FREE Aikido Technique Notes Worksheet
As I’m preparing for my upcoming sandan demo (third-degree black belt test) I’m reviewing all the blends and techniques I can think of. I’ve created … Read more …
Folks are Flocking to Aikido. This Could Be Why.
As we emerge from our long pandemic hibernation, stretching and blinking at the sunlight, many folks are taking up Aikido. New participants are trying classes, … Read more …
Pause… Settle… Presence and Patience Overcome Hurried Distraction
I recently revisited one of my very early posts, where I wrote about my experience in my first 6 classes. That reminded me of the … Read more …
Presence — Being in the Moment
This is the current draft of the chapter “Presence” from my upcoming book Aikido to Zanshin —26 Essays on the Martial Art of Peace, based … Read more …
Words for Weapons Take-Aways: Jo-Dori , Tachi-Dori, and Tanto-Dori
This is one in my collection of articles about Japanese words in Aikido. Here is an introduction to those articles, which might be a good … Read more …
Outdoor Aikido Training, Part 2 — Dressing for Comfort and Safety
This is the second part of a two-part article. The first, from May 2021, was about options for shoulder pads or padded shirts, to make … Read more …
“New,” Not “Young” Students and Teachers
I humbly suggest that we do not need fewer earnest people teaching Aikido in the world. We should not be discouraging or excluding anyone who is eager to put in the work, develops an appropriate level of competence, and wants to share the art.
Outdoor Aikido Training, Part 1 — Rolling On Grass. Hard Grass.
Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic we have been training remotely on Zoom, and also outdoors, masked, in a lovely public park. For the … Read more …
2020 Hindsight — Thoughts at The Solstice
Well, there’s nothing like a deadline. I started several versions of this post over the past few months, but always got sidetracked or overwhelmed by … Read more …
Poetry Nuggets – A Haiku How-To
My third-grade teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Vogler, taught us a lot about arts, from pottery to poetry. Most important, she let us know there are no … Read more …