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.

Stanley Pranin took a lot of heat when this editorial was published back in 1997. What is your take on this subject?

“Speed is the most important factor in an effective Chin Na technique. With many Chin Na techniques (the application) you need to use only one-half or even one-third of the power of your opponent. However, without speed you will not be able to control your opponent before he escapes or reacts against you. There are, however, many other Chin Na techniques which do require considerable power to execute and to maintain control.”

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 read entire article.

“Don’t let the things you can’t do prevent you from doing the things you can do.” – John Wooden

John Wooden was one of the top college basketball coaches of all time. He coached the mighty UCLA Bruins and almost every year that he was coaching his basketball team won the NCAA championship. Most of the basketball players on his college teams went on to play at the game highest level – the NBA.

Shumeikai Italia is an Aikido association founded a few years ago in order to gather under a common roof a number of independent dojos whose common characteristic is the adoption of Tamura Nobuyoshi Shihan’s model as a general orientation in their practice. Its name reflects this orientation, being inspired by that of Tamura Sensei’s dojo “Shumeikan” in Bras (Provence, France). While taking care of the group identity, the association supports a project towards a possible unification of the Aikido environment in Italy and has been instrumental in establishing an Aikido body, AI – Aikido Italia, that comprises four independent organizations to date.

Among some innovative actions that have been taken, Shumeikai Italia adopted the suggestions published in Aiki News #69 editorial “Dan rankings” (November 1985) concerning dan certificates. Aiki News editor Stan Pranin envisaged the design of a new type of dan certificate containing supplementary information, in order to prevent abuses and sloppy behavior in rank awarding.

The interview below with 9th dan Shihan, Hiroshi Tada, 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.

When I entered the Hombu Dojo most of the people training there were members of either the Tempukai or the Nishikai. Of course, at the time there were only six or seven people at the dojo. Among them were Keizo Yokoyama and his younger brother, Yusaku, both of whom were students at Hitotsubashi University. Yusaku spent the last years of the war in the naval academy and entered the university after the war ended. It was he who introduced me to the Tempukai and the Ichikukai. After that another person taught me about fasting exercises. These practices, along with the teachings of Morihei Ueshiba Sensei, became the basis of my training.

Seigo Yamaguchi Sensei (1924-1996) was one of the most prominent of the postwar generation of aikido instructors of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo. Yamaguchi Sensei’s aikido was totally unique and he had many followers the world over and was especially popular in France. Unfortunately, he did not leave any books or commercial videotapes so little information is available about him. A viewing of the video clips on this website will give you an idea of how his aikido looked and why he was so highly regarded by all who had an opportunity to train with him.

Seigo Yamaguchi at 1993 All-Japan Aikido Demonstration
Seigo Yamaguchi at 1983 All-Japan Aikido Demonstration
Seigo Yamaguchi at Aikikai Hombu Dojo, 1973 - Part 1
Seigo Yamaguchi at Aikikai Hombu Dojo, 1973 - Part 2

“Reading it in its entirety, I realized that Taoism according to Lao Tzu is very close to the ideas forming the base of aikido. The Tao Te Ching preaches yielding, and acting minutely instead of bombastically. The ideal of wu-wei, doing nothing, might not be immediately applicable to a martial art, but doing as little as possible is indeed related to the aiki solution.”

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 term “Taking the law into your own hands” is at the core of all law. But this phrase has been given an extremely dangerous spin.

It suggests that the Law (or those presuming some unique relationship to it) can do unlawful things, can justify acts of vengeance and that some are above the law and other not.

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.

Recently we were discussing our advertising in the yellow pages for next year. There was some consideration given to new technology overtaking traditional phone books and the need to make sure our promotional material was placed where people could most readily access it. We were also contemplating how best to communicate the benefits of traditional martial arts training for young people in particular. Given it was an advertisement in a phone book, the goal was to capture in a few key words what was on offer and just how essential those things are to human development.

And that’s when I realised again just how cheap words have become … how their meaning has been diluted by overuse and abuse. Even essential attributes … integrity … respect … compassion … etiquette … resilience … even these have become dulled somehow when we hear them. They should resonate with us and galvanise us … draw us like a magnet towards any opportunity to develop them in ourselves and our children. Why? Because without them we are individually so very much less than our potential - and collectively, certain to repeat the mistakes of the past … to descend further into the shallowest existence.

The interview below with Hiroshi Ikeda Sensei from 1995 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.

Well, it started with my teacher, Mitsugi Saotome Sensei. He was the instructor at my aikido club when I was a student at Kokugakuin University. I guess that was about 27 years ago, and I’ve been with him ever since. After he relocated to the United States, he asked me if I would consider coming over as well. That was about nineteen years ago, in 1976. I went straight to Florida, and Saotome Sensei then moved to Washington, D.C. I stayed in Florida practicing for two years, then came to Boulder.

Tezuka Akira Shihan, Kokusai Budo Seifukai, Aikido 8th dan, passed away Nov. 9, 2008 at 11 PM, of liver cancer in Shizuoka City, Japan. He was 63 years old.

Tezuka Sensei was the long time right arm of Kokusai Budo Yoseikan founder Mochizuki Minoru Kancho. He provided dynamic management and leadership of national and international students under the name of Kokusai Budo Seifukai, after Mochizuki Sensei’s passing in 2003.