Nice BBC article about Aikido:
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20230831-aikido-a-japanese-martial-art-practiced-by-millions
We would only add that we deliberately not use ‘martial art’ for Ki Aikido to emphasize its accessibility and non-violent training methods.
Another great Summer School in the UK. Very intense learning, but besides that – lots of great English countryside, old architecture and socializing.
We are now resuming our classes on Saturdays 10am – 12am. The first hour is Ki class, the second – Ki Aikido. Students can only attend the Ki Class if they need a gentle introduction into the Art of Ki Aikido.
In the Art of Ki Aikido there is no aggression, tension or competition.
Ki Aikido does not rely on size or strength in any way. It can therefore be practiced by children, and men and women, equally Classes are suitable for all levels of fitness, and all ages and sizes
If that sounds too good to be true, please come on the mat and try. You are welcome to watch too.
Congratulations to Ani who passed her 2nd Dan examination on August 12th, 2023 during Summer Seminar in the UK:
We are back from the break and practicing Saturdays 10am – 12 noon in the upper studio. Beginners welcome, but please email first to make sure the class is on.
We are back from the Summer Seminar, tired but happy. It was a very special Summer School – the first after a three years break, and the feeling on the mat was tremendous. It reinforced for us the meaning of Aikido practice – to learn to be happy ourselves and try to share it with others.
If anyone you know is thinking of trying Aikido, please pass on this encouragement – the best moment to start would be now.
The Saturday classes are on, the usual 9.30am – 11:30am. We are considering a mixed group for the adults and juniors/youth from 12 y/old. We also consider adding back the second evening, most likely Tuesday. Please email us to register your interest.
With the very best wishes,
Sensei Dimitri
There is an old photo hanging by the entrance door to the studio where we practice. Four women from 1920s-1930s moving on a shore with an immense feeling of freedom. It was always intriguing who they were and what they were doing.
Well, it’s not a mystery anymore thanks to this article on CBC:
A quick demonstration and explanation by Sensei Walters, video from the Ki Federation web-site
With Ontario moving to Stage 3 and the outlook being good we are planning for August / September for resuming of in-person classes.
The weekday class time has now been confirmed on Tuesdays 7pm-8pm for Ki Development class and 8pm-9pm for Ki Aikido class.
In case you were wondering what Ki Development classes look like and why they are very accessible, please have a look at the Ki for Health set of exercises performed by one of the Federation’s top Teachers. This set is typical for exercises practiced in the Ki Development class. In case you were wondering, the garden gnome is not linked to the practice of Ki Aikido in any way.
The all-important mind aspect of the exercises cannot be seen on the video, but you might notice how all major joints and key body movements are covered by the set in a gentle and accessible way.
We’re cancelling classes until further notice. Please stay safe!
Duende … is the spirit which inspires those extraordinary, perhaps fleeting, moments in Flamenco (as in other arts like the corrida, or bull-fighting) when the performer achieves a total communion with his audience. Only the truest artistry and afición, free of any taint of egoism or showmanship, can create the possibility of this occurring. It is an experience of bare truth, when one is somehow transported to the very depth of things, to emotion at its most naked and most poignant, so that one can only feel ‘this is how it really is’…. It is a rare thing, hardly to be talked about
Juan Martín, El Arte Flamenco De La Guitarra
Ki Aikido 