“I used to only be sick of people who sport an aggressive mentality to hide their deep fears, but I’m just as sick of plain old cowardice and the empty moral superiority with which it adorns itself.” This lengthy...
Archive - May 2016
Josh GoldIs Aikido a traditional martial art? by Francis Takahashi
Per Wikipedia, the following definition is one of many interpretations and beliefs, but arguably the most identifiable and accepted version by most cultures of what the notion of “martial arts” has meant over the ages...
Historical photo: “Takuma Hisa, the bridge between Daito-ryu and Aiki Budo,” by Stanley Pranin
Back in April 1979, I met a slight old man who had suffered a stroke and spoke in a halting, somewhat slurred voice. I am embarrassed to say that I have only a vague recollection of the circumstances of my introduction...
“Irimi,” by Ellis Amdur
I recently read a post which includes an oft-used phrase—“get off the line and enter.” Not only does this phrase not do full justice to the concept of irimi (I confess I’ve used it myself), it leads to a mistaken...
Secrets from the “Zone” are everywhere if you only pay attention! by Stanley Pranin
“Do not stand directly in front of your opponent for you will be at a disadvantage…” In 2013, I published an online course called the “Zone Theory of Aikido” that has been quite well...
How Koichi Tohei Intercepted Shomenuchi Attacks by David Misumi
This blog was edited from the contents of a well-thought-out reply of David Masumi to the following two recent articles that we felt would be of interest to many of our readers: “The Origins of Modern Aikido: The...