Some teachers use the terms Uke and Nage and some prefer Uke and Tori. Both have different meanings but the different terms remind us of our tendency to focus on throwing our partner. In contrast many of O’sensei’s direct students repeat that “it is not about the throw.” Aikido removes the possibility for an attack while giving an opportunity to “take ukemi” Continue reading It’s not about the throw… Nage vs Tori →

Tom Osborn asked himself the question, “what is my aikido;” he discovered that his answer was that aikido was what allowed him to leave the “areana of warfighting.” After the Vietnam War Tom was struggling with PTSD and in looking back he believes that the practice of aikido provided a unique and powerful resource for recovery. Continue reading Aikido for Veterans in Virginia →

Kaz Tanahashi, who practiced aikido with O’sensei and helped translate one of O’sensei’s biographies as well as being a respected authority on Zen and Shodo is the artist of the works in this post. All things start with a single point but to create form and substance connections must be made. Continue reading Kaz Tanahashi and the Enso of Aikido →