A Visit to the Colorado TORI Shrine at Shambala
by Sean Hannon Sensei Late this summer, I took a weekend drive up to the Shambala Mountain Retreat near Red Feather Lake, Colorado. I’d heard about the Japanese TORII gates and KAMI SHINTO shrine at the retreat, but had yet to make the trip. The weather, roads, and traffic were all cooperating with one another,…
Twilight Samurai
When people think about a Japanese samurai movie, one assumes it will be full of stereotypical sword fights and gratuitous bloodshed. However, 2002’s The Twilight Samurai surprised me. I loved this movie. It was a personal story, an intimate one, as opposed to some epic societal shift of an entire culture. Able to completely suspend my…
AIKIDO for Stress Relief
A unique Japanese form of self-defense that provides stress relief? How’s that possible? There is a great form of stress relief available in Castle Rock. AIKIDO (pronounced ‘eye’-‘key’-‘do’) is a powerful Japanese martial art that fully engages your mind and body and provides an excellent outlet for stress relief. AIKIDO is a martial art, but…
Humility: The Nature of AIKIDO
What is Humility? How does it relate to AIKIDO? There is a quality of humility that is a core aspect of in the nature of AIKIDO. But, what exactly is humility? Webster’s definition is “reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission.” Then, to what are we submitting or deferring in our…
The Greater Good
The Positive KI Energy of AIKIDO Positive thoughts create positive results. This is something that is starting to be talked about more and more these days; from modern day spiritual gurus to the corporate board rooms. Of course, that’s all for profit and reputation. There is nothing new or secret about it as some books…
TOSHI: Aging & AIKIDO
by Tip Harris SENSEI As I recently celebrated my 80th birthday, I presume that I have reached the point where I am considered a “senior martial artist”. Reflecting on my nearly 40 years of AIKIDO training, I have noticed that all people age, some slowly in good health and others quickly and in ill health….
YAKUSOKU-KEIKO: The NAGE and UKE Relationship in AIKIDO Training
When we train in AIKIDO, we use the KATA method of training. That is, after the SENSEI has demonstrated the attack and defense, and demonstrated the role he/she expects the NAGE (the person performing a defensive technique) and UKE (the person attacking) to perform, we pair up with a partner and alternate the roles of…
The Importance of AIKIDO Basics
AIKIDO is different from other martial arts in that we can harness a weaker or smaller force to overcome a stronger or larger force or opponent. When we watch an advanced Sensei demonstrate a technique, we can’t help but admire how effortless and smoothly the instructor seems to be. We aspire to learn and emulate…
Along the Way
“The Way is in training.” – Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) by Dan Duche People train AIKIDO for a variety of different reasons. Recently, I was sharing with Hannon Sensei how, in many ways, I felt like I was starting over again, having been promoted to YUDANSHA (black belt) in 2019. The context wasn’t so much about…
The Book of Five Rings: Introduction
The Classic Japanese Text on the Way of Strategy by Miyamoto Musashi (1584-1645) Part 1 of 6 Miyamoto Musashi’s Book of Five Rings is a classic Japanese text of samurai sword strategy. Yet, it is so much more than just a manual on how best to wield a sword. The principles discussed in Miyamoto Musashi’s masterpiece…
English