Keys to Unlocking Paramount Skill,” by Nev Sagiba
It may be serendipitous that the empty space between the four diamonds of the Furin Kazan form the identical X, which Morihei Ueshiba describes as, “The Cross of Aiki.” Either way, to understand the...