Spring 2024 6-week course
Spring 2024 6-week Intro to Aikido (no experience needed!)
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Aikido and three ways to unravel conflict
In this post, I’ll cover three approaches to dealing with conflict, on or off the mat. One approach to conflict is to view it as an obstacle in your path. The attacker, problem, object, whatever is in your way — and the answer is to power through. This can build determination, grit, or resolve. It
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Aikido begins and ends with rei.
Rei is definitely not just the practice of bowing. It is also definitely not just showing courtesy and respect. I think of rei as courtesy and respect that comes out of deep gratitude. The bow is the formal way that we show that gratitude during practice.
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Aikido and Embodiment
I’ll be giving a presentation tonight (10/21/22) as part of Nerd Nite Memphis. The evening begins at 7pm at the Memphis Chess Club.
My talk is on “Aikido and Embodiment” connecting aikido to anthropology, identity, social and political relations, cognition, trauma, and a lot of other interest areas
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Saturday Aikido: 9/17/2022
On Saturday, September 17 we will be having a special two-hour aikido class at Arlington Fitness from 10am to noon. For existing aikidoka, this is a great chance to see the space at Arlington Fitness. For newcomers, this is a chance to see (and maybe try) an aikido class. This class is $20 for non-members
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Toward a Trauma-Informed Aikido
How can we incorporate trauma-informed practice into aikido training? Earlier this week after teaching class in Arlington, I headed into Memphis for class at Keishinkan Dojo. Toward the end of class, we got a call that there was an active shooter in the area. I locked the door and we stayed inside–some of us longer
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Balance and Openings
Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a crack, a crack in everythingThat’s how the light gets in Leonard Cohen, Anthem One of the things we learn through the practice of martial arts is that there is no perfect attack and no perfect defense. If there was, that would be the
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Saturday Aikido 6/11/2022
On Saturday, June 11 we will be having a special two-hour aikido class at Arlington Fitness from 10am to noon. For existing aikidoka, this is a great chance to see the space at Arlington Fitness. For newcomers, this is a chance to see (and maybe try) an aikido class. Open to visitors and spectators! This
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On Rei: Respect in Aikido
There is a lot of bowing in Aikido: You bow when you enter or leave the mat. The class bows toward the shomen (the front of the dojo) and the sensei (teacher), both at the beginning and end of class. We bow toward our training partners before, after, and sometimes during paired practice. Why all
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Moerushin: burning heart
Moerushin (燃える心) Dojo translates roughly as “burning heart/mind/spirit training hall.” Names are tricky things, and this name was suggested by Andrew Sato Shihan, the head of the Aikido World Alliance. It fits in several ways, and the meaning is worth a little reflection. One meaning here might point to intense, passionate concentration. The Soto Zen
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