Aikido Info

Stagiu Aikido cu Shihan Hiroaki Izumi

2012-02-01T06:46:00.000-08:00

Stagiu Aikido cu Shihan Hiroaki Izumi

Asociatia Aikido pentru toti organizeza stagiul de Aikido condus de Shihan Hiroaki Izumi (6 dan Aikikai). Sunt invitati toti practicantii de Aikido, indiferent de organizatie. Se recomanda minim kyu 5. Vor fi studiate tehnici de taijutsu si tehnici cu arme. Taxa de participare: 100 ron .
Pentru mai multe detalii trimiteti email la stagiu_izumi@aiki4all.com sau telefonati la 004 0726262630 (Bogdan Banculescu).

Programul stagiului este urmatorul:

Vineri, 30 martie 2012: 18,00 - 20,30
Sambata 31 martie 2012: 9,00 - 11,30 17,00 - 19,30
Duminica 1 aprilie 2012: 9,00 - 11,30

Detalii despre stagiu: http://aiki4all.com/stagiu_izumi.html

Formular de inscriere: http://aiki4all.com/inscriere_stagiu.html

Aikido, The Samurai Spirit

2012-01-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Aikido, The Samurai Spirit

"Iată un film despre Aikido, realizat de nişte spanioli

Mi-a plăcut foarte mult, datorita folosirii foarte dibace a tehnologiei de filmare/ Internet etc. şi a explicaţiilor ştiinţifice/ politehnice pe care le dă despre tehnica Aikido.
Uite că şi spaniolii au priceperea/ creativitatea lor, nu doar anglo-saxonii.

Lumea înaintează (nu se ştie dacă asta e de bine sau de rău...), nu se mai mulţumeşte cu reportaje/ înregistrări video simpliste, sau cu puparea moaştelor etc.
Cine mai face şi azi (şi mâine) ce făcea ieri – o să rămână de căruţă, din cauza competiţiei globale.

Şi, cu căruţa, încă n-ar fi bai; dar se pare şi că cine nu inovează - va dispare!
Atenţie – nu sunt împotriva păstrării tradiţiei (bune), ci pentru folosirea mai intensă a propriei minţi."

derlogea.ro

Aikido Basics, Shoheijuku Dogo, Japan

2011-11-08T13:35:00.000-08:00

Aikido Basics, Shoheijuku Dogo, Japan

Donovan Waite Randori

2011-11-06T11:45:00.000-08:00

HD - Aikido Shihan Donovan Waite Sensei - 2011 USA, Burlington - Randori Explained

HD - Aikido Shihan Donovan Waite Sensei - 2011 USA, Burlington - Randori

Exercise #2

Kotegaeshi Cartwheel Ukemi

2011-10-27T01:48:00.000-07:00

Kotegaeshi Cartwheel Ukemi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-OMzCnhhXY&feature=share

Tai Chi Warmups & Push Hands Exercises

2011-10-24T23:43:00.000-07:00

Tai Chi Warmups & Push Hands Exercises

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkpFpQs_gBs&feature=share

Randori - Some Hints

2011-10-16T07:59:00.000-07:00

- practice Randori with evasive movements, very slow and without power(!), and then try to put in a real Shorinjikempo technique once in a while. Then build on that.

- choose a stance You like (e. g. Hasso Gamae) then work out defences for all possible attacks (straight attack to Jodan, Chudan, Gedan, attacks from the side...). That way You can have a strategy for Your Randori!

Aikido Push Hands

2011-08-12T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is really cool , an Aikido adaptation of the Taijiquan Push Hands:

More videos of Doug Wedell: http://www.youtube.com/user/MasaKatsuAiki

Doug Wedell's website: http://people.cas.sc.edu/wedell/aikido/

Randori

2011-08-08T12:58:00.000-07:00

“Aikido and Mind-Body Integration,” by Curtis L.V. Adams, M.D.

2011-07-30T08:47:00.000-07:00

“Aikido and Mind-Body Integration,” by Curtis L.V. Adams, M.D.

In 1967, after four years in the General Practice of Medicine, I started a residency in Psychiatry. A large percentage of my general practice patients suffered from psychiatric conditions and I read psychiatric literature voraciously, as I did during my first year of residency. I became more and more mystified during that year, as we were presented so many systems of psychology and psychiatry, each of which, taken by itself, seemed to “make sense”. Taken together, those systems seemed conflicting and confusing. During a discussion of this confusion with my brother, then a graduate student in speech and communications, he suggested I learn about an epistemology called General Semantics. After I followed his suggestion, and applied Korzybski’s principles about abstracting to my studies, my confusion cleared remarkably. I enjoyed teaching those principles to students, residents, preceptees, patients, etc., over the years. It was always fun to see the comprehension bloom when I could get a student to sit long enough with a person overwhelmed, for instance, by a quandary without diagnosing or classifying so he could see the person and help him clarify his situation and arrive at a workable solution.

I discovered my second passion in 1974. That summer, my family and I spent our vacation in an isolated lake cabin. I ate a lot, fished, and read potboilers. One of those books featured a hero who used Aikido to deal with bad guys. I had a book on Aikido in my library, and got it out as soon as I returned home. Serendipitously, in September of that year, Dr. Greg Faulkner moved to my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama, to work in the space industry. He started an Aikido Class, which I joined. I have practiced since then and taught for a number of those years.

My general sense of well-being began to improve soon after starting Aikido. My body habits changed and people remarked that I moved more freely. When one of my psychiatric colleagues attended a trial workshop, I remarked to him that Aikido had intrinsic value different from other martial arts, and different from the attendant exercise. He did not agree, and I was unable to defend my point. A number of years later, the acknowledged best fighter in our federation of martial artists, an engineer, wondered why we all continued to practice martial arts over the years. I have attempted to answer the question about the intrinsic value of Aikido, as I believe there is such, and also the question of why I continue to practice and to teach the art. I think it is a tool to help me “make sense”, especially in the face of confrontational, aggressive persons.

The human ability to conceptualize and objectify accounts for many of our accomplishments. This ability also accounts for one of the major problems that we have to solve: a dichotomy between one’s subjective or organic self and an “I-Persona” or “I-Mask” self-concept. We describe ourselves on currency subject to being overvalued and vulnerable to being blown away by the wind of events, leaving us with a diminished sense of self-worth. In this paper, I will explore this split and in particular how the practice of the Japanese martial art of Aikido helps to resolve this problem.

This split occurs as part of development. In normal development there is a reorganization of the conceptual framework to fit the reality of the person and his world at the end of each stage of development. There is a period of turmoil associated with this state of reorganization that must be tolerated and supported by the environment. Since most human environments do not support any kind of turmoil, few people have been able to complete this part of each stage of development. For that reason, most people have a mixture of out of date ideas and conclusions in their conceptual frameworks.

Charles Kelly wrote that there are two character types based on two different ways of conceptualizing: the mechanic and the mystic. The first, the mechanic, operates in concepts, deals with the world by means of discrete units, and treats the world as though it is fundamentally static and immobile. He acts and operates on an outside reality to the exclusion of subjectivity or consciousness. The mystic over-focuses on the subjective “feeling” aspect of the life process at the expense of the objective “action” aspect. He becomes convinced that subjective reality antedates and overrides the merely physical reality of the body and the external world. He develops the conviction that consciousness is independent of the body.

In his essay on metaphysics, Bergson wrote, “There is an absolute knowledge, which can only be given in an intuition (meaning coming only from an internal processing). Everything else falls within the province of analysis,” i.e., the world of the mechanic and the mystic. “By intuition is meant the kind of intellectual sympathy by which one places oneself within an object in order to coincide with what is unique in it and consequently inexpressible. There is a reality that is external and yet given immediately to the mind.” I think this is inherent in the “staying at the level of nonverbal” talked about in General Semantics.

Alfred Korzybski, who originated General Semantics, called this level of the intuitive the level of the nonverbal: the level of being and knowing without the use of symbols or words. He recommended that one stay at the level of the nonverbal until he comes to a complete knowledge and acceptance of a situation. We have to use words and symbols to communicate; however, being able to stay at the level of the nonverbal until we have contacted the external reality is important. This ability increases the reliability of our abstracting process by allowing us to gather more information before arriving at conclusions, inferences, etc.

These concepts relate to my work as a psychiatrist in that practically every person has a concept of self quite different from what can be seen or perceived in that person. People define themselves according to their status, their role, what they have been told about themselves years ago or out-of-date self-definitions. These same people often have a conceptualization of external reality that is eccentric and cannot be consensually validated. Psychotherapy, when done right, helps the person get to a sense of reality of self and helps him develop a consensually validatable conceptualization of external reality.

Aikido is another way a person can develop a more accurate perception of self and a more nearly accurate conceptualization of external reality. In Aikido there is a particular necessity of evaluating reality accurately.

Aikido is a modern martial art originated in Japan by Morihei Uyeshiba, called by Aikidoists O-Sensei or The Great Teacher (of Aikido of course). Morihei Uyeshiba was a seeker who started out early in life with a decision that he would never get beaten up. He had seen his father bullied by village ruffians and made the decision that he would not be such a victim. He entered into the study of martial arts as a young man, studying the way of the sword and the way of the empty hand, Jujitsu, and eventually ending up in a martial art called Daito Jujitsu. He was an undefeated fighter. He was capable with a sword or an empty hand of beating practically anybody in a fight and took great pride in his ability. He was sergeant-at-arms for a spiritual sect, and later a hand-to-hand combat instructor for the Japanese Navy. With all of those skills under his command, he came into conflict with a close friend, a naval officer who was a professor of fencing.

Consider the paradox. Uyeshiba was a man who said he would never be beaten up and who had taken great pride in fighting and his ability to fight. He now confronted a friend who had attacked him with a wooden sword to kill him. He was faced with a situation in which his self-identification conflicted with an external and intuitively felt reality. When does your friend become your enemy? How can you kill your friend? Morihei Uyeshiba fought this “battle” with the naval officer by using only defensive moves. When the naval officer moved to strike, Uyeshiba would move out of the way. He continued to do evasive tactics until the opponent collapsed in a sweat. Then Uyeshiba went out into the garden where he experienced a sense of lights and a revelation about the martial arts. This revelation was that martial arts are not to kill and destroy your enemy but to restore harmony that has been previously disturbed in the universe. From this experience, he formulated a new conceptualization of Budo or the Way of War.

Uyeshiba’s conceptualization was based in part on the actual meaning of the Japanese character “Bu”. The idea is that an individual stops war or fighting. The top of the character is of two crossed halberds, indicating a cessation of aggressiveness. The lower character literally means to stop. The composite, therefore would imply “to stop fighting” or end battle. He originally called his method of self-defense Aiki-jujitsu and later renamed it Aikido. Aiki means harmony of the energies. The word do, which means Way in the spiritual sense, added to aiki forms Aikido that means the way of harmony of the energies. Aikido is the current designation of the Way of Morihei Uyeshiba.

In addition to being an extremely effective form of self-defense, Aikido became a basis for the pursuit of the true self. This pursuit is done by the constant reevaluation in the learning and application of the techniques of Aikido. In order to do Aikido effectively, one has to cultivate an awareness of the body, the location of the body in space and the force of his movements. This constant reevaluation ideally caused a shift from the concept of opponents, as in self-defense, to partners, who would help in rediscovering the true self. Consequently he was “making sense” of a previously perceived paradox. His martial skills remained the same, or improved, but the application changed from aggressiveness to cooperation (or in the words of Trigant Burrow from detention to contention).

The philosophy of Aikido is the culmination of a philosophy that had required centuries of evolution and was very much a part of the life of the samurai. The first step in this evolution was that of the samurai or servant warrior. He belonged to his master and if ordered, his job was to kill the enemy. The samurai learned that this kind of killing is spiritual suicide. Then came the concept of mutual destruction, i.e., of sacrificing one’s life to kill the enemy. In that situation, a sense of appreciation of one’s life emerged. It is no sacrifice if your life is valueless. Then evolved the concept of the mutual preservation of life, the idea of the saving of one’s enemy’s life while preserving one’s own life. The warrior must have a profound knowledge of his craft in order to actualize a philosophy of saving his and his enemy’s life. Otherwise he has no choice other than to kill or be killed. His knowledge must not be of a mechanical nor of a mystical nature, i.e., abstractions have no place when one is faced with an enemy skilled in the art of killing and determined to end his life. The warrior’s knowledge must be based on an intuitive perception of movement and forces. It was out of the background of the Zen considerations of the samurai that Morihei Uyeshiba was able to have his enlightenment experience from which he developed his Aikido, “The Way of Harmony”.

In the world we certainly have to be able to deal with aggression that arises in many contexts. When we are afraid we will often retire into the world of thoughts and fantasies. The Aikidoist must learn the skills of containing his emotions in situations where the threat is only symbolic. When the attack is physical, however, and only then, the Aikidoist has a place to “enter the spirit” of the attacker and neutralize the attack. The skills that are necessary for self-defense can be demonstrated, but must be learned through constant practice. The first of these skills is to avoid opposition. This means blending with the attack, redirecting it, etc. The second is to neutralize further aggression with techniques such as locks, throws, etc.

Yoga Warmups for Aikido demonstrated by Stanley Pranin

2011-07-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Yoga Warmups for Aikido demonstrated by Stanley Pranin

http://www.aikidojournal.com/
Aikido Journal Editor Stanley Pranin demonstrates a series of basic yoga postures he has incorporated into his aikido workouts. After suffering chronic back pain for many years, three years of yoga practice have allowed him to overcome his bad back problem. These are the exercises he has adopted as part of the aikido warmups.

Can Aikido Breakfalls Really Protect You?

2011-07-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

http://ezinearticles.com/?Can-Aikido-Breakfalls-Really-Protect-You?&id=4990170

Aikido Breakfalls are for breaking the force of a fall to the ground without experiencing an injury. On the other hand, ukemi is the ability to receive a technique or fall safely and recover your balance.

Learning how to develop good Aikido breakfalls is very difficult to achieve. Many Aikido students do not focus on the skill of receiving techniques, as their main aim is on becoming a good performer of technique.

One of the reasons is that people in the West are generally highly competitive. Most of us have been taught to put ourselves first, and that winning is better than losing. This means that we tend to concentrate more on performing techniques, and winning, rather than receiving, and losing.

This way of thinking is rather egotistical and selfish, and the art of Aikido addresses this problem directly. In order to take we must first give. So by focusing a little more on helping our training partner, we will in turn be helping ourselves.

In my many travels of Aikido dojo, I have found hundreds of students that are fairly good at performing techniques. But, most dojo only have a couple of good uke, that are good enough be used for demonstrations. This is because the goal of most students is to win and perform well.

You can be different and truly excel at the art by looking closely at Aikido breakfalls and ukemi practise.

By working on your falls a little more, you can develop to a much higher level. It will give you the confidence to allow yourself to be of use to your training partner, by not resisting their techniques. This helps their skills and yours, a win-win situation, that removes the conflict from the connection.

I will briefly look at some of the Aikido breakfalls you will learn during your Aikido training...

Back Breakfalls

These are first learned by lying down flat on your back on the mat. Bend your knees, so your heels are flat on the floor, with arms held palm-down at 45 degrees from your body. Lift your head, with your chin touching your chest. This strengthens your neck muscles, and protects your head from hitting the ground if you fall.

Then, lift your arms up and slap the ground with your fingers, palms and forearms all sharing the impact. Repeat several times, and breathe out each time you hit. When you can do these backward slaps comfortably from lying down, move on to...

From a sitting position, roll back, making sure your chin is tucked well in and exhale strongly. Slap the ground, and repeat several times. Then try from a squatting position with your buttocks sitting on your heels. Tuck in your chin and curve your spine, and allow your body to roll backwards so your back hits the floor. You should force your breath out sharply, and slap the mat just as you touch it, repeat several times.

Practise this until you can do it without jarring your body, with no feeling of shock. Eventually you can try it from a standing position. Stand up straight, bend your knees and lower your buttocks close to the ground, and place one foot slightly behind the other. Roll onto your back, and continue as before.

Side Breakfalls

You should already be able to perform back falls before you try to learn side falls, which are just one-armed, one-sided back breakfalls. For example, you would fall on your side if the person throwing you is still hanging on to one of your arms.

Remember, your arm should be about 45 degrees from your body when it hits the mat. Immediately after, you should withdraw your arm to protect your chest or face to block a punch or kick.

Practise by dropping your legs to on side, and slap the ground with the arm nearest the mat palm down at 45 degrees. Your hip, knee and the whole side of your leg and calf should be flat on the mat. Your other leg should be bent at the knee, with your foot flat on the ground.

Forward Breakfalls

Forward Rolls are very important because they get you back up onto your feet immediately, so you can continue defending yourself. Before you try rolling falls, you should already know back and side ones.

Rolling breakfalls are impressive to watch, especially during a demonstration. But they take a lot of practice. When your body falls at speed, you need to protect your head and neck, and spread the shock to protect your arms and legs.

You accomplish this by making your body into a circle, where your body rolls. The energy is absorbed along the edge of the circle, and nothing gets damaged. Practise on tatami, gymnasium mats, or wrestling mats.

Think of your shoulders, arms and hands as a hoop or a circle. Roll along your extended hand and arm, shoulder, the center of your back, your spine, buttocks, legs and feet. You must train your body so it touches the ground all along this pathway each time you do a rolling fall.

High Breakfalls

Kote-gaeshi Aikido breakfalls are how you escape from a very nasty arm break in Aikido or Ju Jitsu. If you don't know how to leap over your own arm quickly, and land with a good side fall, your arm may snap when someone hits you with a kotegaeshi throw at full power.

The kote-gaeshi fall is not for Aikido beginners, and you need to build up your ukemi skills before you even try this. You would start learning slowly and carefully by practising with a partner in the dojo.

Once you get you used to timing your break fall to the actions of someone else, you can then practice increasing the power of the move until you are actually being thrown into the break fall.

In meeting the mat try to distribute as much force throughout your body as possible in the most relaxed manner. It takes a lot of practice to achieve the correct timing, and allow your body to distribute the force.

Always practise safely with a qualified instructor in a training hall and using safety mats!

Tony Wilden
Aikido Health Centre

Tony Wilden has been studying health and spirituality for over 30 years and Aikido since 1985. He founded the Arun Aikido Club in West Sussex UK in 1992, and has given dozens of demo's and 1000's of health treatments.

He offers junior & adult Aikido classes, self defence courses, private lessons & pressure points to individuals & small groups. He is the director of the Aikido Health Centre Website at... http://www.aikido-health.com and is the author of 3 unique ebooks... Aikido Success Blueprint, Aikido First Aid Kit, and Optimum Health Secrets.

You can get his free Harmony newsletter that offers original Aikido & Health tips... and surprise gifts. All delivered every month, straight to your email inbox... http://www.aikido-health.com/Ezine.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tony_Wilden

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4990170

George Ledyard - Open Letter to My Students

2011-07-06T12:06:00.000-07:00

George Ledyard's All Things Aikido - Open Letter to My Students

Hi Everyone,
After much reflection in the post Olson Sensei aftermath, I decided I needed to write something about what I see as the purpose of our art and how important the Dojo community is in preserving and transmitting it. I wanted to wait until I wasn't upset any more about the abysmal attendance at the event, which by the way, did not even break even. I was, at the time, embarrassed that my guest brought seven students all the way from Montana while the majority of our own folks, and especially our Beginner student population did not participate at all. Anyway, all that is what it is. My initial reaction was to read everyone the "riot act", which I realize simply isn't productive or effective. People cannot be forced to care about something they don't. So, I have decided to explain what I believe about Aikido, and what I see as the mission of Aikido Eastside. Folks can decide what these things mean to them, personally.

Aikido is a form of Budo. Budo is basically the use of the martial arts for personal transformation. Aikido as Budo is a "Michi" or Martial "WAY" (the "do" in Aiki-do). O-Sensei, the Founder, actually believed that through Aikido, the whole world could be brought into a state of harmony; he called our art "The Way of Peace". For him, Budo was a life and death matter. Given the right level of commitment one could truly become a better person, less fearful, stronger, braver, more compassionate. One could, in his or her own Mind and Body understand that everything in the universe is essentially connected. His creation of Aikido represents a radical transformation of how Budo was viewed historically. It is a unique art. It is not a "hobby", it is not a "sport", it is not a "workout", it is a Michi, a Way. The central maxim of Aikido is "masakatsu, agatsu" "True Victory is Self Victory".

I was blessed to stumble on to Aikido 35 years ago. My teacher, Mitsugi Saotome Sensei, trained under the Founder himself, for fifteen years. He is one of the true giants of post-war Aikido. Sensei's mission has been to create a line of "transmission" for the teachings of his teacher and to try to prevent the decline that often sets in after the Founder of a given art passes on. Josh Drachman and I have been greatly honored to be a direct part of this "transmission". We have been admitted to a select group which Sensei refers to as the Ueshiba Juku (named after O-Sensei's first dojo back in the 30's). To Sensei this represents the fact that we are in the direct line of transmission from the Founder, to himself, and then to us. I once asked him if that meant that at some point in the future, one or more of my own students would be a part of the Ueshiba Juku and carry on the "transmission". He replied "Absolutely!"

This is what Aikido Eastside is about. It represents the base of support for a number of us who are trying to attain some level of mastery in this amazing art. It is the place we come to work on our own understanding, it is the place we come to share what we know with the generations who are coming along afterwards. We serve as a support for other absolutely amazing teachers who come through to share their mastery with us and help us along this Path. I don't think that many of our members actually realize what we have here at Aikido Eastside. Often it takes "getting out" to realize what you have. We literally have people moving to our area to train with us. We have people coming from all over the US and even overseas to attend events. Some come specifically so that they can work with our students because they are know to be such great partners for` this training.

But this entire enterprise is dependent on committed participants. Without students who are "hungry", teachers cannot teach, no matter what their level of skill. We are totally co-dependent in our community. A student cannot progress without good partners. Teachers cannot teach without wiling students. Nothing we do is in isolation. People often think that it's not up to them, that someone else will make the effort. They can simply show up to the dojo and learn some interesting stuff, get a bit of exercise, pay dues for the privilege, and go home. If the issue were simply the survival of the Dojo over time, that would be fine. But that isn't what this whole thing is about. A Dojo literally means "Place for the Transmission or Practice of the Way". We have no equivalent in our culture. The success or failure of this transmission is entirely dependent on the people involved.

Aikido, and Budo in general, is endangered. Modern life places ever increasing demands of people's time, we are convinced that we need to fill our time with more and more things, just to keep pace. The number one reason for folks quitting or not training as much as they say they'd like is "lack of time". I have talked with various teachers and virtually all of them say that it is difficult, if near impossible, to find people who wish to train like we trained. Yet the fact of the matter is that every single person who ever mastered some art or pursued a spiritual path had exactly the same amount of time as we do. There have been 24 hours in a day since pre-history. If people allow themselves to become convinced that their time is scarce, then the very things that in an affluent society such as ours, in which we are not completely focused on not starving each day, we could be pursuing, making ourselves better, making our world better, then arts which contain what I call "old knowledge" will simply die out. They may still exist, just as you can see lots of Aikido being done out there, but in fact, there is very little truly deep Aikido being done. The tendency is to shape the art to fill the needs and abilities of the participants. Without a critical mass of committed folks, the art declines. Even the truly committed end up constrained by the fact that there are few who can or will train with them. Their own ability to achieve excellence is dependent on have a place which is supportive of that endeavor and offers an environment focused on attainment.

I realize that only a very few will ever devote themselves to any art the way my peers and I have done. It is the natural order of things that there always be a pyramid of sorts in which the number of the folks at the top is exponentially smaller than the number of folks at the bottom. There are an infinite number of gradations in this "transmission" of Aikido. Some will take their understanding to great depth and others will just touch the surface. Regardless, there is a certain commitment required to really participate in the "transmission". Below a certain level of time and effort, nothing is really happening... nothing is really being transmitted. I have never had the expectation that more than a few of our students will go the distance and run dojos of their own some day. It's a fact that less than ten percent will even stay long enough to get a Shodan. But what I do expect is that when the students are training, they do so seriously. That what they are doing and learning is really at some place along the continuum of of the knowledge we are attempting to transmit.

When people tell me they don't have time to train due to job, family, other concerns, what they are saying is really that it simply isn't important enough for them to prioritize their training. I won't use myself as an example, because I realize that I am not in any way, shape, or form typical or representative. But I think we have one of the finest examples I know of right at our dojo of someone who has managed to combine all of the elements of a typical person's life and still take his Aikido to a highly accomplished level. Alex Nakamura Sensei has had a family, a career, etc and still, he has been on the mat three times a week year in year out for 40 + years. When folks tell me they can't do that, I simply disagree. They could, but they choose not to. This is every person's right and responsibility. To choose. People will each choose differently, according to his or her individual concerns. But everyone should understand that these choices do not occur in a vacuum.

Read the entire article here: http://aikieast.blogspot.com/2011/07/hi-everyone-after-much-reflection-in.html

Educational Aikido – a short sample lesson

2011-06-04T12:32:00.000-07:00

Educational Aikido – a short sample lesson

The concept of lessons for Educational Aikido (Aikido for everybody) resulted from studies developed under Derlogea Shihan, as part of the Project “A Dojo în each Romanian school” supported by the Center for Martial Arts CASA of the University of Bucharest (see www.derlogea.ro).

The demonstration was part of the Kagami Biraki fest (of the New Year according to Japanese tradition) in January 2011, at the University of Bucharest. This year’s festival was honored by their Excellencies the Ambassador of Japan and the Rector of the University.

On the Passing of My Teacher — Soshu, Koichi Tohei Sensei , by David Shaner

2011-05-24T03:26:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 22, 2011

On the Passing of My Teacher — Soshu, Koichi Tohei Sensei , by David Shaner

Two days ago (May 19 at 9:14am [Japan time]) the Founder of Shinshin Toitsu Aikido and Ki no Kenkyukai (Ki Society) passed away at the age of 91. Tohei Sensei was the first to bring the Art of Aikido out of Japan in 1953. I do not have words to describe Tohei Sensei’s influence on my life. His positive impact upon so many around the world is due to his genius at helping people to think and perform to the best of their ability. The learning process is experiential (not mystical); it requires patience, discipline and a commitment tantamount to true spiritual development.

One of the most important teachings of Tohei Sensei is simply to “Be Positive and Grateful”. It is a simple universal principle. If you can learn to choose your mindset and become both positive (in your outlook each day) and grateful in your heart (for simply being blessed with the opportunity to live another day), then you can experience your original connection to the universe itself.

Sounds mystic? It is not. Let’s consider an example. How would Tohei Sensei want his direct students to think and feel at the time of his passing? I can only speak for myself, but I would say that Tohei Sensei would want us to “practice what we preach”. He always said, “you must be able to do it, not just say it”.

Therefore, instead of feeling an emptiness and sadness at his passing, we can choose to be filled with gratitude for the genius of Tohei Sensei’s teaching methodology (pedagogy) that is the direct result of his gratitude to his three teachers. From his first teacher Tetsuju Ogura Sensei he learned how to train (with all your heart as if it were a matter of life and death), from his second teacher O-Sensei (Morihei Ueshiba) he learned how to relax, and from Nakamura Tempu Sensei he learned “mind leads body”.

We can practice today by being grateful to Tohei Sensei who dedicated his life to helping people around the world to “be the best they can be”. His genius, among other things, was his ability to teach and lead people from the exact place of where ever they are in their life. This is also a great life lesson in non-conflict; learning to lead positively without force, tension, coercion and brute strength.

If you are a manager and business leader, imagine the possibilities of turning a work environment into a positive, productive place where each person can flourish. In this way, you can actually see “work” as a kind of training dojo for practicing positive personal development, and even spiritual development. More importantly, Tohei Sensei was able to do this (and even teach others how to do this) by leading people from the best of all possible starting points; that is, the exact place where people are at present in their life.

Just imagine if you were surrounded by people who always think positively! This is exactly Tohei Sensei’s message in his most famous and widely read book entitled - - “Ki in Daily Life”. Being positive is something we can all do if we simply choose to see the best in others and rid ourselves of the tendency (mindset) of blaming, judging, and criticizing both people and the events occurring around you. Tohei Sensei was an infinite optimist and always taught to let go of past hardships and instead strive to live your life positively. To be positive and grateful in daily life was a main message of his lifelong teaching.

Ki in Aikido: A Sampler of Ki Exercises

2011-05-20T05:19:00.000-07:00

Ki in Aikido: A Sampler of Ki Exercises

The book: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22819329/Ki-in-Aikido

A Review of the Book by C M Shifflett

I know it's hard to review books written by your friends --- made even stranger when the reviewer sees familiar faces and names scattered throughout --- but even without my personal bias, I'd recommend this book.

Since leaving the Virginia Ki Society area (hundreds of miles of distance make it hard to attend class), I've held dear a list of little Ki tricks and tips that I compiled at class. C. M. Shifflett's book is very much like that list, except more concise, explanatory, experimental, and philosophical.

Though I think the book starts off a little too defensively about the more esoteric and metaphysical aspects of Ki, it quickly rolls up its sleeves and gets to work, wading into a series of exercises. Not just "Do This" exercises, but class "experiments" --- "Try this and see what happens. Then try this and compare results." The answers are not usually given (though they're often obvious), and the reader is invited to explore just what Ki can do in casual, simple situations. As Ed Keith wrote: "...it is an excellent book if for no other reason than that to the best of my knowledge many of these exercises have never been written down before." The many simple and elegant illustrations help considerably --- and if you've met people at Virginia Ki Society, you might recognize a good number of the illustrated figures! The one disadvantage to the exercises, aside from the need for a partner for most of them, is their progression (arguably a good thing) and lack of individual introduction. This simply means that, to get the most out of these, one should really read the book from beginning to end, instead of just picking out a random exercise. These exercises follow and demonstrate themes that are developed through the book, and missing the theme may mean missing half the point.

What kind of themes? The author's selection of quotes (and there are a great many priceless, wonderful quotes on most pages) quickly gives one an idea of the philosophy behind the book, a philosophy built upon and demonstrated over and over, and finally spelled out in detail. It is the familiar underlying principles of Aikido: relaxation, focus, mind-over-matter --- and it is also a welcome look at the themes of benevolence and attitude. Though many other books on Aikido have stressed the importance of benevolence and looking upon others positively, few have gone so far as to outline the experiments by which one can demonstrate the reality of how one's very thoughts can affect not only oneself, but everyone around one. Thus, it can be said that the book offers an often neglected look at the spiritual side, the spiritual philosophy and the spiritual implications of Aikido. For some, as the author notes, the implications may even be too much to take.

I think this text will prove to be invaluable to all sorts of people who are interested in Aikido: beginners, advanced students, teachers (who are students in their own way!), and everyone in between. It is also my hope that it will bring a bit of Aikido's spirit to those who are not involved in Aikido. And of course, I am personally looking forward to trying out these techniques with my fellow Aikidoka friends.

You may contact the author, C M Shifflett, at: 71021.744@compuserve.com. There is now also a web site with more on the book: Round Earth Publishing.

The book: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22819329/Ki-in-Aikido

Tai Chi Combat Lessons - Master Wong

2011-04-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Aikido Seminar - Alessandro Tittarelli Shihan 7th Dan - June 04, 2011

2011-04-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

June 04, 2011 thru June 05, 2011

Instructor:	Alessandro Tittarelli Shihan 7th Dan
Event Type:	Aikido Seminar
Affiliation/Style:	Iwama Ryu
Email:	mesarosbp@gmail.com; liviustan19600@yahoo.com
Website/URL:

Event Location:	Şcoala Generala „Vasile Alecsandri”, NR. 118
Address:	Ştirbei Voda Street, Nr. 32-34, Sector 1
	Bucharest,
	Romania
Telephone:	0040721337673; 0040765454213

http://www.aikidojournal.com/events.php?id=2943

Aikido Warmup

2011-02-27T01:53:00.000-08:00

A warmup preparation for Aikido classes. Use in full or take the parts you like to add to your own warmup. Submitted by Tom Huffman at Aikido of Gainesville and SFCC Aikido Club in Gainesville, Florida.

Serban Derlogea - Carti

2011-02-20T02:47:00.000-08:00

Serban Derlogea - Carti Aikido, Taijiquan, Manual de supravietuire

Serban Derlogea - Carti Aikido, Taijiquan, Manual de supravietuire, Team Building
=================================================

Aikido - Calea armoniei : http://www.scribd.com/doc/4348711/AIKIDOCalea-Armoniei

Taijiquan - Calea perfectiunii : http://www.scribd.com/doc/22247203/Derlogea-Serban-Taijiquan

Manual de supravietuire : http://www.scribd.com/doc/13896400/Manual-de-Supravietuire

Aikido pentru toti : http://www.scribd.com/doc/21592632/Serban-Derlogea-Aikido-Pentru-Toti

Jocuri pentru Team-Building: http://www.scribd.com/doc/47332331/160-de-activit%C4%83%C5%A3i-dinamice-jocuri-pentru-TEAM-BUILDING

Kodo: Ancient Ways - Kensho Furuya

2011-02-13T13:35:00.000-08:00

Kodo: Ancient Ways

Kensho Furuya
Ohara Publications (1996)
ISBN 0897501365
223 pages
Historical / Philosophical

Book Summary:

(the following text is taken from the author's web site):

In the forty-one essays included in this book, you will find that these lessons are inspired from the teachings and wisdom of the ancients. I hope these little bits of wisdom will inspire and guide you, in some way, in your training and in your life as they have inspired and sustained me over many, many years.

This book is a compilation of articles written between 1988 and 1995 as the "Ancient Ways" column in Martial Arts Training magazine.

If you've noticed any errors in this entry or wish to expand on it by adding additional images, notes or details please contribute those changes.

New ideas In the "Book Section" of my web site I talk about Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei's recent book. It is clear from all accounts that Furuya Sensei is truly dedicated not only to the art of Aikido, but also to living a very simple life, while doing his utmost to pass on to his students his knowledge, and his humanity. His book "KODO: Ancient Ways" is published by Ohara Publications Incorporated, of Santa Clara, California , and I strongly urge you to buy a copy. For me it is one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read. To give you a little background, Reverand Kensho Furuya is a 6th Dan in Hombu Aikido, and 6th Dan Kyoshi in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido, with over 47 years experience in martial artists. Furuya Sensei earned his degrees in Asian Studies at the University of Southern California and Harvard University. He trained at the Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan in 1969, under the late Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu and established his Dojo in 1974. Furuya Sensei was ordained as a Zen priest in 1988 and received the honor to speak at the United Nations in the following year. He is the author of many articles on martial arts and has appeared on many television programs speaking on the subject. He is also the author of the acclaimed video series, "The Art of Aikido" which is in nine volumes. Just as the deepest depths in the ocean are truly invisible unless you are actually standing on the bottom of the sea floor, I believe the true depth of what is written in Furuya Sensei's book will remain invisible unless you actually make a real effort to look beyond your current beliefs. With Furuya Sensei's very kind permission, I have placed here on this page just a few of the thoughts and sayings from his book, and some excerpts from his web site http://www.aikidocenterla.com. It is my sincere hope that his words will bring to you, what they have brought to me. This page is currently a work in progress for me, and as such I encourage you to visit it often for updated material. So please remember, the following thoughts and words are not my own. The great credit for what you read beyond this point belongs solely to Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei, and I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank him for granting me permission to reproduce his thoughts and comments here on my web site, and especially for taking the time to put his words in writing for all of us to enjoy, and to contemplate. I wish Furuya Sensei well in all things. Words of wisdom 1. Regardless of success or failure if you have done your best you have passed successfully. 2. Persue your training only because you love it. That is all. 3. Martial arts can never be separated from the reality of our daily lives. This is true spiritual training. 4. Everybody wants a black belt, but so few people know what it really is. 5. The true dojo is the world. 6. Good training means proper attitude plus correctly focused effort. 7. Train your mind through your body. Train your body through your mind. 8. Without a word, Nature teaches all. 9. There is much more than just strength and speed. 10. Everything in life is a gift. 11. Our ego is our greatest obstacle to learning. 12. If you learn anything in this world learn the value of life. The purpose of practice: To be the best is not hard. To stay the best is very hard. To be the strongest is not hard, to be strong each day is very hard. To be good is not hard, to be good day, after day, after day, is very hard. To be faithful is not hard, to maintain your faith each moment of the day is very hard. Daily practice is not to become the best, or the strongest, or #1 or whatever, - the purpose of daily practice is to refine the power to sustain you one day after the next, after the next, after the next. . . Many people practice Aikido to become strong, or rich, or famous, or powerful - such shallow goals in life are only for shallow people. The essence of the art Within the techniques and the traditions behind them lies the essence of the art. It is not to be taken lightly or played with changing this and that to suit your own fancy. At the same time, those self-absorbed people will never grasp its meaning. Let the art absorb you, as you absorb the art. . . . . Simply strive for a pure heart. Unfortunately, those who can put the art above themselves are very few. Old zen saying Fame and fortune come and go like the floating clouds. Just embrace your practice and continue to polish yourself. Although a good sword remains in its case where no one can see and touch it, it is still bright and sharp. This is a great part of its beauty, nobility and mystery. . . . . Teaching Everyone benefits when we work to the high standards of the art itself not by bringing down the art to satisfy our whims, or to adapt to our own convenience, or petty ideas. You must teach a student as correctly as possible, whether he likes it or not. Old S & G song There was an old Simon & Garfunkle song that I have always liked which had the words, "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail. . . ." This is a very old song so I wonder if many of you youngsters even remember it! Of course, everyone would rather be the hammer because it is the hammer that strikes the nail. It is the nail that appears to be passive and yeilding. After how many years now since I first heard this song, I finally decided that I would rather be the nail - not the hammer. It is the nail which penetrates deeply and connects all things in which it comes into contact. And finally, if you think about it, the hammer only exists because of the nail. Today, I see many hammers banging away at everything because that is all it can do, I see very few nails. . . . . The Spirit of the Word When most people listen, they really do not hear what is being spoken but only hear what they want to hear or interpret what they want to hear. I find this to be a big obstacle in teaching. This is known as "selective hearing," the opposite of "critical hearing." In training, one must hear the "spirit" of the word or hear the full meaning of the the words or instruction. This means that you must be on the same wave length or "of the same mind" as your teacher. Most student never can understand this. . . Usually, we hear just what we want to hear and often miss the valuable lesson or often the "real" meaning of the words which is often hidden behind the words. . . . In order to listen to the teaching, one must first make a connection with the teacher trying to understand where he is coming from and what he is trying to tell you. NOT - simply what you think he might mean. . . this is only our interpretation or mind-set, not the speaker's or your teacher's. Can you understand this?? To hear the word, as only you want to hear it, is the level of a very mediocre student. Only a true student will hear the spirit of the word beyond the word itself - this is the meaning of kotodama. In the same respect a mediocre teacher will only tell you what you want to hear - this is only hype and hypocrasy, a true teacher will give you a part of his spirit. . . . this is true giving. The student must understand and appreciate "true receiving." Listen well People today take things to literally and often read only the most superficial meaning of the words we see or hear. A good student will hear many meanings always trying to penetrate deeper and deeper to find the real, original meaning of the teacher's words. . . . A pure mind They say that they first lesson in practice is to enter the mats with a pure mind. Sometimes this is the most difficult practice of all. Heart to heart Knowledge can only pass from one person to the other person through that elusive but eternal line of friendship connecting one heart with yours. Only a Master's right Variation and transformation come after mastery . . . . . . not before! Understanding The first basic teaching is "have right thoughts, do right action." How hard this is! I keep trying and giving up, forgetting it and coming back to it. Maybe I can never understand this or do this in my lifetime, but it doesn't mean to discard this teachings. . . . perhaps, it is the struggle to understand this is the practice itself - regardless of whether I can achieve it or not. Can you understand? Even if it takes ten or twenty years to understand - the virtue is in the correct practice, not in the doing "any way you please." Eventually, it will come, understanding the teachings is more important than to understand immediate success. Sometimes the best student is not always the best A young, strong student is ideal, but a strong student who is over-confident and arrogant is not as desirable as a student who is weak and understands his limitations and desires to develop himself. A smart student is desirable but a student who thinks he is smarter than everyone else is not as desirable as a less educated student who understands his limitations and desires to develop himself. A successful student is desirable but a student who thinks he is better than everyone else is not as desirable as a student who does not have much, but understands his limitations and desires to develop himself. Time is precious When you reach my age, you begin to see how short life really is and how little time we have to do what we want to do. You should take my word for it and get off your duff right now and begin what you need to do. Young people today always think these is "tomorrow," but, in reality, you only get a few "tomorrows" and that is it! Live in the present, be in the present, do in the present. This is the best advice I can offer. Time flies like an arrow, and like an arrow, it never comes back. At the right time Wisdom, knowledge, instruction and skill must be imparted at the right time and place and particularly with the right mental state. Old ways Our dojo is very "old-world" and "old-school," and I hope all the members will appreciate the great efforts and sacrifice it takes to sustain such a dojo in this world where such ideals no longer hold true and bow down to complacency and superficiality and momentary goals without deeper exploration of the mysteries of the art. Proper attitude Trying hard to learn, also means to be easy to teach. Easy to teach means to come to the dojo with a open heart and mind. Don't be full of yourself and your opinions. Be humble and grateful and willing to undergo the hardships of training. Train to become a better person, not a better fighter. Talent means nothing without the proper attitude. Without the proper attitude, there is no proper training. Use it or loose it When you stop your practice, you do not pick up where you left off when you begin again. This is a great fallacy people like to buy into. When you stop, you immediately begin to forget what you have done. I recall some study on this and in two weeks of non-practice or non-learning, about 65% of what you learned was forgotten. . . . Oddly, your forgetting works quite a bit faster than your remembering or recalling. Cleaning up Before and after class, please help with the clean-up of the dojo. This is not really to understand "cleaning," but to understand "caring heart" and "working in harmony with others." Let go of your pride A good teacher of the Japanese arts will always try to shake your pride first. This is where most students stumble and fail. A teacher knows that once the student can drop his pride, he is totally open to receive the teachings. If the student doesn't understand this process, he is doomed. Usually people are too stuck on their egos. Body language says a lot On the mats, etiquette is a form of communication and becomes the "universal, unspoken body language" we all use to speak to each other. Thinking that we can only speak with words is another universal misconception. Gratitude Students should be grateful there is a dojo where one can practice and sensei to teach them. The teacher should be grateful that students come to practice and support the dojo. The relationship between the student and teacher should always be based on gratitude and respect. Many base the realtionship between student and teacher on power, authoirty and money. I believe this is incorrect. How a dojo can survive in such a commercial environment as the world today and still preserve the traditions and high level practice of the art, is the great dilemma of practicing Aikido or any martial art.Most martial arts are converting themselves into big business or sports and say this is the only way to survive today. This motivation is nothing other than profits and money. Of course, the reality is that a dojo must create income in order to pay the bills and survive, but all motivation for change must be made in the light of what is best for the student, the dojo and the art. Because this does not always conform in the best way, there is always the conflict between existing by the power of money, and how to teach the student well - everyone in the dojo, both teacher and student must understand this and work together in harmony to support each other - and support the art and dojo in a noble way of both respect and dignity. Regular training There is no greater virtue than regular training. One can never make good progress with off and on or irratic training. The discipline is not only practicing correct techniques and watching one's manners in the dojo and on the mats, but coming regularly for practice and making it apart of one's life. Regular training reinforces what you learn each day. One would be amazed at how much one can forget if one practice is missed. Please keep up a regular training schedule. Basics It is important to follow the form of training, more than making up your own techniques, please practice the basic techniques each day. No one has mastered them yet. . . . . . Remember We are all here together because of our teachers, we should never forget this and always appreciate this. In days gone by In the early days, students worked hard to meet the expectations of the teacher. Today, the teacher often must compromise the practice to accomodate the convenience of the students. Worst of all, the teacher compromises the art to its lowest common denominator to attract the greatest number of students. This is not for the sake of the student and his training, this is only to fill the pocketbook. When students cater to such low standards, they are not following the Way and all kinds of troubles and problems occur. When the teacher caters to such low standards, they are not following the Way and all kinds of things pull the teacher away from actual teaching. Although the art is more "user friendly," today, we have along with this sacrificed the high standards and expectations of the art and teacher. As is often the case in the business world, the artist must kill his art to satisfy the customer. . . . . The right path In the long run, the correct way is always the easiest. Most people look for short cuts and always end up taking a longer path. Spirit of bowing Just the other day, I happened to glance at a fairly new student who was bowing onto the mat. When I saw him sit down, straighten his posture, compose himself and bow very humbly to O'Sensei, I was so impressed and deeply moved. I thought to myself that I never realized how sincere he was to learn Aikido and vowed that you give him special attention in class for now on. At that moment, another person also bowed onto the mats, he was rather experienced and a ranking black belt, when I saw his curt, perfunctory bow, I realized that he is getting a little sloppy in his practice. Another bowed onto the mats, and I saw that he was very new and didn't understand the meaning of bowing and was very awkward without any focus or sense of calmness. Even if you are bowing perfectly to form, I think that your inner heart will always appear in your bow. If you are arrogant, your arrogance will seep out as you bow. If you are sincere in heart, that sincerity will also come out. If you are not focused, you will make a sloppy bow without any balance or form. In practice, they say that bowing is the "A to Z" of martial arts and now I am finally beginning to understand why. In order to bow and begin your practice, you must first correct your mind and spirit. Please practice your bowing with your heart, mind and spirit as an important aspect of your practice. Your bow will always reveal your inner self. No eye Bowing A long time ago, when I was very young in martial arts, someone said that when you bow, you cannot see your opponent so even though you bow your head, you must always keep your eyes up and on him. This was a common saying and practice in many martial arts at the time. This made a very odd looking bow, of course, and I could never understand this practice. This type of bow did not show any sense of respect or sincerity at all and looked meaningless to me. Even though your eyes are lowered, you can sense if you opponent begins to approach you. This is not difficult at all. Today, I see people use their eyes in a different way and it is equally bad. I see some people who look at the person, determine their rank or status and then bow accordingly depending on whether they are lower or higher rank. If they are of higher rank, one bows to them very lowly and respectfully, if one is of lower rank, they just get a short nod. This type of discriminating attitude is very bad in practice. Of course, we are aware of rank and position in the dojo, but we bow to everyone, regardless of rank or seniority with equal spirit and sincerity of heart. In bowing, it is not to recognize the other's rank, it is to express one's own spirit and mind and dignity. When I see this kind of short, curt bow - which I call the "Colonel Klink bow" - I am always sad and disappointed that the student does not know any better at all. Among higher ranking students, it is inexcusable. In bowing, do not use your eyes, use your heart. No room for innovation In Iaido, we closely follow the Way of the masters, there is really no room for innovation in the sense of making up one's own techniques in a willy-nilly way. We appreciate that by following the masters, we are following the most perfect way of training and the highest expression of the technique. Before anything, you must understand this important point. More than innovation and thinking up this and that, go deeper into your own mind and soul for the meaning of the technique. Observe & Learn: No need to intellectualize, conjecture, doubt, or question - just observe very carefully. It is usually the students who observe very carefully, who catch on to the technqiues very well. The ones who do not pay attention and then the ones to think "too much" are the ones who lose out or forget or over look what is being taught. It is the same with teaching - the most important skill is to observe the students - simply observe very carefully - without judgement, without bias, without pre-conceived ideas or notions. Just observe. By observing carefully and seriously - without any idea stuck in your head - you can see what the student is doing very carefully - within this keen observation, it becomes clear what the student is doing - whether there is a tiny msitake someplace which needs correcting, or if he is doing correctly - for his level and skill - or if he is doing very well. . . . If you correct the student, with pre-judged or pre-conceived notions, most probably your corrections will simply be ego-motivated. I often see people teaching who are not really teaching for the sake of the student, but just taking the opportunity to show off, or express themselves. For the teacher, in teaching, it is not about the teacher, it is about the student. For the student, in learning, it is not about the student, it is about the teacher. This is an important point to understand in learning on the mats.
New ideas
In the "Book Section" of my web site I talk about Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei's recent book.

It is clear from all accounts that Furuya Sensei is truly dedicated not only to the art of Aikido, but also to living a very simple life, while doing his utmost to pass on to his students his knowledge, and his humanity.

His book "KODO: Ancient Ways" is published by Ohara Publications Incorporated, of Santa Clara, California , and I strongly urge you to buy a copy.

For me it is one of the most thought provoking books I have ever read.

To give you a little background, Reverand Kensho Furuya is a 6th Dan in Hombu Aikido, and 6th Dan Kyoshi in Muso Shinden Ryu Iaido, with over 47 years experience in martial artists. Furuya Sensei earned his degrees in Asian Studies at the University of Southern California and Harvard University. He trained at the Aikido World Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan in 1969, under the late Kisshomaru Ueshiba Doshu and established his Dojo in 1974.

Furuya Sensei was ordained as a Zen priest in 1988 and received the honor to speak at the United Nations in the following year. He is the author of many articles on martial arts and has appeared on many television programs speaking on the subject. He is also the author of the acclaimed video series, "The Art of Aikido" which is in nine volumes.

Just as the deepest depths in the ocean are truly invisible unless you are actually standing on the bottom of the sea floor, I believe the true depth of what is written in Furuya Sensei's book will remain invisible unless you actually make a real effort to look beyond your current beliefs.

With Furuya Sensei's very kind permission, I have placed here on this page just a few of the thoughts and sayings from his book, and some excerpts from his web site http://www.aikidocenterla.com.

It is my sincere hope that his words will bring to you, what they have brought to me. This page is currently a work in progress for me, and as such I encourage you to visit it often for updated material.

So please remember, the following thoughts and words are not my own.

The great credit for what you read beyond this point belongs solely to Reverend Kensho Furuya Sensei, and I would like to take this opportunity to once again thank him for granting me permission to reproduce his thoughts and comments here on my web site, and especially for taking the time to put his words in writing for all of us to enjoy, and to contemplate.

I wish Furuya Sensei well in all things.

Words of wisdom
1. Regardless of success or failure if you have done your best you have passed successfully.
2. Persue your training only because you love it. That is all.
3. Martial arts can never be separated from the reality of our daily lives. This is true spiritual training.
4. Everybody wants a black belt, but so few people know what it really is.
5. The true dojo is the world.
6. Good training means proper attitude plus correctly focused effort.
7. Train your mind through your body. Train your body through your mind.
8. Without a word, Nature teaches all.
9. There is much more than just strength and speed.
10. Everything in life is a gift.
11. Our ego is our greatest obstacle to learning.
12. If you learn anything in this world learn the value of life.

The purpose of practice:
To be the best is not hard.
To stay the best is very hard.
To be the strongest is not hard, to be strong each day is very hard.
To be good is not hard, to be good day, after day, after day, is very hard.
To be faithful is not hard, to maintain your faith each moment of the day is very hard.
Daily practice is not to become the best, or the strongest, or #1 or whatever, - the purpose of daily practice is to refine the power to sustain you one day after the next, after the next, after the next. . .
Many people practice Aikido to become strong, or rich, or famous, or powerful - such shallow goals in life are only for shallow people.

The essence of the art
Within the techniques and the traditions behind them lies the essence of the art.
It is not to be taken lightly or played with changing this and that to suit your own fancy.
At the same time, those self-absorbed people will never grasp its meaning.
Let the art absorb you, as you absorb the art. . . . . Simply strive for a pure heart.
Unfortunately, those who can put the art above themselves are very few.

Old zen saying
Fame and fortune come and go like the floating clouds.
Just embrace your practice and continue to polish yourself.
Although a good sword remains in its case where no one can see and touch it, it is still bright and sharp.
This is a great part of its beauty, nobility and mystery. . . . .

Teaching
Everyone benefits when we work to the high standards of the art itself not by bringing down the art to satisfy our whims, or to adapt to our own convenience, or petty ideas.
You must teach a student as correctly as possible, whether he likes it or not.

Old S & G song
There was an old Simon & Garfunkle song that I have always liked which had the words, "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail. . . ."
This is a very old song so I wonder if many of you youngsters even remember it!

Of course, everyone would rather be the hammer because it is the hammer that strikes the nail. It is the nail that appears to be passive and yeilding. After how many years now since I first heard this song, I finally decided that I would rather be the nail - not the hammer. It is the nail which penetrates deeply and connects all things in which it comes into contact. And finally, if you think about it, the hammer only exists because of the nail.

Today, I see many hammers banging away at everything because that is all it can do, I see very few nails. . . . .

The Spirit of the Word
When most people listen, they really do not hear what is being spoken but only hear what they want to hear or interpret what they want to hear. I find this to be a big obstacle in teaching. This is known as "selective hearing," the opposite of "critical hearing."

In training, one must hear the "spirit" of the word or hear the full meaning of the the words or instruction. This means that you must be on the same wave length or "of the same mind" as your teacher. Most student never can understand this. . . Usually, we hear just what we want to hear and often miss the valuable lesson or often the "real" meaning of the words which is often hidden behind the words. . . .

In order to listen to the teaching, one must first make a connection with the teacher trying to understand where he is coming from and what he is trying to tell you. NOT - simply what you think he might mean. . . this is only our interpretation or mind-set, not the speaker's or your teacher's. Can you understand this??

To hear the word, as only you want to hear it, is the level of a very mediocre student. Only a true student will hear the spirit of the word beyond the word itself - this is the meaning of kotodama.

In the same respect a mediocre teacher will only tell you what you want to hear - this is only hype and hypocrasy, a true teacher will give you a part of his spirit. . . . this is true giving. The student must understand and appreciate "true receiving."

Listen well
People today take things to literally and often read only the most superficial meaning of the words we see or hear. A good student will hear many meanings always trying to penetrate deeper and deeper to find the real, original meaning of the teacher's words. . . .

A pure mind
They say that they first lesson in practice is to enter the mats with a pure mind.
Sometimes this is the most difficult practice of all.

Heart to heart
Knowledge can only pass from one person to the other person through that elusive but eternal line of friendship connecting one heart with yours.

Only a Master's right
Variation and transformation come after mastery . . . . . . not before!

Understanding
The first basic teaching is "have right thoughts, do right action."
How hard this is!
I keep trying and giving up, forgetting it and coming back to it.
Maybe I can never understand this or do this in my lifetime, but it doesn't mean to discard this teachings. . . . perhaps, it is the struggle to understand this is the practice itself - regardless of whether I can achieve it or not.
Can you understand?
Even if it takes ten or twenty years to understand - the virtue is in the correct practice, not in the doing "any way you please."
Eventually, it will come, understanding the teachings is more important than to understand immediate success.

Sometimes the best student is not always the best
A young, strong student is ideal, but a strong student who is over-confident and arrogant is not as desirable as a student who is weak and understands his limitations and desires to develop himself.

A smart student is desirable but a student who thinks he is smarter than everyone else is not as desirable as a less educated student who understands his limitations and desires to develop himself.

A successful student is desirable but a student who thinks he is better than everyone else is not as desirable as a student who does not have much, but understands his limitations and desires to develop himself.

Time is precious
When you reach my age, you begin to see how short life really is and how little time we have to do what we want to do.
You should take my word for it and get off your duff right now and begin what you need to do.
Young people today always think these is "tomorrow," but, in reality, you only get a few "tomorrows" and that is it!
Live in the present, be in the present, do in the present.
This is the best advice I can offer.
Time flies like an arrow, and like an arrow, it never comes back.

At the right time
Wisdom, knowledge, instruction and skill must be imparted at the right time and place and particularly with the right mental state.

Old ways
Our dojo is very "old-world" and "old-school," and I hope all the members will appreciate the great efforts and sacrifice it takes to sustain such a dojo in this world where such ideals no longer hold true and bow down to complacency and superficiality and momentary goals without deeper exploration of the mysteries of the art.

Proper attitude
Trying hard to learn, also means to be easy to teach.
Easy to teach means to come to the dojo with a open heart and mind.
Don't be full of yourself and your opinions.
Be humble and grateful and willing to undergo the hardships of training.
Train to become a better person, not a better fighter.
Talent means nothing without the proper attitude.
Without the proper attitude, there is no proper training.

Use it or loose it
When you stop your practice, you do not pick up where you left off when you begin again.
This is a great fallacy people like to buy into.
When you stop, you immediately begin to forget what you have done.
I recall some study on this and in two weeks of non-practice or non-learning,
about 65% of what you learned was forgotten. . . .
Oddly, your forgetting works quite a bit faster than your remembering or recalling.

Cleaning up
Before and after class, please help with the clean-up of the dojo.
This is not really to understand "cleaning," but to understand "caring heart" and "working in harmony with others."

Let go of your pride
A good teacher of the Japanese arts will always try to shake your pride first.
This is where most students stumble and fail.
A teacher knows that once the student can drop his pride, he is totally open to receive the teachings.
If the student doesn't understand this process, he is doomed.
Usually people are too stuck on their egos.

Body language says a lot
On the mats, etiquette is a form of communication and becomes the "universal, unspoken body language" we all use to speak to each other. Thinking that we can only speak with words is another universal misconception.

Gratitude
Students should be grateful there is a dojo where one can practice and sensei to teach them. The teacher should be grateful that students come to practice and support the dojo. The relationship between the student and teacher should always be based on gratitude and respect.

Many base the realtionship between student and teacher on power, authoirty and money. I believe this is incorrect. How a dojo can survive in such a commercial environment as the world today and still preserve the traditions and high level practice of the art, is the great dilemma of practicing Aikido or any martial art.Most martial arts are converting themselves into big business or sports and say this is the only way to survive today. This motivation is nothing other than profits and money. Of course, the reality is that a dojo must create income in order to pay the bills and survive, but all motivation for change must be made in the light of what is best for the student, the dojo and the art.

Because this does not always conform in the best way, there is always the conflict between existing by the power of money, and how to teach the student well - everyone in the dojo, both teacher and student must understand this and work together in harmony to support each other - and support the art and dojo in a noble way of both respect and dignity.

Regular training
There is no greater virtue than regular training.

One can never make good progress with off and on or irratic training. The discipline is not only practicing correct techniques and watching one's manners in the dojo and on the mats, but coming regularly for practice and making it apart of one's life.

Regular training reinforces what you learn each day. One would be amazed at how much one can forget if one practice is missed. Please keep up a regular training schedule.

Basics
It is important to follow the form of training, more than making up your own techniques, please practice the basic techniques each day. No one has mastered them yet. . . . . .

Remember
We are all here together because of our teachers, we should never forget this and always appreciate this.

In days gone by
In the early days, students worked hard to meet the expectations of the teacher. Today, the teacher often must compromise the practice to accomodate the convenience of the students. Worst of all, the teacher compromises the art to its lowest common denominator to attract the greatest number of students. This is not for the sake of the student and his training, this is only to fill the pocketbook.

When students cater to such low standards, they are not following the Way and all kinds of troubles and problems occur. When the teacher caters to such low standards, they are not following the Way and all kinds of things pull the teacher away from actual teaching. Although the art is more "user friendly," today, we have along with this sacrificed the high standards and expectations of the art and teacher.

As is often the case in the business world, the artist must kill his art to satisfy the customer. . . . .

Read full article here: http://www.shotokankarate.ca/kodo%20-%20ancient%20ways.htm

Review by: Ze'ev Erlich - Israeil Aikido Association (Aikikai) Aikikan Dojo

One day one of my students gave me the book "Kodo: Ancient Ways". I took a look at it and ask to borrow it for a while. That night I could not stop reading it. The author - Rev. Kensho Furuya sensei gives in this book a splendid gift to everyone who is interested in Aikido beyond its physical aspects. Many chapters in Kodo are a subject to conversations at our dojo. Many chapters are answers to questions that students and friends ask me.

Kodo is a book I will always keep with me. After reading Kodo, I began to look for the author. I wrote him an e-mail and I discovered a wonderful person. Kensho Furuya Sensei - The head of Aikido Center of Los Angeles, since that day taught me so much. His daily writings are great lessons to many Aikidoka all over the world. You can read his writings at: http://www.aikidocenterla.com/articles.htm

Although it has no aikido techniques in it, it is my favorite Aikido book.

Enjoy it.

http://www.aikidojournal.com/bibliography_details?id=34

Koichi Tohei - Fundamental Concept Principle And Elementary Course

2011-02-08T02:54:00.000-08:00

Koichi Tohei - Fundamental Concept Principle And Elementary Course

Dan Puric - Desavarsirea prin Aikido

2011-02-06T08:03:00.000-08:00

Dan Puric - Desavarsirea prin Aikido

Maestrul DAN PURIC a devenit membru de onoare al Fundaţiei Române de Aikido Aikikai. Deasemenea, maestrul DAN PURIC a primit Distincţia Anuală a Fundaţiei, distincţie acordată personalităţii care a contribuit esenţial la renaşterea spiritului naţional. Cu această ocazie maestrul a acordat un interviu pentru membrii Fundaţiei.

http://www.aikikai.ro/video/diverse-filmari/dan-puric-desavarsirea-prin-aikido/

Tai sabaki Exercise

2011-02-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

aikido best of taisabaki aikiken suburi technique

Aikido, Spiral Movement

2011-02-03T13:31:00.000-08:00

Aikido, Spiral Movement

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: Tenkan

2011-02-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: Tenkan

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: ukemi

2011-02-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: ukemi

Aikido pentru toţi - Serban Derlogea

2011-01-31T13:58:00.000-08:00

Aikido pentru toţi

Despre cartea:

Aikido pentru toţi
Proiectul: “Un Dojo în fiecare şcoală românească”

de Şerban Derlogea
Editura Universităţii din Bucureşti,
2007

cartea/ copie xerox se poate procura de la autor – serbanderlogea.ro
sau se poate descarca gratuit la adresele:
www.scribd.com [ link ] sau www.cartiaz.ro [ link ]

„Aikido pentru toţi” conţine amintirile şi ideile mele despre Arta marţială pe care am îndrăgit-o şi studiat-o zeci de ani. Cartea constituie o continuare a manualului de Aikido apărut acum 17 ani (scris împreună cu prof. Dan. C. Ionescu).

Temele cărţii sunt prezentate într-o manieră directă, fără artificii stilistice, ca o reacţie faţă de problemele perene ale societăţii. Numeroase povestioare cu tâlc din folclorul autohton şi cel oriental însufleţesc expunerea uneori tehnică dar niciodată plicticoasă.

Lucrarea prezintă o altă viziune despre Aikido – diferită de cea care predomină în Dojo-urile de la noi. Ea pune accent pe etica Budo şi tratează pragmatic problema educaţiei morale, subiect mai rar abordat în cărţile de profil disponibile, urmărind îmbunătăţirea relaţiilor din societate (team building), însuşirea capacităţii de critică constructivă şi autocritică, limpezirea ţinutei morale, cu ajutorul învăţăturilor marilor maeştri (în special creatorul Aikido, O Sensei Morihei Uyeshiba).

N-am încercat să încânt cititorul cu dezvăluirea unor „secrete” despre invincibilitate, tinereţe fără bătrâneţe sau alte clişee fantasmagorice, deseori asociate practicilor orientale. În schimb, propun scopuri idealiste dar pragmatice, cum ar fi modelarea caracterului tinerilor cu ajutorul artelor marţiale, ca să devină cetăţeni mai buni. Cititorii vor găsi idei despre autoapărarea multilaterală – pentru a supravieţui într-o lume tot mai violentă, sau despre soluţionarea problemelor sociale cu ajutorul educaţiei fizice - într-o lume tot mai degenerată fizic, sau poate vor afla o Cale spre iluminarea spirituală - într-o lume tot mai robită banului.

Cartea propune înnoirea sistemului actual de învăţământ prin creşterea substanţială a importanţei educaţiei fizice în ansamblul disciplinelor curriculare.

Cartea descrie teoria şi practica Aikido în 450 de pagini şi 110 figuri, având următorul:

CUPRINS: Prefaţă; Cuvânt înainte - Introducere

PARTEA I-a: DE CE Aikido?

Argument: lumea noastră
1. Ne-simţirea ne sufocă
2. Prostia ne doboară
3. Sminteala ne răpune
De ce e lumea aşa?
1. Păcatele civilizaţiei moderne
2. Omul – un animal drogat sexual
3. Decadenţa civilizaţiei
4. “S”urile îndestulaţilor
5. “S”urile calicilor
6. Omenirea - încotro?
Ce-i de făcut?
1. Omul şi problemele societăţii
2. Educaţia actuală este greşită
3. Deşteaptă-te române!
Educaţia fizică pentru toţi
1. De ce fiecare om trebuie să facă efort fizic?
2. Renaşterea societăţii - prin educaţie fizică
3. Artele Marţiale pentru toţi
4. “Bătaia” o fi ruptă din Rai?
Educaţia prin AIKIDO: de la supravieţuire la iubirea de oameni
1. Ce este Aikido?
2. Aikido şi sănătatea
3. Aikido şi relaţiile între oameni
4. Aikido ca sistem de educaţie
5. Aikido şi femeile
6. Instructorii de Aikido
7. Aikido educativ (pentru toţi)
8. Aikido NU este o metodă de autoapărare fizică
9. De ce (să) facem Aikido?
10. Proiectul : În fiecare şcoală românească – un Dojo!
11. Până când?
  
  PARTEA II-a: CE ESTE Aikido?
Aikido pentru suflet: etica
1. Etica artelor marţiale
2. Etica faptelor
3. Etica gândiririi
4. Iubirea de oameni (Filantropia)
5. Alte izvoare de reguli morale Budo
6. Deontologia instructorului
Aikido pentru corp: principiile mişcării
1. Ţinuta şi Postura (Shisei)
2. Deplasarea (Sabaki)
3. Căderile (Ukemi)
4. Reacţia la un atac
5. Contra-atacul
6. Mişcarea
7. Loviturile (Atemi)
8. Exerciţiile cu arme
9. Exerciţii ajutătoare pentru Aikido (Junbi Taiso)
10. Jocuri ajutătoare pentru Aikido
11. Un corp mai zdravăn
Aikido pentru minte: Ki
1. Ce este Ki?
2. Ki şi viaţa
3. Unificarea corpului cu mintea
4. Transferul cunoştinţelor despre Ki
5. Prima etapă: înţelegerea Ki-ului
6. Etapa a doua: înţelegerea celor 4 Reguli de coordonare
7. Etapa a treia: dezvoltarea Ki-ului
8. Etapa a patra: perfecţionarea
9. Întăreşte-ţi mintea – cu ajutorul Ki-ului
10. Circulaţia energiei în corp
11. Curăţirea fiinţei (Misogi)
  
  PARTEA III-a: CUM SE ÎNVAŢĂ Aikido?
Transferul de know-how: profesorul şi elevii
1. Învăţătura Aikido
2. Locul transferului
3. Salutul
4. Antrenamentul (Keiko)
5. Transmisia cunoştinţelor
6. Pregătirea psihologică
7. Ce îndatoriri are elevul?
8. Fără violenţă!
9. Metoda vizualizării
10. Aikido cu copiii
11. Aikido cu adulţii
12. Antrenamentul – între distracţie şi agonie
13. Silinţa de unul singur
14. Învăţătorii şi învăţăturile mele
  
  PARTEA IV: DE UNDE VINE ŞI ÎNCOTRO SE DUCE Aikido?
Trecutul, prezentul şi viitorul Aikido
1. Trecutul Aikido
2. Aikido în prezent
3. Viitorul Aikido
  
  PARTEA V-a: Aikido ÎN VIAŢA DE ZI CU ZI
Arta păcii - de la teorie la practică
1. Aikido şi conflictele
2. Societatea şi violenţa
3. Autoprotecţia contra violenţei
4. Psihologia autoasigurării
5. Conflictul verbal
6. Autoapărarea corporală
Câteva dileme
De la lume adunate
1. Proiectul: Aikido pentru infanteria marină a SUA
2. La despărţire
Şi, mai departe?
Surse de informare

(cartea/ copie xerox se poate procura de la autor – serbanderlogea.ro

sau se poate descarca la adresa

http://www.scribd.com/doc/21592632/Serban-Derlogea-Aikido-Pentru-Toti)

Extrase din cartea "Aikido pentru toti" pot fi citite în această secțiune a siteului.

http://derlogea.ro/

Stagii Internationale Aikido 2011

2011-01-20T12:10:00.000-08:00

Yamada Sensei in Wien - March 19 - 20 2011

International Seminar
March 19, 2011 thru March 20, 2011
Instructor: Yamada Sensei
Event Type: International Seminar
Affiliation/Style: open for all
Email: wlinert@mail.zserv.tuwien.ac.at
Website/URL: www.aikido.co.at
Event Location: Matsume Budo Center Wien
Address: Gutheil Schoder Gasse 9
Vienna, Vienna 1100
Austria
Telephone: +49/1/58801-15350

Saturday, 19.03.2011 10:00 – 12:00 16:00 – 17:00 Sunday, 20.03.2011 9:30 – 11:30

Read more about this event:
http://www.aikidojournal.com/events.php?id=2863
http://www.aikido.co.at/german/events/339.shtml

About Yamada Sensei:
http://www.aikido-yamada.eu/yamada_sensei.html

Yamada Sensei Video on Youtube:
http://www.google.ro/search?q=yamada+sensei+youtube&hl=ro&client=firefox-a&hs=4ci&sa=G&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&prmd=ivns&source=univ&tbs=vid:1&tbo=u&ei=pitBTYPkFM7qOfq74bEB&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CE0QqwQwAA

Ryan Doyle - Parkour Roll Tutorial

2011-01-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

Ryan Doyle - Parkour Roll Tutorial

2011-01-17T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Aikido technique Ushiro Tekubi Tori Kotegaeshi allows the martial artist to defend against an enemy attacking from behind. Learn this important Aikido technique in this free video. Expert: Gary Boaz Bio: Gary Boaz has been training in Aikido for 17 years, he is a 4th degree black belt under Fred Mastision Sensei of Aikido of Phoenix. Gary teaches Aikido, Kyusho-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Filmmaker: Dustin Daniels

Tai Chi Chuan 24 Steps Beginners Lesson 1

2011-01-16T02:21:00.001-08:00

Tai Chi Chuan 24 Steps Beginners Lesson 1

Taiji quan yang style 108 application

Tai Chi 24-form

Flip Fall & Dive Roll in Slow motion

2011-01-14T00:08:00.000-08:00

Fat men can jump. And they can land safely.

Flip Fall & Dive Roll in Slow motion

Stagii Aikido in Romania - 2011

2011-01-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

Cenneth Sensei la Constanta in Mai 2011

Gata, am stabilit si programul stagiului cu Cenneth Sensei, care by the way saptamana viitoare pleaca in Antarctica avand o scurta escala si la Buenos Aires pentru nitel aikido!

Deci:

Vineri 13 mai : 19.00 - 21.30 - antrenament general
Sambata 14 mai: 10.00 - 11.30 antrenament general
11.30 - 13.00 - antrenament general, arme
17.00 - 18.30 - antrenament avansati
18.30 - 20.00 - antrenament general

21.30 - sayonara party

Duminica 15 mai: 11.00 - 12.30 antrenament general, arme
12.30 - 14.00 antrenament general

http://www.aiki.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=402

Donovan Waite Shihan la Arad in Octombrie 2011

Dragi aikidoka, dorim sa va anuntam ca Donovan Waite Shihan va reveni in Romania, in Arad, unde va sustine un seminar Aikido in perioada 28-30 octombrie 2011.

Donovan Waite Shihan a inceput practica Aikido in anul 1969, iar la varsta de 14 ani a primit gradul Shodan de la Ralph Reynolds Sensei care era sub indrumarea lui T.K. Chiba Sensei in Birmingham, Anglia. De atunci, Donovan Waite Shihan a petrecut

ultimii 37 de ani incercand sa ajunga la o intelegere mai profunda a Aikido. In anul 1984, a devenit studentul lui Yoshimitsu Yamada Sensei, antrenandu-se ca uchi-deshi timp de peste 10 ani. Din anul 1997, Donovan Waite Shihan este instructor sef la Aikido of Center City in Philadelphia, SUA. In prezent, el are gradul de 7 dan Aikido Aikikai.

In mai 2010, Donovan Waite Shihan a venit pentru prima oara in Romania, unde a sustinut un seminar Aikido in Arad. La invitatia lui Sensei Daniel Dobrota, el va veni din nou in Arad, seminarul urmand sa aibe loc in perioada 28-30 octombrie 2011. Sunteti invitati cu totii!

Daca doriti sa discutam despre acest eveniment, va invitam sa intrati pe forum.

Programul antrenamentelor:

Vineri:

20:00 - 22:00

Sambata:

10:00 - 12:00
15:30 - 17:30

Duminica:

10:00 - 12:00

Adresa:
Sala Sportiva Gloria
str. I. Rusu Sirianu nr. 6
310035, Mun. Arad
jud. Arad, Romania

Sursa stire: http://aikidoarad.0fees.net/index.php/donovan-waite-shihan-octombrie-2011/35-noutati-despre-stagii/85-donovan-waite-din-nou-in-romania

Stefan Stenudd la Constanta in Octombrie 2011

Dragi prieteni, iata ca ce la inceputul anului era doar un proiect acum el a devenit realitate. In luna octombrie 2011 vom realiza stagiul de aikido avandu-l ca invitat pe Stefan Stenudd - Hombu Shihan, vicepresedintele Federatiei Internationale de Aikido. Toti practicantii de aikido sunt bineveniti indiferent de clubul din care fac parte. Inscierile se vor face incepand cu luna ianuarie la dl. Florian Ionescu - florian@aiki.ro .

Programul stagiului este urmatorul:

Vineri (30 sep.) - 18.00 - 21.00
Sambata (1 oct.) - 10.00 - 12.00
17.00 - 20.00
21.00 - sayonara party
Duminica(2 oct.) - 11.00 - 14.00

Sursa stire: http://www.aiki.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=401

Stagii Aikido 2011 - Fundatia Romana de Aikido Aikikai

- Nationale

Bucuresti : 14 - 16 ianuarie, Seminar Aikido
Sovata : 28 ianuarie -02 februarie Seminar copii , Instructori FRAA - Aikido Aikikai
Brasov : 18 - 20 februarie, Seminar Aikido
Ploiesti : 5-6 martie, Seminar condus de sensei Dorin Marchis 4 dan - Aikido Aikikai
Piatra Neamt : 18 - 20 martie, Seminar Aikido
Sangeorgiu de Mures : martie, Seminar instructori condus de sensei Dorin Marchis 4 dan - Aikido Aikikai
Bucuresti : 9-10 aprilie, Seminar condus de sensei Adrian Bunea 4 Dan - Aikido Aikikai
Cluj-Napoca : 15-17 aprilie, Seminar condus de catre Wilko Vriesman Sensei 5 Dan - Aikido Aikikai
Brasov : 15 - 17 aprilie, Seminar Aikido
Ploiesti :mai, Seminar condus de catre Agostino Pagano Sensei 6 Dan - Aikido Aikikai
Galati : mai, Seminar Aikido (CNKA)
: iunie, Seminar copii , Instructori FRAA - Aikido Aikikai
Braila : 17-19 iunie,, Seminar Aikido
Constanta : 15-17 iulie,, Seminar Aikido
Brasov : 26-28 august, Seminar centuri negre Aikido
Pitesti : 10-12 septembrie, Seminar condus de sensei Dorin Marchis 4 dan si sensei Adrian Bunea 4 dan - Aikido Aikikai
Tecuci : 16-18 septembrie, Seminar Aikido
Baia Mare : 23-25 septembrie, Seminar condus de sensei Dorin Marchis 4 dan
Craiova : 14-16 octombrie, Seminar Aikido
Arad : 28-30 octombrie, Seminar Donovan Waite Shihan 7 Dan - Aikido Aikikai
Lugoj : octombrie, Seminar condus de sensei Iulian Perpelici 4 dan - Aikido Aikikai
Bucuresti : 18-20 noiembrie, Seminar Aikido
Arad : 25-26 noiembrie, Seminar instructori condus de catre sensei Dorin Marchis 4 dan- Aikido Aikikai
Brasov : 9-11 decembrie, Seminar Aikido

- Internationale

Cluj-Napoca : 24-27 martie, Seminar Aikido Aikikai condus de catre sensei Yukimitsu Kobayashi, Hombu Shihan 7 Dan
Iasi : 1-3 aprilie, Seminar Aikido Aikikai condus de catre sensei George Koliopolos 6 dan
Suceava : iulie, Seminar Aikido Aikikai condus de catre sensei Motohiro Fukakusa 7 dan
Cluj-Napoca : 4-6 noiembrie, Seminar Aikido Aikikai condus de catre sensei Koichi Fujii Shihan 7 dan

http://www.aikikai.ro/seminarii/an-2011/

Randori

2011-01-07T04:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk1VPQ8mGHc&feature=player_embedded

O discutie interesanta despre randori : http://www.aiki.ro/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16

Stagiu Aikido cu Hiroaki Izumi

2010-12-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

Însemnări de la Stagiul Federaţiei de Aikido Tradiţional cu Prof. Hiroaki Izumi (56 ani, elevul a numeroşi mari profi japonezi de Aikido, foşti elevi ai lui O Sensei; autorul unei serii de videolecţii despre principiile Aikido). La Notiţe au colaborat Alex Andrei, Ioana Bărbulea, Octav Bărbulea.

ZIUA 1: 13.11.2010

1. În Aikido analizăm/ exersăm principiile şi sperăm să iasă/ reuşească o tehnică/ procedeu; în celelalte Arte Marţiale exersăm/ studiem procedee/ tehnici şi sperăm să ajungem la principii.

2. A început (un fel de încălzire) cu:

- înaintarea/ păşirea cu fiecare picior spre 45º faţă de direcţia înainte, respectiv 90º între axele labelor picioarelor; mereu corpul înaintează în direcţia degetelor de la piciorul/ laba dinainte !!

- apoi Tenkai ;

- apoi un fel de Taisabaki pe 3 paşi (1 pas înainte + Tenkai + 1 pas înapoi !!!) urmărind să ajungă cu buricul/ greutatea - înainte/ pe piciorul dinainte [Nota Mea = NM: oarecum echivalent cu exerciţiul #2 de Taisabaki inventat de mine];

La Taisabaki piciorul dinainte păşeşte şi lateral (pentru a eschiva lovitura), nu doar înainte; astfel elevul nu mai rămâne/ face rotirea pe loc [NM: din acest motiv eu susţin că nu există Taisabaki pe 1 pas!].

3. Orice procedeu se face numai după ce intri/ ajungi undeva lateral şi în spatele Uke, ca să-i vezi (bine) spatele/ ceafa! De fapt e vorba despre intrarea la 45º, poziţionarea corectă faţă de Uke şi dezechilibrarea lui.

4. Aikido = Ukemi/ să (accepţi) să cazi tu; NU trântirea lui Uke!

În Aikido Nage acţionează cu intenţia de a cădea el, nu ca să-l trântească pe Uke! Orice procedeu e un fel de auto-aruncare, de sacrificiu, nu (doar) aruncarea lui Uke!! Totuşi, dacă acţionezi sincer - Uke cade primul şi apoi Nage cade peste/ după el (cam aşa trebuie să fie intenţia – dar practic Nage nu mai cade!).

5. Nage trebuie să evite/ anuleze slack/ bucla/ lipsa de tensiune între el şi Uke/ vezi demonstraţia cu centura (NM: inventată de Koichi Tohei), de aia braţele/ coatele trebuie să fie mereu întinse – adică Uke să fie menţinut mereu în dezechilibru/ mişcare (Nage să nu retragă buricul)!

Izumi zice: asta e Hanmi – şi O Sensei zicea că baza Aikido este Hanmi (stabil), adică Zenkutsu Dachi, cu greutatea pe piciorul dinainte (+ Izumi stă cu trunchiul aplecat – vezi #17).

6. Mâinile se ţin şi se mişcă mereu NUMAI în faţa buricului (ca şi când ar ţine sabia). Dacă Uke te ţine bine şi nu poţi mişca mana, laşi mâna ta pe loc/ acolo unde o ţine el şi mişti corpul (înaintând la 45º); asta îl dezechilibrează; apoi îl apeşi/ arunci spre Sumi Otoshi (al 3-lea punct – care are 2 locaţii: una înaintea/ în faţa labelor lui Uke şi alta înapoia ei).

7. Despre Fixări/ Katame Waza :

Poziţia corpurilor : pentru a fixa Nage stă/ se poziţionează faţă în faţă cu Uke + mereu va fixa doar când îî vede spatele lui Uke, apoi se duce/ intră/ înaintează peste/ prin el/ Centrul său!! manevrându-i cotul cât mai sus (adică departe de Centrul său – vezi avantajul pârghiei/ momentului.

apoi (alte principii caracteristice/ specifice fiecărui procedeu de fixare):

- la Ikkyo : Nage stă alături/ cu labele lângă/ la acelaşi nivel cu ale lui Uke;

- la Nikyo : Nage stă mai în spatele/ înapoia lui Uke, ca să rămână loc pentru a-i putea răsuci mâna; Izumi apucă mâna lui Uke rotindu-i braţul de 1,5-2 ori + ţinând palma Ai deschisă şi nemişcată, apăsată pe dosul mâinii lui Uke, pe care o manevrează din cot cu cealaltă mână (cea Gyaku);

- la Sankyo : Nage fixează văzându-i spatele lui Uke;

- la Yonkyo : Nage nu îl doboară cu durerea, ci din Ki, apoi îl fixează nedureros – dar dacă Uke încearcă să scape – îl doare/ adică singur îşi face rău !

Pt. situaţia Omote/ intrare - apăs cu rădăcina degetului meu arătător pe nervul ulnar din partea osului dinspre burta antebraţului ; pt. Ura/ Tenkan – apăs nervul pe partea laterală a osului/ antebraţului, cu partea laterală a degetului meu arătător.

- continuă cu Koshi Nage. La acest procedeu distanţa între Nage şi Uke e mai mică decât la fixările de mai sus.

La prezentarea celor 5 procedee (Izumi zice că ele ar fi înrudite) a vorbit despre Ma-Ai. Tehnica Aikido înseamnă să te poziţionezi corect faţă de Uke – vezi #3 mai sus. După ce/ dacă Nage ajunge în poziţia bună nici nu mai contează ce face, căci Uke pierde automat!

Diferenţa între Kata şi Waza : Kata e o execuţie mai lentă/ statică, în vreme ce Waza e varianta de execuţie mai dinamică, mai apropiată de autoapărarea reală.

8. Ryote Tori Irimi Nage

Intrarea se face diferit în variantele: modelul Jo şi modelul Ken:

- la varianta Jo:

se stă în Hanmi cu tălpile la 90º, după ce Uke apucă Ryote Tori în Gyaku Hanmi (Izumi îi zice Morote Dori) Nage intră înaintând cu piciorul din spate un pas la 45º (opus mâinii apucate) şi îndoind mult genunchiul + talpa la 90º faţă de talpa cealaltă, apoi se ridică, apoi Tenkai = Sokumen Irimi Nage;

- la varianta Ken:

Morote Dori - las mâna apucată pe loc şi înaintez cu piciorul dinainte până îi văd spatele, apoi Tenkai cu ambele mâini sus ca şi când aş ţine mânerul Ken, apoi un alt Tenkai şi îl dobor “tăindu-l” cu sabia peste gât.

9. - Kokyu Nage = intrare direct înainte, cu palma în sus şi braţul întins înainte şi în sus (aprox. la 30º) – Uke cade pe spate în linie cu înaintarea mea;

- Irimi Nage = Uke cade perpendicular pe direcţia înaintării mele (care era prin păşire cam la 45º faţă de el, prin spatele lui, apoi intrare peste/ spre Centrul lui).

10. Dacă Uke nu atacă tare/ sincer – nu e pericol şi nu e nevoie să foloseşti tehnica Aikido; în plus, tehnica nu reuşeşte!

ZIUA 2: 14.11.2010

11. A arătat Ryote Tori Tenchi Nage

Shiho Nage din K T AiHanmi – Omote şi Ura

K T AiHanmi – Kote Gaeshi

12. Ca pregătire/ încălzire: lucru cu partenerul: o extensie puternică pe dos/ dezdoire/ extensie a umărului partenerului. Ca să iasă bine şi Uke să simtă ceva, Nage trebuie să împingă cu braţele întinse şi cu picioarele in poziţia Hanmi (aprox Zenkutsu Dachi), din spate, umărul lui Uke cam în sus, astfel ca Uke să se ridice pe vârfuri! (nu e chiar uşor/ odihnitor pt. Nage).

13. La Ryote Tori Tenchi Nage:

A. Laba din faţă se roteşte mult în afară (la 90º) iar mâna opusă înaintează (jos) în lateral în direcţia vârfului labei! Corpul meu/ Nage se roteşte până la 180º!!!

B. Uke se dezechilibrează/ deplasează din cauză că eu îndoi genunchii!! Altfel - stă pe loc!

C. La sfârşit, mâna cealaltă (de sus) taie Shomen Uchi şi îl doboară pe Uke. Ambele braţe se mişcă împreună cu trunchiul, cam în acelaşi plan vertical faţă de Hara.

14. La toate procedeele Uke trebuie dezechilibrat, apoi să fie menţinut în starea asta.

Dovada că Uke e bine dezechilibrat =

- uneori - ajunge să stea pe vârfuri (călcâiele ridicate),

- alteori (când se apleacă) - se sprijină cu mâna pe sol,

- alteori chiar este nevoit sa cadă.

În cazul Shiho Nage din K T AiHanmi, la varianta Jo apeşi cu umărul pe umărul lui Uke în sus (vezi Încălzirea/ #12) dar îţi ţii cotul jos!!! Dacă îi blochezi cotul lui Uke, adică îţi ridici cotul tău, Uke îşi poate coborî cotul lui şi te doboară!! (la varianta Ken nu mai apeşi cu umărul, tai direct în jos).

15. (Toate) Procedeele din Aikido pot fi făcute în sistemul/ varianta Ken sau în sistemul/ varianta Jo.

Asta a demonstrat-o cu Shiho Nage din KT AiHanmi:

- Varianta Jo = laba din faţă sucită mult (90º?) în afară; mâinile se răsucesc faţă de antebraţe/ deci îi răsuceşti antebraţul!; trunchiul (greutatea) se mută de pe un picior pe altul;

- Varianta Ken = laba din faţă înainte!!; mâinile nu se răsucesc faţă de antebraţe (căci sabia e menţinută mereu cu tăişul înainte!) – deci NU-i răsuceşti antebraţul; la răsucire, trunchiul (greutatea) NU se mută de pe un picior pe altul (buricul se mişcă pe loc); mâinile sunt ţinute mereu în faţa frunţii, cu coatele întinse;

- Atenţie să nu se amestece cele 2 variante! Adică mişcările mâinilor de la Jo cu mişcarea picioarelor de la Ken!?

- Varianta Jo e mai puternică deoarece foloseşte mişcarea/ rotirea şoldurilor, însă necesită îndoirea genunchilor etc. – e greu de făcut la bătrâneţe; varianta Ken e mai rapidă, nu necesită efort mare la genunchi. De aceea aproape toţi marii profesorii de Aikido au evoluat în timp/ cu vârsta, de la execuţii în varianta Jo (la tinereţe) spre varianta Ken la bătrâneţe (un mare prof i-a spus lui Izumi să se grăbească, să termine videolecţia cu subiectul acesta până nu îmbătrâneşte prea tare şi încă mai poate îndoi genunchii/ ilustra idea).

- Varianta Ken e chiar atât de iute şi periculoasă, încât Izumi aminteşte un accident de „ruperea gâtului” unui Uke care n-a mai putut cădea bine (Ushiro) deoarece n-a putut reacţiona suficient de rapid / nu şi-a putut roti corpul/ n-a mişcat piciorul. (Pentru a cădea Ushiro trebuie făcut un pas în spate; câteodată se lucrează la nivel foarte jos, deoarece varianta Ken se face rapid? nu mai e timp să faci săritura peste mână şi cazi în cap).

16. Sabia (japoneză/ în Aikido??) taie numai în planul vertical median/ în faţa buricului (Shomen Uchi) ; NU există tăieturi orizontale etc??; (NM: cu idea asta încă nu sunt de acord!!).

Traiectoria în diagonală pt. Yokomen Uchi (Kesa Giri) se obţine din combinarea a 2 mişcări:

a) tăierea standard verticală Shomen, inclusiv mişcarea laterală a piciorului dinainte +

b) îndoirea genunchiului şi aplecarea trunchiului.

Rezultă un fel de curbă/ tăietură înclinată, însă foarte puţin, vreo 15º faţa de verticală??.

17. În gândirea samurailor/ profilor japonezi de Arte Marţiale, regula: „spinarea dreaptă” NU înseamnă şi verticală, ci aplecată! Apare o linie dreaptă dar aplecată ce uneşte călcâiul piciorului din spate cu şoldul şi ceafa, în prelungirea piciorului din spate (din Zenkutsu Dachi).

(NM: cu idea asta încă nu sunt de acord!!)

18. Pt. Kote Gaeshi

- Normal: intri până ajungi să-i vezi spatele (din partea mâinii lui), apoi îi suceşti mâna şi îl dobori spre punctul (al 3-lea) din spate (dar MEREU înaintând/ împingând!), deci cade Ushiro;

- Variantă: ca să evite nu mai ştiu ce/ o accidentare?? şi să doboare spre punctul (al 3-lea) din faţă, Nage va merge prin faţa lui Uke până în partea cealaltă/ îi vede spatele dinspre omoplatul mâinii neapucate, apoi îl doboară în Mae Ukemi.

19. În Aikido mişcarea corpului e totul iar braţele/ mâinile sunt doar pt legătură, nu au forţă deloc – a demonstrat cu 2 foi de hârtie răsucite pe care Uke trebuie să le prindă iar Izumi îi face Tenchi Nage; a pus şi un Nage mic să facă exerciţiul ăsta (pe Oana).

A subliniat că mâinile stau tot timpul in faţa trunchiului, una mai jos şi una mai sus, dar aprox. în acelaşi plan vertical.

20. Câteva variante de Irimi Nage - tehnica lui preferată, cea mai apropiată de realitate, când Uke te prinde de piept - cazi/ te arunci pe el, sau îl manipulezi/ dobori/ (eventual îl înţepi în gât cu bastonul de Shihan...).

3: Sayonara party

21. La Rei trunchiul se apleacă numai la 15º - de ce? Până ce sabia ţinută la brâu ajunge la orizontală, să poată fi scoasă uşor/ nu se lovească de sol. (NM: explicaţia mea e necesitatea vigilenţei permanente; deci respect, dar aplecare max. cât să mai vezi ochii celui din faţă).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sursa articol: http://derlogea.ro/10-noutati

The Psychology of Aikido by George S. Ledyard

2010-12-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Psychology of Aikido
by George S. Ledyard

Many people are familiar with Aikido, the non-violent Japanese martial art which allows self defense without serious injury to an attacker. Not many however, know that the founder of Aikido, Morihei Ueshiba, intended for Aikido to be primarily a means of personal transformation and by extension a means for the world to better itself.

The mechanism which allows a martial art to also promote Peace is a very interesting one. One often hears Aikido called moving Zen but without direct exposure to Aikido practice it is difficult to know what that statement actually means. Aikido is usually done via paired movements in which one person is designated as the attacker (or person who initiates the interaction) and the other is the designated defender (or person who strives to blend with attacker’s energy, redirect it, and resolve the conflict by placing the attacker in a position from which he can not continue the attack). This is done without a competitive frame of mind, rather the practice is entirely

cooperative with each practitioner striving to act out his or her own role with total commitment in order to facilitate the mutual practice.

But what makes such a practice transformational? One element is in the nature of the Aikido interaction itself. Each practitioner’s role calls for total attention on staying "connected" with the other person’s center. In other words after the initial attack is initiated, each partner is attempting to experience the full extent of the movement and energy of the technique not to resist the other. If each partner is devoting his full attention to blending with the energy given by the other partner who is actually in control of the technique?

This is the meditative aspect of Aikido training. Nothing can be forced or the interaction breaks down and becomes merely mechanical. True non-resistance calls for a "letting go" of the various ego generated insecurities which cause conflict in the first place. Just as in Zen meditation in which one does not repress extraneous thoughts in order to calm the mind but rather simply notes each thought in turn without "attaching" to them, one does not "attach" to the force of an attack but instead uses natural movements to allow the force to run itself out and come to a new balance in which the inherent conflict is resolved. As one meditation teacher put it "You can’t stop the wave but you can learn to surf."

Aikido movements reflect the essential movements and energies of nature. Here we find another aspect of the practice which encourages personal transformation. Jungian derived psychology says that we are not simply one unified personality but rather a set of personalities or selves, some of which are conscious and others are unconscious or disowned. The process of enhancing mental health is one of integrating these often conflicting aspects into a "whole person" who operates from awareness of all of the various sides of his or her own nature.

Since the disowned selves are often the parts of us that carry the socially unacceptable aspects or parts of us that don’t mesh with the primary selves which we show to the world they are sometimes referred to as the "dark" side of ourselves. Bringing awareness to this side and in some way acknowledging that the energy contained therein is also a part of ourselves is what much of therapy is about.

Aikido techniques are designed to be done without injury to the partner. Yet the energies one is channeling are both benevolent such as a flowing stream of water or a cool breeze and at the same time potentially destructive such as a tidal wave or hurricane or tornado. Both types are natural but one could say that they represent the light and the dark sides of Nature. So within the context of Aikido training one has a means to express the dark side of his or her nature and integrate it with the light side in a way that is safe yet doesn’t repress or disown that dark side energy.

A person who is afraid of his own deeply seated anger issues and has therefore relegated them to the unconscious level can find that the energy of that disowned side so long disowned can be safely released because the nature of the practice allows it to be done safely and in manageable doses. A student who had a chaotic and unpredictable childhood might have developed a primary personality which is very controlling, attempting to force predictability and therefore safety on his environment. Aikido practice will not only encourage that person to let go of the urge to "control" but will actually teach him that true safety lies in not trying to control what can not be controlled.

Aikido is about bringing all of the different sides of our selves into balance both psychologically and physically. It calls for shifts of those very blockages which effect us in all the rest of our lives. It was the dream of the Founder of Aikido that if enough people were to discover his art it would begin to transform society and the world for the better because just as in the individual each society has its own primary and disowned selves. Greater awareness or mindfulness on the part of an increasing number of individual members of society will inevitably begin to bring its issues into the collective consciousness and allow us to work on them.

Aikido Zoo Ukemi

2010-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Aikido ukemi practice, not only for kids

Aikido Randori and Jiyu Waza

2010-12-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

Aikido Randori and Jiyu Waza

Randori is the simplest and probably most misunderstood part of Aikido today. “Randori” simply translated means, “full speed, anything goes!” There are no restrictions on speed or type of attacks (anything goes). It is the culmination of all that we train for and truly demonstrates how well you have developed the unification of mind, body, and spirit. There is no other practice in Aikido that can do this.

O’Sensei knew that in the final analysis only an Aikidoka, who has unified his/her mind, body, and spirit through rigorous Aikido training, would be able to defeat multiple attackers if logical reasoning and diplomacy fail.

The main reason I found randori to be so difficult is really quite simple. The Ukes made no real attempt to hit you or attack you in any manner, but rather they made some kind of slow useless gesture that did not resemble any form of real attack. Always remember this. In randori “the Ukes attacks must be real!” The Ukes, and the Instructors, are not helping the Nage by making half hearted, slow moving attacks that are just plain worthless. The only way you can truly find out how much you have been able to unify mind, body, spirit, and how strong your KI has developed is through real randori. It takes a calm spirit, relaxed mind in control of it self , and a reasonably healthy body to do well in randori, as well as life in general.

There have been several times during our Saturday night randori that I used a pair of Karate sparring gloves when it is my turn to be one of the Ukes. In the beginning I had no trouble hitting everyone there, but the more we practiced randori the better everyone got. The main reason they improved so dramatically is that I was really trying to hit them and break through their defenses. This gave them a taste of the real thing and a chance for us to analyze apparent suki (weaknesses) in their defense/offense. I found that for the most part they rarely made the same mistake a third time. They also realized that even if they were unable to execute a technique, that getting out of the way of the attack was very important, especially when we were doing randori with various weapons.

When the Aikidoka first starts participating in randori, his/her Ashi Sabaki (footwork) and Te Sabaki (hand movement) during the execution of their Aikido techniques are usually very awkward, sloppy, clumsy, poorly timed, and for the most part unsuccessful. When this occurs the first thing usually out of the instructor’s mouth is, “OK everyone slow down.” “WRONG!” Everyone should do more randori.

However, there are intermediate practices you can do. Such as;

“Jiju Waza”: This is a form of free style practice that invokes the use of only a specific set of attacks and/or defenses that can be done at various speeds but still employs the use of multiple attackers.

“Jiyu Waza”: This is free style attack and defense that is done one on one.

Both Jiju and Jiyu Waza will definitely help you develop and improve your skills for randori. However, nothing can help your ability to do well in randori except, DOING LOTS OF RANDORI!

I certainly agree that randori can be extremely difficult, very frustrating, and some times even painful. But it is always better to take your lumps in the safety of your dojo rather than learning the hard way out on the street. In today’s world there are NO second chances on the street

Article source: http://www.aikidotacoma.org/randori.htm

Aikido Front Feather Fall Instruction - Ostoff Style

2010-11-30T12:44:00.000-08:00

Aikido Front Feather Fall Instruction - Ostoff Style

Aikido Principles - Leading and Following

2010-11-20T06:55:00.000-08:00

Waveform Aikido

2010-11-20T06:54:00.000-08:00

Ukemi Practice

2010-11-15T11:06:00.000-08:00

Ukemi Core Training

Basic Ukemi Progression: Forward Rolls to Standard Breakfalls

USF Back Feather Breakfall Instruction

Forward Solo Feather Falls

See more videos here: http://www.youtube.com/user/usfaikido#p/u/4/cxkOHw0PKjk

Aikido Technique Movies

2010-11-14T11:43:00.000-08:00

Aikido Technique Movies:
http://aikidotechnique.net/

About Aikido:
http://www.fightauthority.com/fighting-styles/japanese-martial-arts/aikido/

Aikido for beginners - Kensho Furuya sensei

2010-11-12T13:29:00.000-08:00

Aikido for beginners - Furuya sensei

Interview with Rev. Kensho Furuya

Kodo: Ancient Ways Book by Furuya

Slow Movement with Awareness: Better than Exercise?

2010-11-03T14:32:00.000-07:00

Slow Movement with Awareness: Better than Exercise?

How you move is as important as how much you move

Published on July 6, 2010

Cardiovascular exercise is now known to be essential for health and well-being. If exercise is your only form of movement, however, it is not a very balanced diet. There is mounting evidence that slow movement, with body sense awareness, has astounding health benefits by itself and in combination with regular exercise routines.

According to a recent article in the Los Angeles times, there are a growing number of pain clinics and integrative medicine centers that offer slow movement, awareness-based therapies (like hatha yoga and tai chi) for pain in a wide variety of conditions including "pain caused by cancer and cancer treatments, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases and conditions." Throw away the pills? Stop getting injections? Scrap the pain management therapy groups? Stop the sweaty workouts? Maybe not entirely, but regular slow movement classes are increasingly seen as having essential "nutrients" for the body.

Find a Therapist

Search for a mental health professional near you.

Find Local:

Compared to a standard care control group, people with chronic low back pain who took 12 weeks of hatha yoga classes had less pain, depression, and disability and reported greater overall improvement in quality of life. Similarly, 12 weeks of tai chi has been shown to relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, including less pain and stress, more body awareness, and more confidence in moving. A literature search on Google scholar turned up many more studies like these.

Some pain clinics have been sufficiently impressed with these findings to fit some kind of slow movement practice into their treatment protocols. But why do they work? It is difficult to argue that the general benefits of cardiovascular exercise for health and well being extend to slow and deliberate practices like hatha yoga and tai chi. Some experts suggest that these slow methods instead increase the parasympathetic relaxation response which in turn reduces the stress response, promotes immune function that inhibits inflammation and stimulates healing.

This is all correct but there is one element missing in these accounts: the role of body sense. As I have written in this blog and elsewhere, links between parasympathetic and immune systems are amplified and strengthened via neural circuitry that connects peripheral sensors and effectors in the body with brain-based limbic-prefrontal-sensorimotor networks for embodied self-awareness (body sense) and self-regulatory prefrontal areas. Moving slowly and with awareness promotes all of these benefits. Cardiovascular exercise with body sense has more benefits than exercising while otherwise preoccupied. Interval exercise, with frequent rest periods giving time to pay attention to the body, has benefits over and above long workouts. Slow movement is like Slow Food in which all acts related to eating - shopping, preparing, ingesting, and digesting - are done with awareness and presence.

Paying attention to the body is like shining a direct spotlight on areas of pain. Not such a great idea, to focus on pain? Actually, it is the best cure for pain because the attention spotlight helps to direct the body's own healing resources to the affected areas. Body sense is medicine. It is nature's perfect blend of psyche and soma in which the practice of attention regulation promoted by slow movement practices combines with the body's readiness to direct its resources toward healing. It can only do that if we reduce stress, slow down, and pay attention.

Aside from the legacy slow movement practices of yoga, tai chi, qi gong, aikido, and others, there are many movement practices, a few of which are mentioned here, that were developed in the 20th century and that also lend themselves to similar psychophysiological effects. Moshe Feldenkrais invented a system of body movement education-the Feldenkrais method-that reawakens, develops, and organizes capacities for kinesthetic (sensorimotor) learning. Whereas children before the age of three learn movements by relying on their sensorimotor experience, older children and adults in technological cultures often behave according to social expectations, distancing themselves from their bodily feelings. Feldenkrais "Awareness through Movement" classes teach moving with awareness and ease.

The freeform movement of Modern Dance, and observations of infant movement, inspired other movement disciplines, and modern dance classes are readily available for novices as well as experts. Bodymind centering, created by dance teacher and physical therapist, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, is a method of movement awareness in which adults perform exercises based on the normal stages of infant sensorimotor development. In this way, clients can reconnect with their body sense and possibilities for self-discovery that may have been lost as they grew up.

Marion Rosen developed a method of movement awareness that is also based on physical therapy and modern dance approaches . A Rosen Movement class involves a series of gentle movements done to music. Some of the movements and postures are done with people standing in a circle, either with or without holding onto their neighbors. Other movements are done sitting or lying, or walking across the floor, sometimes with and sometimes without partners.

Other exercises allow a person to move their arms up and down, for example, while a partner gently touches their shoulder blades, enhancing the body sense awareness of how the shoulder blade moves in relation to the arm. Rosen Movement increases flexibility, opens the posture for co-regulated engagement with others, emphasizes embodied self-awareness and the joy of movement, and teaches about finding comfort and enjoyment in touching and moving with other people. Feldenkrais, Rosen, and Cohen also developed hands-on bodywork methods that are similarly meant to enhance the body sense.

NIA, or Neuromuscular Integrative Action, developed by Debbie and Carlos Rosas, is more active than the other practices mentioned here. It combines a cardiovascular workout with movement awareness and is done barefoot to music. NIA uses elements of tai chi, aikido, modern dance, Feldenkrais, and yoga, among other methods. Using the sounds and silences of music, students experience feeling the sense of joy in movement in a way that encourages an embodied self-awareness of agility, mobility, stability, flexibility, and strength. NIA teachers encourage students to actively listen, feel, and observe their bodies in motion.

read full article here: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/body-sense/201007/slow-movement-awareness-better-exercise

Overview of Systema and its Relevance to Aikido - by Stanley Pranin

2010-11-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Overview of Systema and its Relevance to Aikido

Available Languages:

by Stanley Pranin

Published Online

Seeing Systema for the first time

Mikhail Ryabko

My first exposure to Systema, the Russian Martial Art popularized by Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev, came in April 2001. I was in attendance at the formal presentation of a Shindo Yoshin-ryu Menkyo Kaiden to Sensei Toby Threadgill in Dallas, Texas. At the party following the ceremony, a group gathered in the living room to watch martial arts videos. At least 20 of us—mostly seasoned martial artists with decades of training experience—watched parts of videotapes of several styles and eventually got to one on a Russian martial art that most were seeing for the first time.

The tape featured a certain Mikhail Ryabko conducting a seminar in Russia for a group of visiting foreign martial artists. Mikhail. a recently-retired colonel in the Russian Army, is a short, stout man with incredible sensitivity whose movements seemed more “aiki”-like than what goes on in most aikido dojos. The husky foreign students on the video were obviously strong, experienced people and Mikhail easily dispatched them in a way that might look faked to the untrained eye. We all were captivated by Mikhail’s skills and some very nice compliments were offered by those present. I made a mental note to check out this Systema more in detail at some later date.

James Williams

A few months later I received an enthusiastic call from James Williams of Bugei Trading Company who had visited Toronto to attend a Systema seminar taught by Mikhail Ryabko and hosted by Vladimir Vasiliev. James, as is well-known to many Aikido Journal readers, has an extensive background in both empty-handed and weapons-based arts and is not easily impressed. He was effusive in his praise of Mikhail and Vladimir and went on to say that he had never seen a teaching methodology that could develop skilled students so quickly.

Shortly thereafter, I purchased several Systema tapes featuring Mikhail and Vladimir to take a closer look for myself. What I saw was truly impressive! The scope of the curriculum and sophistication of the techniques were remarkable. Not only did I want to try Systema myself, but I got to thinking that cross-training in this art might be of great benefit to aikidoka so compatible were the two systems. It was a natural jump from there to proposing to James that Systema might fit very nicely with the theme of Aiki Expo 2003. James liked the idea and, on my urging, extended an invitation to Vladimir Vasiliev to join our group of seminar instructors at this year’s Aiki Expo. Vladimir seemed pleased at this invitation coming from outside of the Systema circle and accepted.

Since I still had no first hand knowledge of Systema, I talked with James about going to Toronto to meet with Vladimir in person. James, whose enthusiam for Systema had redoubled after traveling to Moscow to again train with Mikhail, seemed to be looking for a good excuse to go a second time to Toronto.

To Toronto with James to meet Vladimir

Vladimir Vasiliev

On October 10, 2002, James and I boarded a plane for Toronto to spend the weekend training with Vladimir and his students. We scheduled a time to meet with Vladimir privately to conduct an interview and to explain in greater detail the concept behind Aiki Expo 2003. I had high expectations about Vladimir based on what James had told me and my viewing of the Systema videotapes. Vladimir didn’t disappoint. He is one of the finest human beings I’ve ever met and a credit to the kind of person that Systema develops. His skills are astounding and in perfect consonnance with the philosophy of aikido. He never opposes an attack, but blends and leads the attacker into a fall or submission. Vladimir is humble but with complete confidence born of his many years of training and exposure to life-and-death situations.

Out on the mat I found the training in Systema to be very rigorous. It includes lots of pushups, situps, varied breathing exercises, and body strengthening exercises. Since it is so demanding, anyone who seriously trains will become very fit quickly. The techniques themselves are applied with wave and spiral-type motions which can transform into a cascade of follow-up movements depending on the reaction of the attacker. An important part of training time is devoted to light, sparring exercises that are quite enjoyable and constantly challenge you to resist the temptation to use power. Systema techniques performed at the highest level use only the minimum amount of energy and operate largely on a mental/psychic plane. Also, the variety of training scenarios is vast ranging from empty-handed attacks, to the use of various street and military weapons, multiple attacks, car-jackings, bodyguarding work, etc. You name it, Systema has a body of techniques to deal with it.

Vladimir has produced a series of more than 10 videotapes featuring Mikhail Ryabko and himself that are highly recommended.

James and I and two other visiting Americans were invited to Vladimir’s house for lunch on Saturday afternoon. His gracious wife Valerie and their three girls comprise the other members of the close-knit Vasiliev family. We had a chance to talk at length and I found Vladimir to be a deep thinker and, by nature, very spiritual. He also has a terrific sense of humor. Although not at liberty to discuss most aspects of his military career, he did relate a few episodes that underscored the life-and-death nature of some of his assignments.

Like Mikhail Ryabko, Vladimir is also a religious person. From visiting his home it was apparent by the prominent placement of Russian Orthodox icons that religious observances are a daily part of his family’s life. Having an intimate relationship with the Creator is an essential tenet of the Systema philosophy. Here are some quotes from a booklet he published a few years ago that touch on this theme:

Religion is [also] important. Realizing that, despite your skills and experience, you are still below God is essential. Humility must be served. Staying in contact with your “good” side and regular prayer are essential to a true master of the Russian Martial Art…

Certainly, not everyone who practiced these arts became good and respectful of God and nature, but the best masters did. When you reach a very high level of training, you come to understand that there is something beyond you. This understanding brings you to new levels of ability.

From The Russian System Guidebook, by Vladimir Vasiliev

Quoting Mikhail on religion during our conversation, Vladimir also related this semi-humorous and very perceptive remark: “[Mikhail] says, ‘There are no atheists in the trenches. Soldiers think of God ‘just in case.’

About Systema

The Systema that is being taught today to the general public has been refined by Mikhail Ryabko and disseminated by several of his students in Europe and North America. Mikhail Ryabko currently resides in Moscow and is an advisor to the Minister of Justice in Russia. In addition to his military duties and teaching assignments, Mikhail also hosts groups of foreign students who come to him for intensive training in Moscow.

Vladimir Vasiliev is one of Mikhail’s top students and relocated to Canada in 1993. He spent some 10 years with a Special Operations Unit of the Russian Army Special Forces. Vladimir operates a successful school in Toronto and teaches mainly in Canada and the USA.

The antecedents of Systema go far back in Russian history and much of the credit for the preservation of these traditions is due to Russian Orthodox monasteries. Following the Russian Revolution the military coopted these fighting skills and taught them to elite troops. Mikhail states that he received his training from one of Stalin’s bodyguards starting from boyhood. He further refined the knowledge transmitted to him eventually developing Systema into its modern form.

The technical curriculum taught to the Spetsnaz forces is extremely rigorous and designed to eliminate the fear of death in the trainees. Many of the drills inflict tremendous pain and suffering among the men in an effort to harden them for the battlefield and dangerous special missions. The training develops the trainees’ intuition to a high degree and teaches them to act spontaneously when in harm’s way.

Vladimir in action

In reading a description of some of the training exercises these men are put through, one is both shocked and fascinated at the same time that human beings can endure such treatment and maintain a state of mental equanimity. It’s hard to imagine anyone more prepared than these men for the kind of dangerous operations they carry out.

Vladimir Vasiliev’s training philosophy

Here are a few quotes from the above-mentioned booklet that will give some insight into Vladimir’s personal training approach which has been adapted for teaching to the general public:

… [I] try to keep the training sessions fun and urge you to do so, too. You should be serious on the inside, but on the outside look so as to relax your opponent. Again, I must make this point: If you’re serious when there is no threat, when a threat really does arrive you’ll be left with nothing in reserve. You’ve used yourself up and left no more room to make the transition from civilian to warrior.
… to master this system you must also be able to move so that your appendages and the rest of your body can move in different ways simultaneously. It’s a kind of 3-dimensional movement of the body.

All movements should be dynamic and multi-functional. You should never move just for the sake of moving. And at any moment, the whole body should be perceived and used as a complete system. Though one part of the body may be moved while others relax, they should never be cut off or physically or psychologically separated from the actions of the other parts.

… it is also essential to learn what your natural response is so that you can guard against it when in situations where it may be harmful…. awareness of your own body and identity along with what’s going on around you is essential to mastery of the Russian system.

Russian Health Method

Vladimir also practices a Russian health system that was developed by a philosopher named Porfiri Ivanov. This method was also a part of his training while serving in the Special Operations Unit in the Russian Army. The premise of this approach is to anticipate physical problems before they occur and stimulate the body’s immune system to ward off disease. Great care is taken to prevent the body and mind from reaching a state of exhaustion. Special breathing exercises and daily cold-water dowsing are used to energize the body and are important parts of this health method.

Systema and Aikido

Soon after getting my first serious glimpse of Systema, I began thinking that many of the principles and training methods employed by Mikhail and Vladimir might be highly relevant to aikido practice. As you know, the theme of Aiki Expo 2003 is “Realizing Aikido’s Potential.” Basically with Aiki Expo 2003, our hope is to bring to the forefront the martial aspect of aikido that has become rather neglected in the modern forms of the art. I believe Systema can play a significant role in this regard. We hope to have serious aikidoka reevaluate their training approaches and consider bringing their current practice more in line with the techniques and philosophy of Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

Ueshiba O-Sensei was heavily influenced by the Omoto religion during a turbulent time of Japanese hisotry. He emphasized both the martial and spiritual aspects of aikido and considered the two inseparable. Systema was born out of centuries of technical refinement on the battlefield as Russians repelled a multitude of enemies under vastly different combative conditions. It has had strong ties to the Russian Orthodox Church historically, a tradition that continues with Mikhail Ryabko and Vladimir Vasiliev. With its dual emphasis on the martial and the spiritual, Systema shares much common ground with aikido. Aikidoka looking to revitalize their training will find in the techniques of Systema a powerful, energizing example. Systema will find in the aikido world a large community of serious-minded and ethical people desirous of impacting society in a positive, moral way.

I am certain that Systema will impact Aiki Expo 2003 in a major way that special weekend of September 19-21. I am equally sure that the interaction between Vladimir Vasiliev and the other Expo instructors and participants will result in the blossoming of lasting friendships and important interactions that will reshape our thinking and practice of aikido.

Stanley Pranin
February 2003

Those interested in more information on Systema and the relevant products we offer at Aikido Journal are encourage to click here.

Article source: http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=367

Aikido techniques against front kick (maegeri)

2010-10-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Four aikido techniques against maegeri (front kick): ikkyo, kokyuho, iriminage, and kotegaeshi. Here the kick is chudan maegeri (to the belly) but the aikido techniques are quite the same against jodan maegeri (to the head).
Stefan Stenudd is 6 dan Aikikai shihan. The attacker is Tony Johansson, and Mattias Enguis held the camera. For more on aikido, see:
http://www.stenudd.com/aikido

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY8xPVklX9I&feature=player_embedded

derlogea.ro - exercitii de indeminare si flexibilitate

2010-10-25T00:30:00.000-07:00

Aikido e o metodă de (auto)educaţie pentru dezvoltare personală, în scopul îmbunătăţirii autonomiei, a propriei sănătăţi şi a modului de relaţionare cu cei din jur. Ea se adresează tuturor componentelor fiinţei: corp, minte, suflet. Studiem Calea Aiki (dar există încă multe alte Căi) ca să ajungem la Iluminare, sau la Trezire, adică dorim/ facem ceea ce chiar şi Imnul de Stat ne îndeamnă: “deşteaptă-te române”!

Sala/ încăperea în care se face Aikido se numeşte Dojo – adică “locul unde se studiază Calea”. Nu se numeşte Jutsujo - sau “locul unde se învaţă meserie”. Drumul spre Iluminare (Do) trece însă şi prin etapa Jutsu, adică nu putem ajunge la Aikido decât după ce învăţăm Aikijutsu. Aşa că într-un fel, orice Dojo e şi un fel de Jutsujo.

Ca orice « drum » anevoios – cum e orice proces serios de educaţie - Calea e plină de obstacole şi pericole. Există astfel pericolul ca studiul etapei Jutsu să devină un scop în sine, deoarece plăcerea luptei/ violenţei/ dominaţiei vine din adâncul fiinţei noastre de oameni, adică de animale supuse instinctelor şi altor pofte, pe care civilizaţia încearcă să le ascundă sau sublimeze. Studiul Căii înseamnă să luptăm din greu cu noi înşine pentru a nu uita nici un moment de ce studiem meseria (Jutsu): ca să ajungem la Iluminare - nu ca să ne satisfacem plăceri sau pofte.

Nu se poate ajunge la Iluminare fără suferinţă. Suferinţa necesară pentru autoeducaţie este preponderent corporală, însă cum cele trei componente ale fiinţei sunt strâns legate şi interdependente, adeseori acest chin autoeducativ pare a fi mai mult mintal/ sufletesc (dar nu e!). Poate că impresia e dată şi de marea cantitate de voinţă necesară pentru impunerea voluntară a acestui fel de masochism, adică un important consum nervos - iar "gândirea doare !". O astfel de alegere pentru gestionarea propriului mod de viaţă, bazată pe suferinţă şi sacrificii personale, poate părea anacronică – chiar bolnăvicioasă – în epoca actuală. Azi oamenii caută (de capul lor, sau ca urmare a manipulării lor mediatice de către tot felul de profitori ascunşi) doar satisfacţii maxime şi imediate (ca orice animal), fără nici un gând sau respect pentru comunitatea şi mediul înconjurător (acţiuni specifice oamenilor). Dar despre acest aspect – dacă mai trăim, atunci mai vedem şi mai discutăm ...

Se zice: sunt multe poteci care duc spre vârful muntelui, adică la Iluminare se poate ajunge prin diverse Căi. Suferinţa autoeducativă poate avea forme statice (meditaţie/ rugăciuni/ post etc.) şi dinamice (autoflagelare/ activităţi marţiale/ sporturi necompetitive extreme etc.).

Suntem unii (vreo 3000 în România, vreun milion în toată lumea) care am ales Calea Aiki ca să ajungem în vârful muntelui. Acest drum nu e nici mai greu nici mai uşor ca altele, dar întrucât nouă ne place, suportăm mai uşor chinurile aferente.

Meseria luptei (Aikijutsu) învaţă cum să-i învingi pe alţii şi se studiază preponderent prin exerciţii cu partener; studiul Căii e o luptă cu tine însuţi, deci o activitate mai mult individuală (chiar dacă exerciţiile cu partener constituie şi în această etapă o componentă esenţială a studiului).

Am observat că sunt disponibile multe informaţii (lecţii/ cărţi/ filme/ Internet etc.) despre exerciţiile Aikijutsu cu partener, dar relativ puţine despre cele individuale, specifice luptei cu tine însuţi. De aceea prezint în continuare astfel de exerciţii, care îmbină lupta cu slăbiciunile personale (adică întăresc corpul/ muşchii) cu avantajul dobândirii unor îndemânări utile pentru confruntarea cu un adversar. Chiar dacă ele nu provin din tradiţia Aikido, poate nici măcar din tradiţia japoneză, eu apreciez că toate exerciţiile indicate pot fi utile oricărui practicant sincer.

Exerciţii chinezeşti de îndemânare (Baguazhang) - vezi aici, aici şi aici.

Exerciţii ruseşti (Systema) pentru flexibilitate şi folosirea Hara - vezi aici, aici, aici, aici, aici şi aici.

Sursa: www.derlogea.ro

George Ledyard on Aiki, Kaeshiwaza, and more

2010-10-19T01:02:00.000-07:00

George Ledyard on Aiki, Kaeshiwaza, and more

October 18th, 2010 by twistingwrists Categories: Media reviews, Words No Responses

“if the attacker understands what was just done to him, it wasn’t “aiki”

George Ledyard, long time student of Mitsugi Saotome and head instructor of Aikido Eastside in Washington state, was kind enough to take some time out of his day for an interview. I asked him about some of his views on Aikido, his training in Systema and Daito Ryu, and also his 2 new DVDs: Aiki & Connection and Principles of Kaeshiwaza.

TW: You spent a long time training under Saotome Sensei and are a well known instructor in your own right. How has your understanding of aikido changed or developed from what you learned from your teacher?

GL: I have been with Saotome Sensei since 1976. It would be hard to say that my understanding of Aikido changed or developed from what I have learned from Sensei, more that he formed my understanding of Aikido from the start. What really distinguishes Saotome Sensei’s Aikido is the balance between the art as a martial art and as a spiritual practice. Many folks these days do not seem to be able to hold those two aspects together. The art seems to have split into a group of folks who think it has something to do with “fighting” and spend their time preparing for some imagined and anticipated “street” encounter. I think these folks tend to be running a sort of modern day “samurai wanna be” story in their heads. On the other hand, many folks who are quite serious about Aikido as a means of personal transformation, or as a way towards conflict resolution, whatever are simply incapable of executing their techniques in a situation of real conflict.

Saotome Sensei taught us that one informs the other. If one stops fighting, stops “contending”, ones martial effectiveness is actually enhanced. Sensei has stated over and over, as the Founder himself did, that the art of Aikido is not about fighting. It is about “not fighting”. But, as a practice designed to be trans-formative, it operates with a martial paradigm. In other words, every aspect of ones spiritual understanding should be demonstrable in the physical realm on the mat. Spiritual ideas without the ability to actualize those ideas in our physical reality are just “wishful thinking”. Too many folks focus on the nice ideas and can’t back it up in their technique.

So what I received from Saotome Sensei, and he believes he received from O-Sensei, is the idea that there really is no separation between the martial and the spiritual in Aikido. If one really understands one side, he understands both. I am part of a direct transmission from the Founder to Saotome Sensei to my generation of students. Each generation takes what is given, to the best of its ability, and hopefully adds something from its own experience and then, in turn, passes to the next generation. Through Sensei I feel this connection to the Founder very strongly. I don’t think that everyone who does Aikido necessarily has this feeling.

TW: You have 2 new DVDs out. One is called Aiki Connection. Most of us think about connecting with our partners by blending and moving in the direction of the attack before redirecting. Is that what this DVD is about?

GL: I think this idea of “blending” is hugely misunderstood. We were all told, way back when we started, that Aikido meant the way of “harmony”. While the term “aiki” can have that flavor in Japanese, it is not how the term is used when talking about martial arts. A far better translation of the term for understanding technical issues is “joining”.

This isn’t just semantics… because we were told that Aikido was the art in which we “got off the line” of an attack, then redirected the energy of that attack into a sort of resolution, Aikido, which is fundamentally a study of connection, has tended to attract people who didn’t actually want to connect. The “martial” folks are busy trying to defeat the attack and the spiritual folks are trying to avoid it. Neither results in anything that can be considered “aiki”.
“Aiki” requires that one “join” with the energy of an attack. It requires first, a connection to the attacker’s center (this is physical at the beginning and later has more to do with connecting to their perception). One has to “touch” the attacker’s center and simultaneously balance that outflow by receiving the energy of the attack into ones own center (the spine). This balance between out and back sets of a neutral balance at the point of contact, whether it’s a grab or strike. It’s like the “scales of justice”… you could have twenty tons on either side of the scales and if they are in balance it takes only finger tip pressure to move it. If I can establish that balance with my partner / attacker, throwing is effortless. It is difficult to counter technique done in this manner because there is little or no feedback available to the partner about what’s happening because there is so little force applied at the point where they could feel it. There’s actually quite a bit of scientific information about how and why this works having to do with the myofascial structure of the body and how the gamma nervous system functions. Suffice it to say that in Aikido we strive to move the attacker’s mind so that his mind moves his body. A teacher, whose name I don’t recall summed this up by saying that “if the attacker understands what was just done to him, it wasn’t “aiki”. That’s basically the subject of this DVD set on Aiki and Connection… how does this work and how does on e actually do it. It’s not rocket science; it’s a totally teachable set of principles and skills. What is hard is doing them under pressure and that takes a lifetime of practice. But anyone can do Aikido with some “aiki”.

TW: The other DVD is something that hasn’t been covered much in book or video form and that is Kaeshiwaza (reversals). Do you feel this is an important part of training? At what level do you start teaching reversals?

GL: One of the biggest problems Aikido has is that somehow it has evolved into an art in which the practitioner strives to understand some very sophisticated techniques and principles while working with a partner who acts handicapped. Ukemi, as it is generally taught, has evolved into something that makes the teacher look good. This is terrible martial arts and really doesn’t require any degree of skill on the part of the practitioner to do technique. If you partner breaks his own balance, disolves his own structure just because his attack missed it’s target, throws himself simply because he perceived incoming in tent from his partner, no one really has any idea what is going on. The practitioner can’t know whether he actually did the technique or his partner “tanked” for him.

Ukemi needs to be re-tooled entirely in Aikido. The ukes role is to enhance the learning of the partner; not to “collude” and not to resist. Being a good uke is far more difficult than most folks realize. They think it means taking the fall. But for a true “aiki” interaction, both partners must actually be doing the same thing. Kaeshiwaza is the functioning of the principles of connection as shown in my earlier videos as it functions in the role of the uke. If an uke can deliver an attack and then properly stay connected with no break throughout the movement of the technique, then the least opening or break in the nage’s connection to uke’s center, the smallest tension or push-pull, an the technique can be reversed instantly with no “contention”, no warning to the nage that it is about to happen. This is why so-called “resistant” practice is bad martial arts. Resisting simply gives away that the technqiue is going to fail or will be difficult. It tells the nage in advance that he needs to make an adjustment. But correct kaeshiwaza is relaxed and doesn’t “telegraph” what is coming. The nage feels like O-Sensei right up until the technique disappears and his balance breaks.

In my opinion kaeshiwaza is at the heart of Aikido as a martial practice. It doesn’t make sense to try to teach it until the student has enough technique in his or her repertoire that they can be free about allowing the reversal to be what it needs to be and not something they are forcing. I think any time after thrid kyu, which for us is Brown Belt, you can start to teach it. What I like about that is it REQUIRES good ukemi skills to do. The uke simply must stay connected at all times with nage’s center in order to take advantage of an opening which is there. Without that connection, the nage can make a mistake and the uke isn’t in a position to do anything about it. So, even if one isn’t that entranced with the idea of reversing ones partner’s, it is simply the best practice I have found to develop a sense of continuous connection on the part of the uke.

Acupuncture and Aikido

2010-10-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Acupuncture and Aikido

About a year ago, I damaged my shoulder during a training session. The details of the incident escapes me now (something to do with shiho-nage..), but for the last 12 months I've been to doctors, taken painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, seen an osteopath, a chiropractor and had three 'complete' 10 week treatments with three different physiotherapists.

And it still hurts.

I can't bear my weight on it, so pull-ups and chins have disappeared from my exercise routine, and even the gentlest of sankyo/nikkyo/yonkyo pins leaves me twitching like a fish. I have it on very good authority that I have a torn rotator cuff and something else which I can never remember to do with an AC joint.

It was purely by chance that a friend of a friend recommended yet another Physio, saying that she had helped with a similar injury. By now I was ready to try anything, so I made an appointment and dutifully rolled up on time, expecting the usual manipulation and 'Theraband' rehab exercises. I lay down on the couch and she wiggled my arm around a bit and then said "Hang on, I'll go get my needles". "Sorry? I asked. "Needles" said she "You have come for acupuncture I'm assuming?". I hadn't, but if there is one thing Aiki teaches you it's to roll with whatever life serves up. "Errr.. yes. No problem".

5 minutes later I looked a bit like a porcupine with alopecia (see photo), or maybe a poor relation of that "pinhead" guys in the Hellraiser movies. She explained that not only did she need to get the blood flowing into the area that was injured so it could heal, but that the muscles around it had been protecting it for so long that they had set solid, so she needed to loosen them up too. In total there were 21 needles sticking out of me, starting between my toes and finishing in my neck.

The next bit is odd. I fell asleep. In the middle of the day, in a sunny room filled with traffic noise and the hubbub of the rest of the clinic through plasterboard walls I somehow managed to doze off. I was awakened by a slightly amused therapist telling me that it wasn't uncommon for people to react like this and that it showed she'd "shifted some energy". As she "un-needled" me, she explained that acupuncture worked by re-directing energy, and removing blockages. 're-directing energy... removing blockages'. Hmmmm... that rings a bell!

The more I thought about it, the more comparisons I could see between acupuncture and Aikido, both in a practical, physical, philosophical and physiological sense.

Practically, both systems are based upon sound physics. The bio-mechanics present within Aikido only function with an understanding and the correct application of the principles of leverage, force and inertia, and acupuncture relies upon stimulation of certain areas of the body which in turn affect it's energy flows. Cause and effect if you will.

Physically they both treat the body and it's place within the universe as a holistic, homogeneous receiver, generator and transmitter of energy. Philosophically, we touch on a key factor for me. Both Aikido and acupuncture 'work'. There are many studies which say that there is no clinical proof as to how acupuncture can treat ailments such as insomnia, diabetes, migraines, fatigue, even some cancers, but about a fifth of the population of this planet believes in it enough for it to be the mainstay of their health care system.

Similarly, Aikido has always had detractors, citing in-effectiveness in combat, no MMA aikido champions (!), no 'real' sparring within the syllabus (etc...) but if you look at most military close combat training, Police arrest training and most 'self-defense' courses, you will see a mix of jujutsu/Aikido in them all.

Acupuncture treatment regulates the flow of Qi (Ki) and Blood, fortifying where there is deficiency, draining where there is excess, and promoting free flow where there is stagnation or blockages. In a nutshell, the acupuncture approach is "no pain, no blockage; no blockage, no pain." Similarly, an Aikido fundamental is to "remove blockages" whether that be via re-direction, conflict resolution or even use of atemi.

Most modern acupuncturists use disposable stainless steel needles of fine diameter (0.007" to 0.020", 0.18 mm to 0.51 mm), sterilized with ethylene oxide or by autoclave. These needles are far smaller in diameter (and therefore less painful) than hypodermic injection needles since they do not have to be hollow for purposes of injection. The upper third of these needles is wound with a thicker wire (typically bronze), or covered in plastic, to stiffen the needle and provide a handle for the acupuncturist to grasp while inserting.

The size and type of needle used, and the depth of insertion, depend on the acupuncture style being practiced. In my experience some of the needles made me jump a bit initially, others were completely painless but then started to throb or "wake up" a bit as the point was stimulated. None of them can be described as being 'painful', although I have since compared notes with other patients and they have reported the occasional needle being very uncomfortable, in most cases though this fades during the treatment.

Have done a trawl of Google for "Aikido+Acupuncture" I was surprised to find very few article or websites that link the two, considering the obvious commonality. I was interested to see that MASAHILO M. NAKAZONO one of the Japanese Sensei that introduced Aikido into the UK was a practitioner of acupuncture. Nakazono sensei was responsible for awarding my sensei, H W Foster (now 7th dan) his nidan back in 1962 and was instrumental in establishing the "form system" within the syllabus of the pioneer clubs of british Aikido.

Read more : http://aikidoforbeginners.blogspot.com/2008/12/acupuncture-and-aikido.html

Taichi style Aikido 42 Forms

2010-10-17T12:40:00.000-07:00

In 2003, Sugawara Sensei introduced the Taichi style Aikido 42 Forms. The kata, which is a series of Aikido techniques, was formed in just over 2 days

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTRJ0HeQkcs&NR=1

Kaeshi Waza - Technique reversal

2010-10-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

Kaeshi Waza

Technique reversal. (UKE becomes NAGE and vice- versa). This is usually a very advanced form of practice. KAESHI WAZA practice helps to instill a sensitivity to shifts in resistance or direction in the movements of one's partner. Training so as to anticipate and prevent the application of KAESHI WAZA against one's own techniques greatly sharpens aikido skills.

The literal translation of //kaeshi// is "to return; reverse". Kaeshi waza is an attempt by uke to counter a technique and respond with another technique.

For example, if nage is performing nikyo but does not properly control the whole arm, then uke may try to drop the elbow and turn in, applying sankyo.

Kaeshi waza is generally a more advanced practice because it requires more sensitivity between nage and uke. Methods of practice vary from dojo to dojo. At one extreme, nage may be advised to allow uke to successfully counter the technique every time. At the other, nage and uke may work back and forth continually without any preset outcome until one of them is able to perform a technique.

When practicing kaeshi waza forms, uke should wait until the technique is being applied before beginning any reversal. Ideally, the reversal arises from an actual weakness in nage's technique.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68xgv_DtUM8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_SB0TqvUb8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_jhWoGrbec&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfQiMedIaxc&feature=related

Aikido Modern - Stagiu National de Aikido

2010-10-17T12:07:00.000-07:00

Federatia Romana de Aikido Modern va invita pe 6 noiembrie 2010 la stagiu national de Aikido
care va avea loc în Bucureşti: Scoala Generala nr.182 Chitila Str.AMINTIRII nr.26 cartier Chitila,a 3-a satatie de tramvai de la podul C-ta. in dreapta, pe Sos.Chitila.

Federatia Romană de Aikido Modern işi propune promovarea Aikido-ului, atât ca artă marţială cât şi ca mod de viaţă. În acest sens tema stagiului, are drept principal scop, promovarea tehnicilor(stilurilor) specifice, cunoasterea, precum şi schimbul de experienţă dintre participanţi.

Ţinem să menţionăm faptul că accesul tuturor cluburilor si persoanelor fizice, interesate este gratuit, cei interesaţi fiind astfel încurajaţi să participe cu demonstraţii practice.

Programul stagiului de Aikido Modern:
Shihan Serban Derlogea 8 Dan Aikido Bastonul tovarasul meu
Sensei Mircea Cristian 3 Dan Aikido Iubirea de aproape in Aikido
Sensei Razvan Peristeri 5 Dan Aikido Tehnici de cutit
Sensei Ionita Marius 5 Dan Aikido Irimi Nage variante moderne

Data 06.11.2010

Publicaţi postare
Federatia Romana de Aikido Modern

Preşedinte,

Sensei Razvan Peristeri 5 Dan Aikido

sursa: http://www.aikidomodern.ro/evenimente.htm

Daniel TOUTAIN - Stagiu Iwama Ryu Aikido

2010-10-16T03:56:00.000-07:00

Stagiu Iwama Ryu Aikido
In perioada 17-19 decembrie 2010 Shihan Daniel TOUTAIN, va sustine un stagiu in Romania. Inscrieri si detalii la:
Iulian Stanescu
Telefon: 0723269964
e-mail: dinamicaikido@yahoo.com
Sursa: http://www.iwama-ryu.ro/index.php/ro/Newsflash/Frontala.html
Despre Daniel Toutain: http://aikido-france.net/toutain/

Can Alexander Technique Help Students Master Tai Chi Chuan Practice?

2010-10-06T03:28:00.000-07:00

Can Alexander Technique Help
Students Master Tai Chi Chuan Practice?

by Bill Walsh and Holly Sweeney

Tai Chi Chuan study is popular among Alexander Technique practitioners. Some Alexander Technique training schools, like the F.M. Alexander Foundation in Philadelphia, include Tai Chi Chuan in their program design.

We would like to explore the relationship between Tai Chi Chuan and Alexander Technique and whether the study of Alexander Technique is complementary to the study of Tai Chi Chuan.

In Talks on the Practice of Taijiquan, recorded by Zhang Hongkui,^note1 Yang Chengfu enumerates ten essentials in the study of Tai Chi. First on the list is "Straightening the Head". When Yang Zhenduo, (Yang Chengfu's son and 4th generation Master of the Yang family), taught this year in New York and Texas, he began his seminars with an explanation of this first essential. He told students to begin with the head: centered, not leaning; empty; and lifted without tension. The neck should also be empty, he said. Bill asked Yang Zhenduo to explain what he meant by emptying the head and the neck. This was his answer:

The head is lifted as if supporting something. The neck is upright and lightly pressing up. The body in between pulls open and you are open and extended. This should not be done in a way that is stiff. When this is done correctly then your spirit can come up. Then your eyes are bright and shiny.^note2

This description is strikingly similar to what is called the primary movement or primary control in the Alexander Technique. F.M. Alexander, the originator of the Technique, described his primary movement this way:
1. Let the neck be free (which means merely to see that you do not increase the muscle tension of the neck in any act).
2. Let the head go forward and up (which means merely to see that you do not tense the neck muscles by pulling the head back or down in any act.).
3. Let the torso lengthen and widen out (which means merely to see that you do not shorten and narrow the back by arching the spine).^note3

Both of these descriptions appear to be talking about the same thing--a very specific movement of the head and neck, and an accompanying elongation of the spine. One subtle difference between Tai Chi Chuan andAlexander Technique is that Tai Chi Chuan describes the What and AlexanderTechnique focuses on the How. In fact, the skills learned in Alexander Technique are based on learning how to apply the primary head/neck movement to all activities: from going up and down stairs, to getting in and out of chairs, to practicing Tai Chi Chuan, to delivering a speech. It is an accepted fact of Alexander Technique study that it takes a long time to master this seemingly simple skill of natural head/neck/spine movement... and a lifetime to let it transform every move you make.

As a first step in the study of the Technique, Alexander students learn a process that lets them free their necks of tension. This process is taught through verbal instructions, demonstrations, and precise, delicate, hands-on guidance from Alexander teachers. Having studied this process, Alexander students then set out to practice balancing the head without tension during all of their daily activities. Whether working at the computer, brushing their teeth or dashing down the stairs, Alexander students strive to apply what they have learned about the primary movement, (or, in the language of Tai Chi Chuan, "the first essential"). Can you imagine the possibilities for improvement if you were to practice your Tai Chi Chuan every day, all day long?

This leads us to a second issue of importance, which is how we practice. Is it possible to believe we are practicing correctly and find out we are not? Absolutely! This is a common, though frustrating, part of the learning process when studying sophisticated movements such as Tai Chi Chuan. We have all seen students in Tai Chi Chuan classes being corrected by instructors and then seeming to continue practicing in the same incorrect way. Does this mean the student rejected the correction, or ignored it? Probably neither is the case. What is usually happening is that the student does not have a reliable enough sensory standard to guide him in making the change the teacher requested. Quite possibly the student thinks he is doing exactly what the teacher asked. Observers can see his mistake but the student cannot.

The problem described above is a central one in the Alexander Technique. Alexander gave this common phenomenon a name, unreliable sensory appreciation, and searched for teaching methods that would correct it. He realized that unreliable sensory appreciation was connected with our ideas and sense of what is "right" and what is "wrong".^note4 Alexander realized that what we think is "right" is based on our sensory feeling of correctness, and that this is based on our familiar habits of movement. These familiar habits become the standard by which we evaluate all of our movement experiences. If our standard is faulty, we have no way of knowing it, and we will not change our habits or standard until a new experience gives us a basis for comparison and evaluation. A practical example: observe the amount of muscle tension or effort needed to stand up from a seated position. We do this many times in a day, probably without noticing ourselves while we are doing it. If we consciously observe ourselves, however, we discover how much effort we are using. If we can perform the same task with less effort, then we obviously were using more effort than we needed to, on a regular basis--and that familiar standard, even though it felt "right," was not the most efficient way. Alexander based his teaching techniques on the realization that, until someone has an experience which allows him to observe himself in a new way, he will not be able to change his patterns of movement. Therefore, one of the first skills that an Alexander Technique student learns is how to observe himself more accurately while he is in the process of moving.^note5

Frank Pierce Jones, who conducted extensive research on the Alexander Technique at the Institute for Applied Experimental Psychology at Tufts University, wrote a book on the Technique which he titled, Body Awareness in Action. He explained the benefits of the Technique in this way:

The Alexander Technique doesn't teach you something new to do. It teaches you how to bring more practical intelligence into what you are already doing; how to eliminate stereotyped responses; how to deal with habit and change.^note6

Jones goes on to explain that Alexander Technique trains students to take in certain key relationships within their structure in such a way that their sensations have a meaning which informs their whole coordination. Jones described this skill as the ability to expand awareness into an extended, more inclusive, form of consciousness. Yang Chenfu's 8th essential, Harmony Between Internal and External Parts, seems to imply a similar goal in the study of Tai Chi:

In practicing taijiquan, the focus is on the mind and consciousness. Hence the saying: the mind is the commander, and the body is subservient to it...Perfection is achieved when one unifies the two and harmonizes the internal and external parts into a complete whole.^note7

Another way of stating this 8th essential of practice might be: 'Perfection is achieved when we're able to do what we think we're doing.'

This could be applied in Tai Chi Chuan by not letting the knee go past the toes in the front leg of a seventy thirty stance. It is very hard to change the habit of letting your knee go too far if you are not paying attention to certain specific feedback from your body. Yang Zhenduo has transformed this movement for many students by asking them to use their toes to grasp the floor while transitioning the weight from their back leg to their front leg. If you are "grasping with the toes" while transitioning onto your front leg, it becomes very clear when you've moved too far forward. In pushing, when we move too far forward , we compensate for technique by using more external strength. If your front knee goes past the "knuckle" (metatarsal/phalangejoint) of the big toe, you can clearly sense that you have lost power and efficiency. For many, Yang Zhenduo's suggestion allows them to experience a constructive knee/foot relationship for the first time.

This article compares some of the important principles apparently shared by Tai Chi Chuan and Alexander Technique. The first principle "lift the head"has always made us curious. We've never heard much of an explanation for it so I tend to superimpose what we learned from the Alexander Technique. We were excited that the explanation we heard this summer was confirming and consistent with the Alexander Technique. Or were we just hearing what we wanted to hear?

Sometimes it takes a long time to find a question that is important and potentially pulls together different ideas and disciplines. If you have studied both these disciplines, please let us know what you think!

About The Writers

Bill Walsh is an Alexander Teacher, a Tai Chi Chuan Teacher and a Management Consultant. As a Management Consultant, he has taught in Fortune 500 companies in Influence Skills ( Selling, Negotiating, and a general influence workshop). As a Tai Chi Chuan teacher, Bill is one of four appointed teachers in the U.S. who direct Yang Chengfu Centers under the tutelege of Yang Zhenduo, fourth generation Master of the Yang Family. In his private practice in New York City, Bill enjoys combining the Alexander Technique, Tai Chi Chuan and Influence Skills.

Bill Walsh e-mail: Bill Walsh
Tel: +1 212-226-0627 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +1 212-226-0627 end_of_the_skype_highlighting, fax: 212-343-9662
66 Crosby St. #2F, New York, NY, 10012, USA

Holly A. Sweeney is an ergonomist and certified Alexander Technique teacher with offices in Montclair, New Jersey and in New York City. She has a M.A. in Ergonomics and Orthopedic Biomechanics and she is a Researcher and Independent Evaluator at the Occupational and Industrial Orthopedic Center for the Hospital for Joint Diseases in New York City.

Holly Sweeney e-mail:Holly A. Sweeney
Tel: +1 201-655-1048 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting +1 201-655-1048 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
24 Tuers Place, Upper Mont Clair, NJ, 07043, USA

http://www.ati-net.com/articles/taichi.php

Tamura sensei,stage aikido Lesneven 2009

2010-10-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

Tamura sensei, stage aikido Lesneven 2009

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7JOS86r6AQ&feature=related

Tamura sensei, stage aikido Lesneven 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV-DLKiIZt8&feature=related

Richard Moon Sensei - Aikido Lessons

2010-10-05T00:40:00.000-07:00

moonsensei in maastricht: Aiki - Energy State

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MedDDBQHt6Y&feature=player_embedded#!

moonsensei in maastricht: introduction to aiki-dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYgMVm1K1Fo&feature=related

moonsensei in maastricht: developing awareness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI9ZS55CPdE&feature=related

More Richard Moon & Robert Nadeau movies : http://videoology.com/aikido/watch-video/MedDDBQHt6Y&feature=youtube_gdata/moonsensei/moonsensei-in-maastricht:-aiki-energy-state.html

Richard Moon Website : http://extraordinarylistening.com/about/richardmoon.html

Morihiro Saito Sensei 20 Jo Suburi

2010-09-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

Morihiro Saito Sensei 20 Jo Suburi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8R9XqrT8UMA&feature=related

THE DOJO SYSTEM VERSUS THE CORPORATION SYSTEM By Hiroaki Izumi

2010-09-24T04:03:00.000-07:00

THE DOJO SYSTEM VERSUS THE CORPORATION SYSTEM By Hiroaki Izumi

Put simply, traditional corporations operate on a system of authority, while traditional dojos operate on a system of responsibility. Some may think that this difference is not very important or that to state such a difference is a contradiction of the concepts of authority and responsibility. One must remember that how people behave in organizations is not dictated strictly by the hierarchy of the organization, but also by their attitudes toward power, politics, their jobs, and the people around them. I guess I should start at the beginning and lay some foundation by describing first, a system of authority, then a system of responsibility.
A CORPORATION AS A SYSTEM OF AUTHORITY
When we talk of a corporate organization, we often think in terms of an organizational chart which shows who has authority over whom. The board of directors has authority over the president, who has authority over the vice-presidents, who have authority over the directors of various operations, and so on. In terms of traditional Weberian theory, a person fills a position which has certain corresponding authority. The authority, and thus power, given to that person comes with the territory.
Along with that authority and power comes some responsibility for using that authority and power in a manner suitable for the goals of the organization. In management circles, we say that people are empowered to carry out certain tasks by virtue of their position. As you notice, in that statement, there was no mention of responsibilities. Responsibilities in this venue are an afterthought. In fact, responsibilities are discussed mostly in terms of the responsibilities that lower ranked workers have to the corporation, or that management has to the board of directors, and that the board of directors has to the shareholders. Little mention is made of the responsibilities that people higher in the hierarchy have towards those lower in rank — only the power and authority they have over them.
In recent years, strategic management theory has begun to address the issue of responsibility of management to various stakeholders in the corporation. This means that management must handle the corporation such that the needs of groups like shareholders, suppliers, clients, and workers (all stakeholders in the corporation) are taken care of. Labor legislation, another field of management, has emphasized the responsibility that corporations have towards their workers. Also environmental legislation has forced corporations to take some responsibility for their activities which affect the land, sea, and air of our earth. Some companies have taken this to heart and have begun a new trend towards “responsible management” of corporations. Such “advanced” companies are finding that there are dividends to being responsible.*
I think the days of the corporation as a system of authority are numbered. The public is getting tired of people and corporations who hold unlimited power and yet have no sense of responsibility for their actions except when they are sued. The world is getting to be so crowded and events occurring so fast that it has become a delicate balancing act just to stay alive. When a person or corporation refuses to take responsibility for their actions, they become like a whirlwind in a paper factory, upsetting the smooth operations and creating a disaster.
THE DOJO SYSTEM OF RESPONSIBILITY
Traditional dojos, on the other hand, have always operated on a system of responsibilities. The hierarchy describes not the authority that a higher rank has over the lower ranks, but the responsibilities that the higher rank has for teaching and looking after the lower ranks. In return, the lower ranks have certain corresponding responsibilities for learning, practicing, and looking after the needs of the higher ranks. The Sensei provides the Sempai with technical learning suitable to that person’s level of knowledge as well as knowledge on how to be a good Sensei by allowing them to practice teaching under the Sensei’s guidance. In return, the Sempai must look after the learning of the dojo members, make sure that the students pay attention to the Sensei in the correct manner, and teach some of the classes for the Sensei Similarly, other higher ranks must look after the learning and health of those below them while paying attention to their own studies with the Sempai This cascade of responsibility flows downward, like many things, until the newest person in the dojo is reached. The only responsibility that person has in the dojo is to those above and to his or her own person — to practice diligently and correctly.
Authority, in this system, is not something that is provided with a specific rank. It is something that is won by each individual with the respect that others give that person because they have carried out of their responsibilities well. It is a meritocracy based on knowledge transferal and the carrying out of responsibilities rather than a Weberian bureaucracy based on knowledge held and the authority of position.
This system is much more in line with the proper concept of authority. Modern management theory holds that authority cannot be taken — it must be given by those over whom an individual has authority. If a lower rank feels that the higher rank has no authority over them, then the higher rank has no authority, even though they may have the power to beat the lower rank into the mats. The lower rank can ignore any commands given to them by the higher rank until that higher rank uses his or her powers to enforce the commands.

Read more: http://ekamachdi.wordpress.com/2008/11/05/the-dojo-system-versus-the-corporation-system-by-hiroaki-izumi/

The Art Of Aikido: Principles And Essential Techniques

2010-09-23T06:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.filesonic.com/file/729206/Art_of_Aikido.pdf

The Art Of Aikido: Principles And Essential Techniques

Author: Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Category: Novel

Tag: History and Military

<<>>

839 views since 2007-06-22, updated at 2009-09-22. The poster is not available.

Description

Author: Kisshomaru Ueshiba

Deep insight into both the spiritual and technical demensions of Aikido

Aikido is a modern Budo founded by Morihei Ueshiba after he had mastered many traditional Japanese martial arts and engaged in profound spiritual training. Morihei maintained, "In true Budo, there is no enemy. True Budo is the function of love. A martial art solely concerned with winning and losing

is not true Budo. Victory is to thoroughly rid the mind of contention and conflict within ourselves."

This book was composed by Kisshomaru Ueshiba, Morihei's son and successor as the Second Aikido Doshu (the person who embodies the spirit of Aikido as inherited from the founder and is its living symbol ). Morihei himself taught Aikido in archaic, esoteric language, and limited his instruction to a

select few. In order to introduce Aikido to the rest of the world, his son simplified its philosophy and arranged the techniques so that it would be possible for any serious trainee to practice this martial art. Aikido is now practiced in eighty-five foreign countries-a testament to Kisshomaru's

achievement. The Aikido ideal of "refining one's mind and body to foster a spirit of harmony" has obviously struck a common chord among the peoples of the world.

This book is a compilation of Kisshomaru's writings on Aikido. It will provide the reader with deep insight into both the spiritual and technical dimensions of Aikido, and explain its central features-ki energy, breathing methods, posture, among others. The book is detailed with many dynamic photos,

depicting the author, and his son Moriteru ( present Doshu, and the author of The Aikido master Course), carrying out the techniques. It is a work that all Aikido practitioners, from beginner to master, will want to acquire.

http://www.filesonic.com/file/729206/Art_of_Aikido.pdf

Aikido’s context

2010-09-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

Understanding Aikido’s proper context.

Aikido is a martial art. Nothing revolutionary about that statement. But what kind of martial art is Aikido? There are many different types of martial arts. Martial art systems designed to be used in many different contexts. So what is the proper context for Aikido?

There are many kinds of martial arts. Systems designed to do all manner of things martial. Some systems are designed around weapons, some around environment, some based on stealth, and some for sport. The world of the martial art is deep and rich with diversity. However most of us pigeon hole the martial arts into one small category: unarmed one-on-one combat. When you say the word “martial art”, most people will immediately think of: Karate, Tae Kwon Do, MMA, or Kickboxing. This is what most of us limit our concept of a martial art system to. However this is only the tip of the iceberg.

Generally we attempt to classify a martial art system into one of two or three categories. Commonly when someone asks what type of martial art something is, they are asking if it is an unarmed grappling system, an unarmed striking system, or possibly an unarmed throwing/projecting system. These are the categories that even accomplished students of the martial arts sometimes use to classify a “type” of martial art. While these are good and true martial categories they are a very limited way to look at the world of martial arts. Again, the importance we put on these categories is a byproduct of our over enfaces on unarmed one-on-one fighting methods.

When looking at all martial arts in terms of unarmed one-on-one fighting, it seems that all martial arts must fit into one of these three categories. Trying to put Aikido into one of these categories will be very difficult. It doesn’t properly fit into any of them; lets take a brief look.

Few people would say that Aikido is a striking system. Although there is some lip service paid to the idea, and a comment by the founder that Aikido is 90% atemi (striking). Yet unarmed striking is something Aikido decidedly lacks. The technical unarmed striking syllabus in Aikido is very limited. No formal punches, kicks, elbowing or kneeing technique. On top of lack of unarmed striking techniques, Aikido doesn’t have a method of practicing these techniques. Unlike Karate, or Boxing, we don’t practice hitting anything, we don’t break boards, strike targets or hit bags. And most importantly we don’t practice techniques on other people who are trying to strike us back. One would be hard pressed to justify that Aikido is an unarmed striking system.

Many might try and classify Aikido as a grappling system. At least this makes some kind of sense. Aikido has grabbing techniques, that we practice applying and escaping, this is an undeniable part of a grappling system. We also have locking and pinning techniques, another necessary part of a grappling system. However Aikido seems to avoid all of the common unarmed grappling holds. There are no: headlocks, bear hugs, or body pin/hold techniques or escapes. Some Aikido schools might have a limited practice where they do some bear hugs etc., but these practices didn’t come from the founder. Aikido doesn’t have any universal techniques against, or for a clinch. Aikido also has no ground fighting technique, aside from a limited set of suwari waza (siting techniques). Adding to the lack of technical diversity, we don’t have a grappling practice. That is to say we don’t have a free play practice where we wrestle and try our techniques out full speed, with skilled opponents. This lack of technique, and methods for improving technique allows us to decidedly say that Aikido is a poor unarmed grappling system, if it is a unarmed grappling system at all.

So last we are left with throwing/projecting systems. The first problem we run into is, most throwing/projecting systems are part of a larger grappling system. This is because, for the most part, its very difficult to throw someone without first getting them into grappling range (the clinch). Putting this aside for just a moment though, Aikido may indeed seem to be a throwing/projecting system. Traditionally Aikido has 6 techniques that are called “nage” (roughly translated as throw): Kokyu nage, Koshi nage, Kaiten nage, Irimi nage, Shiho nage, Juji nage. This means a large part of Aikido’s syllabus is dedicated to “throwing” techniques. Further, projecting or shoving/pushing, is something that Aikidoka train to resist and/or flow around. We practice a from of rooting to the ground that makes it very difficult to shove an centered and grounded Aikido practitioner. We also practice movement techniques that let us get out of the way of someone pushing us. So we do train some defense against projections. Despite Aikido’s focus on these throwing/projecting techniques, there is a lot left out.

Aikido comes no where near a complete system of unarmed throws. There is only one high amperage throw (Koshi nage), this results in a real lack of power throws as one would see in Judo. When the idea is using the ground as your weapon, this makes for a weak throwing system. There are few good follow ups to throwing techniques, most Aikido throws don’t end in a pin, or controlling technique. There are no leg sweeps or tripping techniques. And perhaps most important no defense techniques to any of these. This is very strange; especially strange if you consider that this may be the only unarmed category Aikido fits into. Further without a grappling system attached to it, how are you ever going to get into the proper positions to do these throws? Why are Aikido’s throws so weak in comparison to Judo throws, or throws found in Chinese throwing styles? While one could make an argument that Aikido is an unarmed throwing/projecting style, it would be a very poor example.

So trying to put Aikido into one of these three unarmed categories (striking, grappling, projecting/throwing) we find that Aikido is a system that is most decidedly lacking. However this is only if we keep our very myopic view of the martial arts; the martial arts are limited to one-on-one unarmed fighting. How do Kendo (sword arts) or Kyudo (Archery) fit into these three unarmed categories? They are weapon arts, so you may put them into the striking category, because that’s what weapons do, strike. However using unarmed strike defense against these weapons would be a bad idea. Similarly, training with swords and bows is not going to help you throw a better punch or kick. With this little conundrum we can see a new category arising, and it will be the first of a much broader set of super-catagories: Weapons.

Read more: http://www.aikidostudent.com/content/?p=745

aikido student

2010-09-20T04:12:00.000-07:00

A great website with Aikido resources:

http://www.aikidostudent.com/

Donovan Waite Sensei in Toronto 2008, Class at the YMCA

2010-09-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

Donovan Waite Sensei in Toronto 2008, Class at the YMCA

Donovan Waite 2008 YMCA class part 1

Donovan Waite 2008 YMCA class part 2

Donovan Waite - Aikido Ukemi - vol 1

2010-08-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Donovan Waite - Aikido Ukemi - vol 1

The ability to go safely to the ground is one of the most important skills of self-defense. It is essential for students of Aikido, who spend half their practice time being thrown forcefully to the mat. On this video, Donovan Waite Sensei demonstrates his own system of falling -- a system based on seven techniques ranging from standard Aikido rolls to knee-saving side falls and spectacular back drops. In all these falls, Waite Sensei meets the mat softly, not with percussion. After illustrating and discussing the details of the seven falls, Waite Sensei offers progressively structured exercises that allow students of all levels to move toward mastery of falling safely and at their own rates. A large step forward in the development o falling technique, the system presented here should interest students of Aikido, people in other martial arts, and others concerned with developing a friendly relationship to the ground.

http://www.megavideo.com/?d=AR0A5MUO

Angular Attack Theory: An Aikido Perspective

2010-08-26T16:21:00.000-07:00

Angular Attack Theory: An Aikido Perspective

by Todd Jones

Published Online

Todd Jones in action

Angular attack theory is a conceptual framework that is taught in many martial traditions in one form or another. A fundamental comprehension of attack theory is essential to successfully effectuating defensive strategy and tactics. Ignorance of the construction, tactics, and strategy of attacking guarantees defeat. That said it is a difficult task to convey these concepts in writing, but here goes…

This treatise provides a glimpse into our approach to its study but is by no means a comprehensive treatment of the topic. Angular attack theory serves as a bridge to understanding and communicating strategic and tactical concepts in various martial traditions. An understanding of angular attack theory will help to ensure that applied aikido techniques possess martial integrity and are truly effective.

Before we delve into the intricacies and details of angular attack theory, it is imperative that certain contextual and definitional issues be addressed first: please bear with…

Perception colors perspective. Perspective affects philosophy. What a person believes is a function of their intelligence, experience, education, and circumstance. Disagreement is usually a matter of insufficient commonality. When one or more parties to a disagreement are sufficiently lacking in experience (i.e. maturity and/or patience), we frequently observe physical altercations.

Physical altercation, controlled or uncontrolled, is nonetheless a form of communication that reveals much about an individual’s psychological makeup. As such, karate kumite, aikido randori, and kendo or judo shiai, represent nothing more than physical “conversations.” If you watch closely, regardless of the art being practiced, you will learn much about any participant’s personal style of, or approach to conflict resolution. This ability to observe a personal style of interaction is not limited to activities in the dojo; the way a person walks, the way a person holds posture, the way they speak, are all telltale signs to be observed and chronicled.

In modern budo, we train for many reasons, but all martial arts eventually require some degree of physical interaction. Whether you train for self-defense, general health and conditioning, sportive competition, artistic pursuit, or some combination of the aforementioned; intimate contact with another human will become necessary at some point. And despite that every human body is essentially constrained to a limited set of biomechanical capabilities and therefore limitations; depending on your chosen martial path that contact will be more or less damaging to your body. Every endeavor has a learning curve and every person learns at a slightly different pace. So, no two experiences are, or can ever be the same. Therefore, how we come together is the essential distillate on many different levels.

Human beings are competitive by nature. And although “winning and losing” is a topic worthy of an article, or book, of its own, it is not the central theme of this article. From a competitive perspective, winning or losing is merely the outcome of a game. From the standpoint of discussing self-defense, it is a matter of life or death. Individuals practicing an artistic pursuit may not even recognize the concept as having any validity whatsoever. Perspective can dictate philosophy. Part of learning to be successful and happy in life is learning to understand the perspectives, and agendas, of others whom we encounter and have to deal with. Knowing where they are coming from and what they really want are critical to finding commonality and seeking agreement… ending conflict. Aikido.

The cornerstones of physical interactive success are skill, conditioning, and experience. All things being equal, a shortcoming in any of these three categories virtually insures defeat. A budoka with superior skill, who is in top shape, and is experienced at physical interaction, should never fail. A budoka with superior skill, who is in top shape but lacking interactive experience may fail, but may get lucky if the conversation drags out long enough. Likewise, a budoka with superior skill and experience, who is not in top shape, will prevail over another who is in top shape but lacking in experience. Thus explains the old adage, “youth and exuberance are no match for age and experience!” Of course, even a skilled budoka who is out of shape and lacking interactive experience is doomed to fail.

Before this discussion can go much further it is imperative that certain concepts and terms are clearly understood. Most disagreements stem from misunderstandings…

The Line is simply understood as a ray extending through each partner’s center, regardless of where they move. Angular attack theory advocates that although the shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, it is not necessarily the path of least grief.

The Gap is the space between the two partners. “Bridging the Gap” is a dangerous exercise worthy of much study, and angular attack theory is central to success. Boxing, judo, karate, kendo, and most other competitive arts focus in this area. It is arguably the Achilles heel of most aikido practitioners and the reason many other martial artists criticize aikido training methods.

Zones: there are several types to discuss. Spatial Zones vary, based on person-specific physical and psychological factors. Spatially, the outermost is the Zone of Influence; this is the point at which an advancing individual causes a physical reaction in their opponent. For example, a step backwards, or a raising of the hands, is an indication that the aggressor has entered their opponent’s Zone of Influence, because they have influenced that person’s behavior.

The next closest zone is referred to as the Effective Striking Range; it is the area between the maximum range of a person’s back leg kick, and the maximum range of a lead hand strike in karate. Many aikido and kendo techniques are executed in this range, because it is the range that karate and kendo practitioners are most comfortable at. Finally, the Throwing Zone is the area inside the Effective Striking Range; this is the zone that judo and jujutsu practitioners prefer, for obvious reasons.

Physical Zones include High, Middle, and Low body areas. Most agree that the High zone is above the nipple line, the Middle zone is between the nipples and the groin, and the Low zone extends from the groin to the feet.

Maai is the Japanese term that refers to space-time/rhythm and distance relationships related to “Bridging the Gap.” How one gets from here to there is the real problem in effectively addressing conflict, physical or otherwise. Functions of maai that must be intimately understood include distance, angle (X, Y, and Z axis), rhythm, and speed.

The Compass and the Clockface are virtually identical concepts that relate the two-dimensional spatial relationship between the two opponents or partners. You should imagine that you stand in the center of a giant compass or clockface; your partner is standing at north or twelve o’clock. These concepts are especially useful in multiple-attacker training.

Defensive Footwork delineates three categories of responsive movement and each reflects a particular psychological persuasion. Jamming is any responsive footwork that moves you toward the attacker between the NE and NW compass points. Jamming is irimi. Jamming is endemic to bold, self-assured, or impatient individuals. Blocking is any responsive footwork that tends to hold ground including movement between the NE and SE or NW and SW compass points. Humans are territorial by nature; otherwise we would need national boundaries. Eighty percent of karate practitioners fall into the blocker category of defensive footwork. Running, or Moving, is any responsive footwork that moves you away from the attacker between the SE and SW compass points. Runners are typically high-strung, frail, and cautious people. Responsive footwork is more important to note than attack style; it is the clue to understanding your opponent or partner. Knowing how they are likely to react is key to successfully bridging the gap.

Initial orientation and stance considerations have four components:

1. Posture, attitude, kokoro. In Japanese, the word kokoro translates as both physical and psychological attitude; how adept! What is the initial placement/orientation of the hands (e.g. boxer’s guard)? Is there torso inclination? What is the stance width and depth? Does the particular stance favor power generation or mobility?

2. The initial angle of the feet. Is the person in riding, triangular, or natural stance?

3. Orientation: The relationship of one partner’s feet to the other person’s. Are you in an open-open (gyaku hanmi) or open-closed (ai hanmi) orientation?

4. Vector: What initial stepping movement occurs and at what clockface angle? Essentially, there are only a few different steps to learn. The pivot step is referred to as tenkai in aikido terminology. An avoidance step is called tenkan. The J step is tenshin-ashi, and shuffle stepping (tsugi-ashi) can be done several ways: lunging, shuffling, slide up, or skipping. Alternating or running step (e.g. normal walking or sprinting) is another, sometimes called ayumi-ashi. Spinning step is sometimes called furi-ashi, and also there is circle stepping where one moves along a perimeter.

5. Consideration must also be given to the vertical or Z axis. In aikido we practice hanmi handachi, in judo it’s a little different, in karate and kendo we target high, middle, and lower body targets. A spinning sickle sweep requires a different defense than a flying, spinning horse kick.

Observation: After years of teaching, it has become apparent that it is just as important to teach proper observation of the demonstration because it facilitates rapid understanding. Students should first observe the demonstrators’ initial orientation (i.e. open-open or open-closed relationship). The next point to note should be the stepping employed by each partner. After understanding those elements, the initiator’s (e.g. aite or uke) first action (e.g. grab or strike) should be observed. Finally, the respondent’s (e.g. shite or nage) redress should be noted.

The Risk-Benefit Ratio is a measure of an attack’s relative risk/benefit. A boxer’s jab, for instance, is a low risk, low benefit technique if executed by itself. You will not incapacitate your opponent with a jab, but you will not be very exposed to counterattack either. On the other hand, a jumping, spinning hook kick has a high risk, high benefit ratio. If the kick lands, such a technique can easily disable an opponent; but usually it doesn’t land. A flying, spinning backhand strike, is a good example of a high risk, low benefit technique. Chancing such a feeble attack puts one more at risk than anything else.

Angular Attack
So, finally, we are at a point where we can address the thesis of this article. There are five categories of Angular Attack for bridging the gap.

Now that we have established functional definitions for basic communication, it is possible to address more technical matters. Martial art techniques are like tools in a toolbox; the more you have, the more you can do. Depending on the tool selected, one can build or destroy. That said the process of learning angular attack theory may require a temporary abeyance of ethical considerations in training in order to permit an exploration of the available opportunities. Technical response and target selection in basic angular attack theory training may not present the highest possible ethical ideals only because the emphasis is on technical simplicity and communicating theoretical concepts. Once the concepts are understood, the user will gradually be able to adjust target and technical selection befitting their personal comfort in any given application. The higher the skill differential, the more benevolently one may respond.

http://www.aikidojournal.com/article?articleID=634

Saptamana UCHI DESHI Aikido Iwama Ryu

2010-08-23T05:44:00.000-07:00

Saptamana UCHI DESHI Aikido Iwama Ryu

Saptamana UCHI DESHI se va desfasura sub indrumarea lui Sensei THOMAS PODZELNY (4 DAN) din Germania. Sensei Thomas este elev al lui Hitohiro Saito Soke, Japonia

Stagiul se va desfasura in doua locatii: Bucuresti si litoral - Techirghiol. Iata programul si conditiile:

LOCATIA 1 : BUCURESTI ROMANIA

Str. Bradistei, nr. 8 - sector 2, zona Lizeanu - Stefan cel Mare, Bucuresti

DATA :28.08.-29.08.2010

PROGRAM:

SAMBATA : 28.08.2010

9H00-10H00 BUKI-WAZA

10H00-11H00 TAI-JUTSU

17H00-18H00 BUKI-WAZA

18H00-19H00 TAI-JUTSU

DUMINICA : 29.08.2010

9H00-10H00 BUKI-WAZA

10H00-11H00 TAI-JUTSU

COST STAGIU : 100 RON.

ACEST STAGIU ESTE ORGANIZAT IN SPECIAL PENTRU MEMBRII IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA CE NU POT PARTICIPA LA STAGIUL DE UCHI-DESHI DE LA TECHIRGHIOL.

EL ESTE GRATUIT PENTRU MEMBRII IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA CARE PARTICIPA LA AMBELE STAGII.

LOCATIA 2: TECHIRGHIOL JUD.CONSTANTA (pe litoralul romanesc)

PERIOADA :30.08.-03.09.2010

PROGRAM:

LUNI-VINERI : 30.08.2010 - 03.09.2010

6H30-7H30 MEDITATIE + SUBURI

7H30-8H30 micul dejun

8H30-10H30 BUKI-WAZA

10h30-10h45 pauza

11H00-13H00 TAI JUTSU

13H45 dejun

PROGRAM LIBER

19H00-20H00 cina

PROGRAM LIBER

CAZARE : PENSIUNEA CLUB M TECHIRGHIOL ( COSTURILE DE MASA SI CAZARE SUNT VALABILE NUMAI PENTRU MEMBRII IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA).

COST CAZARE : 30 RON DE PERSOANA IN CAMERA DUBLA ( LOCURI LIMITATE 10

CAMERE/20 LOCURI )

COST MASA : 50 RON DE PERSOANA PE ZI MENIU COMPLET (3 MESE PE ZI / OPTIONAL)

COST STAGIU : 200 RON DE PERSOANA

CELE DOUA STAGII SUNT DESCHISE PETRU ORICE PRACTICANT DE AIKIDO SAU ALTE ARTE MARTIALE CARE DORESTE SA STUDIEZE IWAMA RYU AIKIDO, INDIFERENT DE ORGANIZATIA DIN CARE FACE PARTE.

PRETURILE STAGIILOR SUNT CELE AFISATE ,FARA A BENEFICIA DE REDUCEREA DE CARE BENEFICIAZA MEMBRII IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA.

CAZAREA SI MASA PRACTICANTILOR DIN AFARA IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA SE VOR ASIGURA PE CONT PROPRIU.

LA ACEST STAGIU SE VOR ACORDA DIPLOME DE ABSOLVIRE A CURSURILOR DE BUKI-WAZA CE SE VOR PREDA LA ACEST STAGIU SI GRADE KYU PENTRU PRACTICANTII DE AIKIDO DIN AFARA IWAMA RYU AIKIDO ROMANIA CARE AU PARTICIPAT FRECVENT LA STAGIILE NOASTRE SI SI-AU INSUSIT TEHNICILE DE ARME PREDATE DE FONDATOR.

Contact: Iulian Stanescu

tel 0723269964, email dinamicaikido@yahoo.com

http://www.iwama-ryu.ro/

2010-07-25T11:45:00.000-07:00

The secrets of TAIJIQUAN
by Kamsang Law Copyright © 2007

chapter 1 - Relaxation
chapter 2 - Purpose of practising taijiquan
chapter 3 - Use of force of gravity
chapter 4 - How to prepare yourself to practice taijiquan
chapter 5 - More details to prepare yourself to practice
taijiquan
chapter 6 - More to prepare yourself to practice taijiquan
chapter 7 - How to move your arms and body
chapter 8 - The principles of Yin and Yang
chapter 9 - How to move your arms upwards when
chapter 10 - How to ‘sink’ without moving downwards
chapter 11 - How to link up different parts of the body and
limbs
chapter 12 - Joining the different parts of the body and
limbs into one entity
chapter 13 - Borrowing the force of gravity to fight in the
taijiquan way
chapter 14 - How to rotate your arms
chapter 15 - Let the water in the body flow
chapter 16 - How to obtain the force of gravity and to
maximise its effect
chapter 17 - Other essential details to watch when
practising taijiquan
chapter 18 - Power derived from ‘ba men jin’
chapter 19 - Principles behind the ‘ba men jin’
chapter 20 - Power derived from ‘wu bu'
chapter 21 - Why is taijiquan so called ?
chapter 22 - ‘Yi’ and ‘Qi’
chapter 23 - More about YIN YANG

chapter 1 - Relaxation
chapter 2 - Purpose of practising taijiquan
chapter 3 - Use of force of gravity
chapter 4 - How to prepare yourself to practice taijiquan
chapter 5 - More details to prepare yourself to practice
taijiquan
chapter 6 - More to prepare yourself to practice taijiquan
chapter 7 - How to move your arms and body
chapter 8 - The principles of Yin and Yang
chapter 9 - How to move your arms upwards when
chapter 10 - How to ‘sink’ without moving downwards
chapter 11 - How to link up different parts of the body and
limbs
chapter 12 - Joining the different parts of the body and
limbs into one entity
chapter 13 - Borrowing the force of gravity to fight in the
taijiquan way
chapter 14 - How to rotate your arms
chapter 15 - Let the water in the body flow
chapter 16 - How to obtain the force of gravity and to
maximise its effect
chapter 17 - Other essential details to watch when
practising taijiquan
chapter 18 - Power derived from ‘ba men jin’
chapter 19 - Principles behind the ‘ba men jin’
chapter 20 - Power derived from ‘wu bu'
chapter 21 - Why is taijiquan so called ?
chapter 22 - ‘Yi’ and ‘Qi’
chapter 23 - More about YIN YANG

THE END

DISCLAIMER
The author, the Registrant and/or the Administrator of this website are not responsible in any manner
whatsoever for any injury that may occur directly or indirectly from the use of this publication. The adoption and
application of the material offered in this publication is at the viewers' discretion and sole responsibility.

CHAPTER 1 - RELAXATION
_____________________________________________________________________
I have heard many people say that practising taijiquan (taiji means universe and quan
means fist or martial art form), which is a form of martial art developed by the
Chinese, is an excellent way to relax.

This is only half the truth, especially if you believe that to relax is just to flop on the
sofa and watch the television. If this is the kind of relaxation that you are after, there
is no need for you to learn taijiquan at all.

Great taijiquan masters believe that in order to relax or to loosen the body, we should
first of all use our mind to let every single cell of the body 'swell' and to increase the
distance of the cells so that all the blood vessels, internal organs and the whole body
become swollen. Note that I have not used the word 'expand' which may lead people
to think that power is required to expand their bodies and limbs. For the purpose of
practising taijiquan, no muscular power should be employed to expand any part of the
body. This requires 100% concentration because when trying to loosen every single
inch of the body, we should only use our mind to control this process and should NOT
use any muscular power to force the body to 'expand'.

If we stretch a rubber band, the rubber band will become elongated and tight.
However, when we examine the molecules in the rubber band, we can see that they
are further apart from one another than when the rubber band is in a 'non-extended' or
loose state.

We should develop our body and limbs to resemble the stretched state of a rubber
band. This can be achieved by using our mind

(a) to let every cell in our body swell,
(b) to let every joint, including those between the vertebrae according the spine, of
our body and limbs swell, and
(c) to increase the distance between the cells.

Our skin will then become stretched, similar to a stretched rubber band. The only
difference is that we should let all our cells 'swell' with our mind, whereas the rubber
band is stretched with muscular power.

This is a very important point to bear in mind. DO NOT use any muscular power to
expand your body and limbs. You should imagine that you are filling up every part of
your body with water or air gently. You should imagine that there is a bubble at every
joint inside your body and the bubbles are getting bigger and bigger. This is all
controlled by your mind and no muscular power should be used.

If every part of your body swells so that all the cells are like the molecules in a
stretched rubber band, your blood will circulate faster and all the muscles which have
been tightened through constant use will be able to rest and recover from fatigue.
After a while, you will feel that your skin becomes stretched and springy, giving you a
more youthful look.

This is a basic but very important prerequisite step to watch when practising taijiquan.

While you are concentrating on this exercise, you can forget about your work in the
office, board meetings or your household chores. This is genuine relaxation.

The cardinal principle of practising taijiquan is to use your mind to control your
movements and under no circumstances may muscular power be used.

CHAPTER 2 - Purpose of practising taijiquan
_______________________________________________________________
Is relaxation the end or the means of taijiquan?

It depends on what you are looking for?

If you wish to treat taijiquan as a form of martial arts for self-defence purpose,
relaxation is the means. Without relaxing or loosening up the different parts of the
body, you cannot dispatch or push your opponent efficiently and effectively because
any stiff parts of the body will block the smooth flow of energy, thus reducing the
effect of the dispatch either in the form of a blow or a push.

On the other hand, if you wish to seek relaxation from taijiquan, the high level of
concentration required to practise taijiquan and the resultant ‘loosening up’ of every
part of the body will give you what you are looking for. Once again, it must be
emphasized that relaxation is not equivalent to letting the body collapse flatly without
any life and spirits. Many people relax by having work-outs and other forms of
strenuous physical exercises; to them, relaxation is not equivalent to doing nothing and
gazing at the ceiling.

Whatever your purpose of practising taijiquan, the method is the same and the result
is the same.

What result? You will be able to ease off the tension in all parts of your body, to
recover from tiredness quickly, to increase your ability to concentrate on what you
have to concentrate on, to have a peaceful state of mind, to enjoy sound sleep, to feel
happy and confident and most important of all, to enjoy good health. With proper
training and regular practice, you can also defend yourself with taijiquan, which after
all is a martial art.

CHAPTER 3 - Use of force of gravity
_____________________________________________________________________
Contrary to the practice of some authors of taijiquan publications, I am not discussing
the meaning and origin of the term 'taiji' at this stage. For beginners, knowing why this
school of martial arts is called taijiquan is useful but does not
necessarily facilitate the learning process. This should be left to a later stage
otherwise we will get confused easily and find the whole concept too mystified.

Now, let us get back to how to learn and practise taijiquan. I am not going to teach
you how to perform the postures in the sequence of any particular taijiquan style
because people can easily learn this from other taijiquan masters or from some
taijiquan publications and videos. This book will focus on the WAY to do taijiquan and
not the forms and sequence. I will talk about WHAT MAKES YOU AND THE
DIFFERENT PARTS OF YOUR BODY MOVE instead of the sequences, strokes and
postures.

As I have said in the first chapter, you should concentrate on the process of trying to
make your whole body ‘swell’, that is, to ‘expand’ every single muscle and every single
organ, including all the hair on your skin. While you are doing this, you should be
standing upright, with your head floating up in the air like a balloon. However, do not
try to stick your head upwards with muscular power as this will render both your head
and your neck stiff.

Apart from your head which should be light and floating upwards in the air, the rest of
your body should be allowed to have direct contact with the force of gravity. What
does this mean?

Since birth, you have been acting against the force of gravity. For example, when you
raise your arms, you are acting against the force of gravity. When you walk, you are
also acting against the force of gravity. When you practise taijiquan, whether it be for
the purpose of combat or relaxation, you should make use of the force of gravity
which can be translated to mean your body weight. By using your body weight or the
force of gravity, you will be able to move your body and your arms without using
muscular power.

CHAPTER 4 - How to prepare yourself to practise taijiquan
_____________________________________________________________________
When you are preparing yourself to practise taijiquan, you should be standing with
your feet apart, the distance between the inner parts of the feet being the same as
the external width of your shoulders. As I have said in the last chapter, you should feel
that your head is gently floating in the air. As there is now tension between the scalp
and the chest, it is necessary for you to relax the chest at this point by exhaling gently
and also feel that all the muscles around your chest are swelling. You should also
make your shoulders swell; note that I have again used the term 'swell' because
'swell' sounds more passive as you should cause the swelling to happen without using
any muscular power at all. While you make your shoulders swell which really means
that you are relaxing your shoulders, you should feel that your arms are more or less
detached from the shoulders. Your arms and elbows have thus become heavier and
you should allow this feeling to reach the tips of your thumbs and fingers.

If you do not have this feeling on the first few days of practice, do not worry and be
patient. If you persist, the feeling as described above will creep in and will get
stronger by the day.

While you are relaxing your shoulders, the next step is to let your ribs drop, again by
making all the muscles around your chest and on your back swell.

While you are doing this, you should at the same time keep your head floating gently
upwards. You should also feel that the skin on this part of the body is stretched.

According to ancient taijiquan teachings, one should suck in the chest and raise the
back when practising taijiquan. My experience is that we should not do this on
purpose with our muscular power and make the chest appear to be concave and
pluck up the back. If you relax your shoulders and let the ribs drop, in other words, if
you let the force of gravity pull the shoulders and ribs downwards and do not use any
muscular power to hold them back, your chest will automatically sink in and appear to
be concave and your back will become full and round as if it protrudes upwards and
outwards. And do not forget to continue to keep your head floating upwards so that
the whole body does not collapse while you relax your shoulders and the rest of the
body.

What comes next is to relax your lower torso, the part of the body between the chest
and hip. In order to enable this part of the body to loosen up, you should first of all
feel that there is space or indeed air bubbles in the hip joints, that is, the joints
between the thigh bones (femurs) and the pelvis. You should alsouse your mind to tell
you that the muscles surrounding the joints are swelling. This feeling enables the joints
and the muscles in the lower torso to loosen up, thus allowing the torso to drop
downwards, carried by its weight. Beginners tend to withhold the lower torso back
because they cannot loosen the muscles at the small of the back. Your mind should
try to counteract this and try to concentrate on relaxing every muscle by thinking that
every muscle is swelling.

After you have practised this posture for some time, you will feel that all the internal
organs inside your body are pulled downwards by the force of gravity. You will feel
that the abdomen is round and full, and there is a warm feeling in the dantian, the area
which is about three inches below the navel inside your body.

At this stage, both thigh bones should have been wedged open by the weight of the
torso, the spine and the pelvis. You should flex slightly your legs which should curve
also slightly outwards as if they form a circle. When doing so, again, you should never
use any muscular power to achieve this. The mindset should be that let the weight of
the body mass do the work.

If there is real relaxation at this part of the body, the bottom of the spine, that is, the
coccyx, will turn upwards slightly as if it is supporting the dantian. This posture will
provide more sturdy support and balance for the entire body.

Beginners will at this point feel that their knees are under a lot of pressure because
much weight has been placed on them. What they should do is to relax the knees and
use the mind to develop the feeling that the knees are light and are also floating
upwards. They should try to transfer the weight of the body to the feet by simply
placing the feet on the ground. They should NOT under any circumstances use the
muscular power of the legs to press their feet hard against the ground. It should be
remembered all the time that the use of muscular power in any part of the body,
including the limbs, will nullify whatever relaxation that they may achieve in other parts
of the body.

CHAPTER 5 - More details to prepare yourself to practise taijiquan
_____________________________________________________________________
The kind of relaxation or loosening up described by me cannot be achieved within a
short period of time. Furthermore, as there are so many things to remember and to
watch out for, you tend to overlook certain things when practising taijiquan.
However, even if you cannot achieve a high degree of relaxation initially, which can
only be acquired with practice, you can still reap the benefit of the exercise. We can
'accumulate' or increase relaxation gradually.

And not to discourage you from taking up taijiquan as a hobby, may I add that what I
have said in the previous chapter is just the outline. There are even more skills
concerning the mind and the body that we should observe than those I have
mentioned.

When you start practising taijiquan, you should adopt a tranquil and quiet mind but at
the same time, you should maintain high spirits and a cheerful mood which facilitate
the floating up of the head. You should also concentrate on what you are trying to do.
Apart from the tip of the head which should be floating upwards gently, you should
also feel that the upper tips of both ears are floating upwards as well. This is
necessary to enable the whole body mass to be maintained in an upright position. This
is also necessary because taijiquan is based on the concept of YIN and YANG (and of
course there is the CENTRE in YIN and YANG which many people are not aware of)
which I will explain in detail at a later stage.

We believe that everything has roots. A taijiquan practitioner should imagine that his
root is at the head and not the feet. Many people have mixed up the Chinese
characters "root" and "heel" which have the same pronunciation in Chinese, which
is "gen". The Chinese character "root" has the character "wood" as a radical and that
is why this character means the root of a plant. On the other hand, the Chinese
character "heel" has another Chinese character "foot" as a radical and it means heel.
If the taijiquan practitioner's root is at the top, it is not easy to upset his balance and
to make him fall. On the other hand, if his root is at the feet, he may lose his balance
if he is pushed by his opponent.

Although I have said that the root is at the head, it is important to remember that there
should NOT be any root at all. Can you tell me whether a ball can fall after you have
pushed it? It just does not fall because it has no root. When there is no fixed root, root
is everywhere to be found.

CHAPTER 6 - More to prepare yourself to practise taijiquan
_____________________________________________________________________
I appear to have been contradicting myself by saying that a taijiquan practitioner’s root
should be at the head on the one hand and then saying that there should not be any
root at all on the other. The 'root' stage is where you should start from. After you have
practised taijiquan for some time, your body and mind will become one and the whole
body mass will become so relaxed (relaxed in the taijiquan sense) that all the cells will
be linked together like the particles in a slightly stretched rubber band. When one end
of the rubber band is pulled, the force does not only affect the particles at that end,
but it will also affect the entire band. When you reach that stage, the finger tips of
your right hand will be linked to the finger tips of your left hand through all the cells
along both arms and the chest. They are also linked up with the rest of the body,
including your toes. The whole body will just be like a balloon filled up with water. You
can feel as heavy as you like or as light as we would wish.

Let me come back to the way you should prepare yourselves before you actually start
doing taijiquan. While you are following the steps mentioned in the previous chapters,
you should be breathing naturally. You should also be watching the internal working of
the body; 30% of your sight should be following the movement of the index finger that
is further away from the body, while the remaining 70% of your sight should be
'looking internally'. This means that you should be watching or controlling with your
mind the inside of your body and the rest of the body and the limbs. This is important
because whenever you move, you should move (by this, I mean internal movement
and not physical movement, which I will explain later) all the different parts of the body
at the same time so that all the energy (again, not muscular power) can be
summonsed to strike your opponent. I will talk about this when I discuss the practising
of taijiquan, which involves the internal movement of all the different parts of the body.

Although only 30% of your attention is paid to the movement of your hands, you
should be looking with focus.

You should also pay particular attention to hearing. You should use 30% of your
hearing sensation to listen to the outside world while the remaining 70% should be
used to listen to the inside of the body. Here, to make life simpler for you, just
interpret the word 'listening' as 'feeling'.

The tip of your tongue should be touching the part between the palate and the upper
front teeth so as to facilitate the secretion of saliva.

I will discuss how you should move the different parts of your body to practise
taijiquan, starting with the arms, in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 7 - How to move your arms and your body
_____________________________________________________________________
Before I talk about the way in which the arms and the other parts of the body should
be moved, it would be remiss of me not to introduce my teacher, Master Zhuanghong
WANG. Master Wang is an exceptionally intelligent person; he has
profound knowledge not only of taijiquan, but also of classical Chinese, especially the
Yi Jing, Dao De Jing and also the teachings of Buddhism, although he himself is not a
Buddhist. He is also an expert in the appraisal and evaluation of old prints of Chinese
calligraphy stone rubbings and a seasoned Chinese calligrapher. He is able to apply
Chinese philosophy to taijiquan, the principles of which are based entirely on Chinese
philosophical teachings. The style of taijiquan that he teaches is called the WANG
style, which is not named after himself but after Master Zongyue WANG, who is the
author of the Taijiquan Treatise. This treatise is short and concise, I
suppose so concise that many sentences and phrases are subject to different
interpretations. Because of his deep appreciation of classical Chinese, especially
Chinese philosophy, and his profound skills of different styles of martial arts, Master
Zhuanghong WANG is able to apply every single character in the Taijiquan Treatise to
the practice of taijiquan.

As I have emphasized before, the most important and basic principle of practising
taijiquan is not to use muscular power to move the body and arms. Instead we should
use our mind to control all the movements. This is not easy for beginners
who, to begin with, ‘may be allowed’ to use muscular power to assist the movement of
the body and limbs. However, they are expected to reduce the use of muscular power
gradually and to use the mind to control all the movements as they make progress.

The natural question to ask is how to use the mind. As a start, you have to use
imagination and external images to assist you in moving your body and limbs.

Let us start with moving your arms and hands. After you have prepared your mind,
head and body as discussed in previous chapters, imagine that there are ten balloons
each of which is tied to the tips of your thumbs and fingers. Imagine that they are
lifting your hands in a semi-circle to the front until both arms form a circle in front of
your chest. Since you are not using any muscular power to lift your arms, every single
cell in both hands and arms is in direct contact with the force of gravity; therefore, you
will feel the weight of both arms and hands. The less muscular power you use to float
your arms upwards, the heavier your arms will become.

Another way to assist you in moving your arms and hands to form a circle in front of
your chest is to imagine that there is a magnetic force attracting your hands upwards
and to the front until both arms form a circle in front of your chest.

However, these are very preliminary ways of moving your arms and are not really the
taiji way of moving the different parts of your body. You should use the YIN and
YANG principles which I will discuss in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 8 - The principles of YIN and YANG
_____________________________________________________________________
Many people have said that YIN and YANG represent the two opposing ends or
properties of an idea or a substance. For example, YIN represents void or emptiness
and YANG represents solidness; YIN left and YANG right; YIN women
and YANG men; YIN soft and YANG hard, YIN up and YANG down etc. However, let
us take a look at the taiji diagram below:

Taiji Diagram

The area covered
in black is YIN and that covered in white is YANG. Both YIN and YANG occupy
exactly half of the diagram. However, the diagram is not separated into two halves by
a straight line but by an 'S' shape curve. One end of YIN is larger than the other end
and it decreases in size until the other end tapers off. As the YIN reduces in size,
YANG becomes more dominant. The reverse is also true.

Within the YIN half of the taiji diagram, there is a
YANG radical and vice versa. Therefore YIN YANG does not simply represent two
opposing or different properties but represents the constant change of two opposing
or different properties in a continuum. The principles of YIN YANG
were propounded in the 'Yi Jing' or the ‘Book of Changes’ in which divinatory symbols
are used to predict the changes in response to questions on the future. Therefore YIN
YANG does not represent static matters like black and white.

YIN cannot exist on its own, neither can YANG. There is YIN in YANG and there is
YANG in YIN. Without YANG, YIN cannot survive and without YIN, YANG will perish.
They cannot be separated from each other. Their ebbs and surges change as YIN
and YANG alternate and eventually, YIN is YANG and YANG is YIN. YIN and YANG
complement one another and also oppose and counteract one another.

YIN and YANG are the product of taiji (universe). Since the principles of YIN and
YANG are employed as the theoretical backbone of this style of martial art, this style
is therefore named taijiquan. Having briefly explained the principles of YIN and YANG,
we will discuss how to use these principles to practise taijiquan in the next chapter.

CHAPTER 9 - How to move your arms upwards when practising taijiquan
_____________________________________________________________________
Moving something upwards islifting or raising it. However, I have avoided using the
words 'lift' or 'raise' in the title of this chapter because these two words may mislead
you to think that muscular power may be used to move your arms upwards when
practising taijiquan. Let me repeat here: using muscular power to do anything when
practising taijiquan is against the taijiquan principles. You should use the concept of
YIN and YANG and the force of gravity to move the different parts of your body.

Let us take a look at a see-saw. When one side falls, the other side rises. And when
the higher side falls, the lower side rises. The see-saw is the best example to
demonstrate the principles of YIN and YANG. We can say that the higher side of a
see-saw is YIN and the lower side is YANG. When some weight is added to the
higher side, it falls. The higher side becomes the lower side and vice versa. As YIN
falls, YANG rises and therefore YIN becomes YANG and YANG becomes YIN. The
see-saw cannot be a see-saw without the higher side and the lower side.
Furthermore, the higher side cannot be the higher side without the lower side and the
lower side cannot be the lower side without the higher side. The proves that YIN
cannot be separated from YANG and YANG cannot be separated from YIN.

While the ultimate aim is to move your arms as if they are ribbons or to make them
move or flow like water, let us as a start treat your right forearm and your right upper
arm as two separate entities. Divide the forearm into two halves so that the middle of
the forearm becomes the fulcrum of a lever or the support of a see-saw. Let the
weight of the elbow bring the forearm downwards so that the wrist rises. The
important thing to remember here is that the position of the middle of the right forearm
should be fixed, just like the support of a see-saw which is also fixed. Still fixing the
position of the middle of the right forearm, this time let the right wrist drop by not
acting against the force of gravity, resulting in the elbow rising up.

You have just let the weight of one end of your forearm move your forearm. When you
are doing this, you are making use of the force of gravity to do the work for you,
instead of labouring yourself away.

While you are doing this, try to concentrate on the following:

a. keep all the fingers, the palm and the wrist relaxed, with the feeling that they swell
like the rest of the body. In other words, ‘pay attention’ to them and do not let go of
them.

b. relax the shoulder. Many people have mistaken this to mean the shoulder joint. Of
course you ought to relax the shoulder joint, but it is equally, if not more, important to
relax the shoulder, that is, the part between the joint and the neck.

c. most important of all, remember all the essential points that you have to watch out
for to prepare yourselves for practising taijiquan, that is, float your head upwards,
relax your chest so that it caves in, let your ribs drop as much as possible, relax and
open up your hip joints, relax your knees and rest your feet on the ground.

I am repeating myself many times because it is so easy to overlook some of the
essential points.

After you have practised the movement of the right forearm in this manner,

1. try your right palm, using the middle of your right palm as the centre; then

2. your right upper arm, using the middle of your right upper arm as the centre;

3. after you have tried all three parts, try to do this procedure with all the three
parts linked up together, starting with your right palm, then right forearm and then
upwards to your right upper arm; and

4. while you are performing this continuous movement, try to relax the remaining
parts of the arm and shoulder, and of course the whole body.

You should repeat the whole procedure with your left arm and then do both arms at
the same time.

Important to note: Whenever you move your arms, do not move the upper arm,
forearm and palm at the same time. Move the three joints linking the three parts in
sequence; either shoulder, elbow and then wrist; or wrist, elbow and then shoulder.
This is how a whip is moved. Further details will be provided in Chapter 11.

You may find it difficult to follow the above procedure in the beginning because it
requires an extremely high degree of concentration and coordination to control the
sequential movements fo the three parts. However, if you persist and concentrate,
you will be able to move your arms without using any muscular power at all.

We will discuss how you can cause your arms to rise in the next chapter. Note I have
again avoided using the word 'lift' here. Indeed the best 'verb' for this movement is
'float', that is, you float your arms upwards. The crux is to let the fulcrum or the centre
move instead of fixing its position. This is different from what I have said before and
we will discuss this later.

CHAPTER 10 - How to ‘sink’ without moving downwards
____________________________________________________________________
What I have said is the way beginners may move their arms. This is not the ultimate
way. One important thing that you have to bear in mind is that when you wish to move
a certain part of your body, you do not move that specific part of the body directly
because if you do, you will have to use muscular power. What you should do is to
move other parts of the body with the assistance of the force of gravity so that the
part of the body which you wish to move will be moved as a result. For example, if
you wish to raise your right arm, you do not actually raise your right arm. What you
should be doing is to further relax the left side of your body and your left arm and feel
that the left side of your body and your left arm are heavier than the right side of your
body and your right arm. By so doing, your right arm will move and with more
practice, your right arm will rise. In the whole process, you must not move the position
of your spine which should act as the fulcrum of a lever, although the spine itself may
turn. Note the difference between the spine itself and its position.

While the Chinese character ‘chen’ is normally used to describe one’s feeling of the
left side of one’s body in the process described above, this character, which means
‘sink’, is most misleading and has caused problems not only to myself when I was a
novice but also many of my fellow learners. The word ‘sink’ in the context of playing
taijiquan really means that while you are relaxing one side of your body, say the left
side, you can feel that the left side becomes heavier but at the same time you should
keep your head floating upwards thus maintaining the left side of your body in more or
less the same position. Since the left side is heavier, it raises the right side of your
body. The right side of your body thus floats upwards without any muscular power
being used. The spine remains in the same position and acts as the fulcrum. If the
process is tampered with by any muscular power, you will not be able to bring about
the desired effect of causing the opposite side of the body to rise. For example, if you
try to assist the upward movement of the right side by lifting it, you will lose the
floating effect. This process is what we call ‘move internally’.

If you combine the movement described in the previous two paragraphs with the
movement of the right arm and right hand described in the previous chapter, you
should be able to float your right arm and right hand without using any muscular power
at all. Of course, this requires a lot of practice and coordination of the different parts
of the body; this also requires the use of the mind. I have bolded the word rise in the
first paragraph above because ultimately, you should feel that the right arm should
float upwards without its weight being reduced by any muscular power. The target
you should be aiming at is to float your arms.

Read all book here:

http://www.chinesechinese.net/Taiji.html

Interview with Robert Nadeau by Stanley Pranin

2010-05-05T02:35:00.001-07:00

http://www.aiki-dojo.ch/AIKIDO_in_Z%C3%BCrich/Robert_Nadeau_Shihan_files/Nadeau%20Interview.pdf

Aikido Info

Stagiu Aikido cu Shihan Hiroaki Izumi

Programul stagiului este urmatorul:

Detalii despre stagiu: http://aiki4all.com/stagiu_izumi.html Formular de inscriere: http://aiki4all.com/inscriere_stagiu.html

Aikido, The Samurai Spirit

Aikido, The Samurai Spirit

Aikido Basics, Shoheijuku Dogo, Japan

Aikido Basics, Shoheijuku Dogo, Japan

Donovan Waite Randori

HD - Aikido Shihan Donovan Waite Sensei - 2011 USA, Burlington - Randori Explained

HD - Aikido Shihan Donovan Waite Sensei - 2011 USA, Burlington - RandoriExercise #2

Kotegaeshi Cartwheel Ukemi

Kotegaeshi Cartwheel Ukemi

Tai Chi Warmups & Push Hands Exercises

Randori - Some Hints

Aikido Push Hands

Randori

“Aikido and Mind-Body Integration,” by Curtis L.V. Adams, M.D.

“Aikido and Mind-Body Integration,” by Curtis L.V. Adams, M.D.

Yoga Warmups for Aikido demonstrated by Stanley Pranin

Yoga Warmups for Aikido demonstrated by Stanley Pranin

Can Aikido Breakfalls Really Protect You?

George Ledyard - Open Letter to My Students

George Ledyard's All Things Aikido - Open Letter to My Students

Educational Aikido – a short sample lesson

On the Passing of My Teacher — Soshu, Koichi Tohei Sensei , by David Shaner

On the Passing of My Teacher — Soshu, Koichi Tohei Sensei , by David Shaner

Ki in Aikido: A Sampler of Ki Exercises

Ki in Aikido: A Sampler of Ki ExercisesThe book: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22819329/Ki-in-Aikido

A Review of the Book by C M Shifflett

Tai Chi Combat Lessons - Master Wong

Aikido Seminar - Alessandro Tittarelli Shihan 7th Dan - June 04, 2011

June 04, 2011 thru June 05, 2011

Aikido Warmup

Serban Derlogea - Carti

Serban Derlogea - Carti Aikido, Taijiquan, Manual de supravietuire

Kodo: Ancient Ways - Kensho Furuya

Kodo: Ancient Ways

Book Summary:

Review by: Ze'ev Erlich - Israeil Aikido Association (Aikikai) Aikikan Dojo

Koichi Tohei - Fundamental Concept Principle And Elementary Course

Dan Puric - Desavarsirea prin Aikido

Dan Puric - Desavarsirea prin Aikido

Tai sabaki Exercise

Aikido, Spiral Movement

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: Tenkan

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: Tenkan

Aikido Kensho Furuya sensei :: ukemi

Aikido pentru toţi - Serban Derlogea

Aikido pentru toţi

Stagii Internationale Aikido 2011

Ryan Doyle - Parkour Roll Tutorial

Ryan Doyle - Parkour Roll Tutorial

Tai Chi Chuan 24 Steps Beginners Lesson 1

Tai Chi Chuan 24 Steps Beginners Lesson 1

Taiji quan yang style 108 application

Tai Chi 24-form

Flip Fall & Dive Roll in Slow motion

Fat men can jump. And they can land safely.

Flip Fall & Dive Roll in Slow motion

Stagii Aikido in Romania - 2011

Cenneth Sensei la Constanta in Mai 2011

- Nationale

- Internationale

Randori

Stagiu Aikido cu Hiroaki Izumi

The Psychology of Aikido by George S. Ledyard

Aikido Zoo Ukemi

Aikido Randori and Jiyu Waza

Aikido Front Feather Fall Instruction - Ostoff Style

Aikido Principles - Leading and Following

Waveform Aikido

Ukemi Practice

Ukemi Core Training

Basic Ukemi Progression: Forward Rolls to Standard Breakfalls

USF Back Feather Breakfall Instruction

Forward Solo Feather Falls

Aikido Technique Movies

Aikido for beginners - Kensho Furuya sensei

Slow Movement with Awareness: Better than Exercise?

Detalii despre stagiu: http://aiki4all.com/stagiu_izumi.html

Formular de inscriere: http://aiki4all.com/inscriere_stagiu.html

HD - Aikido Shihan Donovan Waite Sensei - 2011 USA, Burlington - Randori

Exercise #2

Ki in Aikido: A Sampler of Ki Exercises

The book: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22819329/Ki-in-Aikido

Can Alexander Technique Help
Students Master Tai Chi Chuan Practice?