We didn’t even mention the fact that at a certain level most of the practice is suwariwaza (seated.)

I found this video on Youtube of an iaido old-timer, Haga Junichi.

The quality of posture and movement here is pretty evident.

At points in the video he reminds me of the kenjutsu expert from Kurosawa’s “7 Samurai”.

Sponsor: Toyama Ryu Iai Do USA—Utah Branch

If you’ve practiced with bokken, this seminar is a great opportunity to experience cutting with a live blade.

The $30 fee goes for tatami mats used in the cutting practice.

Seminar details here

James Williams demonstrates tameshigiri.

“Without budo a nation goes to ruin, because budo is the life of loving protection.” -Morihei Ueshiba O’Sensei

D-Day American War Cemetary

Thursday last week, 4 days before Independence Day, there was a sign in the Orem park where we meet to train.

“Freedom is worth fighting for.”

Not a bad theme for our Aikido practice.

The 4th of July is a great time of year to spend time with family. People set off a lot of fireworks.

In all the celebrating take some time to reflect on the men and women that – past and present – that make our country and freedoms possible.



Higher Ground

“Higher Ground (HG) is a nationally recognized veteran rehabilitation program that combines sports, family and coping therapies to restore and rehabilitate men and women of the armed forces who have been severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“(HG) specializes in serving veterans with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), polytrauma, blindness, and mental illness.

“(Also) visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injuries, severe burns, and hearing impairments.”

“I learned to do something new that I couldn’t do before my injury. I thought, WOW, if I can learn this, what else is out there for me?” -Jason Palmer, US Army


Seven Miracles That Saved America
by Chris and Ted Stewart

“Compelling evidence that the hand of Providence has indeed preserved the United States of America on multiple occasions.”

Credits: Photo of US Army Vet courtesy of Michael Richter. Photo of American War Cemetary courtesy of Fabrizio Turco.

Seichiro Endo Sensei on Youtube. Video from the 42nd Zen Nippon Aikido demonstration in Tokyo.

“When I was 30 years old I dislocated my right shoulder. That event brought me to a turning point.

“I took the opportunity to turn my approach to aikido around 180 degrees.”

-Endo Sensei interview with Stanley Pranin


Way-Mastery Store has posted a series of Youtube videos from Endo Sensei’s “Kihon no Kata” DVD. This video is the 1st in the series.

Endo Sensei talks about his ongoing study of Aikido technique.

“You learn how to use your body through doing kata. . . .

“I am really reconsidering the way I do my kata.”

Check out the throw at 32 seconds.


Related Pages

Aikido videos

Endo Aikido DVD’s – Way-Mastery online store

Then he condensed 2 hours of material into this 3 minute presentation for the Ted conference.

My notes from the video:

“Do it for love; not for money.”

“It’s all a lot of work; nothing comes easily. But I have a lot of fun.”
-Rupert Mudoch, publisher

“To be successful, put your nose down in something and get damn good at it.”
-Alex Garden, game developer for Nexon and Microsoft

“There’s no magic. It’s practice, practice, practice.”

“I think it all has to do with focusing yourself on one thing.”
-Norman Jewison, director of 42 movies including “The Hurricane” and A Soldier’s Story”

“I always had self-doubts. I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t smart enough. I didn’t think I’d make it.”
-Goldie Hawn

“You can’t serve yourself. You have to serve others something of value.”

“Listen, observe, be curious, ask questions, problem solve, make connections.”

“Persistence is the number one reason for our success.”
-Joe Kraus, co-founder of Excite

Not bad advice for a student of Aikido.

“Japan Earthquake Relief: Another way to contribute”

Pump up Japan succeeded in raising $15,750!

100% of that money goes to Direct Relief International and Architecture for Humanity.

A big thank you to everyone that participated.

Ryan Hurst has lived in Japan for 17 years. Andy Fossett, his business partner, has lived there 7 years.

Both have Japanese wives and families.

Ryan and Andy are also a top level fitness coaches. They are leaders of a group called Gold Medal Bodies.

They are stand-up guys and I personally vouch for their integrity.

Because of their close ties to Japan, Ryan and Andy wanted to do something to help out the victims of the March 11 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.

Through Gold Medal Bodies they have organized a package by 12 fitness coaches and experts.

Brandon Jones (boxing coach), Bud Jeffries (grip master), Shane Heins (clubbell expert), and Gabrielle Reece (volleyball pro) are among the contributors.

Ryan himself contributed the Rings Body Blaster Challenge Circuit.

These 12 experts are donating their products to help the Japanese people.

100% of the funds raised through purchases goes to:

Direct Relief International
To assist with the immediate survival needs of people in Sendai and Fukushima.

Architecture for Humanity
To begin rebuilding community centers, schools, and homes in Miyagi Prefecture.

There is one catch.

The offer is only up through Wednesday, April 13 at midnight.

Go to Pump up Japan to contribute.

On that same page you can check out the bundle of fitness products you’ll get just for donating.

100% of the proceeds go to help the people hurt by the earthquake.

Pump up Japan

Related Posts

News from Iwama Japan following the Earthquake

Video from Sendai Japan near the earthquake epicenter

Our hearts and prayers go out to ALL those affected by the March 11 Japan earthquake. Along with those still recovering in Chile, Haiti, and Christchurch.

Iwama

Iwama township is located in Ibaraki prefecture, south of Sendai. Iwama is the home of the Aiki Shrine and Iwama (Ibaraki) Dojo, built by the founder, as well as the Tanrenkan Dojo of Hitohiro Saito.

Iwama is not on the coast, so it was not damaged by the tsunami. However it was damaged by the earthquake.

Stan Pranin, editor of Aikido Journal, provided this update:

“In checking various reports on the Internet, we have learned the following concerning the effects of the horrific earthquake of last week in Iwama. The Iwama Dojo built by Aikido Founder Morihei Ueshiba has been badly damaged with the collapse of the roof and walls of the dojo. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported. Doshu Moriteru Ueshiba is scheduled to inspect the dojo next week to decide on a course of action.

“The home and dojo of Hitohiro Saito Sensei also suffered some damage, but the family are all safe. Hitohiro Sensei was in Florida when the earthquake struck and has not yet been able to return home.

“Our prayers go out to the Japanese people and our aikido friends who have suffered so greatly as a result of this terrible catastrophe.”

Source:  Aikido Journal

How to Contribute

Japanese Red Cross through Google Crisis Response

Savethechildren.org

DojoEarthquakeRelief.org “If anyone would like to donate to help those dojo that were damaged by the recent earthquakes in Japan and NZ but you don’t know how to do it directly, we have set up Dojoearthquakerelief.org to help transmit funds. If you identify the dojo that you would like to benefit you can use Paypal to make a donation. “

-Aviv Goldsmith

learning to roll

The Utah Jazz traded All-Star point guard Deron Williams to the New Jersey Nets on February 23.

Before Deron left Utah a fan gave him some pointers on falling properly. The fan, someone called Arne, told Deron to learn Aikido to avoid breaking his wrists.

Source:  UtahJazz360

John Sifferman interviewed TacFit creator Scott Sonnon.

Scott comes from a martial arts background (Russian Sambo), and one of the things I like about his approach to fitness is that it is fully integrated with martial arts training.

Even better, Scott sees fitness not just as preparation for fighting, but as preparation for the challenges we all  face in daily life.

His definition of ‘tactical’ encompasses how we move and carry ourselves as humans.

Here are some of my notes from the interview.

“You only get hurt in the direction you’re not prepared for. ”

Think ukemi.

“You can’t create good form by practicing poor form harder. . . .

“So I had to break down good form into it’s components that I could make repeatable.

“And then once I could train that, gluing it all together, expanding the buffer – the safety valve from when movements deviated from the expected; and you are better prepared than the surprise that is about to happen.

“There is only one benefit (to TacFit as compared to other fitness programs): when things go awry how fast can you bring yourself back into the game.

“When things go right anything will work. There are so many valid theories until you get slapped in the face. . . .

“Everybody has a plan until it hits the fan.

“So my point was . . . when that stress load went over the edge, and that’s what you can’t determine when you look at someone bio-mechanically . . .

“It’s when you apply stress to the point where something gives and it turns into strain – then how fast can you recover from that point.

“That’s the whole point of tactical fitness that I haven’t seen in any other system.”

TacFit