Solo training is not a new idea in aikido, when you think of all the taiso at the start of class and the weapons kata there is plenty of it. But what is relatively new (well what’s old is new anyway) is the idea of purpose behind solo training. “Your aikido will only improve when your concept of aikido improves”… Read more →
Category: aikido brisbane
Internal strength and Aikido – An experiment in breaking boards
A little unconventional – but great to see someone (Ian ) putting aikido to the test and finding it comes up trumps. Physics (www.aikidorepublic.com/aikiphysics) says there is the power of a lawn owner in dropping the centre just a few centimetres – and here it is in action. don’t try this at home kids 😉 Read more →
The Aiki Smorgasboard
Today we teeter on the edge of the 3rd generation Aikido, that is, there isn’t the access to direct students of O’Sense, Â by and large. Also many of the boundaries to training widely, such as being locked within rigid hierarchal structures have started to soften or disappear, though there are bastions of expertise, ( and ignorance) running very well. Its,… Read more →
Getting an Internal Strength Baseline
A few weekends I managed to get down down for an Internal Strength workshop at Steve Seymours Sensei’s dojo in Balmain, led by Michael Dreyer Sensei (a student of Bill Gleason Shihan and IS affectionardo). Aikiweb.com in recent times has seen an increased focus on this approach and essence in Aikido, so much so its its own topic now on… Read more →
Jutta reflects on a home invasion
Dear Aikido Friends, Sometime ago you may have heard of the home invasion of Edwin and Jutta and the ensuing altercation. It was well reported in the media initially and followed up here, there was also considerable discussion in the Aikido community. Both Edwin and Jutta are well known in Brisbane aikido circles having practiced for many years, Edwin was a… Read more →
Special Class: Personal protection and core strength, Dec 4th 6:30pm+
Special Guest Class Catherine Schnell Sensei, Tuesday December 4th 6:30p – 7:30p An introduction to Personal Protection 7:45p – 9:30pm Aikido and the Core Location: across the road at the Hamlyn Harris Pavillion, Mt. Gravatt Show Ground www.aikidorepublic.com Its our pleasure to announce that long time budo buddy Catherine Schnell Sensei will be visiting our dojo on December 3rd. Sensei… Read more →
An Aikido Conversation in Melbourne
This past week I found myself in Melbourne for work and had opportunity to catch up with budo buddy Catherine Schnell Sensei at the Aiki-Centre, whom i met quite a few years ago during a Budo tour of Melbourne (See trip report Budo Bums Aikido in Melbourne here). During the course of that nights regular practice we shared some ‘conversation’… Read more →
Actioning ACT
I like to read, and I read from a wide spectrum of sources. Over the past 12 months I have been reading a lot about ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. The basis of ACT is that we find it challenging to find harmony and happiness in our lives when we constrict the space around our problems. The remedy, and it… Read more →
Opening an aikido dojo: Working the numbers in Brisbane and beyond
Our dojos been running a few years now (d!oh forgot the birthday), so part memory lane, part curiosity here’s a look at possibilities and how we are going so far . There are more than 20 aikido dojos in Brisbane. Its quite a large number (I’ve only gotten around to maybe 1/2 of them), but then the population of greater… Read more →
Three Pillars of Aikido Yuishinkai
Three Pillars of Aikido Yuishinkai A few months ago we learnt that Michael Williams Sensei was stepping down in many of the roles within Aikido Yuishinkai, though he remains our international chief instructor. In Australia, Williams Sensei has always been there at the front leading our aikido practice, and so the news was quite a shock, though on reflection perhaps… Read more →
Shobu, Shobu
I’ve just spent the week in the USA just outside of Boston for a sports technology conference. After some scouring of the web I discovered William Gleason Sensei’s Shobu Aikido dojo which seemed like too good an opportunity to miss and get a taste of something quite different. Fortuitously following the conference Gleason Sensei was running a weapons seminar. With… Read more →
Kuzushi on Contact – Ronin Shugyo Tuesday 26th June
On contact with Uke the conflict is over – the rest of aikido Kata is just exploration!. Kuzushi is a term for where Uke’s balance is taken and broken, where ukes centre is gathered and held. The techniques of Aiki are explorations of taking balance with pushing and pulling, and then leading Uke through movement to projection or pin. The… Read more →
I got my Black Belt, now what?
Being awarded a black belt in any martial art is often seen as a mark of proficiency. A black belt in some schools can take over ten years to achieve. Black belts today can be something of a commodity handed out in less than a year in some of the most commercial of dojo, in aikido dojo though black belt… Read more →