I asked my son what he was building and he said, “a Sukkot” which was a part of the celebration at the Jewish preschool he attends. I shared this with a fellow aikidoist from Israel when I was abroad; what brought us together was a shared practice of Aikido but what was celebrated was the shared practices we were surprised to discover. Continue reading Beyond a Shared Practice; Sukkot in the Living Room →

Saotome Sensei speaks of the martial arts as having evolved out of warrior practices who’s original intent was to overcome our primal fears to pursue higher ideals. He goes on to explore Aikido’s uniqueness in the constant focus on de-ai or “the moment of encounter” to “secure vitality in the face of death… in favor of action based on compassion and affinity for all things.” . Continue reading “Entering into Harm’s Way;” Confronting our Primal Self →

Aikido, non-violence, and conflict resolution is not about being nice. They are about compassion, live-giving, and joy… I realized Aikido could be about practicing joy when I was able to be in class with Sidali Selloum Sensei. Continue reading It’s not about being nice… →

Sarete was featured in this month’s Aiki Extension newsletter. The article highlights a recent pilot program where residents participated in 7 weeks of Sarete. One resident explained his experience by saying, “I don’t know if this sounds weird,” said one resident, his eyes opening wide, “but I felt like the ground was shaking beneath me and I realized that I had always thought my power came from the ability to strike. I just realized that my power can come from my resolve and my resilience.” Continue reading Sarete at the Richmond City Justice Center →