Save over 30% off retail price! We are offering a special set of 5 outstanding DVDs featuring Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba. We feel that it is important for aikidoka to be familiar with the life and art of this incredible martial artist. These DVDs contain rare film clips of Morihei Ueshiba O-Sensei at various stages of his life. If you’ve never see O-Sensei in action before you’ll be dazzled and inspired by his wizardry on the mat! The 5 DVDs retail normally for $199.75, but during this special you will save more than 30% off as this special offers sells for $134.95 plus shipping & handling.

I have tried to broach this subject before, and I will probably fall short now, but in every core theory to a higher level of martial arts we are told to check our our emotions, but .. how can anyone control the emotional mind?

I was watching The History Channel’s special programs about the Seven Deadly Sins and when the program on Anger came along, there was an interesting note about anger.

As 2008 draws rapidly to a close, it is time again to reflect on this year filled with many events, not only in the world, but also at the Yoseikan. Some of those events are Mochizuki Sensei’s remains being returned from France to Japan and Tezuka Akira Sensei’s recent passing.

This year we celebrated Mochizuki Sensei’s fifth memorial and the repose of his bones next to his wife as per his wishes. Twenty-three years ago, while staying together in a hotel, I had asked him how he wanted to have his funeral. “Hold it at the dojo, wear dogi (practice uniform), have a good practice, then enjoy food and drink together,” he had replied.

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Website of International Yoseikan Budo Federation

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.

“Keeping it with you; now that’s the hardest part of training. Not losing it. Having it there when you have to use it.”

This was the response from life-long martial artist Norman Carr (Shotokan and Doshinkan Aikido(1).) We were discussing the benefits of physically “hard” training, sort of reminiscently. The normative age of this Black Belt class was around sixty years old. Realistically speaking, throws and breakfalls are now a long-term disability should anything go wrong. (Plus, it seems to take quite a long time just to get back up!) As martial artists an injury directly jeopardizes our ability to protect ourselves and loved ones. We will have defeated ourselves in this primary aspect of martial art training. As advanced Black Belts we really don’t need to do the breakfalls, or the throws, whether practically speaking or symbolically.

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.

This series of major changes within the organization brought the founder an official role as “Head of Agricultural Affairs.” This Office of Agricultural Affairs was in a position to regulate everything pertaining to the physical aspects of life at Omoto, food, clothing, and housing, and was also responsible for correcting the terrible state of economic affairs. This was to be achieved by a sort of “boot straps” effort at making the organization self-supporting. The founder applied himself single-mindedly to clearing new field land, since Omoto adhered to a strict vegetarianism, and supplying enough vegetables to meet their needs was a persistent problem. Here the experiences of the founder during the opening of Shirataki village were put to good use…

We would like to bring to your attention that we have recently 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 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.

We have nearly forty dojos, with a total of about six hundred members. The reason we have grown to be such a large organization is, I believe, due to our use of the seminar system, which began at the Asahi Newspaper Company for teaching groups of students. Originally, the classical martial ways were taught one-on-one, as individual lessons. I suspect that Sokaku Takeda O-Sensei taught on an individual basis as well. However, we could not teach the way it was done in places such as the Asahi Newspaper Dojo, and so we organized things into a seminar-style approach where we gathered together those who wanted to learned and taught them.

“As we become more comfortable in our skins, and understand or accept the workings of our minds and bodies, we have the chance to let each aspect of ourselves work to its fullest potential. Like the free-moving cogs and parts of a well oiled engine, each has its purpose and attributes. Some parts are made from flexible springs, some are hardened polished steel, others are brittle aluminium. Some parts are susceptible to rust, others are unable to withstand impact, and some are incredibly heavy. For an engine to spin over efficiently, the parts work ‘together’… which at times is purposely against each other.”

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We have had many new subscribers since we launched our offer of the free back issue DVD for those subscribing or renewing their subscriptions to the Online Aikido Journal for two years.

Many of you know that this incredible DVD includes 26 years of Aiki News / Aikido Journal, more than 4,300 pages in PDF format to be read on your computer. However, this information-packed DVD also includes several bonuses. Among them is a 4-hour lecture by Stanley Pranin on the history of aikido in mp3 format. This detailed lecture will give you many new perspectives on the life of Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba not found in any book.

Here is a 15-minute sample from the lecture.

“In Japanese use of the word, you cannot call yourself sensei. It’s used only by others when they address you or talk about you, if they feel that it is appropriate. That’s wonderful. You are only a teacher if somebody readily admits to being your student, i.e. turns to you in order to learn something. If you insist on teaching without being asked, you are something else.”

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.

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.

Sokaku was not in a particular hurry, so if he had not heard of these notorious three bandits, he would have crossed the pass with the other travelers the next morning. However, having just heard the story from the old man, Sokaku disregarded his advice due to his natural sense of justice and spirit of adventure. The pass crossing the mountain was in bad condition and narrow. By the time he reached the summit, he had failed to find even a single bandit. At that point he began to descend. It was gradually becoming darker as the sun had set. Then, as he rounded a curve, he suddenly encountered the so-called three bandits who looked very strong as they carried mountain swords at their waists.