THE WILL TO WIN

In The Importance of Winning, I outlined the necessity of prevailing in combat. The will to win is often distilled to morale. Morale: the courage of the individual infectiously emboldening the spirit of his fellow comrades in arms. For not by numbers of men nor by measure of body, but by valour of soul, isContinue reading “THE WILL TO WIN”

CONTACT EXERCISES – Gyaku-hanmi katate-dori

With an influx of new students I have presented contact exercises. In each of the last two classes there was only one technique taught in each. Technique is a secondary expression that derives from feeling connection. Aikido is frustrating to learn because it is an energetic art – one must not only feel the internal movements but alsoContinue reading “CONTACT EXERCISES – Gyaku-hanmi katate-dori”

CHUDAN TSUKI

Tsuki (‘thrust’) in Aikido should replicate a knife thrust. We have focused on the high-line (jodan) first because it was a pedagogical thread from kata-dori, but also because a thrust to the face elicits a strong ‘flinch’ response. It is harder to maintain ‘zanshin‘ when pressed with a high-line attack. This morning we moved downContinue reading “CHUDAN TSUKI”