Aikido pedagogy has a recurring failure mode: it introduces words long before it stabilizes their referents. Terms like center, connection, and timing are used frequently but imprecisely, because they are experienced with the body (somatically). The very point of practice is to refine how those concepts are felt, both individually and in a partnered exchange.Continue reading “THE AXIS OF THE ENCOUNTER”
Tag Archives: pedagogy
SHU HA RI
The Japanese formula shu ha ri comes from classical Japanese arts where preservation, rupture, and departure were recognized as essential phases of learning. Shu means to protect or obey. It carries the sense of guarding something fragile and important, like tending a fire that someone else lit. Ha means to break or detach. The characterContinue reading “SHU HA RI”
CHRISTOPHER MULLIGAN in AIKIDO JOURNAL
Chris Mulligan sensei sent me the draft format of this article in February 2020 for a quick review. His article makes explicit how he connects language acquisition with teaching and learning Aikido; which I have referenced numerous times in earlier posts. The published version is copied in full below. ______________ Christopher Mulligan Sensei began studyingContinue reading “CHRISTOPHER MULLIGAN in AIKIDO JOURNAL”
Protective Arts 