“Speed is the most important factor in an effective Chin Na technique. With many Chin Na techniques (the application) you need to use only one-half or even one-third of the power of your opponent. However, without speed you will not be able to control your opponent before he escapes or reacts against you. There are, however, many other Chin Na techniques which do require considerable power to execute and to maintain control.”
Brian Kagen is an avid web researcher with a particular interest in martial arts. His training background includes both judo and aikido. He has contributed hundreds of article links over the years for AJ readers.
“Don’t let the things you can’t do prevent you from doing the things you can do.” – John Wooden
Shumeikai Italia is an Aikido association founded a few years ago in order to gather under a common roof a number of independent dojos whose common characteristic is the adoption of Tamura Nobuyoshi Shihan’s model as a general orientation in their practice. Its name reflects this orientation, being inspired by that of Tamura Sensei’s dojo “Shumeikan” in Bras (Provence, France). While taking care of the group identity, the association supports a project towards a possible unification of the Aikido environment in Italy and has been instrumental in establishing an Aikido body, AI – Aikido Italia, that comprises four independent organizations to date.
The interview below with 9th dan Shihan, Hiroshi Tada, has been selected from the 
The article below has been selected from the 
The article below has been selected from the 
“Reading it in its entirety, I realized that Taoism according to Lao Tzu is very close to the ideas forming the base of aikido. The Tao Te Ching preaches yielding, and acting minutely instead of bombastically. The ideal of wu-wei, doing nothing, might not be immediately applicable to a martial art, but doing as little as possible is indeed related to the aiki solution.”
The term “Taking the law into your own hands” is at the core of all law. But this phrase has been given an extremely dangerous spin.
Tezuka Akira Shihan, Kokusai Budo Seifukai, Aikido 8th dan, passed away Nov. 9, 2008 at 11 PM, of liver cancer in Shizuoka City, Japan. He was 63 years old.
“Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, he was a student of Seishiro Okazaki the founder Danzan Ryu from whom he received a Certificate of Mastery on 1948-02-22. He trained under Juan Gomez, and Ken Kawachi (Hawaiian judo champion) in the early 40′s. Through his experience, he developed his own system called Small Circle Jujitsu.”
“Without a first strike whether it be proactive and/or a strictly defensive measure, aikido without proper hard atemi is useless. Now the real question remains; what is atemi? Is it a punch? Is it a distraction, as in the way O-Sensei taught. Or do you really need to give that attacker that first punch to the head to be really effective. In my mind, the answer is yes. This may make aikido a little more than boxing with flourish, but this is the conclusion I’ve come too.”