Category Archives: Reference Materials

MORIHEI UESHIBA – 1935 DEMO

In 1935, a Japanese newsreel crew from Asahi Shinbun captured the earliest surviving footage of Morihei Ueshiba demonstrating his art. This black-and-white film (along with his Budo, published in 1938, and his earlier private training documents such as Budo Renshu (1933), compiled with student Kenji Tomiki) comprise the few unambiguous records of what Aikido lookedContinue reading “MORIHEI UESHIBA – 1935 DEMO”

PALISUT FLOW DRILL

In other posts I have reflected on my concern regarding Aikido’s use of the knife. My concern is that while Aikido has beautiful flow and sensitivity drills, when it comes to tanto-dori, their use is under-developed. Moreover, because a knife is a commonplace weapon, in horrible circumstances it could be one a practitioner would needContinue reading “PALISUT FLOW DRILL”

TACHI DORI (Forms 1 and 2)

I have been presenting sword-takes away from the paired sword form san-no-tachi. The reason to show the disarms from a paired sword exercise is to train the visual system to recognize how the moment in time looks and to teach sensitivity in weapon engagements. Form 1 is done on after the first kirikaeshi. Shidachi executesContinue reading “TACHI DORI (Forms 1 and 2)”