Hello dear Aikidoka, i am currently training for my 3rd Kyu. The other examinees and me are getting a LOT of support from our different senseis. All of them are supporting us everywhere they can. Their sessions (we have a lot of them in a week) are focused around us and they are even offering us their free time to teach us personally. This is a HUGE privilige, which we are really, really thankful about. Thats why we want to honor their engagement and express our gratitude to them with a small gift.

I am open for every idea, but i have some opinions on what it should (not) be:

• prefering individual (seperated) gifts
• related to aikido or the dojo
• something useable

• nothing to pricey
• no consumables like sweets/alcohol or smth like this

Again: If you have an idea, which contradicts with the points above, pls dont hesitate to comment anyway, i'm thankful for every idea!

Onegaishimasu!

I know the point of judo is best to death but I’ll explain my muay Thai argument.

Muay Thai does an excellent job with using clinching to set up angles for strikes and to by transit, since it’s a fight, understand how to grab people in such a way that their most dangerous weapons will not hit you if they try to strike you

Developing a sense for this I believe will be integral for developing practical aikido

I believe that Muay Thai clinch is very similar to judo in terms of how the handles feel but they don’t rely on a gi. Judos biggest weakness is the reliance on a gi and the lack of explosive entries, such as wrestling shots, to close distance without getting hit. Muay Thai covers that. The upright posture is why the handles feel the same. Doing most wrestling moves other than leg shots feels nothing like wrestling once you’re in mma.

For instance, one of the easiest moves in wrestling is snapping someone’s face to the mat and athletically shuffling behind them when you feel someone pushing in. You will NEVER see this in mma and yet people profess the efficacy of wrestling. I feel that wrestling, while excellent, is philosophically opposite of what aikido represents in a lot of cases and unless you have time to study it extensively I think judo simply compliments it better for someone who is probably willing to add one judo class a week.

But back to Muay Thai because I know my post is all over the place: I think developing basic punching mechanics and comfort ability standing in front of someone who might be trying to attack you will completely transform the way you view combat, opening up the opportunity for Kuzushi from the clinching range.

Notice how Muay Thai sweeps and dumps look. Most of this is simply using knees and elbows to set up Kuzushi through basic head rotations when someone resists too hard

This is textbook aiki. I know it’s from a very different range but I feel that getting used to doing it in a confrontational setting will get you used to doing it AT ALL, which can make your understanding of practical Kuzushi better. Especially when implemented with judo so you understand sleeve control, so you have the full range of clinch grappling

Standing clinch grappling, with and without strikes, and with and without submissions.

For me personally I practice Sanda, wrestling, judo, and bjj and take a lot of inspiration from aikido although I’m technically unranked in it.

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hi all! i practiced aikido for several years and am looking to get back to it. i was trying to explain some footwork to a friend and realized i had totally blanked on what my studio calls one of our basic footwork exercises - the same footwork as irimi tenkan, a step-and-turn, but with a "scooping" motion of the hands instead of bringing them up and around as in irimi tenkan. can anyone help me find this stray term i'm forgetting? driving me a little crazy and just googling is no help.

UPDATE: I managed to find the term "mawari" in my new student packet from several years ago and that's the term i was thinking of

I've seen some posts regarding how to take ukemi or getting hurt while taking ukemi so I put a few tutorials up regarding how to take proper ukemi from both the standing and kneeling positions. I'll also be putting up a tutorial on how to take break falls in the near future.

I've seen many different videos on how to take proper ukemi and they all have something good to offer. My ukemi is still evolving as I'm still learning and training. I welcome all comments and suggestions on how to improve on my videos and my ukemi/technique.

If you have any questions please feel free to comment on my videos and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you!

http://www.youtube.com/@AikiBrian

I have been training Aikidio for a few months now and I mostly absolutely love it. But I get more and more pressure from the dojo to do mae ukemi. We usually train rolling (front and back) at the beginning of the class. I have to go very slow and really ease into positioning myself for every single roll in order not to hurt myself a lot. I still hit my head every single time, even if just lightly. I also often fall on my back at the ende of mae ukemi and that hurts as well. I listen to all the tips I get, I watched all the videos I could find and read probably every post on ukemi in this subreddit. The last two helped tremendously but I still cannot roll in a good way. I'm getting a lot of pressure to roll while practicing techniques but the few times I have tried this I hurt myself so bad I was afraid of getting an injury. The techniques just don't give me the time I need to practice ukemi in a safe manner.

I'm honestly a little desperate. I have started to skip trainings because of fear of hurting myself. Are there any more tricks I haven't found yet? I really don't want to stop training but I don't know how to navigate this.

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Hi all, I’ve finally found an art (and dojo) that I’m really enjoying. Bit of zen do Kai as a kid, then karate as an adult but left because I was mostly training with 10 year olds. Then tried a bit of wing Chun but didn’t get into it..

Been practicing shiatsu for about 5 years in clinic and aikido about 2. Very happy as I feel I’m finally getting a bit of an understanding of it and believe I’ll stick with it as long as I can. Currently 4th kyu.

So my question - I want to do further studies. Watching YouTube vids is great n all. But I’d love to have a good book to refer too.

Any suggestions?/ books people have loved over the years?

Muchly appreciated

🙏

How is everyone’s training going this month? Anything special you are working on? What is something that is currently frustrating you? What is something that you had a breakthrough on?

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Hello everyone,

I've been training in Aikido for over 30 years. I also train in BJJ and Muay Thai. My primary focus is working on my ukemi, specifically break falls, as well as doing some demonstration videos.

I'm interested to hear about other people's journey in Aikido and other martial arts. Feel free to post your links to your website, videos and more by commenting on one of my videos. I try to post a new video at least once a week.

Please check out my YouTube channel and let me know what you think! I welcome all comments, criticisms and suggestions! Thanks!

https://youtube.com/@AikiBrian

I learned it originally in hapkido, if you’re unfamiliar with my terminology it’s the lock where you basically fold the persons wrist inward as if trying to make their palm touch the under side of the forearm,

You can also extend their wrist backward trying to make the back of their hand touch the back of their forearm

What are these locks called in aikido terminology? I’m pretty positive an art like aikido would have them as it’s one of the most intuitive wrist locks to figure out. I just have never learned the terminology for it in my experience with aikido

https://youtu.be/E11ZnqZTCGE?si=g1rBg5kQsO1C7KRT

First Dan test

Examen de primer Dan Federacion Aikikai Argentina, Escuela de Aikido Kurata Dojo (Buenos Aires) 09/11/24
Juan Lucas Peloni (Nage) Khalil Ait (Uke) - Tecnicas
Ukes de Jiju-Waza: Khalil Ait, Miguel Angel Gomez, Rodrigo Gorosito.

My MMA instructor, who is a black belt in Aikido, once used this wrist lock to counter a hair grab from behind when he was attacked by multiple thugs.

What is the name of this technique? Can you teach me more about it? Have you used this move in training or real life situations? I am curious to learn more about it's applications and details.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience! :)

Where are you training? Have you done something special? Has your dojo released a cool clip? Want to share a picture of your kamisa? This thread is where you do this.

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So can anyone point to an aikido school that has a professional image? Our academy is going through an overhaul.
Is there any example of a dojo that really has their stuff together in terms of a professional image to the market place? For example there is another martial arts academy not far from here, they modern sleek website, and they have weekly schedule updates like on a calendar? A list of benefits of the academy like supplemental online video access to the art being taught. So could anyone volunteer the name of a dojo that has a great public facing image to the martial arts marketplace? Please help.

Maybe you will find this video interesting.

BJJ 4th degree Blackbelt & Submission Wrestling European Champion 2003, Björn Friedrich meets Rob John, a former Hanshi of the Aunkai* to talk about the Kote Gaeshi Wristlock. Rob is showing the small details of body mechanic that will make the lock stronger.

Link to video: https://youtu.be/RaqtE-Ja07g?si=A7gaMTvCwF_HeOjY

*The body skills school/method developed by Akuzawa Minoru

Any fun seminars going on? Feel free to share them here! At a minimum, please indicate date and location and how to sign up!

Couple of reminders:

1. Please read the rules before contributing.
2. Don’t forget to check out the Aikido Network Discord Server (all your mods are there for more instant responses if you need help on something.)

Have a burning question? Need a quick answer?

• "Where can I find...?"
• "Is there a dojo near...?"
• "What's the name of that thing again?"

This is the post for you.

Top-level posts usually require enough text to prompt a discussion (or they will be automatically removed). This isn't always possible if all you're looking for is a quick answer, so instead please post your query in our monthly Q&A thread!

As always please remember to abide by our community rules.

Hi, I am a starter in aikido. I really want to keep doing it. But I mix up many things: directions I don't understand movments when it is showed by sensei. I confuse which one should I use? right hand or left hand what should I do next? I keep doing everything wrong. Senpais are getting bored because of me. Because I don't understand it although it is showed again by senpais. What can i do for this condition? Also feel ashemed of this.

How is everyone’s training going this month? Anything special you are working on? What is something that is currently frustrating you? What is something that you had a breakthrough on?

Couple of reminders:

1. Please read the rules before contributing.
2. This is a personal progress report, no matter how big or how small, so keep criticisms to a minimum. Words of support are always appreciated!
3. Don’t forget to check out the Aikido Network Discord Server (all your mods are there for more instant responses if you need help on something.)

For those of you who dry your gi on a clothesline, how do you keep it from getting stiff?

I like the way my gi smells when it comes off the line (I use unscented soap on account of migraines, so when it goes through the dryer, it doesn't really smell like anything). But every time I put it on the line, it gets really stiff in a way that's, while not uncomfortable, isn't quite comfortable, and more problematic (in my opinion) , it's uncomfortable for my uke.

How should I go about fixing it so that I can get s soft gi in spite of going on the clothesline (because it doesn't happen with the rest of my clothes)?

Hi, I am new here, and I have a question. I am sorry if it was discussed elsewhere.

I am 54 and did aikdo for about 30 years until I got kids. I would love to go back to training, but I have developped big toe arthritis on one of my feet. I can move alright in shoes with stiffer sole, bur moving bare feet is quite painful. It is not bad enough to consider bone fusion and even with that it may not be possible to do the aikido. So I am kind of stuck. Did someone here have similar problem and somehow figured out how to do it? I know that working bare-feet was required in any dojo I’ve seen and certainly in one I would like to go back to (Boulder Aikikai). And it is not safe for other students that are barefoot. So that is probably not an option.

Thanks!

So today I was training, my Sensei would then give us weapons training more specifically training with the Tanto. He taught us basic moves like to tenkan and other form of locks and disarming. Which was very nice

But when we had the real practice I was paired with a San- Kyu (blue belt) boy and when he stabbed me with the Tanto, he'd occasionally stop midway through just to wait for me to dodge and stab again with a smirk on his face saying "You dodged too early" like his moves aren't even clear or precise. Or when I managed to tenkan to his side he would still try to move his knife to stab me instead of letting me connect and perform the move ??? And don't get me started when I looped over him and was supposed to disarm and let him fall he would then just harden up and not letting me disarm his Tanto nor falling down

And he said "You're using force"

It's just very frustrating when you have someone who has a weapon and is immediately thinking that they're some next level movie actor

(Sorry for the rant but I had to get it off)

Where are you training? Have you done something special? Has your dojo released a cool clip? Want to share a picture of your kamisa? This thread is where you do this.

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There are a number of ways to classify different martial arts.

Some people separate martial arts into “internal” martial arts and “external” martial arts.

External martial martial arts work more on developing the skills that seem obvious for fighting and self defence: punching, kicking, wrestling, grappling.

The conditioning of the body within these arts is focused on developing strength, power, speed and other attributes that help with the performance of those arts.

Examples of these include boxing, kick boxing, tae kwon do, wrestling, judo, karate, Brazillian jiu jitsu.

Internal martial arts on the other hand are often focused on developing something a bit less obvious.

The classic idea would be that the internal martial arts suggest we have a secret inner power that we can learn to develop with hidden knowledge that is not commonly known.

Some arts claim to develop “internal power”, or work on developing internal energy (ki, chi, prana). Some may suggest they help develop the mind or open up other abilities.

Internal power is often related to exercises designed to train and use the body in a different way to be able to generate more power than would be normal. This training be very challenging and time consuming. The short term results are likely to be less obvious and subtle.

Martial arts that are suggested to be internal martial arts include Aikido, Tai Chi, Baguazhang, Xingiquan and some styles of Kung Fu.

Demonstrations of the internal martial arts often draw a lot of curious looks and cause confusion and consternation. Generally, they have to be felt or experienced to start to understand them.

The Aikido world is on a spectrum where some people wish to practise the more martial aspect and some wish to focus on the internal aspect.

The truth is that all arts have the capacity to develop more than just self defence skills. It is for you to discover what is right for you.

https://aikidoforglasgow.com/

Lately, I started to better understand how a lot of technical finesse relies on pushing the opponent's arm in one direction while actually aiming at suddenly pushing in another right after. Like in tai no henko, to add an initial small forward pressure on the hand that grab you, before actually rotating and pull it backward/outside.

In a way, this was already always stated as an important step. Before I understood it more as simply forcing an unbalance in the opponent, but now I'm realizing more how it actually helps to explain many situations in which I hold my instructors or training mates with all my strength and they still escape, while I couldn't do the same. The best way for me to understand the concept in such situations is now to start blocking not the movement that I feel (the initial push) but just be ready to block the one I know is about to come (the following push or rotation).

Now in a way I feel like this understanding was big advancement in my aikido, and during training I'm trying to apply this more consistently here and there. But it's hard! So: does anybody here has the same approach? And if so, do you feel that over time it becomes easy enough to always apply this to randori or more realistic sparring?

I received a Shodan grade in 2005 and carried on training for a couple of years after this. Then, due to dojo politics and life taking me in different directions, I stopped training. I now live on the other side of the planet, and decided to start training again as a way to make friends and try to settle in. 17 years have passed since I last trained and I have forgotten most of what I learned. Muscle memory, fitness level, etc, are largely gone.

I spoke with the senior instructor and explained my circumstances, and he said I should wear my black belt and hakama anyway. I feel deeply uncomfortable with this as I would like to get back up to a decent level of knowledge at my own pace, without wearing something that basically flags me as having a certain level of knowledge. I categorically do not have this level of knowledge and think it would be confusing for other students, and don't want to be constantly having to explain, and perhaps feeling pressured to hurry up and get back to that level. It is a dojo where coloured belts are worn for the Kyu grades, and I have no idea what colour of belt would be appropriate for my current knowledge level. The club which awarded me Shodan had white belts until you reached Shodan.

Should I just suck it up and wear the damn things, or should I speak to the sensei again and stick to my guns/ try to find a compromise?

Edit: Thank you for your replies. My favourite is one telling me that if I don’t wear the belt I’ll be disrespecting my old club and in old times would have had to commit seppuku a couple of times over.

People who noticed that I stopped training 17 years ago partly because of dojo politics may be as amused as I am by the differences in answers here. There is a reason there are different styles of and focuses in Aikido (Yoshinkan, Iwama, Ki, etc), as people are all different.

This exercise has confirmed a couple of things for me: Never take advice from the internet. The only person who can satisfactorily answer the problem for me is me. Loyalty is earned.

I’m going to try wearing the belt and hakama, and if things go well, great. But if they don’t there are a couple of other clubs I can try, and I won’t tell them I’m a Shodan. All I can do is what feels right for me.

Local to me are a few Aikido dojos, an Aikikai dojo, Takemusu dojo and Shodokan dojo.

From my limited understanding Aikikai is an umbrella organisation run by the Ueshiba family, which underneath that umbrella contains differing styles, but none that include sparring or competition, which would exclude the Shodokan style which seems more ‘combative’.

The Takemusu style is the style based on the time Morihei Ueshiba spent at Iwama and is commonly referred to as the Iwama style? From what I have read and seen I understand why Shodokan is different, but not why Takemusu/Iwama style is different, I’m not a practitioner but I love to research, is someone able to help elucidate the difference for me?

Any fun seminars going on? Feel free to share them here! At a minimum, please indicate date and location and how to sign up!

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-Sabaku doesn't really mean "move". It means something more along the lines of "handle/deal with/manipulate"

-In Aiki News Issue 087, there is an article with Interviews with Nishimura and Sakurai. In that article, it mentions that people who had done kendo were deeply interested in Ueshiba Sensei's taisabaki and came to learn from him. Kendo people and high ranking kendo people already trained in how to physically move. Does anyone believe that they were going to Ueshiba just to relearn how to move their feet and body in their kendo practice?

Another article stated:

Konishi Soke demonstrated the kata Heian Nidan (which he learned from Funakoshi Sensei) to Ueshiba Sensei. However, Ueshiba Sensei remarked that Konishi Soke should drop such nonsense for such techniques are ineffective. This comment came as a blow, since Konishi Soke believed in karate and that held Ueshiba Sensei's opinions in the highest regard. Konishi Soke felt that karate still had much value and that he had the responsibility to develop it. Thus, he requested that he be allowed to continue training in karate, intending to develop the techniques so that it would be acceptable to the great teacher. After many months of research and training, Konishi Sensei developed a kata called Tai Sabaki (Body Movement). He based this kata on karate, but incorporated principles found in the teachings of Ueshiba Sensei. Though the new kata did not contain any complex movements, it consisted of a chain of actions, with no pause after each action. After the demonstration of this kata by Konishi Soke, Ueshiba Sensei remarked that, "The demonstration you did just now was satisfactory to me, and that kata is worth mastering."

-What was it Ueshiba liked in the tai sabaki kata? Certainly not an aikido movement based kata. But, nonetheless, labelled tai sabaki.

Rennis Buchner wrote "While not in aikido circles, I have heard the term tai sabaki used in refering to internal body skills. I've come across a few sensei here in Japan who have made the point that tai sabaki is more or less the gateway to said skills."

-So, we know that tai sabaki can mean something different than just physical body movement aka get out of the way of the attack. If high ranking kendo and karate people were looking to Ueshiba for tai sabaki advice, it's pretty much a given that it meant internal body skills in Ueshiba's aikido. Have you asked your teachers what that would be? What those internal body skills are and how to train them?