Thoughts on the martial art “aikido” and the continuing search for peace in the face of conflict…
As air enters the body your muscles and organs have to adjust to make room. If you are tense or in a rigid posture, deep breathing is not going to be comfortable because you are essentially squishing your internal organs to make room for air. Breathing is a great way of improving your level of relaxation and body alignment if you use how it feels to breathe as a guide for adjusting your body and releasing unnecessary tension. Continue reading Breathing is a form of stretching…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxd-4oQAXnQ]
Samurai, monks, rulers, and schoolchildren are taught the way of the brush as a way of understanding the deeper meaning of culture and language. That being said, this is an amazing way to start learning about the characters central to aikido practice. Continue reading Calligraphy, Characters, and “Magic Paper”
The principles of Sarete are the correlations between Aikido technique and Aikdo philosophy. These principles are also the bridge between development on the mat and implementing results in daily life.
Sarete is supported by research showing that traditional martial arts build necessary life-skills and have a unique potential to produce positive results.This is in contrast to sports, aerobics, and competition-focused martial arts. (Trulson, 84; Nejafi, 2003) Continue reading Benefits of Traditional Martial Arts; 30 Years of Research
Breathing should be the most natural strait forward practice but how you breath must be effortless to produce relaxing benefits. So what was I doing wrong? Taking a deep breath makes my body feel tense, breathing slowly makes me tense and focusing on abdominal breathing makes me tense which is not relaxing. This is what I figured out… Continue reading “Take a deep breath,” not that easy
It’s a lot like dancing is one of the first books published by an american aikidoist that conveyed the potential for unifying physical and philosophical peacemaking in the practice of a martial art. Continue reading Terry Dobson; Aikido through the eyes of relationships
Saito Sensei explains the most basic technical and philosophical element of aikido. “Awase” is blending with the intention of an attack. In other versions of this same explanation (Lost Seminars) Saito Sensei explains that aikido does not attempt to change the intent; Continue reading The mind of the attacker…
Anno Sensei successfully gives the reader the feeling of aikido, moving beyond anecdotes and ideas into sharing the internal experience of the aikidoist. If you are not feeling this in your aikido practice, look for it.
