Click here to read more
Daily practice begins with tai no henko. First, open your fingers. The basis of ura movements is footwork. If you look at your partner even slightly, his body will separate from you and there will be too much space between you. In ura techniques, parry the strike from the gyaku hanmi position. In this way, you will be able to execute a rapid and effective technique…
May
23
Quotable quotes from Morihiro Saito’s “Takemusu Aikido: Background & Basics”
May
23
Morihiro Saito: “I went to strike him and tumbled over!”
Click here to watch video
Then, as I stood on the mat in the dojo rolling up my shirt sleeves thinking to myself, “Well, since I’ve come all the way here I might as well learn a couple of techniques,” O-Sensei said, “Come and strike me!” So I went to strike him and tumbled over. I don’t know whether it was kotegaeshi or some other technique, but I was thrown. Next he said, “Come and kick me!” When I tried to kick him I was gently overturned. “Come and grab me!” I tried to grab him judo-style and again I was thrown without knowing how. My shirt sleeve and my pants ripped…
May
23
Popular video! Yasuo Kobayashi, 8th dan, demonstrates aikido atemi and pressure points
Click here to watch video
In this video, Yasuo Kobayashi, 8th dan, demonstrates aikido atemi and pressure points. During his demonstration, he shows a variety of atemi (combative strikes) and pressure points whose application increases the level of effectiveness of aikido techniques…
May
22
Historical photo: The amazing chameleon photo of O-Sensei from 1922, by Stanley Pranin
Click here to read more
Four versions? Yes, the Daito-ryu placard first disappears altogether in the first publication of the photo. Then it reappears with the “Daito-ryu” characters missing, leaving only the “Aikijujutsu” characters. What’s a poor aikido historian to do? Then, the original photo you see here appears for the first time. Next, some of the characters are again omitted, but not in the same way as the first altered photo. Finally and miraculously, the unretouched photo again resurfaces, hopefully to remain intact. Strange workings of the kamisama?…
May
22
Morihei Ueshiba to Morihiro Saito: “Why do you want to learn aikido?”
Click here to watch video
As O-Sensei sat down Abe immediately placed a cushion down for him. He really moved fast to help O-Sensei. Sensei stared at me and asked, “Why do you want to learn aikido?” When I replied that I’d like to learn if he would teach me, he asked, “Do you know what aikido is?” There was no way I could have known what aikido was. Then Sensei added, “I’ll teach you how to serve society and people with this martial art.”
May
22
Morihiro Saito: “Learning to fight for the benefit of society”
Click here to watch video
There was this old man doing strange techniques up in the mountains near Iwama. Some people said he did karate, while a judo teacher told me his art was called “Ueshiba-ryu judo.” It was frightening up there and I was afraid to go. I had a very strange feeling about the place. It was eerie, but some of my friends and I agreed to go up and have a look. However, my friends got cold feet and failed to show up. So I went alone…
May
22
Free hi-res download: “Morihei Ueshiba wielding the Nuboko”
Click here to read more
We are pleased to offer readers an extraordinary action image of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba for your collection. This unusual photo shows O-Sensei performing a type of misogi purification practice that reflects his Omoto-inspired Shinto beliefs, the lens through which the Founder viewed the world, and his mission in creating and spreading aikido…
May
22
“Morotedori Kokyuho starts from gyaku hanmi and you must extend ki through your arm!”
Click here to watch video
Raise your hands upward, pulling your partner off balance and enter behind him with your left foot. Shift your weight to your left foot and extend your arms towards your partner’s head to execute
the throw. Be sure that your eyes continue to look forward to avoid a possible kicking counter….
May
22
Where to look to take your kokyunage to the expert level?
Click here to read more
Focus your training on one of Aikido’s trademark throwing techniques: Kokyunage. You need to internalize these movements to raise your art to the next level. Takemusu Aikido, Volume 4: Kokyunage presents some 80 variations of kokyunage that will acquaint your with the essential details of this technique…
May
21
“Do not look at uke when executing Morotedori Kokyuho!”
Click here to watch video
The spacing, or maai, between you and your partner will be wrong if you look at him. If you face the same direction with the feeling of enveloping him, you will stay close to him and he will be unable to escape. If you look at your partner even slightly, his body will separate from you and there will be too much space between you…
May
21
“Do not look at uke when executing Morotedori Kokyuho!”
Click here to watch video
The spacing, or maai, between you and your partner will be wrong if you look at him. If you face the same direction with the feeling of enveloping him, you will stay close to him and he will be unable to escape. If you look at your partner even slightly, his body will separate from you and there will be too much space between you…
May
21
Must watch… Rumiko Hayes — “More Martial Magic of the Diminutive Ninja Lady!”
Click here to watch video
This video presents another inspiring display of this incredible martial artist. Rumiko Hayes’ perfectly timed soft-style manuevers take advantage of positional and anatomical weaknesses to control her opponent. These movements are beyond style and much martial wisdom awaits the careful observer!…
