Aikido Technique Videos and Self Defense Training

I recently published a trilogy of works which could broadly be subsumed under verbal aikido/de-escalation of aggression. There are two versions: one for social services professionals (not necessarily clinical interventions - most of the info is equally applicable to someone who works in everything from the medical field to a homeless shelter or soup kitchen and the second version of the trilogy is for families who live with an aggressive or mentally ill family member.

I will say that the majority of the information in the books is universally applicable, not just for social services people - particularly the professional version of Centering and about 2/3 of the info in Grace Under Fire

I would very much like to thank Stan Pranin Sensei for his thought-provoking article on the Virtues of Aikido. The article first appeared in 2002 but it took seeing it again recently to inspire me to write. Stan listed many attributes of aikido practice. Additionally, he devoted a considerable portion of the article to the lack of martial spirit that is prevalent in aikido practice today, why that is the case and made suggestions for improvement. The issues he brought up about the state of aikido practice are what I will address here, in my response.

Stan’s comments shine a spotlight on the need for serious aikido students and instructors to emphasize martial effectiveness. He goes on to say that focusing on stronger attacks and doing some cross training to learn more effective ways to punch and kick would help the aikido student to practice more realistically. Mentioned in the article is the need for nage to practice kiai, atemi, and taking the balance of the attacker. Stan explains how a martial atmosphere in the dojo brings not only effectiveness of technique but also a heightened consciousness that follows the practitioner off the mat and into daily life. I agree with these points as well as the recommendations for how one can improve one’s practice.

Download trailer for Lost Seminars, Part 5 here

We have just released a new DVD featuring an Aikido legend, Morihiro Saito Sensei, one of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba’s closest disciples. This exceptional DVD presents never-before-seen footage of Saito Sensei as he appeared in 1991 while teaching a seminar in San Diego, California. Without doubt, this program makes a significant contribution to the steadily growing catalog of techniques of Saito Sensei available on DVD. With a runtime of 120 minutes, the material covered in this DVD includes the complete series of morotedori kokyuho exercises, numerous ushiro ryotedori and eridori techniques, and—a special treat—the rarely seen ninindori series, advanced techniques against two opponents. Complete English subtitles have been provided to enable viewers to follow in detail Saito Sensei’s instruction.

The article below from Fall 1992 has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

I entered the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in 1955. Before that I practiced judo in junior and senior high school. I was invited to start aikido by a friend (the son of Danzaki Sensei of the Iaido Federation), but I had examinations and so I waited until after I entered the university to enroll. That was in April of 1955. At that time several families who had lost their homes during the war were living in the dojo. After these people left, the dojo was remodeled and made larger. I think this happened one or two years after I joined the Hombu Dojo

Readers have for many months been able to read literally hundreds of blogs written by a number of talented writers cum martial artists who have graciously contributed to this website. The likes of Ellis Amdur, Peter Goldsbury, George Ledyard, Nev Sagiba, Clark Bateman, Lynn Seiser, Toby Threadgill, Mark Bilson, Todd Jones, David Lynch and others have provided very thoughtful and stimulating content to the Aikido Journal website and we are very grateful for their input.

If you have something of importance to say and have confidence in your writing ability, we encourage you to submit your text for review by the Aikido Journal editiorial staff. The process for doing so is outlined below.

We would like to bring to your attention that we have republished the authoritative work by Katsuyuki Kondo, Menkyo Kaiden, titled Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Hiden Mokuroku.

This is the first book in English to introduce the technical curriculum of Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu as originally taught by Sokaku Takeda. It contains the 31 techniques of the ikkajo series of the Hiden Mokuroku, the first level of study in Daito-ryu.

The article below on Tomiki Aikido has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

First of all, I would like to explain how, where and why Tomiki Aikido started. It goes back to the month of April, 1958 when Waseda University approved our Aikido Club as an officially sanctioned sport club (called “Undo Bu” in Japanese), while no other universities recognized any Aikido clubs as such. Instead, all other Aikido clubs were called “Doko-Kai”, meaning a loosely organized club made up with people of the same interest. These unsanctioned sport clubs had neither the prestige nor the status of other sanctioned clubs such as Judo, Kendo, Karate, baseball, soccer, and other major sport clubs.

“Assuming they have supplemental training this is very nice. I can clearly see the parallels in application compared to Bagua.”

Tetsutaka Sugawara was born in Hokkaido in 1941. In 1960, he began Aikido at the Hombu Dojo, Tokyo, under O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido. In 1961, he became uchideshi under O-Sensei at the Ibaraki Dojo.

We would like to bring to your attention the availability a DVD product that features Seigo Okamoto, founder of the Daito-ryu Aikijujutsu Roppokai, demonstrating the fine points of the basic and advanced techniques of this soft-style of Daito-ryu. The Roppokai features many unusual unbalancing techniques seen in no other art. This DVD is an instructional program that includes complete English voiceover of explanations of more than 90 Daito-ryu techniques plus a fascinating interview with Okamoto Sensei.

Okamoto is a leading student of Kodo Horikawa of Kitami, Hokkaido who established the Kodokai in 1950. Following the passing of Horikawa, Okamoto became independent establishing the Roppokai based in Tokyo. Okamoto travels frequently abroad giving seminars in Europe and the USA.

The article below has been selected from the extensive archives of the Online Aikido Journal. We believe that an informed readership with knowledge of the history, techniques and philosophy of aikido is essential to the growth of the art and its adherence to the principles espoused by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba.

The invading army surrounding the Wakamatsu Castle numbered 20,000 soldiers with over one hundred cannons against only 3,000 Aizu soldiers. Heavy fighting began raging throughout the castle town starting on August 23, 1868. The Aizu defended themselves desperately even advancing to inflict defeats on the enemy. The battle at Suwaguchi was particularly violent. The soldiers of the Choshu, Hikone and Bizen clans fired cannonball volleys from the mound at the entrance of Yutsuji Temple. The Aizu soldiers built a mound at Suwaguchi to fight to the end. Also, other strong Aizu forces sallied forth from the castle to fight. Although they repeatedly engaged in desperate struggles to maintain their position, an attack from the flank by Choshu soldiers of the western army defeated the besieged Aizu army.