Aikido Technique Videos and Self Defense Training

One of world’s leading Aikido instructors featured on new DVD from Aikido Journal!

We have recently placed on sale our new DVD featuring one of Aikido’s top instructors, Christian Tissier of France. This one-of-a-kind DVD presents an in-depth look at the life and art of one of Aikido’s preeminent masters, Christian Tissier, 7th dan. Having begun Aikido as a boy in France in 1962, Tissier spent eight years in Japan at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo in Tokyo training with many of the art’s top masters. On his return to his native France, he brought back a new kind of Aikido that soon captured the imagination of the Aikido world in his country and practitioners throughout Europe. Tissier is at present the leading figure in the FFAAA organization, one of France’s two large Aikido associations. He is the sole foreign instructor to have taught at the International Aikido World Congress.

Adventures in video editing

Presently, we are working on “Morihiro Saito: Lost Seminars, Part 4” which consists of a little over two hours of seminar footage of Saito Sensei shot in 1989 in San Diego, California at the Sunset Cliffs Aikido dojo of Bernice Tom Sensei.

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.

Non-aikidoka are often confused when I talk about kata in aikido — “You mean like what they do in karate?” Even most aikidoka are aware of kata only as a term referring to form as opposed to application, or in reference to Saito Sensei’s solo or paired weapons training sequences. Morihei Ueshiba apparently did not approve of the kata training method, believing that “static” prearrangement of techniques interfered with the direct, spontaneous transmission of techniques from the gods. Thus, in most styles of aikido, kata as a set of prearranged techniques is not used as the primary training method. Kenji Tomiki, like his master Jigoro Kano before him, felt that kata was a valuable teaching tool and incorporated it into his system. Today, most Tomiki practitioners could tell you that a kata is a set of techniques practiced with a partner for teaching the basic principles of various aspects of Tomiki aikido.

“[Kobayashi] was first introduced to Aikido by his father who had great influence in inviting Master Koichi Tohei, who was then Chief Instructor of Aikido at the Aikido World Headquarters in Japan, to Honolulu in 1953. However. his formal training in Aikido did not start until 1957, after his 3 years of military service. His first teachers at the Hawaii Aikikai were master: Yukiso Yamamoto, Kazuto Sugimoto, and Isao Takahashi. These masters were the first students of Tohei Shihan, the foremost authority on Aikido and Ki in the United States. Each of these masters was unique in his own way, and had a great influence in Kobayashi’s understanding of Aikido and Ki.

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.

Click here to view the exciting video preview clip of the new DVD by Morihiro Saito Sensei!

We have wonderful news for Aikido Journal readers! Today 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 1988 while teaching a seminar in San Diego, California. This material has been in storage for over 20 years and has been digitally remastered for optimum viewing quality.

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 Founder had students all over the country. Moreover, because he prided himself in the number and variety of his acquaintances from all levels of society, he was beseiged by visitors starting from early in the morning and he spent large amounts of time in receiving them. In addition, the occasions when he would, on invitation, travel to teach or lecture were not few. However, even on those occasions, his mind was always in the dojo and he seemed to be absorbed in thinking about some new method of training. It seemed as though he disciplined himself in this manner out of the belief that one day training missed was a step backward. At least as far as I observed personally from my earliest recollections as a boy, except for a short period at the end of his life when he was forced to remain bedridden being faced with cancer, this is how the Founder’s daily life was spent.

Hiroshi Tada Sensei, 9th dan Aikikai, is one of the most senior instructors of the postwar era and a pioneer of aikido in Italy. After returning from Italy in the early 1970s, Tada Sensei taught at the Aikikai Hombu Dojo for some 30 years on Thursday evenings. He currently operates a dojo in Kichijoji, a suburb of Tokyo, and remains extremely active despite being well over 70 years of age. We offer the three video clips below that amply display his incredible aikido!

Hiroshi Tada at 1983 All-Japan Aikido Demonstration

The only book authored by Shoji Nishio Sensei, one of the most important instructors of the postwar era, Yurusu Budo, is one of the best-selling titles in our Aiki Store. In fact, we have had trouble keeping it in stock because each shipment seems to be gobbled up by customers faster than anticipated.

We would also like to bring to your attention that you may purchase all three of Nishio Sensei’s DVDs together with the Yurusu Aikido book as a set at a 25% discount. We have posted a series of 10 screen shots from this set to give you an idea of the outstanding quality and contents of these DVDs.

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.

One of the most important things I recall from those times was the high quality of the people gathered together there to practice aikido. All of them had an intense interest in budo. Aikido wasn’t being practiced on the global scale that it is today, but the atmosphere generated by the uchideshi and the other students really motivated me. O-Sensei was still relatively energetic and in good health then, too.

We continue to get an excellent response to our World Aikido Dojo Directory and now have over 3,500 listings. Please check the listing under Find a Dojo on the right menu under the “Search for dojo” to see if your dojo has been included. Entering your “city” information is often a quick way to check.

If your dojo is not listed, please enter your data and mention to your teacher the free service that will serve as a wordwide “yellow page” entry for your dojo. Remember this is not just a simple listing of your address details; you can also include a photograph of your dojo or instructor and write a detailed description of your schedule, mission statement, or whatever you like.