Aikido teaches commitment and timing. I recall Okamoto sensei telling us “without commitment there is no Aikido” and I have been trying to unpack that ever since. Its simple to articulate, hard to convey and embody. I recently used Diomedes to explain kairos: the harmonious incorporation of committed action in proper time. Then I foundContinue reading “THE DECISIVE MOMENT”
Tag Archives: Okamoto
REVERSED EFFORT AND THE KEY TO MASTERY
The more I teach, the more I distrust my own methods. I vacillate between two instincts: to explain everything, the Western compulsion toward clarity, and to say almost nothing, as my Japanese teachers did. Both seem inadequate. There is a paradox in learning that unsettles: The more effort one exerts to master, the more elusiveContinue reading “REVERSED EFFORT AND THE KEY TO MASTERY”
WEAPON RETENTION
The banner image is a sobering reminder that retaining control of your weapon is imperative in close quarter combat. Primary weapons are always carried at the waist, thus the focus on chudan level. The ritual endures longer than the reason for it – try to deduce the martial logic behind the ritualistic rote repetition inContinue reading “WEAPON RETENTION”
Protective Arts 