It has been five months since we suspended our training. This is the longest layoff that I have experienced since I started practicing Aikido. March 31 marked the forty-fifth anniversary of my first class. I had been hoping…
Forty years ago today I took my Shodan (1st degree black belt) test in Tokyo. It was an extremely hot and humid day, much like here now. We sat in seiza for an unbearably long time. I had…
Confucius reportedly said, “Do not do to others what you do not want them to do to you.” In taking turns delivering and receiving techniques we should always appreciate that our partners make it possible for us to…
Socrates reportedly said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Aikido training is excellent for reflecting on one’s self. During a test, one’s true personality usually shows clearly. Take tests not to show off or boast about your…
Awareness and multi-tasking are not necessarily contradictory. When driving a car, one needs to be aware of many factors at once in order to arrive safely and efficiently. The principal focus is on the road ahead, but one…
En quarante-cinq ans de formation en Aïkido, je n’ai eu désamorcer qu’un seul combat. Jamais un ninja furieux n’a cinglé son épée dans ma direction tout en proférant un cri à glacer le sang. (Eh bien, sauf dans…
In forty-five years of Aikido training I have only had to break up one fight. Never has a furious ninja slashed his sword in my direction while uttering a blood-chilling cry. (Well, except in my samurai fantasy moments,…
There are no shortcuts in Aikido. Deep understanding comes only through long years of practice. Nevertheless, just one year of dedicated training under a competent teacher with enthusiastic partners will provide a foundation of immediate use and lasting…
Aikido training involves almost continuous close contact with a variety of partners. Such intimate contact means that all of us need to practice good hygiene. Body and uniform should be clean, teeth brushed, and nails trimmed. This preparation…
Aikido is useful as part of an overall fitness program. The practice of techniques and the resulting fallsand then returning to one’s feet provide both aerobic and anaerobic exercise, especially once one becomes proficient enough to train at…